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Poor 50 Cent: As if the sad story of his Connecticut mansion (bouncing on and off the market since 2007, with no takers and multiple price cuts) couldn’t get any worse, reports have recently surfaced that a thief broke into this rapper’s home.
At least the alleged thief didn’t get far in the 21-bedroom, 25-bathroom estate, since he tripped off an entry alarm which alerted staff security to his presence. Police soon arrived at the scene and arrested Elwin Joyce, 34, and charged him with second-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, criminal trespassing, and criminal mischief. He was held on $100,000 bail.
But by far the best part of this story was 50 Cent’s reaction. For most people, a home burglary can be traumatizing, but not to Fiddy! After all, he’d apparently vacated the place long ago. So once he heard on TMZ what had happened to his place, he took to Instagram to write, “What my house got robbed, I thought I sold that MF. LOL.”
50cent/Instagram
A new low for 50 Cent’s homeHow could anyone just forget that they own a multimillion-dollar mansion? Well, in this case, we can almost understand.
A quick recap: 50 Cent bought this 51,657-square-foot monstrosity in 2003 (it was also formerly owned by Mike Tyson). Then, after pouring $6 million to $10 million into renovations, he attempted to unload it in 2007 for $18.5 million. When no buyers came calling, the hip-hop artist lowered the price several times. Yet even at its current ask of $6 million, no one’s biting.
At one point, rumors swirled that the place might be turned into a nursing home, of all things, but nothing’s panned out. Why? Hmm, maybe it’s the stripper pole in the disco, or the fact that its many amenities, from basketball courts to indoor pools, cost $67,000 a month to maintain.
Whatever the reason, this recent break-in highlights how vacant homes can easily become targets of theft.
“Vacant high-end homes make tempting targets for burglars,” says Brian Davis, a real estate expert and co-founder of SparkRental.com. “The copper in the pipes alone is valuable, and then there are the top-of-the-line appliances that many high-end homes boast. And those are just the fixtures that burglars can be reasonably certain are present. Who knows what other juicy targets of opportunity they’ll discover?”
How to keep a vacant home—luxury or not—safeThink your place is safe because you aren’t 50 Cent–level famous? Luxury homes owned by celebrities are hardly the only houses at risk.
As Denise Supplee at SnapLandlord.com recalls, “I had an experience with a vacant home that I was helping someone sell that was ransacked by thieves who wanted the copper tubing. They ripped it all out and then there was water damage. And because no one really visited that home, the water damage became a mold issue. You know how we knew there was an issue? Because I paid the bills for this property, and I noticed a ridiculously high water bill.”
Yet if there are any lessons to be learned from 50 Cent’s break-in, it’s that getting an alarm system is essential—even after moving out.
“Owners of vacant homes have more affordable options today than they did 10 years ago, with the advent of smart home security systems,” explains Davis. “Smart cameras can be triggered by motion or sound detectors, and alert the owner. Smart home security systems often now also detect air quality changes and other potential threats to property.”
Even the installation of timed lighting around the property at night can be a burglar deterrent. At the very least, check on the property once a week (or have someone do it) to make sure all is OK. Because whether you’ve moved out and are trying to sell the place or are still using it for vacations, a vacant home is a vulnerable home, whether it’s just a cabin or a stripper-pole-rigged crib worthy of a rapper.
The post 50 Cent’s Home for Sale Was Broken Into—Here’s Why Yours Might Be at Risk, Too appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.
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