Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Talk of the bay: Asking price for Hulkster's pad gets slammed

By Times staff
Published June 22, 2007

For further proof - as if anyone needs it - of the slump in the real estate market, we offer the 17, 145-square-foot Belleair estate of pro wrestling legend/reality TV star Hulk Hogan that is back on the market at the reduced price of $17.9-million. Hogan, a.k.a. Terry Bollea, and his wife, Linda, had listed the property at $25-million before taking it off the market last year. The two-story French Country home overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway and has a guest house, boathouse, pool and waterfall, maid's quarters and four-car garage. The home is listed in the duPont Registry, a St. Petersburg-based publication that focuses on luxury homes, cars and boats. The Hogans, who live now in a $12-million home in Miami Beach, bought the Belleair property in 1992 for $2-million.

Pier 1's slide to close 100 stores
Pier 1's latest attempt to pull out of a two-year tailspin didn't work. So, after reporting its quarterly loss doubled to $56-million compared to a year ago, the home furnishings chain said it will close 100 of its 1, 000 stores. Pier 1 Imports Inc., based in Fort Worth, Texas, did not list the stores to be closed or say when they will close. But it operates 15 stores in the Tampa Bay area. Sales overall declined 5 percent. Sales in stores open more than a year dropped 5.4 percent.

Diller crosses up Expedia forecasters
So much for published reports that Barry Diller, boss of InterActiveCorp and St. Petersburg-based HSN, is going to take private his other big investment, online travel giant Expedia Inc. The company this week unveiled a massive buyback of 42 percent of its outstanding stock shares. Expedia did not say where it will dig up the $3.5-billion to make the purchases at between $27.50 and $30 a share. But Diller is not selling any of his shares or the Liberty Media shares he also votes. So his control will rise to 40 percent from 25 percent of the company, which will remain publicly traded. "We cannot be clearer that the management and board are confident in the long-term future, " Diller said. Expedia's bookings rose only 1 percent in the most recent quarter and its stock lagged far behind rival Priceline.com Inc. That was all but forgotten after the buyback announcement. Expedia shares closed Thursday at $29.10 Thursday, up $3.99 over the Monday low.

[Last modified June 21, 2007, 23:32:57]