Talk about a good deal:
CARMEL, Ind. -- Forrest and Charlotte Lucas have bought the most lavish estate in Indiana for a bargain price, with a promise to preserve it like a work of art and share it with their employees, clients and the community.
Standing on the white granite steps between lion statues leading to the entrance of the French country mansion, the founders of Lucas Oil Products confirmed Wednesday that they paid $3 million in cash for the property, listed for sale five years ago at $20 million but recently reduced to $9.9 million.
This particular story doesn't mention it, but the mansion was originally valued at $30 million and something, so the Lucases got the place for 10 percent. Yikes. If I could get the same kind of deal, I'd go for, oh, a $1 million house for $100,000, or even a $500,000 abode for $50,000. The 36-room mansion has 25,000 square feet and sits on 40 acres. Before he got into oil, Lucas was a truck driver, and he seems to know how to enjoy being rich; more power to him. But he was rubbing it in a little to note that what they paid for it "would be the cost of one 30-second Super Bowl ad." Wait'll you see the heating and cooling bills, pal. You could probably even buy a couple of season tickets with that much.
