Luxist

What's not to love about a castle that sits under the Hollywood sign? Especially if the price has been chopped from $7.5 million (the price the house was listed for in June 2008) to $4.7 million?

TV personality Debbie Matenopoulos and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Lionsgate Entertainment music executive Jay Faires have re-listed their Norman-style castle, once known as Wolf's Lair. The couple reportedly bought in 2002 for $2.9 million. Because of the association with Hitler's bunker of the same name, plans are to change the name to something, well, more castle-y.

The turreted 5,485-square-foot castle that sits on 3.3 acres was built in the 1920s and includes a two-bedroom guest house designed by architect John Lautner. The main house was built by and named after L. Milton Wolf, the developer of Hollywoodland. In fact, the Hollywood sign that sits behind the home was put there by Wolf to advertise Hollywoodland. ( The original sign bore that name and was covered with 4,000 flashing electric light bulbs.) There is a heart-shaped black-bottom pool and eight bedrooms total on the property, which sits high above Los Angeles' Beachwood Canyon.

Lure about this property is legendary. Wolf, something of a ladies' man, reportedly installed a secret apartment under the gatehouse where he entertained, ahem, privately.

Bugsy Siegal's former castle -- the one Madonna owned subsequently -- is right up the road a piece. Castillo del Lago is listed at $9.95 million, making the former Wolf's Lair a relative bargain.

Ernie Carswell of Teles Properties, Beverly Hills, has the listing.

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If Howard Hughes had known about this place, without a doubt, the recluse-loving billionaire would have put in a bid.
The property sits on Marrowstone island -- an island located off Seattle that's populated by a chosen few (a mere 837 people according to the 2000 Census). The compound, known as Morning Tide by the Sea, has come on the market for the first time in more than 25 years at a listing price of $7,796,000. The 6,000-square-foot home has 825 feet of beach front on Admiralty Inlet and sits on 112 pristine acres.

This is a second home for its owners, who are a bit on the reclusive side themselves but are said to have been early investors in Starbucks. They certainly made sure all their favorite amenities were included: They installed an 18-hole golf course on 82 acres (it follows the shape of the island and is modeled after famed Scottish courses), a writer's studio, a 2,500 square foot greenhouse in which they produce magnificent flower baskets from Barclay's seeds, and a horse barn with four stalls. There is also a frame guest house with a recording booth. The property is sited on rolling lawns on the bluff side and has sea views to Mt. Rainer.

The four bedroom, four-bath main residence, evocative of East Coast cottages, blends antique tiles, Tiffany glass work, and a master wing with a fire place and glass dome, according to the listing.

The island itself is reachable by ferry and a bridge from Indian Island. There is one market, the Nordland General Store, which if you blink, you may drive right past it. The island was plotted in 1889, and settled by families newly immigrated from Norway who saw its similarities to the Norwegian fjords. Many of the descendants of the original families still live on the island.

Suzanne Charnos of Windermere Realty in Seattle is the listing agent.

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The Greek Cyclades island group has long been synonymous with romance. First, Liverpool housewife "Shirley Valentine" rediscovered herself on Mykonos with some help from a handsome Greek taverna owner in the 1989 movie. And then Meryl Streep planned the wedding-of-the-century in "Mamma Mia" (2008) against the white-washed backdrop of what film fanatics say was Sifnos. But every true Grecophile worth her moussaka knows that the most romantic place in all of the Cyclades is Oia, the small artist community on the tip of Santorini where the island rises above the Aegean Sea and moonlight walks along the Caldera are known to inspire Aphrodite -- at least in the playbook of my youth.

So let's raise a glass of Nykteri (Santorini's "wine of the night,") and shout "Yiamas!" (cheers!): One of Oia's most photographed historic guest houses is on the market. The properties known as "The Sea Captain's Villa" is listed at 4,800,000 Euro --or about $7.1 million U.S. An adjacent house, "The Cave Style House" is included in the sale. The main house, originally built in 1864 as a sea captain's quarters (it was remodeled a few years ago), overlooks the dramatic volcanic sea caldera. Traditional Greek architecture in style, the property has hosted European celebrities on holiday. The white-washed buildings with traditional sky blue trim include seven bedrooms, seven marble baths and two kitchens. Antiques, artwork and an optional hotel license are included. Santorini is said to be the lost continent of Atlantis, an advanced civilization that disappeared under the waves. Perhaps the legend adds to the island's mysterious allure. Modern Greeks simply shrug and repeat an expression which, when translated loosely, says: God created Santorini, and then He stopped. Enough said.

We first covered this estate three years ago and since then it's been all around the web and even on Oprah but now the $75 million estate in Corona del Mar, California has disappeared from the market. The listing expired, according to a spokesman from the McGonigle Group, which last had the listing. Unsold, the spokesman said. The oceanfront estate is designed to resemble a nautilus shell, with a large open area at the center and chambers, including eight bedrooms, spanning outward. The home includes a two-story grotto with a pool, two spas, swim-up bar, tunnel slide, poolside lounge room and barbecue area. The entertainment level has a bowling alley, Art Deco theater, automotive museum, cafe and a gym. At approximately 2,000 square feet, the two-bedroom master suite alone is larger than some houses.

In an interview in 2008 in the OC Register the architect, Brion Jeannette, described it the estate as being worth the $75 million price tag. Apparently not a sentiment met with much agreement in today's market.


[Thanks, John]

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Famed CNN TV talk show host Larry King and his wife Shawn King have bought a unit in the Carlyle on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Units similar to the one bought by the Kings have been selling in the $3.5 million to $5.6 million range. The Carlyle Residences is the last permitted high-rise to be built along the famed Wilshire Corridor's "Golden Mile." King attended the recent grand opening of the property, which was developed by Elad Properties, the owner and developer of the Plaza Hotel in New York. The unit that the Kings purchased will function as a second home. They are not selling their Beverly Hills primary residence but are expected to use their new apartment to house guests, including extended family members.

The Kings' unit has three bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms; 11-foot ceilings; his-and-her bathrooms off the master suite. Each of the 78 private residences in the building has a private elevator. The building's amenities include a 24-hour valet, doorman and concierge service. The 24-story crescent-shaped building has a private wine cellar. Larry King Live, the first worldwide phone-in TV talk show, debuted on CNN in June 1985. Larry King has been called the "master of the mike" by Time Magazine. Valerie Fitzgerald of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills, is the head of sales for the Carlyle project.

Add actress Sharon Stone to the list of head-scratching home owners trying to navigate their way through the real estate market this recession. She has re-listed a Beverly Hills mansion at $8,995,000 that she bought in 2006 for $10,995,0000. She originally had it on the market at $10 million, took it off and offered it on a $58,000 a month lease. That didn't happen either, although she did get a nothing-to-sneeze-at $35,000 a month for it. And now she's decided to list it at below what she paid. She never moved into the property, although she had at one point intended to remodel it and do precisely that. The seven-bedroom Mediterranean estate sits on almost five acres at the end of a private road. There is a resort-style lagoon pool and a north-south tennis court. Stone, who was married to newspaperman Phil Bronson until 2004, starred in the erotic thriller "Basic Instinct." The listing agent is Valerie Fitzgerald of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills. Fitzgerald is also in charge of sales for the Carlyle on Wilshire project.

Send over those moving boxes to Hollywood superstar Bruce Willis, who, with wife Emma Heming, is headed for the exclusive crescent-shaped building in Westwood known as The Carlyle Residences, Luxist.com has learned. Willis has purchased one of the building's 78 units -- all with private elevators -- in the newly constructed high-rise, also known as The Carlyle on Wilshire. The star of the "Die Hard" franchise bought one of the upper units in the exclusive building, where the penthouse was listed at $5.4 million.

Willis' residency no doubt will ratchet up the building's already soaring cache. The three-bedroom, three-bath unit that Willis bought is about 5,000 square feet and has city views. The centerpiece of the building is the grand lobby, lavishly appointed in exotic woods and stone and with a $1 million Dale Chihuly chandelier as a focal point. There is also a 24-hour concierge, dining room, wine cellar, pool and gym-spa. The units are equipped with Poggenpohl kitchens and baths, soaring ceilings and walls of glass. The project was developed by ELAD Properties, which also developed New York's Plaza Hotel. Luxury real estate broker Valerie Fitzgerald is the head of sales for the project, according to the MLS and other sources. A spokesman for The Carlyle could not be reached for comment.

Update: Mohamed Hadid, he of Ritz Carlton fame, just slashed the price on his Bel-Air home from $85 million to $72 million. Will it make a difference and generate a few more land barons coming to take a look-see? Coldwell Banker listing agent Joyce Rey, the diva of Beverly Hills high-end real estate, believes so. "At the new price, this home offers a remarkable lifestyle and a great value," she says. The property, with a 48,000-square-foot main house, was featured as a Luxist Estate of the Day on Feb. 23. The home has a 5,000-bottle wine cellar and a ballroom that seats 200-250.

Decorating 101 says that a well-placed mirror will make a room appear larger and in real estate, larger is generally a good thing. But can there be too much of a good thing? The Brentwood condo that belonged to former Playboy Bunny Carol Vitale is on the market for $1,250,000 -- down from its original listing price of $1,575,000. Even the MLS listing takes note of its many mirrors. The two-bedroom, three-bath 2,172-square-foot unit has mirrored walls in every room, mirrors on the ceilings, mirrored built-in dressers and mirrored fronts on the refrigerator and dishwasher. Vitale, who passed away about a year ago in her Florida home at age 61, was apparently fond of seeing her reflection. The unit is believed to be in escrow; perhaps the buyer shares the same good looks as the 1974 Playboy Magazine centerfold. Sandy Strick of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills office, has the listing, according to the MLS.

For those who find their muse in their surroundings: The hallowed ground of the old Cherokee recording studios in Hollywood is being converted into 12 work-live lofts, including some equipped as music studios to keep the tradition alive. The Lofts at Cherokee Studios project by Los Angeles-based sustainable developer, REthink Development, is about six weeks away from completion, with a model expected to open in mid-September.

Two penthouses have dedicated music production space; powder rooms can be outfitted as recording booths and acoustical insulation and sound attenuation measures were built behind and in the walls. Four other units can be similarly outfitted. So if Motley Crue moves in next door, no need to worry about the late-night jam sessions.

The lofts range in size from 1,190 to 2,300 square feet and cost $700,000 to $1.4 million. There is also more than 2,700 square feet of retail space available -- not to mention the ghosts of some heavyweights in the music business.

Elvis recorded "Burning Love" here and Frank Sinatra's orchestral studio was housed in this building. (A beam that was part of Sinatra's studio was salvaged and is part of the lobby.) David Bowie, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Dave Matthews and dozens of others made music here; more than 300 gold and platinum albums were cut on this site, which Cherokee vacated in 2006.