When Britney Spears finally cast off the shackles of her conservatorship last year, there was hope that the pop icon would be able to enjoy a break from the constant media scrutiny that had dominated so much of her life.

Alas, that didn’t turn out to be the case.

Instead, Britney has been enduring a brighter spotlight than ever in recent months, as the tabloid press continues to scrutinize her every move.

In a tactic that’s long been favored by the shadiest outlets, the most invasive coverage comes disguised as concern for Britney’s mental health.

When Britney walked out of a restaurant because her fellow diners wouldn’t stop pointing their phones in her direction, these outlets engaged in much hand-wringing and pearl-clutching over her “erratic” behavior.

Shortly thereafter, there was talk that Britney’s loved ones attempted to hold an intervention, but the singer found out about their plans and avoided the pile-on.

There’s substance to those rumors, but fortunately, insiders say Spears has since recognized the validity of her inner circle’s concerns, and has agreed to pay more attention to her health.

But now, she finds herself at the center of yet another probably-overblown tabloid controversy.

And this one involves the true addiction of every wealthy resident of Southern California resident.

We’re talking, of course, about real estate.

According to a new report from TMZ, Britney was involved in some curious wheeling and dealing recently, and she wound up losing nearly $2 million.

The trouble started last year, when Britney and husband Sam Asghari purchased a sprawling mansion in the tony Calabasas community for $11.8 million.

Britney rather quickly experienced a change of heart and decided she didn’t like the place.

Because she and Sam had poured some money into the place, they out it back on the market for $12 million.

Alas, when they accepted a final offer last month, they did so for a rather paltry $10 million.

So with the renovations, Brit lost about two mil.

It sounds bad, but that’s chump change for the wildly successful artist, and more importantly, she got her wish of returning to her previous home in the slightly less star-studded Thousand Oaks region.

And the buyer is now the owner of a swanky seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom abode that sits on a 1.6-acre parcel.

Sounds pretty nice, but also … $10 million doesn’t even buy you two acres in Calabasas?!

Maybe we should all stop obsessing over Britney’s every move and start trying to figure out what the hell is happening to the housing market in this country!