Hummingbird Nest Ranch, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Aug 12th 2007 at 1:02PM

The Wall Street Journal's Private Properties and the Real Estalker both recently reported that Metro Networks founder David I. Saperstein is asking $75 million for Hummingbird Nest Ranch, an equestrian estate in Simi Valley, California. Yes, the same Sapersteins who are selling Fleur-de-Lys, the $125 million palace in Beverly Hills. The now ex-Mrs. Saperstein, Suzanne, is an avid rider and the couple bought the 123-acre ranch in the 1990s and turned it into an elaborate showplace. The ranch includes a 12,500-square-foot, Mission-style main house, six guest houses (one of which is a brick beauty from the 1920s known as Sitting Bull) and 10 factory-built homes for staff quarters. There is also a a roughly 20,000-square-foot barn with 37 individually heated stalls and an automated horse watering system, three show rings, a veterinary clinic and of course a helipad.

If you are a fan of the television show, The Biggest Loser, then you have probably various portions of this estate. The first few seasons of the show were filmed here (plenty of room for all that exhausting hiking around). The ranch is a functioning business hosting equestrian events, all sorts of filming, and boarding horses. The main house has a Moroccan feel with lots of beautiful tile details, heavy iron chandeliers and rustic wood beams. It's huge but still has, as the Real Estalker Mama notes, a certain coziness. The estate is listed at $75 million. After the jump., can you imagine the water bill for keeping all that green during a Southern California summer?

Tags: california real estate, david saperstein, estate of the day, hummingbird nest ranch, HummingbirdNestRanch, luxury real estate, simi valley, suzanne saperstein

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Spectacular Bid Aug 12th 2007 7:05PM

The property is wonderful, the main house's architecture in keeping with the California Spanish theme is quite good although the furnishings - reflective of the Saperstein's taste - are a tad on the gaudy and excessive side.

Not to be terribly snide, but the statement regarding Suzanne as an "avid rider" should not be confused with being anything beyond an amateur rider. Enthusiastic and highly skilled are two different types of riders.

David and Suzanne owned a few Grand Prix horses (including one named Fleur-de-Lys) but from my direct knowledge their behavior [read: lack of tact] as owners was terrible.

Short of this being used for commercial purposes like the FEI International Childrens Final (show jumping) in 2004 there has never been an equestrian property sold at or near this price point.

Not even the grand and magnificent Lionshare Farm in Greenwich, CT owned by Olympic rider Peter Leone even fetched a rate over $40 million. There are wealthy people in the sport, but so many more and cheaper options available for a home and facility.

Marie Aug 12th 2007 11:11PM

I have to agree with Spectacular Bid, although the property itself is lovely, the price tag is just absurd, I'm sorry, I don't get this excessive prices, not now, not ever, it's just overwhelming and does not face the reality, we do have in the world a LOT of houses ans estates in excess of 30 million, now, how many of those actually sell? I would say, a couple. Get real about the prices!

Miss Scarlett Aug 13th 2007 10:14PM

It's a lot less tacky than their Bev Hills manse. I couldn't help noticing how green everything was on the ranch and how brown everythign was around it. you're right, I don't even want to know what the water bill would be on a place like this.

And does anyone actually see any actual horses in any of those stables?

amy broughton Sep 4th 2007 11:56PM

I was married at this estate in May and have to say it was breathtaking. And yes, there were real horses in the stables that seemed to be living better than most humans do.