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Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen has been hitting the headlines lately, thanks to her now-finalised divorce from American footballer husband Tom Brady. So it’s with no real surprise that this quiet real estate purchase has come to light. It appears that Bündchen has been busy preparing for her split from her husband of 13 years well before any press caught wind of it.
Details have emerged via the New York Post that the model purchased this compact 1,540 square foot cottage in Surfside, Florida way back in February, just two weeks before Brady reversed his NFL retirement to make his debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This move sparked a series of breakup rumours that would eventually lead to the couple’s publicly confirmed split. Of course, as with most high-profile celebrity divorces, we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg, and the purchase of this US$1.3 million ($2.04 million) cottage suggests that Bündchen and Brady were living apart much earlier than expected.
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While this modest three-bedroom, three-bathroom cottage is a far cry from the palatial residences the couple have previously owned (including houses in Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Costa Rica), the Art Deco-style dwelling is probably only a temporary one for Bündchen. Some commentators have suggested the house is for a visiting relatives or hired help, such as a nanny. Certainly, it’s no match from the glimpses of their Costa Rican holiday home we’ve seen on social media or this fancy New York apartment.
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Decorated in a laid-back contemporary style, the house features timber floorboards and an all-white bathroom and kitchen. Built in 1940, it’s undergone renovations since then, and according to Dirt.com, is currently being renovated by Bündchen. Open-plan in style, the front door opens to a living room that combines with a kitchen. Outside, there’s a small outdoor patio and lawn area framed by green hedges.
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It’s certainly no match for the US$27 million ($42.4 million) Miami Beach mega mansion the couple were building before their divorce. Located in the ultra-prestigious Indian Creek Country Club community, construction on their dream home has been halted according to the New York Post. In plans published by the Post, the former couple’s waterfront mansion was said to include a yoga terrace, organic garden, meditation garden, his-and-hers bathroom suites, a main kitchen, prep kitchen and outdoor kitchen. Part of an enclave made of just 34 properties and dubbed ‘Billionaire Bunker’, Bündchen and Brady would have been in the same community as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
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There’s been much speculation in the press about who gets what in the divorce, but considering the couple’s penchant for privacy, we’re guessing they’ll be wanting to keep the division of their considerable assets as quiet as possible.
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