Elin NordegrenLast week Elin Nordegren was in the news for being a homewrecker. It was reported that the ex-wife of Tiger Woods had gone and demolished her $12 million North Palm Beach, Florida, home, which she had just bought last March. The question was why.

How could she? Was it a temper tantrum? A wasteful show of excess? Some Tiger-related drama attached to the house that she just couldn't bear any longer? The possibilities were endless and oh so tantalizing. The reality is something quite different.

Rather than an extravagant gesture by someone with too much money it was one meant to save money. According to People, the home, built in 1920, wasn't built in accordance with hurricane codes of today, and in Florida, that can be a big problem. Architects and builders concurred that it made more sense financially to tear it down and start over again. All 17,000 feet of it.

In the process they found bug and termite infestations as well, so it sounds like it was for the best on many levels. But I've got to imagine it was heartbreaking too. You buy a home you fall in love with and usually don't plan to have to knock it down. Or maybe it was her plan from the beginning to knock it down and start over. Either way, she still has the amazing oceanfront property, and the money to build an incredible palace.

And it wasn't just a total waste of a house either. Instead of selling off the interior cabinets, fixtures and such, she instead turned the house over to a local Habitat for Humanity and allowed them to take what they wanted before the house was destroyed. Habitat's director of deconstruction told the magazine, "We're so grateful to Elin. It's rare we get this kind of donation."

So no, the demolition wasn't spurred by anything dramatic or scandalous. Rather it's just another great example of how resilient and level-headed Elin is. Through everything she has been through during one of the world's messiest and most public divorces, she's remained classy and composed. I can't wait until her new dream home is done and she can move into it with her daughters and on with her life. Here's to hoping she shares pictures.

Are you surprised to learn this is the reason that Elin Nordegren demolished her home?


Image via Al Bello/Getty