People.com Celebrity Elin Nordegren Levels $12-Million Home Because of Bugs, Hurricanes Tiger's ex donated "tens of thousands of dollars worth" of fixtures and cabinetry, a source tells PEOPLE By Sandra Sobieraj Westfall Sandra Sobieraj Westfall Sandra Sobieraj Westfall is the White House and National Political Correspondent for PEOPLE. She also writes for and occasionally senior edits the magazine's Crime section and the brand's Let's Talk About It mental health series. Westfall joined PEOPLE in 2003 as Washington Bureau Chief and specializes in bringing readers inside the personal experience of political life. She twice won the White House Correspondents' Association Merriman-Smith Award for excellence in presidential reporting under deadline pressure (for her inside-the-room election night exclusives on the "snippy" phone call between Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000; and the hear-a-pin-drop silent moment in 2008 when Barack Obama, holding his mother-in-law's hand, took in the news that he would be America's first Black president). Prior to joining PEOPLE, Westfall was a White House Correspondent for The Associated Press after beginning her career in Congress, where she wrote legislation on women's health, mental health, and domestic violence. A native of Rochester, New York, she received her Bachelor's degree in politics (with a certificate in Latin American studies) from Princeton University, and a Master's degree in journalism from Stanford University. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 8, 2012 05:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Splash News Online Elin Nordegren, Tiger Woods‘s ex-wife, last week let loose a bulldozer on the $12-million oceanfront mansion she bought last year because, her builder tells PEOPLE, starting over made the most economical sense. The 17,000-ft., six-bedroom home in a gated community in North Palm Beach, Fla., was built in the 1920s, Dan Reedy of Onshore Construction and Development, tells PEOPLE. “It wasn’t built to the South Florida wind-loading codes of today that were put in place because of hurricanes. We had an architect and a structural engineer out here and everyone agreed that it made more sense – structurally and economically – to tear it down and start over.” But it wasn’t a total loss. Nordegren gave Habitat for Humanity of Martin County, Fla., four weeks to methodically go through the structure and salvage tens of thousands of dollars worth of cabinets, hardware and fixtures. That’s when termite and carpenter-ant infestations were discovered, says Habitat’s director of deconstruction, Bobbi Blodgett. “When we pulled out the windows, the bugs were everywhere,” says Blodgett. “To rebuild that house would have been ridiculous. We’re so grateful to Elin. It’s rare we get this kind of donation.” Adds Reedy, “Elin could have had a garage sale and made a lot of money. But she wanted everything to go to charity.” Nordegren, who celebrated her 32nd birthday on New Year’s Day, is living in a nearby rental home with her two children – daughter Sam, 4, and son Charlie, 2 – while construction on her new home is ongoing. As for reports her romance with wealthy New York businessman Jamie Dingman is heating up, a friend of hers tells PEOPLE, “They are still dating, that’s all. Nothing new there.”