So, you decided to play it low-key this year only to realize at the last minute that you actually do want to live it up for the 4th...you just don't want to fight the crowds or spend the big bucks that usually comes with it. Understood. So, why not enjoy your home tomorrow - and let your friends enjoy it too? All you need is a backyard or patio, a working grill and some creativity. You provide the grilling meat and some all-American accents and your friends provide the fun. Your backyard could transform into the party spot of the summer! Check out some ideas to host an Indepence Day bash on the cheap...

Okay, so maybe HomesPlus didn't get the scoop on this one, but we think Matt Lauer did as good a job as any at giving a tour of Michael Jackson's California home, affectionately known as "Neverland Ranch." And this home puts them all to shame. Forget the amusement park in the backyard, the house itself is incredibly impressive. Take a look -

Ahhh, the life of celebrity...fancy cars, fine champagne and gorgeous estates are just part of their daily lives. That is, when they're not behind on their mortgage payments like so many average Joes.

Case in point: former Bulls player, Eddy Curry. Today's Tribune reports that Curry's suburban Chicago home is in foreclosure. It would appear that the baller has fallen short by about $217k...so far. That's probably not difficult to do when you've got an interst rate of 9.25% (can we stress the importance of refinancing??).

The home was purchased for $3.7 million in July of 2003.

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Yes, we have a beach in Chicago. It's on Lake Michigan and it's lovely. But when you're spanning the nation for the country's top ten beachfront homes, surely you can understand why they might all come from the left and right coasts and not so much the northern coast that we occupy. And if not, then just take a look at these pictures...I think you'll forgive the list's publisher for the faux pas of leaving our windy lake-side city out of the mix.

So, here's the good news - they're incredible and they're all on the market right now. Here's the bad news - the least expensive home comes in at #9 - a 12,000 square foot estate on the Atlantic...available to the savvy buyer ready to sign on the dotted line for a mere $12 million. Think that sounds extravagent? Just take a look at the other nine...

Do you know what "vu" means? How about "w/d?" Take this quiz and see how on top of your real estate lingo you really are! And if your score tells you that you have some homework to do, just tune in to HomesPlus every weekend and catch up on your real estate basics!

Click here to take the quiz!

Jon and Kate aren't the only ones with problems.
Their Elizabethtown, PA home has been listed for more than three months and while I've never seen a single episode of their reality show (don't worry, I'm still totally updated on their daily activities, thanks to every media vehicle in existence) it does appear that the reality of the housing market is weighing on them just as it is the rest of us. And if the home of the couple that everyone can't get enough of can't sell, then what hope do the rest of us have, right?

Turns out celebs (real or otherwise) aren't immune to the housing slump. Here are a few who are feeling the heat of the current market...

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