It's official! Suffolk County Clerk records show Eric Swanson and Shana Madoff Swanson as the holders of the deed for 8 Barclay Court in swanky East Hampton. The high-flying couple purchased the mansion on 5/8/2008 for $2.8 million, according to KnowX. 

Eric Swanson & Shana Madoff Swanson,
8 Barclay Court, East Hampton, New York
(Microsoft Virtual Earth)

In December, the late Braden Keil of the New York Post reported the Swansons were all set to buy a $4.2 million condo in the Diamond House on E. 77th St on the Upper East Side but canceled the deal the day Bernie was arrested.

These real estate deals probably explain why Bernie loaned $9 million to his brother, Peter, in December 2007. Shana and Eric were married on 9/27/2007 and the loan may have been used for a wedding gift.

No word yet whether Madoff bankruptcy trustee, Irving Picard, intends to clawback this gorgeous summer home. If Peter Madoff can't repay the $9 million, I would think a clawback is a given.  

In the past year or so, the Madoff offspring have been on a real estate buying spree. In June 2008, Mark Madoff bought a house sitting on 3.3 acres in the Southeast Quarter on Nantucket and in October, Andew Madoff bought a $4.3 million condo on E. 74th St on the Upper East Side.

Although Mark Madoff borrowed the full purchase price of $6.5 milllion from Bernie, he and his wife, Stephanie, sold another Nantucket house they owned for $2.3 million in the same month. I guess Mark and Stephanie needed a couple of million to renovate and decorate.

Andrew Madoff's condo was also financed by Bernie.

Were the Madoffs trying to stash as much cash as they could in the months before their empire collapsed?  Sure looks like it.