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Sheree Whitfield's Sandy Springs mansion, seen on the first season of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," sold last month for $1.1 million in foreclosure, according to real estate agent Costa Panos.
That's a major discount from the original purchase price of nearly $2.4 million in 2000 by Sheree's ex-husband and former NFL offensive tackle Bob Whitfield. [The property was in his name only.] The home, at 5525 Long Island Dr., was put on sale in 2007 for $2.8 million, but with the economy tanking, nobody bit. And even at $1.1 million, neither Whitfield gets a penny because the home was taken over by Aurora Loan Services Feb. 3 in foreclosure.
The Re/Max real estate agency Aurora hired to sell the home placed it on sale last month for $959,000. It had multiple offers immediately and sold above that asking price, Panos said. "It did quite well," he said. The buyer was Young & Meathe Properties.
Sheree Whitfield, in a phone interview Monday, wasn’t specific what type of home she’s living in now but says she has downsized. She’s just glad she has been able to keep her three kids in the same school system. It’ll be interesting to see how Bravo portrays her living situation when season two airs. Bravo taped the season in April and May.
Panos said once the foreclosure process began, he offered “cash for keys,” meaning a financial incentive of $1,500, for Sheree to leave as long as she and her family didn’t mess the place up.
That modest incentive didn't work, he said. On March 7, "someone stripped the house," Panos said. "Furniture was stolen. Light fixtures. Appliances." His colleague Ken Estep provided photos the ReMax agents took the day after along with "before" pictures.
Here’s the kitchen before:
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
And the kitchen after:
This is the dining room before.
And after:
Sheree Whitfield said the value of what was stolen was around $200,000.
Whitfield filed a police incident report that day with Sandy Springs, saying Sheila Rashad stole unspecified property. Rashad, she said, was an acquaintance but not a friend. Rashad said she's known Sheree for many years.
Sheree said Rashad, who identifies herself as a business consultant, promised her she could help her find a way to keep her at the residence for several more months. But that didn’t work out. Sheree said on March 7 that she saw Rashad piling her stuff into a Penske moving truck, then Rashad blocked Sheree from entering the property. Then Rashad left.
Rashad, in an email to me last Thursday, denied she stole anything, and said Whitfield took the items herself. “I am not this monster she is proclaiming that I am,” she wrote. Rashad even provided me the name of the mover, who confirmed he moved Whitfield’s belongings and was paid in full but otherwise declined to comment. (It’s unclear what items were being moved.)
Rashad wrote that she was “simply assisting her with vacating the property with some dignity and avoiding further embarrassment by having her things thrown out on the curb.”
“She threw me under when she left the house in such deplorable condition, considering she had me sign my name and made me responsible for the mess she left,” Rashad wrote in another email. “Her stripping the house was not part of the deal, it was clear that she was to leave the light fixtures and appliances. They would have understood her taking some of the fixures but not every last one of them.”
The Sandy Springs police confirm Rashad’s statement that she has not been charged or arrested.
Sheree, in a brief email Thursday, wrote the following:
The home was built in 1999 on spec by respected builder Stan Benecki and Benecki Homes. It has 5,900 square feet, five bedrooms, six full baths and two half baths. There's a massive "great" room with faux painting for entertaining and a pool in the back. "The kids loved the pool," Sheree said. When Benecki heard the price Young & Meathe got for the home, he said, "they got a great buy. It's a nice property [1.81 acres]. It's very private. It's grand. Keith Summerour was the architect."
Sheree agreed when she heard the price: “That’s a great deal.”
She also said Bob had not paid child support in almost two years.
Bob Whitfield has not responded to requests for comment.
Whitfield also owes her former divorce attorneys at Levine & Smith more than $89,000, according to a suit filed a few months ago. Steve Montalto, who represents Levine & Smith, said earlier this week that he had not heard a response from Whitfield in the requisite 45 days and will request a default judgment against her.
