Märtha and Ari buying house in Lommedalen

[Josefine]

www.aftenposten.no

Princess Martha Louise and her husband Ari Behn are reportedly bidding on a suburban estate in a valley west of Oslo. The asking price is NOK 9 million (USD 1.2 million), with King Harald probably ready to come up with the money.

Neither the princess nor her husband has the income or savings necessary to make such a large purchase. King Harald already has invested in property on behalf of his children, buying a flat for his son Crown Prince Haakon a few years ago.

Now it seems he's willing to make another generous gift. It's already been reported that he and Queen Sonja have inspected the property that Princess Martha Louise and her husband first fell for last year.

It's a country estate in suburban Lommedalen that borders on the forest known as Baerumsmarka. It consists of a main house and two smaller houses plus a stall for horses situated on a large parcel of land that's well-hidden from public view.

Real estate broker Lars M Saether told wire service NTB on Wednesday that two parties are now bidding on the property. He expected a deal would be struck within the next few weeks.

The current owner, Anne Karoline Smestad Geelmuyden, also confirmed that negotiations were underway.

The royal palace had no comment. The princess, her husband and baby daughter Maud Angelica have continued to live in the Oslo flat that the princess inherited from Queen Sonja's late mother.

[Josefine]

This is the house in the Oslo suburb of Lommedalen that Prince Martha Louise and her husband Ari Behn want to bought
www.aftenposten.no

[hrhcp]

Josefine  Posted: Oct 9th, 2003 - 4:56 am

This is the house in the Oslo suburb of Lommedalen that Princess Martha Louise and her husband Ari Behn want to buy.
www.aftenposten.no

Josefine,
I read that Princess Martha Louise and her husband Ari Behn were successful, and now own it.

[Alexandria]

What happened to Martha Louise and Ari's planned move to New York City? Now that they've bought a place in suburban Oslo, it seems that they are settling down?

[hrhcp]

Alexandria  Posted: Oct 13th, 2003 - 10:37 pm

What happened to Martha Louise and Ari's planned move to New York City? Now that they've bought a place in suburban Oslo, it seems that they are settling down?

Good question.

How about, if Mette-Marit hadn't become pregnant, then Martha Louise and Ari would have moved to NYC to escape the lime-light?

[hrhcp]

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/ar...rticleID=646949

Palace denies princess is a 'debt slave'

Princess Martha Louise is clearly upset over reports that she borrowed NOK 6 million to buy her dream house in suburban Oslo. Palace staff is demanding that a local magazine retract claims that she's a gjeldsslave, literally a "debt slave."

http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/english/article145445.ece

Royal Palace demands official apology
Tilrettelagt av Carin Pettersson 14.10.03

The Norwegian Palace demands an official apology from the magazine Se og Hør after an article stated that Norwegian princess Märtha Louise took out a large loan to buy her dream house.

[Josefine]

when will they move in to their new house?

[liliawodna]

In English from Aftenposten


Princess' family moves to the country

Princess Martha Louise, her husband Ari Behn and baby daughter moved Monday to a new large home in suburban Baerum. In doing so, they've swapped an urban lifestyle for one in the country.


Their new address is Burudveien 63 in the area known as Lommedalen, which literally means "the pocket valley." Their new home is a rural estate encompassing a large two-story main house, a guest house and even a children's playhouse.

The couple paid NOK 8.8 million for the property last fall but had intended to move to New York for a few years. They postponed those plans when it became known that the princess' brother, Crown Prince Haakon, and his wife were expecting the new royal heir in January.

Then Princess Martha Louise's father, King Harald, was diagnosed with cancer, so the move to New York remains postponed indefinitely.

Meanwhile, they went ahead with the move to their new house, confirms Wenche Rasch, a spokesperson for the Royal Palace. "They moved Monday and now live in Lommedalen in Baerum on a permanent basis," Rasch told news bureau NTB.

The princess, Behn and their baby daughter Maud Angelica have been living in the flat on Professor Dahls Gate in Oslo that the princess inherited from her grandmother.

[Dennism]

I'm glad to see they've settled on a solution. Soon Maud will have a new cousin to play with!

[hrhcp]

what do they do with the flat now ...
- sell it?
- rent it out?
- keep it empty for a few years, until Maud grows into it?

[norwegianne]

The flat didn't belong exclusively to Princess Märtha Louise, I believe, so there might be other family members who needs a place to stay. As it belonged to the Queen's mother, before she died, I'm not certain who really owns it...

This isn't something I'm 100% sure of, but it's one of those things I've read somewhere, but can't remember where.

[Fireweaver]

It's nice that there's a family place that's kind of up for grabs, in case anyone needs a temporary place to stay.

[Torkel]

I believe it is the Queen's brother, Haakon Haraldsen, who owns the appartment building in which this flat is situated. He probably retained the flat all along, and rented it out to his niece.

[hrhcp]

BTW .... along a different subject .... how are they doing with that new house of their's?

[norwegianne]

Originally posted by King Christian@Apr 21st, 2004 - 11:12 pm
BTW .... along a different subject .... how are they doing with that new house of their's?

Probably fine. Haven't heard much of anything, except that they live there, but plan to move to New York in the fall.