Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (121582)
Gainesville, Florida
November 12, 2023 11:26am CST
Twice a year, there is a parade of homes in our community. It is where local builders showcase new homes and new developments in the area. In the past, many of the parade homes were actually affordable homes that the average Joe could afford. These days, it seems it's all about extravagance, as all of the homes in this year's parade cost over a million dollars. But it's still fun to drive around and visit the homes, even if I know I could never afford one. It's a great way to see new design trends and decor trends.
To demonstrate the extravagance of some of these homes, the attached photo shows the closet in the master bedroom of home we visited. As with most "rich people" houses, there are "his" and "hers" closets. This was a "hers" closet, with the matching "his" closet on the other side of a hallway leading to the bathroom. And of course, the "his" closet was only about a quarter of the size of the "hers" closet.
Can you believe how big this closet is? I've seen people's houses that are not even that big! The photo doesn't even do justice to how big this thing really is. At the end of the photo is the entrance to one of three laundry rooms in the house. To the left of the photo (and out of sight of the picture) is a long hallway that goes from the master bedroom to the master bathroom (adjacent to the laundry room). Where I was standing when I took the photo was in the doorway leading from the bedroom into the closet.
Would you ever need a closet that large? Even if I was rich, I don't think I would need (or want) something so large.
This particular house was a 6-bedroom home, 6000 square feet of living space, 5 garages, and a measly $2.2 million. Chump change for the wealthy.
21 people like this
27 responses
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
@CarolDM Instead of buying a mega mansion like this particular house, I’d buy a bunch of small houses all across the country. The leaves are changing color in Vermont? I have a house there, let’s go. Want to go skiing in Colorado? I have a bungalow in Aspen. And so on. That would make much more sense to me.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
I can’t believe there are people who own that many clothes and shoes that need so much space!
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
12 Nov 23
@moffittjc Believe it. Usually celebrities, but I guess you gotta do something with all that money. Buy more shoes. I would find other ways of spending or saving my money, if only I had that situation. Good to see you Jeff.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (180703)
• United States
12 Nov 23
You could live in there. I mean if I cleared mine out..it could potentially be a den..but..that???
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
Haha I was thinking the same thing!
2 people like this
@flapiz (23148)
• United Kingdom
12 Nov 23
@moffittjc Ahaha but maybe your girlfriend might want a bed room sized closet 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 23
@flapiz True. She’s always complaining she wants more space for her clothes and shoes!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
Even if I could afford it, I wouldn’t want to buy a house with a closet that large. I don’t own enough shoes to fill all that space!
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51193)
• Canada
12 Nov 23
All that I think about when I see a closet that large is that it would take me hours to keep it dusted and cleaned on a regular basis.
On the bright side............our son lives in such a neighbourhood in the aspect that the homes are all over a million dollars, however the closets in them are not likely to be as over the top as this one is. But expensive just the same.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
All I could think about when touring this home was how much maintenance and upkeep there would be. But as my girlfriend said, if you can afford a house this big, you can afford a maid to keep it clean.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
12 Nov 23
I don't even use all the closet space I have in this little house. Mostly, I keep boxes of stuff in there. I had a bigger closet at the other house and didn't use all that space, either... Bigger is NOT better! I would like more room in the living room and kitchen here but the bedrooms are okay. Some people are ridiculous.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
13 Nov 23
@moffittjc You may be right. But at our last house, I had room for everything without feeling hemmed in by stuff.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
I think that the bigger a space is, the more needless and useless junk you would fill it with. It will just be cluttered as always, but on a larger scale.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 23
@DaddyEvil Not everyone has the willpower you have when it comes to filling rooms full of stuff! Lol
1 person likes this
@TraveOnWorld (854)
• Georgia
12 Nov 23
I cannot believe the size of that closet! I wouldn't like to be the one cleaning that size house, or doing the laundry in three different places?! 
Bad enough to do in one place
All of the clothes I own fits in one duffel bag. Maybe once a person is rich you wear more clothes at any time
. Thanks for showing how the other side lives
Bad enough to do in one place
All of the clothes I own fits in one duffel bag. Maybe once a person is rich you wear more clothes at any time. Thanks for showing how the other side lives2 people like this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
So much wasted space in that house. Even if I was rich I wouldn’t want a house that big.
Big or small, I'll take them all haha@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 23
You want something that big?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Nov 23
@RebeccasFarm Who doesn’t want a bigger closet? Lol
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
14 Nov 23
@moffittjc Those chandeliers are totally inappropriate for a closet. They cast shadows that don't help you see the colors of what you want to wear. Not to mention that "rounded" Rounded shapes in forniture waste space. My dream was to become an interior decorator.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 23
I thought it looked beautiful, but it definitely didn’t seem very functional to me.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 23
@LadyDuck I didn’t even think about the lighting, but you are right! It would make it hard to see when picking out your outfits each day.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (106271)
• Marion, Ohio
12 Nov 23
That is way too much space even for both people's clothes. I would not want anything that large unless it was self cleaning
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (106271)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Nov 23
@moffittjc It would be a great bedroom. I wouldn't like sleeping in it unless the master bedroom was empty
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 23
@wolfgirl569 Well, if the master bedroom was empty you could just sleep there instead!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
If I were to have a closet that big, I would convert it into a guest bedroom! Lol
And speaking of such, we rented a B&B once, and one of the “bedrooms” was the closet in the master bedroom! I kid you not.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41427)
• United States
12 Nov 23
It's amazing how much some people can find to waste money on. Beautiful, but not for me.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41427)
• United States
13 Nov 23
@moffittjc Some interior designers aren't as talented as others.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 23
@1creekgirl I’m pretty sure this was a custom-built mansion, so the designers only complied with what the buyers asked for. So in this case it would be the homeowners who are to blame for the bad flow throughout the house.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
It was beautiful indeed, but not functional in my opinion. The flow of the house from room to room was just weird in how it was designed.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Dec
I would be the maid for sure.I bet that the family that lives there isn’t even in town most of the time. That would mean I would have the whole place to myself and then I could invite all my friends over and tell them it’s my house!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Dec
@sallypup I would happily pay a maid service to come in after the fact and clean everything up. And then I would take credit for it when the owners returned home! Lol
1 person likes this
@sallypup (61115)
• Centralia, Washington
17 Dec
@moffittjc You could folks to chip in to have another maid clean the joint after the party.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44537)
• Staten Island, New York
13 Nov 23
Wow! This house is definitely not for the average Joe. That's one hell of a walk-in closet. You can probably live in it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 23
When I was standing in that closet, I was picturing in my mind where I could set up a bed, nightstands, and dressers. There definitely was room to fit all that inside the closet.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Nov 23
@lovebuglena I was actually thinking that all my stuff I currently have wouldn’t take up but a quarter of that closet, and then I started thinking about new stuff I could get to add to it.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44537)
• Staten Island, New York
13 Nov 23
@moffittjc I’d probably think about that as well. Or think about what new things I’d get to store there.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178568)
• United States
13 Nov 23
I could never handle all the walking in that house. Hubs would love 5 garages. He could crap them all up. I would never need a closet that large. Have a good week.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 23
@LindaOHio That’s exactly why I would need extra garage space. I also have a 2-car garage, and my truck doesn’t fit (it’s too long).
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 23
I could use 5 garages too, just to crap up! Haha
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178568)
• United States
13 Nov 23
@moffittjc We have a two-car garage; and the car just barely fits.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90876)
• United States
18 Nov 23
I do enjoy sometimes walking through places like this, and I admit they ARE nice, even if many of the newer homes just to me have no character or charm even if they are loaded with luxuries and big. I can afford more than I have (though not quite this much), but I have no desire. I like my adequate house even if I could live in quite a more elaborate one.
I prefer living in a way in which you have wealth, but nobody can tell.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Nov 23
In the past I subscribed to the mantra "bigger is better." But it's not. I had a huge house that did nothing but encourage me to buy even more stuff to fill the space. Bigger means more expenses, more headaches, more to take care of. I was happy I downsized about 6 years ago. I still have a big house (seems even bigger now that my son has moved out), but it's got character and charm and I happen to like it a lot.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Nov 23
@porwest I’ve always thought that between 1500-2000 is a cozy, livable space. My previous home was 3,000 and at the time I thought it was too small. But now that the kids have grown, I have downsized to 2200 and it feels just about right. Maybe a tad on the bigger side for my needs, but I’m happy here.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90876)
• United States
20 Nov 23
@moffittjc There was a time when I wanted more. But it was never a serious thought. I thought, "It would be nice," but never truly appealed to me down deep. Our house is about 2000 square feet and that's just enough.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180703)
• United States
12 Nov 23
No way that is a closet! Gotta have a walk in..but that? I don't even see anywhere to hang your clothes!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180703)
• United States
13 Nov 23
@moffittjc I went to a party one time in a house that was about 10,000 square feet. All of us were saying we could put our house inside that house. Now it is making think I should have looked in the closets..
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
There were places to hang clothes, but it was really weird.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 23
@snowy22315 I thought I had a big house, but I definitely could have fit a couple of my houses inside that one house.
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (81929)
• Onaway, Michigan
12 Nov 23
Wow I would definitely not that many bedrooms or garages and don’t need no big closet either.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
I guess when you’re rich you have to show off your extravagance!
@Tina30219 (81929)
• Onaway, Michigan
12 Nov 23
@moffittjc That is for sure. I would not mind a walk in closet but not nothing this big.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
@Tina30219 This closet was big enough to be a drive-in closet! Lol
@RasmaSandra (79858)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Nov 23
It looks impressive but personally, I would have nothing to put in such a closet, This house reminds me of how I think of people who live in mansions. To make it worth my while and to say I live in my house I would have to make sure I use all of the rooms of the house every day but then most likely I would live in about three rooms and could take a tour of the rest 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
This particular mansion had way too many useless rooms. I mean, who needs three laundry rooms? And there were also three sitting rooms, two living rooms, and two dining rooms!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79858)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Nov 23
@moffittjc in other words we'll eat in dining room A from Monday to Friday and move over to dining room B on Saturday. The whites get washed in laundry room number one, the colored in number two, and the mix and matches in 3
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Nov 23
@RasmaSandra Yes, that sounds exactly right! We have to be careful though, it would be preposterous if we washed the whites in laundry room #2 instead of #1.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 23
Maybe I can offer to rent that closet from the homeowner and just live in it. Then I can tell all my friends I live in a big mansion!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 23
@db20747 Pretty much anyone buying houses right now is paying with cash. Interest rates on mortgages are just crazy high right now.
1 person likes this
@db20747 (43440)
• Washington, District Of Columbia
14 Nov 23
@moffittjc Thats one creative idea how to live in this mansion!!! When we become multi millionaires, we can just pay cash!!
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (62495)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
13 Nov 23
You should come look at the houses in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach and Pabama. $2.2 million is nothing.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 23
Yes, this is Florida. Mega mansions everywhere, with redneck shacks in between. Haha
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 23
@thislittlepennyearns Yeah, Florida is the only place I’ve seen it like that.
@BearArtistLady (6037)
• United States
17 Dec
Come to think of it, I have a problem getting Petey and Freya out of the closet when they have the opportunity to sneak in my walk in closet...with closets like that I would NEVER see them!!! Petey got into my closet this morning and had a good two hour nap on top of a couple of pillows I had in there. He finally came out yawning and happier than his kitty self could stand!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Dec
It’s funny, I was staring at your photo for a few minutes trying to figure out what kind of pet that was until I realized the cat was behind the stuffed animal! Lol
In all the past years when I had cats, they would always find the craziest places to sleep, and sometimes we couldn’t find them for hours!
@BearArtistLady (6037)
• United States
19 Dec
@moffittjc When the apartment management people come by or I have visitors I go half nuts locating cats. I'm a stickler for making sure that they're in the apartment. I live by a super busy street (it used to be a freeway) and I'm terrified that they might get on it and get run over. Petey, the one in the picture, does fine until the neighbor in the apartments behind me lets his dog out at 6 a.m. then Petey does his "time to get up" singing and dancing until I give up and crawl out of bed.
During the day they sleep either in my stash of teddy bear making fur or in the dog bed by the window in the dining room. They aren't too big on change.
1 person likes this
