Hoping to etch a safe space for their neighborhood gays, a German construction company decided to erect a massive apartment complex specifically for the lavender set.

Villa Anders in Ehrenfeld in Cologne features 70 flats, which all but 15 have been snapped up by gay people who plan to move in by the end of 2009.

Organizers the Gay and Lesbian Living Association said the project, which receives some public money, will be self-financing.

Resident Jens Lidy told the Guardian: “As a gay person, I’ve spent my life playing a sort of hiding game, making sure the neighbors didn’t know I was gay, because I never knew how they would react.

“I leapt at the chance to move to Villa Anders, because I feel I can finally be myself among people who have had a similar experience.”

Remember how Melrose Place began as a relatively feel good show and devolved into camp mania? Yeah, that's what we envision - only hopefully without Dr. Kimberly Shaw and her bomb-loving madness.

Designer and poster child for embalming Karl Lagerfeld bought a house in Vermont and plans to use it to shoot ad campaigns for Chanel. No word on whether Lagerfeld plans on taking the house in a lumberjack or lesbianic direction. [!! omg !!]

Hoping to profit on the California's gay marriage madness, San Diego-based Wellsford Realty offers newly weds this tantalizing offer:

Whether choosing to make California their primary or secondary residence by buying a home in San Diego, domestic partners seeking to take advantage of the new Same Sex Marriage Law in California can now get their wedding reception or a honeymoon getaway compliments [of] Wellsford Realty. With the purchase of a condo or home using their services, Wellsford Realty is rebating 33% back on the commission which can be used to celebrate their wedding day or plan that long awaited perfect honeymoon.

As Luke Mullins points out, the real estate market's not doing so hot and buying a new pad could be describes as "spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a rapidly devaluing asset."

Now, some of you may be wondering if the company's simply trying to make a buck, or if they're actually being altruistic.

We understand that cynicism and nearly fell prey to it, but Westford's website includes a guide on getting a same-sex marriage license, so we're inclined to believe their gay love. Plus, it's free money for your dream home (pictured?).

Madonna's buying a third apartment in her Central Park West building. Why? Because she can… [NYDN]

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson's resignation yesterday brought back memories of the politico's questionable economic rationale:

Asked about the problems with subprime mortgages last June, Jackson insisted that many such [high-risk, high-cost] borrowers were not unsophisticated, low-income people but what he called "Yuppies, Buppies and Guppies" - well-educated, young, black and gay upwardly mobile achievers - with expensive cars who bought $400,000 homes with little or no money down.

At least we don't shoulder all the blame, right?

Madonna may have a 6,000 square foot apartment overlooking Central Park, but the singer wants more. Unfortunately her building's board doesn't seem willing to grant her wishes, so Madonna's getting litigious:

Madonna is burning up - and she's suing - because her ritzy upper West Side co-op allegedly won't let her expand her material world into a neighboring apartment.

The Material Girl has filed a summons in Manhattan Supreme Court against the board and management company at her Central Park West pad, a luxury building where she already owns a 6,000- square-foot duplex with its own gym and beauty salon.

The two-page summons accuses the co-op board and Midboro Management of breach of contract for allegedly holding up the sale of Julie Clark Thayer's seventh-floor apartment and orders the transfer of 868 co-op shares to the singer.

That board better cooperate! We all know what happens when Madonna get angry: she grows to ten times her height, breathes fire and makes us all listen to Music.

Ahhh!

Leading with the apocalyptic news of this year's cancellation of the Castro's legendary Halloween Parade, The New York Times delves into the continuing erosion of neighborhoods which once identified as "gay"–and with which the gay community once identified itself.

These are wrenching times for San Francisco’s historic gay village," Times reporter Patricia Leigh Brown writes. "With population shifts, booming development, and a waning sense of belonging that is also being felt in gay enclaves across the nation, from Key West, Fla., to West Hollywood, as they struggle to maintain cultural relevance in the face of gentrification."

The piece goes on to quote Don F. Reuter, a New York author currently writing a book chronicling the rise and fall of the U.S. gayborhood: “Claiming physical territory was a powerful act, but the gay neighborhood is becoming a past-tense idea.”

"Gay Enclaves Face Prospect of Being Passe" [New York Times]

Colorado Springs' developers and politicos alike recently announced to the world that they've shed their anti-gay ways and are now a completely queer inclusive community. Unfortunately, prominent real estate man Ron Spraggins didn't get the message. Spraggins - who presides over Colorado's oldest, "number one in sales since 1975" real estate group, Commonwealth - sent a nasty note to a Queerty reader named Roman, who commented on our original post:

A hetero friend moved from Los Angeles to Colorado Springs. He's a Buddhist Caucasian married to an Asian woman. They just had a daughter, and wanted to raise her in a family-friendly environment. They moved back to L. A. within six months. Apparently gay is just part of a long list of things those people hate.

And apparently Roman's comment on our original story rubbed Spraggins to wrong way, because Roman received this rambling message:

One simple question: do you believe in The Bible. If so, what does it say about gay sex? Clearly says it's a sin, just like adultry [sic], stealing, etc. Using another sin to justify your doesn't work. What happened to "We just want to be left alone?" clause ou all used when Amendment 2 came up? You're on an agenda, just like [Family Research Council president Tony] Perkins said years ago. Re: people who went back to AL, good. Maybe you and your other gays friends should do the same, since LA likes everything except what this country was founded upon. If everyone was what you want, gay, how do we reproduce?

Um, duh! We don't.

Gays will not rest until the entire planet's one big wasteland of corpses and AIDS. Oh, and drag queens' old, tattered wigs. Obviously this man hasn't brushed up on our agenda. Maybe you guys can help show him the way. Here's his company's phone number: 719-685-0600. Send him our love.

Barbara Corcoran knows a thing or two about real estate. She wouldn't have named her massively successful company after herself if she didn't. So, how does this flat flatfoot find the best edifice? Through some pretty "wacky" tactics, she says on her blog, a litany of property-related tid-bits we would never have read had it not been for this piece from The New York Observer's John Koblin

Ever-ready for a tip, Corcoran says she's constantly searching for the next "up and coming" neighborhoods, but sometimes needs a little help from the homo-help and other "open-minded" folk:

The best property leads I’ve ever chased have come from gay waiters or would-be actors serving my meal at a fancy restaurant. I’ve made a habit of asking, “So, where do you live?” and have learned the names of neighborhoods and small enclaves where the space you get is big and the rent is still cheap… I’ve found that actors, gays, and other open-minded types are comfortable being outsiders and consistently gravitate to neighborhoods that are both urban and open to the outsider. What they bring to their new locale is enthusiasm, a great sense of community, innate style and all their friends.

Oh, yes, you can always tell an area's about to turn when you see the wave of homos a coming, their hair perfectly coiffed into the latest, coolest style and their clothes reeking of intuitive fabulosity. They're just so tony. Rest assured they'll bring nothing but the best, most in vogue element to the hood. Who cares if they're broke? That's even better! Then you can say you have a gay friend and a poor friend. How hip!

Corcoran closes by admitting that her tactics are a little unconventional, writing:

You won’t find that or any of my other whacky tactics in any economics book, but then I’m not an economist. Instead, I’m just rich!

And how…

Okay, so we know this is a gay blog and all, but we have a question: how do you folk feel about gay business owners banding together to fight the good fight?

We ask because we came across a story over at The Advocate about a group of Florida real estate professionals who've formed a group called the Gay Real Estate Executive Network.

While we're not exactly sure what it is that they do, we gather that they provide support - both emotional and economic - to fellow members and work to spread the gay real estate gospel. The Advocate reports:

The titular head is Donald Geikie, a Realtor with Michael Saunders & Co., who describes GREEN's goal as supporting one another in the quest to "sell more houses and make more money." At the meeting, Geikie serves as moderator and cheerleader.

While there are undoubtedly some "greenie" advantages, some people may argue that so-called gay economics only distances gays from mainstream society. (You can guess where we stand.) So, beautiful readers, tell us what you think: should gays primarily support gay business or should we spread the love to the rest of our struggling nation?

(By the by, the house pictured is George Michael's love shack with Kenny Goss. Notice the bushes. Loverly.)

The age-old aspiration of finding a good pre-war apartment may become less common in coming years now that New York home buyers (and the city in general) are becoming more tacky. Take, for example, the horrifying teal glass structure at Astor Place designed by "starchitect" Charles Gwathmey. Yes, we just said "starchitect," which refers to the new group of architects whose designs fetch as much cred among the rich and famous as designer clothing.

In a New York Times article, Michael Shvo, a real estate marketer, describes the phenomenon, "People drawn to the glass buildings are a little bit more on the showy side. They're not as discreet, and these are not discreet buildings."

Mr. Shvo wins the Queerty Understatement Award for today. "Showy" doesn't begin to describe the eyesore at Astor Place, and discreet New Yorkers are becoming an endangered species.

Is Prewar Losing Its Status to Glass? [NY Times]
Condo Couture [NYMetro]

While cleaning out our inbox we found a lovely email written by Moby and forwarded from a friend of Queerty. Turns out the vegan/musician is selling his stunning upstate residence Partridge Hill for 3.5M.

We’re not really looking for a summer home just yet, but we have to give the guy props: it’s gorgeous. The modern design, the minimalism, and 8 person sauna/Jacuzzi makes us wonder one thing. Is Moby a Mo?

Moby’s email after the jump.

Partridge Hill [Property Site]

CONTINUED »

• Nate Berkus shows up on the cover of O at Home magazine, looking as good as always and bent over in our favorite position. [Oprah.com]

• Howard Stern picked the brain of Clay Aiken's bedpost notch John Paulus on his radio show this morning and Paulus revealed that Clay is (gasp!) a top! [The Malcontent]

• A "study released by gay rights advocates shows gay and lesbian students in Iowa schools are subjected to taunts and harassment." And in other news, the Earth revolves around the sun. [Radio Iowa]

• The Family Institute of Connecticut has evidence that gay & lesbian homes are harmful environments for children. Paparazzi photographs of Michael Jackson and his occasionaly balcony-dangling, constantly shrouded kids don't count. [The Boston Globe]

• Gawker has announced the winner of Project Runway and It's Nick who just so happened to get eliminated from last night's episode! Yeah. Not so much. [Gawker]

• Attempting to cash in on Brokeback Mountain as much as he can, Heath Ledger has put his Aussie home up for sale. [Towleroad]

• Yet another person has come forward insisting, yes, INSISTING, that Kenny Chesney is not, we repeat, NOT gay. [Fox News]

• Toronto is the first to get what will be a string of condos targeted at gays and lesbians. Sounds great, but if it the interiors don't look like something straight out of Architectural Digest, we ain't biting. [Reuters]

• Gay film company Power Up is gearing up for its first feature film. It's being directed by the lesbian who did But I'm a Cheerleader so you know it's in good hands. [Reuters]

• With a new HBO documentary, an upcoming Logo sketch show, and now a sitcom in development, Rosie O'Donnell seems to be one busy dyke. [Fox News]

• We knew hardcore evangelicals had a horrible sense of style, we just had no idea it this was this bad. [Wholesomewear via World of Wonder]