Clay? where ya going?

Clay Aiken Leaving L.A. for Raleigh, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Clay Aiken is selling his Los Angeles-area home to return to his North Carolina hometown.


The Raleigh native refused to tell The News & Observer of Raleigh exactly where he's building his new home.

"Whether this ride lasts for one year or 10 years, I want to have a home base," said Aiken, 26, the runner-up on "American Idol" in 2003.

The pop star has rarely been at the Mediterranean-style, six-bedroom home he bought last fall for $2.3 million, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The 7,800-square-foot home was new when the singer bought it and rests on more than an acre in a private, rural area of the San Fernando Valley that is zoned to allow horses, the Times said. The house has 6 1/2 bathrooms, a swimming pool, a spa, a gazebo and a sports court.

Aiken listed the house in March for $2.5 million and expects to close escrow next month, the Times reported.

Aiken's mother, Faye Parker, decorated his California home with North Carolina furniture. "All the stuff, curtains, fabrics and whatever else is coming, too," he said.