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"Moving Stars" By: Richard Johnson (June 3rd, 2007) Billy Joel is about to become the owner of Roy Scheider's oceanfront home in Sagaponack. A rep for the "Piano Man" confirmed to The Post's Braden Keil he's in contract to buy Scheider's Hamptons spread, which had a most recent asking price of $18.75 million. Meanwhile, the "Jaws" star and his family are staying at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor, where, Scheider told Page Six, he'll live until construction on his new home in the quaint boating town is completed. "Billy Joel's 'Movin' Out To Sagaponack" The Long Island Musician Is Expected To Close On A Waterfront Property Owned By 'Jaws' Star Roy Scheider That Was Listed at $18.75 Million By: Ellen Yan (June 5th, 2007) Actor Roy Scheider's home went for more than a song; it went to songman Billy Joel. "Jaws" icon Scheider is expected to close Tuesday on the Sagaponack house he built between the ocean and some farms in 1994, said sources close to the deal. "I'm so happy that Billy Joel is buying it, because it's the perfect house for him," said Scheider, 74. "He can put his piano on the second floor, overlook the beach and the farmland and write beautiful music for all of us. Maybe he'll write an ocean's album." Agents involved are mum on the sale price for the five-bedroom, five-bath, four-fireplace home with porches and decks galore. But the 1-acre property was last listed at $18.75 million. Scheider said the price was "close." Joel's agents confirmed the deal, but declined to comment further. The singer, 58, has his own real estate for sale. His Centre Island waterside property has five bedrooms, but at $32.5 million, it's stacked with amenities - a tennis court, a music room, a wine cellar and a four-car garage. He also owns a waterfront house in nearby Sag Harbor. But in a little bit of down-to-earth reality, both stars have felt the pinch of the softer real estate market. They've had to do what the small guys have done - price chopping. Joel originally asked for $37.5 million last September, when he put his home on the market. Scheider originally asked for $20 million in April 2006 and went down by $1.25 million last March. Scheider and his family are waiting for a new home to be built, not far from their temporary quarters at Sag Harbor's, The American Hotel, an 1846 landmark that could belong in a Currier and Ives lithograph. Scheider bought the house when it was half-built and got the chance to put in his own architectural marks. This time, Scheider's four-bedroom house will be landlocked. That means no more piling sandbags outside the house, like he did in 2005 just before a nor'easter. The house was safe, but the storm bit away more beach. "People who live there have to restore the beach occasionally," Scheider said. "He knows that," he said, referring to Joel. Scheider said his new home, expected to be livable in August, is "modest." He's like a lot of other Long Islanders who have outgrown their longtime homes. "It really was fine for its time, but the kids are grown up now," he said. "They're going away and we're downsizing, and I'm doing more work in Europe than I am here." "Billy Joel Close To Closing On New Digs" (June 5th, 2007) Rocker Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" soon may be parked in a plot of land overlooking both New York farmland and the Atlantic Ocean. The "Piano Man" is expected to close soon on the Sagaponack, NY, property owned by "Jaws" star Roy Scheider, New York Newsday reported. Agents didn't reveal the selling price on the five-bedroom, five-bath, four-fireplace home, but said it was close to the $18.75 million asking price. "I'm so happy that Billy Joel is buying it, because it's the perfect house for him," said Scheider, 74. "He can put his piano on the second floor, overlook the beach and the farmland and write beautiful music for all of us. Maybe he'll write an ocean's album." "Roy Scheider Sells His New York Home To Billy Joel" (June 5th, 2007) Actor Roy Scheider has expressed delight his New York residence is to be transformed into a musical haven - Billy Joel is buying it for approximately $18.75 million. The "Jaws" star is already envisaging his home's harmonious future when the singer/songwriter moves in, and believes Joel will be inspired by the sprawling five-bedroom oceanfront mansion. He says, "I'm so happy that Billy Joel is buying it, because it's the perfect house for him. "He can put his piano on the second floor, overlook the beach and the farmland, and write beautiful music for all of us." Scheider's house was built for the actor and his family in 1994. "Roy Scheider Selling East End Home To Billy Joel" (June 5th, 2007) Actor Roy Scheider is selling his home in Sagaponack to Billy Joel. Scheider - who starred in the "Jaws'' movies built the house between the ocean and some farms in 1994. The 74 year-old actor says its the perfect house for Billy Joel because its ocean views are perfect for writing music. Real Estate agents won't comment on the sales price for the five-bedroom, five-bath, four-fireplace home with porches and decks galore. But Scheider tells Newsday that the price was close to the $18.75 million asking price. Joel's own Centre Island waterside property with five bedrooms is for sale. He also owns a waterfront house in Sag Harbor. Scheider and his family are waiting for a new home to be built, not far from their temporary quarters at Sag Harbor's The American Hotel. "Billy Joel Buys 'Jaws' Star's Home" (June 5th, 2007) Roy Scheider says he is selling his five-bedroom oceanfront home in the Hamptons to Billy Joel for a price "close" to $18.75 million. "I'm so happy that Billy Joel is buying it, because it's the perfect house for him," the 74 year-old actor was quoted Tuesday as telling Newsday. "He can put his piano on the second floor, overlook the beach and the farmland, and write beautiful music for all of us." Joel's agents confirmed the deal but wouldn't say more about it, Newsday reported. Representatives for Joel and his record label, Columbia Records, didn't immediately return phone messages early Tuesday. Scheider's
house, which is set on an acre in scenic Sagaponack, features four fireplaces
and various decks and porches. It was built for the actor and his family
in 1994. Scheider is waiting for completion of construction on a four-bedroom home near the village of Sag Harbor. The actor received Oscar nominations for his roles in "The French Connection" and "All That Jazz." He starred in 1975's "Jaws," directed by Steven Spielberg. Joel, 58, owns waterfront homes in Sag Harbor and Centre Island, a community closer to the western end of Long Island. The five-bedroom Centre Island estate, on the market for $32.5 million, has its own tennis court, wine cellar and music room, Newsday said. "Report: Billy Joel Buying 'Jaws' Star Roy Scheider's Hamptons Home For $18.75 Million" (June 5th, 2007) Billy Joel is movin' in to Roy Scheider's oceanfront home in the Hamptons, a newspaper reported Tuesday. Scheider, who starred in "Jaws," said he was selling the five-bedroom house to the singer/songwriter for a price "close" to $18.75 million, Newsday reported. "I'm so happy that Billy Joel is buying it, because it's the perfect house for him," Scheider, 74, told the newspaper. "He can put his piano on the second floor, overlook the beach and the farmland and write beautiful music for all of us." Joel's agents confirmed the deal but wouldn't say more about it, Newsday reported. Representatives for Joel and his record label, Columbia Records, did not immediately return telephone messages Tuesday. Set on an acre in scenic Sagaponack, the home features four fireplaces and various decks and porches. It was built for Scheider and his family in 1994. "It really was fine for its time, but the kids are grown up now," he told Newsday. "They're going away, and we're downsizing." The actor is waiting for a new, four-bedroom home to be finished near the village of Sag Harbor. Joel, 58, grew up farther west on Long Island, in Levittown. He now owns waterfront homes in Sag Harbor and in Centre Island, a tony community closer to the western end of Long Island, according to Newsday. The five-bedroom Centre Island estate, on the market for $32.5 million, boasts its own tennis court, wine cellar and music room, according to the newspaper. "Billy Joel's $16.75 Million Surprise" By: Ellen Yan (June 6th, 2007) Billy Joel bought a house in Sagaponack as a surprise for wife Katie Lee, who likes the village's genuine charm, his real estate agent said Tuesday after the closing. "Sagaponack is the last vestige of authenticity in the Hamptons," said Biana Stepanian, the Sag Harbor-based Corcoran Group agent who showed the singer several East End properties and brokered other deals for him. "His wife is so down-to-earth...that I'm not surprised she wanted to be in Sagaponack. "She first mentioned it to him, sort of like, 'Oh, wouldn't it be great to live in Sagaponack? It's so beautiful there and so authentic.' The whole thing was a surprise for her." In Tuesday's closing, the singer paid $16.75 million for a five-bedroom home owned by "Jaws" actor Roy Scheider, who had it listed for $18.75 million. The two-story house overlooks the ocean and borders farmland, but the beach there needs regular replenishment because of erosion and storms. Two years ago, Scheider and others along the shore got state permits to stack sandbags outside their homes as a barrier against flooding and erosion during a nor'easter. Scheider is staying at The American Hotel in Sag Harbor while his new house is being built. Stepanian said she showed Joel several properties in Southampton and Bridgehampton but he kept coming back to look at Scheider's home. "The whole thing, from beginning to end, was almost more than smooth, almost meant to be," the agent said. To those who know him, Joel is a savvy real estate businessman also, buying property that seems sure to increase in value. He has another home in Sag Harbor, about five miles from Sagaponack, as well as a Centre Island estate he's trying to sell for $32.5 million. His latest purchase is in a village that's currently shaping its zoning code, including restrictions on building sizes. In much of the East End, which used to be farmland, many developers have come in and left after making their profit, and megahomes are not what many Sagaponack residents want to see. Many of the village's buildings have been recognized by the state and federal government as historic landmarks. "It's open space and farmland that gives you a feeling of maybe the way it used to be," said village trustee Joy Sieger. As for Joel, she said, "I don't think it's a big deal. I'm glad he's here. He deserves his privacy." "Billy Joel Surprises Wife With New Home" By: Ann Walsh (June 6th, 2007) Billy Joel surprised wife Katie Lee with a a five-bedroom home owned by Jaws actor Roy Scheider. The two-story house overlooks the ocean and borders farmland, but the beach there needs regular replenishment because of erosion and storms. The house is in Sagaponack in the famed Hamptons area of Long Island. Joel also owns a home in Sag Harbor, only a few miles away. His wife, Katie, loves the charm of Sagaponack and mentioned it in passing, and Joel then decided to surpise her by buying the home as a gift. Roy Scheider and his wife are currently staying at a hotel in Sag Harbor while their new home is being built. Billy is known for purchasing homes and turning them for profit - he sold his former home to Jerry Seinfeld, and has his Centre Island home on the market now, where he and his wife married. He never strays from Long Island, as he is a homegrown native with strong ties to the area. Joel is spotted often at local establishments and is always warmly greeted and a favorite among celebrity watchers. "Trouble Brewing In Billy Joel's Marital Bliss?" (June 7th, 2007) American singer, pianist, and songwriter Billy Joel and wife Katie Lee Joel are reportedly going through a rough patch in their marriage. According to Mark Bego, who released 'Billy Joel: A Biography,' Katie Lee is upset about living in the couple's new Long Island mansion and feels it is a 'prison'. "She's unhappy in that big mansion on Long Island. It's a prison," New York Daily News quoted Bego, as saying. However, a source has denied these claims and insisted that the couple is very much together. "There is absolutely no truth to these break-up rumours. They are looking forward to starting a family. He bought a beachfront estate from Roy Scheider in Sagaponack, LI, as a surprise for his wife," the source said. The two have planned to go to Joel's daughter, budding singer/songwriter Alexa Ray's performance together. "Alexa is playing Joe's Pub on Thursday night, and they both plan to go to that," the source added, Joel and culinary artist Katie Lee married in 2004. "Billy Joel's Marriage Rumored In Trouble" (June 7th, 2007) Billy and Katie Lee Joel are hurt about rumors regarding the strength of their marriage, according to a close pal. A new, unauthorized biography and tabloid speculation have suggested a strain in the May-December union. Joel was 54 and Lee 23 when they married in 2004. Mark Bego, who released "Billy Joel: A Biography" on June 1st, 2007, told me: "She's unhappy in that big mansion on Long Island. It's a prison." But according to a pal, "There is absolutely no truth to these break-up rumors. They are looking forward to starting a family. He bought a beachfront estate from Roy Scheider in Sagaponack, LI, as a surprise for his wife." "Christie Brinkley Defends Billy Joel Divorce Rumors" (June 8th, 2007) Twenty-four years after they made rock and roll history together appearing as husband and wife in his "Uptown Girl" music video, Billy Joel and his ex, supermodel Christie Brinkley, came face to face last night at their daughter's concert – and it was all family harmony! "We're friends," Christie told us. "Billy and I are friends." Christie, 53, and Billy, 58, were married for 10 years before divorcing in 1994, and Christie insists there is still no bad blood between them. "I think we had the quickest, shortest, fastest, most amicable showbiz divorce," Christie said. "That's what my lawyer told me anyway!" But things might not be so amicable on Billy's side – at least that's what the tabloids are saying. New York's newspapers are screaming that Billy and his 26 year-old wife Katie Lee are on the verge of a divorce. Now the couple, who has been married since 2004, is coming to "Extra" to clear up those rumors – and even Christie is talking in support of her ex-husband! "That's so ridiculous," Christie insisted. "You can't believe what you read!" "I know where it's coming from," Billy said. "Some guy's trying to plug a book. So he says stupid stuff." And Billy has another theory - that nay-sayers are just jealous! For now, Billy and Katie are focusing on their brand-new mansion in the Hamptons. They purchased their $18 million oceanfront home from "Jaws" star Roy Scheider. "We just closed," Katie told us. "There's no furniture," adds Billy. "There's nothing in it. It needs work!" Perhaps Billy and Katie need all that room for a family. "Sure, we're married, ain't we?" he said. "'Piano Man's' Memorabilia Auctioned Off Unsuccessfully" (June 17th, 2007) The grand piano Billy Joel used on his early eighties "The Nylon Curtain" Tour has failed to fetch the $10,000 asking price on auction site eBay. According to New York Post's Page Six, the "Piano Man" hitmaker's Baldwin piano was originally given away as part of a record promotion in 1983. And while it may be a part of music history, potential buyers weren't so convinced. The auction ended on Saturday (June 16th, 2007) - and currently there are no plans to re-list the item. "Billy Joel Trades Land For Boat Docks" By: Bill Bleyer (June 20th, 2007) A dispute between Billy Joel and Sag Harbor, New York over ownership of two docks has been resolved with the musician getting a safe place to keep his boats and the village obtaining some waterfront property. The settlement approved by the village board last week stipulates that Joel does own the floating docks and will be able to rebuild them as he has tried to do since he bought them in 2002 along with a Bay Street house that was previously a fish market. In return Joel will give the village about 50 feet of waterfront property adjacent to Marine Park. And the singer/songwriter will pay the village an unspecified licensing fee comparable to a season dock rental at the village marina to keep up to four boats at the docks. "Everybody's winning," said Joel's captain, Gene Pelland. Joel, who has not been able to use the two docks, will have a place to keep his boats near the Sagaponack property he recently bought from actor Roy Scheider. Joel is trying to sell his Centre Island home, in part because he has not been allowed to build a dock in Oyster Bay Harbor, which is in a national wildlife refuge. Both sides had threatened legal action but agreed to settle because the real estate deeds were so complicated. "The title records were tangled and confused for many decades," said attorney Richard Cahn, whose Melville firm represented the village. "It would have been an expensive and dubious proposition for either side" if there had been litigation. Pelland said his boss wanted to repair the docks for the last four years even though the title was in dispute, but the village would not grant a building permit until the issue was resolved. "We want to put them back into their original shape so we can safely tie up his boats there," he said. Joel will build a bulkhead to prevent erosion, Pelland said. "He's very happy because he can now move forward and repair a part of the harbor that was really decrepit," Pelland said. "Dock Star Joel" Gets Piers In Deal With Sag Harbor By: Selim Algar (June 22nd, 2007) Harmony has finally been restored between "Piano Man" Billy Joel and Sag Harbor Village - after a three-year battle over dock ownership on the tony enclave's waterfront. Both sides had claimed rights to two floating docks across from a former seafood shop Joel bought in 2002. The case was complicated by unclear title records stretching back to the 1830s that suggested dual ownership. Some village board members had regularly questioned Joel's ownership of the docks and suggested they were a hindrance to area boaters. Joel, who occasionally parked his fleet's smaller boats at the site, had said the docks were part of his deal in buying the defunct store. But threatened litigation was averted at a Tuesday-night board meeting as the village conceded ownership to Joel in exchange for nearby waterfront property and a promise to refurbish the docks, which will be allowed to hold four boats less than 20 feet in length. In addition, he will foot the bill for a new sidewalk near the docks, new bulkheading and a fence. The deal will allow Joel to dock his vessels near the Sagaponack home he recently purchased for $16 million from actor Roy Scheider. Joel is attempting to sell his Centre Island spread for $32 million because of docking complications in Oyster Bay Harbor. "Billy was really happy to settle the issue," said his lawyer, Jonathan Tarbet. "He was very pleased." Tarbet said Joel, who is traveling and could not be reached for comment, is awaiting several permit approvals from the state before he begins the improvements. While he said he was pleased to have reached a settlement with one of his village's favorite sons, Sag Harbor Mayor Greg Ferraris stressed that Joel was not shown any favoritism. "The village's best interests are paramount," he said. "I would have dealt with the situation the same if it was Billy Joel or any other village resident." Ferraris said the deal clears up any liability concerns for the village by establishing Joel as the owner. The improvements to the area, he said, were crucial to the agreement. |