Real LI

Model Carol Alt told an Ottawa newspaper recently that longtime boyfriend and former New York Islander Alexei Yashin supported her decision to pose nude for the cover of December's Playboy Magazine. "He wanted me to do it eight years ago," the 48-year old said. "He had no problems with it." Alt, who grew up in East Williston, credits her raw food diet with keeping her in top shape.

Meanwhile, Yashin's neighbors in Old Westbury shouldn't expect to see the pair around town now that the hockey player's mansion has been listed with Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates.

The six-bedroom, 9,200-square-foot home sits on 3.26 acres, and is listed for $11 million. Public records show that Yashin purchased the property for $3.877 million in 2002. The home has an elevator, newly built home theater, billiards room, pool and tennis courts. Yashin played with the Islanders from 2001 to 2007.

ESPN analyst and former New York Jet wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson apparently has the decorator’s touch. The 36-year-old is set to star in a 10-episode A&E series, “Keyshawn Johnson: Tackling Design,” due out next year.

In the meantime, a luxury townhome once owned by Johnson just went on the market in Woodbury, listed with Judy Fruitbine of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes and Estates. The three-bedroom, 3-1/2-bath unit is listed for $1.199 million.

The home is situated in the 99-unit Eagle Chase development and has views of the pond from every room. “As soon as you walk into the door, you see the pond with its circulating water,” says Fruitbine, “There are walls of glass. There’s an elegant feel throughout.” Amenities include housekeeper’s quarters, a finished basement, bar and entertainment area, gas fireplace, wood floors and tumbled marble baths.

Quarterback Chad Pennington, who was cut from the New York Jets earlier this month to make room for Brett Favre, has gone into contract on his Muttontown home.

Pennington first put the six-bedroom, 7½-bath, brick center-hall Colonial mansion on the market in July for $4.095 million, later lowering it to $3.995 million. The 2-plus acre estate went into contract "within 30 days and for close to the asking price," says Shawn Elliott of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates, whose company both listed the property and brought the buyers. The listing agents are Barbara Tomko and Sharon Hyman.

Elliott says that the closing is expected by early October, and that the new owners are a Manhattan couple in the financial industry.

Pennington’s 7,000-square-foot home has a state-of-the-art fitness center, a billiards room, Gunite pool and a four-car garage. Records show the home was purchased in 2005 for $3.595 million.

Pennington, now a quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, "is one of the nicest clients I have ever met," Elliott says.

If you've got $12.9 million and are a big fan of television's "Gossip Girl", why not buy this 5-acre estate where two episodes of the show's upcoming season were filmed?

The Villa at Chestnut Hill, where scenes for a "white party" for the show take place, has just gone on the market with Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates. The gated five-bedroom mansion boasts nearly 15,000 square feet, a grand foyer with dual wraparound staircases, a 65-foot ballroom, a gym and a glass-enclosed salt water swimming pool. The third story cupola affords a 365-degree view of the manicured grounds and neighboring Planting Fields Arboretum.

The listing agents are Angela Rothenberg and Kim Greenberg. Greenberg owns the home with fiancee and real estate developer, Fred Rudd. The former owner was chop-shop king Michael Pescatore.

Greenberg and Rudd have made many improvements to the property since purchasing it from the government for $8.3 million in 2007, beating out dozens of bidders. "They went above and beyond in every detail," Elliott says. "They've taken it to a level far above the previous owner."

Elliott says that recently, a Kohl's commercial was filmed at the estate, and in June rapper Ludacris filmed an At&T commericial there as well.

Even some professional football players have had trouble finding affordable housing on Long Island.

So says Mike Francesa, co-host of WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog radio show, who spoke last week about members of the New York Jets, who for years have trained at Hofstra University in Hempstead. Starting next year, the team will train in Florham Park, N.J., which may be happy news to some players and coaches, who found housing prices here on the Island out of reach, and opted to travel hours to training camp rather than pay the hefty real estate prices in our area.

Despite it all, some members of the Jets did call Long Island home, and REAL LI has reported on current and former team members who are now selling or have recently sold homes here.

Former Jet Vinny Testaverde has relocated to Florida, and is selling his Oyster Bay Cove estate for $6.495 million. Retired Jet Curtis Martin took his Garden City penthouse off the market earlier this year, after having listed it for $3.099 million. Jet quarterback Chad Pennington recently listed his Muttontown mansion for $4.095 million, and cornerback Dave Barrett is selling his Melville townhome for $899,000. Linebacker Bryan Thomas, who owns a home on the North Shore, sold a property he owns in Long Beach earlier this year which he had listed for $680,000.

Former New York Islander Alexei Yashin has listed his Old Westbury mansion for sale for $11 million.

The Russian-born hockey center wore the Islander uniform from 2001 to 2007. He is the longtime companion of East Williston-born actress and author Carol Alt, who appeared last season on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice."

Yashin was bought out of his contract by the Islanders in 2007. Last month, Newsday reported that Yashin was in talks with the team over his possible return.

Public records show that Yashin purchased the six-bedroom, 9,200-square-foot mansion on 3.26 acres in 2002 for $3.877 million. The home has an elevator, newly built home theater, billiards room, pool and tennis courts.

Shawn Elliott of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates would not comment on his listing.

Elliott also lists former New York Jet Vinny Testaverde’s home in Oyster Bay Cove, which recently had a price reduction from $6.995 million to $6.495 million.

A piece of Roslyn’s history has just hit the market for $1.695 million.

Jack Rossinsky of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes and Estates is listing this circa 1875 Victorian overlooking Roslyn Harbor that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The three-story home was built on two wooded hilltop acres for local attorney George Washington Denton. The interior was designed to imitate an Italian villa. The Roslyn Landmark Society oversees permission on renovations and upgrades.

The home has gone through a series of owners yet retains all original architectural elements, including doors, hardware, decorative moldings and six fireplaces. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was used by the Girls Service League of America.

One area that’s been modernized is the kitchen, where there’s a Thermador gas oven, Sub-Zero refrigerator, dishwasher and upgraded cabinetry.

New York Jets cornerback David Barrett has put his Melville townhome on the market for $899,000. Barrett purchased the house in the Country Pointe community in 2004, when he joined the Gang Green. The four-bedroom, 3 ½-bath dwelling features a formal living room and family room with a fireplace, a master suite with a Jacuzzi tub and shower and a finished basement.

The Country Pointe complex offers a pool, tennis courts and clubhouse. Peter Kavanaugh of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates has the listing.

Shawn Elliott represents the Oyster Bay Cove home of former Jet Vinny Testaverde, which, after a brief time off the market, was recently relisted at just under $7 million.

After a brief hiatus, Heisman winner Vinny Testaverde’s Oyster Bay Cove home is back on the market, listed with Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes and Estates.

The price remains $6.995 million for the 13,000 square-foot mansion on Talls Oaks Court. Testaverde and wife, Mitzi, orginally listed the home in October 2007, taking it off the market this January as they prepared to move to their new $4.5-million Tampa, Fla., mansion.

The six-bedroom, 7 ½-bath center-hall Colonial sits on four acres and is a sports-fan’s paradise with a fitness center, a sauna and steam room, a movie theater, a video game room, a billiards room, a full basketball court and a sports court. The home includes a cabana, a heated Gunite pool with a 20-foot waterfall, a kiddie pool and an eight-person Jacuzzi.

Money can’t buy all wishes and a broker teases:

An “under 40” Wall Street exec with millions has his eye on Billy Joel’s Centre Island estate, said broker Shawn Elliott.

The owner of Woodbury-based Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes and Estates has plans to show the client around Middlesea, reduced to $32.5 million since it went on the market $5 million higher in September 2006

But Elliott, such a teaser, won’t say who he’s bringing to the estate on confidentiality grounds. It’s just stuff like “definitely a well-known Wall Street person” from the broker.

“I won’t give you the name but if I did and you put in on Google, immediately you’d know who it is and a lot of people would know who it is,” he said. “They have a home in Florida and they have a home in Manhattan. They do not own a Hamptons house. So it’d be sort of like in exchange for having a Hamptons house, this would be closer to the city.”

Elliott said his first customer to Middlesea was a venture capitalist and boater who made an offer on the compound around November but was turned down.

That first client would have bought the 14-acre place if he could have his one big wish, the broker said.

“If I can land a helicopter here, we’ll make this happen,” Elliott recalled his client saying. “Nothing would make him happier than to be in Manhattan in 15 minutes.

“I checked it out. I called the town. No helicopter landing anywhere on Centre Island.”

It’s hard to find a Long Island home where the views can help de-stress high-powered big wigs in high-pressure businesses and where helicopter commuting is legal, so Elliott thinks his first client might be back once he weighs the options.

“When you get to this level, it’s not about the money necessarily,” the broker said. “You want what you want, and you’re willing to pay for it and you’re not willing to compromise.”