Nick Van Exel’s former Houston mansion, once showcased on MTV’s “Cribs,” is back on the market for nearly $12 million just months after selling at a fraud-linked auction for about $9 million. The sprawling Royal Oaks estate is now offering buyers another shot at one of the city’s most over-the-top homes, complete with a bowling alley, aquarium, private theater and infinity pool.
Sarah Y’nhi Huynh bought the property after offering $9 million with no further inspections and an immediate closing, according to The Real Deal. The latest asking price of $11.999 million would give Huynh a potential paper gain of roughly $3 million before transaction costs, taxes and any negotiations.
The current listing describes a four-level, steel-framed estate spanning 20,932 square feet on roughly 0.68 acres. The home has six bedrooms, six full bathrooms and six half-bathrooms, plus dual kitchens, two elevators, a 3,000-gallon aquarium, a commercial-grade bowling alley, a private cinema, a sauna and views of the Royal Oaks Country Club golf course, the listing shows.
From MTV Showcase To Luxury Auction
Van Exel owned the home before selling it to Holton and Earlene Buggs in 2012 for $2.9 million. The couple then undertook a massive renovation that added another level and transformed the property from a Mediterranean-style villa into a modern mansion, with more than $14 million reportedly invested in the work, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The mansion went through Concierge Auctions in December 2025 after first being marketed for roughly $9.9 million. The auction company says the property sold for $9 million on Dec. 23, 2025, and highlights its custom walnut doors, bowling alley, aquarium, theater and pool as part of the package, according to Concierge Auctions.
Why Fraud Proceedings Are Part Of The Story
The auction was connected to the fallout from a federal civil case involving Traders Domain, an online foreign-exchange and digital-trading platform. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission alleges that the operation and its promoters, including Holton Buggs, fraudulently solicited and misappropriated customer funds in a roughly $283 million multilevel Ponzi scheme, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
A court-appointed receiver’s 2025 report listed the Noble Lakes property among Buggs’ assets that could be subject to seizure and liquidation. The Real Deal also reported that court documents showed $1 million from the mansion’s sale was seized as part of the recovery effort, while other Buggs-linked property and luxury items were targeted in the same proceedings.
