It seems as though not even Charlie Brown is safe from foreclosure these days.

Los Angeles Times reports that a traditional “Peanuts” holiday scene that has been a seasonal staple outside of a home in Costa Mesa, Calif., for 44 years will be interrupted this month because of foreclosure. The distressed homeowners, who “strategically” defaulted in 2010 to hoping to renegotiate the home loan, were evicted from the property in late November.

In lieu of the unfortunate circumstances, the community has rallied behind the family, as well as its Christmas tradition, and the local government has agreed to let volunteers decorate City Hall grounds with the displaced “Peanuts” gang. In addition, several supporters have created a “Save the Snoopy House Fund,” collecting donations to help reverse the foreclosure.

To check out the official Facebook and Twitter accounts and to get behind the cause click here and here.

The bank has indicated that it views foreclosure as a last resort and is “exploring multiple options on how to get his property back” to the original Snoopy homeowners.

Now that would be a real-life Charlie Brown Christmas story.

(Photo by Don Leach, Daily Pilot / December 7, 2011 via LATimes.com)

The $7 million home of super successful singer/songwriter, Rihanna, in Beverly Hills, Calif., is the subject of a real estate short sale, according to several published reports.

The Barbadian beauty closed on the newly-built, eight-room expanse back in 2009; however, it’s apparently been nothing but a money pit ever since she assumed ownership.

In fact, the “Umbrella” pop sensation, 23, recently filed a lawsuit against the homebuilder, alleging that poor construction has led to major flooding problems that have caused significant damage. As a result, she has listed the mansion on the market for $4.5 million and will “consider all offers,” meaning that she is willing to accept less than what is owed on the mortgage to expedite her exit.

Typically, the lender that holds the note is tasked with making those types of shortfall decisions; however, it’s unclear if the lawsuit, which names essentially every party involved in the transaction, including the selling agent, will have an impact on the eventual outcome.

Ironically, her decision to get out of dodge appears to coincide with her abusive ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown, recently purchasing a $1.6 million home nearby. Brown, of course, was sentenced to five years probation and more than 1,400 hours in “labor-oriented service” for assaulting Rihanna back in 2009.

Sometimes things really do seem to happen for a reason.

Check out complete details of Rihanna’s water-logged short sale house after the jump (via RealEstalker):

“Listing information from that time Miss Riri purchased the property shows the gated contemporary crib sits heavily on .86 hill top acres at the tail end of a short cul-de-sac and measures more than 10,000 square feet over three floors with 8 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. The heart of the hulking house is a dramatic airplane hangar-sized living/dining area with milk-chocolaty hardwood floors, fireplace, towering walls of glass with city to ocean views, and glass-railed bridge that connects two second floor wings of the modern mansion. Other interior spaces include a den/family room with fireplace, eat-in kitchen with not just one but two gigantic center islands, office, staff quarters, art studio, fitness room, media/music room, wine cellar and home theater with wide screen and state-of-the-art projection equipment. The gated grounds encompass a tight motor court with two-car attached garage, flat lawn the narrows to a small sun deck with city and ocean views, and a small swimming pool and spa surrounded by an entertainment terrace and deck cantilevered over the canyon.”

For more celebrity-related distressed real estate situations be sure to check out our complete archive on the topic right here.

It was all just a “ruse” to draw attention to his unfortunate foreclosure situation, not a serious threat that he intended to carry out.

However, sending a letter to a lender telling it that the house will go down in flames if the situation isn’t remedied is taking it too far. So far, in fact, that federal law enforcement was notified, stormed the custom-built home and removed the elderly couple from it.

The good news is they were not arrested. The bad news is that they now reside in a camper in the front yard, waiting for a resolution.

To check out foreclosures in Calaveras County and the surrounding region click here.

Foreclosures, short sales and bank-owned properties, which account for about 33 percent of the total listings currently for sale on Southern California hot spot’s market, were a major focus of buyers/investors in the area. And more than a 100 of the listed properties were for sale for more than $1 million, which is about 3 percent of all distressed listings.

Who are the new faces moving into town? First-time homebuyers, mainly, according to Steven Thomas, a local broker who tracks home sales in the area:

“We’re getting through all the backlog of all the people that are upside down, that are having problems, that have lost their jobs. We’re going to be getting through this…. The strongest part of the market is the first-time homebuyer. Those about 35-years-old.”

Thomas also revealed that it takes twice as long to sell a home if it is not distressed, about six months, because of the equity situations. It’s no secret that most smart buyers are more likely to find ways to get the most house for the least amount of money. And are interested in moving swiftly, which is ideal for banks, lenders and other mortgage not holders that want to balance their books.

To search foreclosures, short sales and other distressed properties in Orange County and anywhere else in the United States click here.

Carnie Wilson, one-third of the popular Wilson Phillips vocal group, is in danger of losing her home in Los Angeles, Calif., to foreclosure, according to TMZ.com.

The report indicates that Wilson is owes her lender more than $1.6 million on the property, as well as late fees and penalties for missed payments. And if she can’t get current or work out a deal, her house will head to public auction as soon as July 21, 2011.

Wilson has responded to the report, saying that the home is “in a short sale situation” and that everything “is so great with [her] family and [her] life.” So great, in fact, that they have already moved into a new place, according to Zap2It.com.

During her time with Wilson Phillips in the early 1990s, she sold more than 12 million albums, which included three number one singles songs. Wilson, who recently made a cameo appearance in the blockbuster “Bridesmaids” film, is married with two children.

She appeared on the “Celebrity Fit Club” in 2006, hoping to overcome her lifelong battle with obesity once and for all. Wilson managed to lose more than 20 pounds on the show, but gained it back shortly thereafter.

For more celebrity foreclosure-related news click here.

But in the case of a 45-year-old distressed homeowner from San Diego, Calif., he likely took his pending foreclosure case way too far.

He seems to have gone over a cliff, actually.

The unidentified individual apparently “created a phony court document and signed a judge’s name” to avoid foreclosure on his Mission Valley home, according to the Los Angeles Times. It appears that the name of the judge who he used was real, however, he sent the forged documents to the lender in regard to a civil suit that didn’t even exist.

Talk about poor planning.

The good news is that he struck a plea deal with the prosecutor under which he would not ask for a jail sentence more than 90 days. The bad news is that the judge who rules on the case doesn’t have to agree and can sentence him to a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Hopefully, he’s not golfing buddies with the judge whose name was forged. Eek.

Foreclosure on the set of “The Real Housewives” reality series is reaching epidemic proportions.

The latest victim is Orange County’s Peggy Tanous, whose $1.6 million Irvine, Calif., home  is the subject of a recent foreclosure filing, according to The Orange County Register.

She filed a financial hardship counter claim, saying that she is having money problems and must be considered for a loan modification before her lender can repossess the home.

If nothing else, the legal maneuver will likely delay the public foreclosure auction, which was booked for May 17, 2011.

As mentioned earlier, this is not the first time that someone from “The Real Housewives” has had to face the possibility of losing her home to foreclosure.

Alexis Bellino was saved with a loan modification, as well as Jeana Keough. Tamra Barney was able to unload her upside-down home via a short sale and Teresa Guidice filed for bankruptcy.

We’ll pass along more information on Tanous’ foreclosure situation as it becomes available.

To read all about these lovely ladies, as well as other celebrity types, and their real estate-related issues click here.

It’s been nearly two years since the untimely death of the “King of Pop.”

And to date little is known about the fate of Michael Jackson’s sprawling 2,676-acre Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif., in ritzy Santa Barbara County.

Will it be turned into a museum/tourist attraction like Elvis Presley’s “Graceland” in Tennessee?

Check out the latest Neverland update from Tom Barrack of Colony Capital, which entered into a joint venture with Jackson shortly before his death to save it from foreclosure.

Here is what he had to say (via Bloomberg.com):

“Our plans have been to work to restore it to its original greatness. The place is amazing. It has not only the beautiful spirit and softness of Michael, but a legacy of a thousand years of Indian culture that had transacted upon it. We have just been restoring it, renovating it.”

It sounds as though the restoration is still a work in progress, which is good news — it’s just not sitting untouched while its future is debated.

Perhaps Colony, which claims it has been waiting for Jackson’s estate for definite direction, has been unknowingly fixing it up for Michael’s sister, La Toya Jackson, who recently filed legal papers, claiming that she is the home’s rightful owner.

Whatever the case may be, you might want to go get some pop corn … this situation is far from settled.

That’s the wild real estate ride that Alexis Bellino — from the “Real Housewives of Orange County” — and her husband Jim have taken with their Newport Beach, Calif., mansion over the last year.

Orange County Register reports that the Bellinos recently unloaded their cushy six-bedroom, five-bathroom luxurious property for a cool $3 million, which is $395,000 less than the asking price, in a short sale transaction.

The identity of the bargain buyer was not revealed in the article, but he or she was represented by Banker Previews International.

And based on the description of home, which sits on a 9,135-square foot double lot, it appears that the new owner got a relative steal.

Here are just some of the many features:

“High ceilings, gorgeous crown molding, pristine wood floors, and a grand staircase … a state-of-art kitchen, wine cellar, home theater and large recreational area with pool table & bar…. There’s also a wrap-around balcony, rooftop view deck, a gym and a six-car garage.”

Alexis and Jim also revealed that they has as much as $6 million invested in the property. And despite all the mortgage wrangling and deep price cuts — the home was listed for $4.9 million as recently as Nov. 2010 — the couple denies having financial problems.

To read more about the Bellinos, as well as the real estate troubles of many other lovely ladies from the hit Bravo-produced show, click here.

Things continue to go from bad to worse for one of the biggest busts in the history of the National Football League (NFL) draft, JaMarcus Russell.

MSN.com reports that Russell, the first overall pick out of LSU in 2007, is facing foreclosure on his $2.4 million mansion in Oakland, California. He allegedly failed to make more than $195,000 in recent mortgage payments.

That may seem like a lot of money, but it’s really not all that much compared to the ridiculous $60 million contract he signed with the Raiders coming out of college just four years ago.

Perhaps Russell — who was recently cut by the Raiders because of his poor play on the gridiron — is cutting his own losses to prepare for a life that doesn’t include a bright future in football.

In 25 starts with the Raiders, according to ProFootballTalk.com, Russell, who has battled the waistline bulge, completed just 354 of 680 passes (52.1%) for 4,083 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He was also sacked 70 times and fumbled 25 times.

We might be adding one more completion to that list, a foreclosure, if Russell can’t get current on the payments owed to his lender.