August 16th will be the 33rd anniversary of Elvis’ death, and I thought what better way to celebrate “Weep Week” than to write about Elvis Real Estate.

Reno Fontana lives in one of two homes owned by Elvis when he died. The first, of course, is Graceland in Memphis. The second is the home in Palm Springs on Chino Canyon Road that Elvis and Priscilla bought on April 14, 1970.

When Reno and then wife Laura were looking for a bigger house, he was thumbing through real estate magazines on a Friday night when he saw the Chino Canyon home listed. He called at 9 a.m. on Saturday. “Is it really Elvis’ house?” he asked. Assured it was, he responded, “I’ll be right there, and I am buying it.” He bought the house sight unseen for $1,275,000.

“When we moved in, within a matter of hours on the first day people were stopping by taking pictures,” Fontana relates. “We were so thrilled to say, ‘Would you like to come in and see the house?”‘ The Fontanas don’t share most homeowners’ objection to having a lot of strangers coming into their house. “Even though we own the house, we like to think we are caretakers,” Reno says. “It’s open for Elvis fans.”

For the first few months, they invited people in for free. One day, after touring the home, a gentleman said, “It’s really gracious of you, but here’s $50.” After that, the Fontanas fully realized the value of what they had. Ninety percent of the furnishings belonged to Elvis. “You are not just seeing a house he used to live in. You are seeing a real part of his life,” Fontana says.

Because of his dedication to Elvis and Elvis fans, Fontana has researched and gotten confirmation from people who knew Elvis, and obtained written authentication whenever possible. He has a copy of the house title signed by Elvis and Priscilla Presley in 1970, when they bought it for $85,000. The Presleys were not the only famous owners. In 1960, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc purchased the house; and in 1981, Frankie Valli bought it for $750,000. In 1986, Valli sold it to a Japanese corporation for $2.2 million. From then until the Fontanas purchased it, the home was open for a few weeks.

Elvis Chino Canyon Road on Zillow

The house on Chino Canyon Road is not the only piece of real estate that Elvis enjoyed in Palm Springs.

In 1967, Elvis and Priscilla were to be married by the pool in the backyard of the house. But the arrival of friends and family tipped off then-leading gossip columnist Rona Barrett (who also lived in the neighborhood) that a wedding was imminent. As the media descended upon the house, Elvis and Priscilla changed plans, deciding to get married in Vegas. In the middle of the night, they snuck into an alley behind the house, where a limo took them to Frank Sinatra’s learjet. They were married in the Aladdin Hotel.

The next day they returned to honeymoon in the Palm Springs house, which is how it got its nickname as the “Elvis Honeymoon House.”

Zillow’s estimate of Elvis’ Honeymoon House

A Luau Birthday Celebration at the

Official Bad Art Museum of Art

Wednesday, August 4th, 7:pm – Cafe Racer/OBAMA
5828 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle WA 98105

Cafe Racer specials featuring Food and Drink of the Islands

Music by The Ukadelics

Wednesday August 4th is the birthday of President Obama, and because Obama is a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, and because we at O.B.A.M.A. are looking for an excuse to have a party, and celebrate the Hawaiian and Tiki Culture, we’re having a Luau inspired party to celebrate OBAMA! Wear a muu-muu or Aloha shirt, have a fruity cocktail, get lei’d!

This beachfront home’s dramatic pool lights up in vivid shades of blue and purple, creating an incredible setting. The pool features an adjustable swim current for when you want to break a sweat, plus a champagne-glass spa when you just want to relax. When it’s time to dry off, this amazing outdoor spot also has multiple balconies and a private rooftop deck for sun bathing. And the price has just been reduced to only $9.9M!

I’ve always loved this image of the Kettle House in Galveston, Texas.

Robert McLaughlin, who has created the fabulous website KC Modern and also the blog http://www.kcmodern.blogspot.com/, has photographed dozens of modern homes in Southern California. Above is a photo from a set called SoCal Modern Residential.

Oh My God! was the first Art Car created by artist and filmmaker Harrod Blank. At the age of 16, Blank became embarrassed by the blandness of his all-white Volkswagen and painted a rooster on the driver’s door. He never stopped decorating the car, which ultimately served as the springboard to his career in building Art Cars and documenting the Art Car movement.

Unusual Life is based here in Seattle, and we’re excited because Harrod Blank is bringing “Oh My God!” all the way from the Art Car World Museum in Douglas AZ to Seattle for the Art Car Blow Out. The film “Automorphosis” will play Thursday June 17th at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle at 7 and 9 pm where “Oh My God!” and other art cars will be parked outside. Then he will attend the Seattle Art Car Blow Out from the 18th -20th at the Fremont Fair and the film will show again on the 21st at the Central Cinema at 7 pm. The filmmaker and other art car artists will be in attendance.

So if you live anywhere near Seattle, please stop by. Unusual Life will be in the Mighty Mighty Elvismobile, so stop by and say Hello!

Located on the Richardson Highway, approaching North Pole from Fairbanks. For years it’s been a natural log structure, but he just painted it in a whimsical fashion to the delight of those passing by.

“Built in 1920s by Joseph Koberling Sr. and James Purzer. Onetime restaurant and “speakeasy” with Pretty Boy Floyd as a guest. Now the tunnels are currently sealed off. It is rumored that the park across the street, Newblock Park, is a mass grave with the bodies of the black victims from the 1921 Race Riots.”

ugly house, originally uploaded by Dept. of Treasure.

The photographer’s caption for this home is “ugly house” but I love it! It’s just so weird and wacky. I wish I knew where it was, I’d talk to the homeowner and get the story. You know it’s gotta be good!    -  Marlow Harris

-  And here is a Flickr Group slideshow of Pink and Purple Houses  -  jodavid