california real estate

Gore Vidal Lists His Hollywood Hills Home

Filed under: Estates

Back in 2005, we mentioned that Gore Vidal's Italian retreat La Rondinaia is up for sale. It eventually sold for a reported $17.87 million and now can be rented out as a luxury vacation retreat. That probably won't be the fate of Vidal's Los Angeles home which recently hit the market for $3.495 million. The Real Estalker reports that Vidal bought his home in the Hollywood Hills way back in 1977 for just $149,500. The five-bedroom home is on nearly half an acre. The main house is a Mediterranean style home with four bedrooms. The property includes a pool and a one-bedroom guest house. The home is crammed full of the author's treasures including overstuffed furniture, objets d'art and plenty of books. The home has rustic carved wood beamed ceilings, wide-planked floors and a living room with a carved stone fireplace. The bibliophile's delight includes a library, bookshelf lined office, music room, and a meditation room.

Gallery: Gore Vidal In Hollywood Hills

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Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate, Gore Vidal, hollywood hills, los angeles, los angeles real estate

Joey Lawrence Drops The Price On His Encino Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Our sibling blog AOL Real Estate reported that Joey Lawrence dropped the price of his Encino, California home 18.75 percent, to $2.599 million, since he first listed it for $3.199 million a year ago.

Laurence, whose is best known for his role as Joey Russo on Blossom and currently stars in Melissa & Joey with Melissa Joan Hart on the ABC Family Channel. The Real Estalker reveals that Lawrence bought the six-bedroom home in 1994 for $1.175 million. He also tried selling it 2001 and 2002. The home has many tile details including terra-cotta-colored tile floors with blue diamond insets, tiled fireplace surrounds and sink counters. The tile theme continues in the master suite which has a master bath with a dry sauna, steam shower and tiled, raised whirlpool tub. The 1928 home includes a tennis court and pool and it also has a movie theater, and a workout room with another sauna. The home is listed by Craig Knizek, of Prescott Properties.

Gallery: Joey Lawrence in Encino

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Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate, encino, encino real estate, joey lawrence, los angeles real estate

Frankie Muniz Re-Lists His Hollywood Hills Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

When actor Frankie Muniz was still a teen television star he bought and sold quite a bit of property around Los Angeles. That all slowed down with the end of his television show "Malcolm in the Middle." In 2005 he bought this home for $3.499 million and in 2007 he put it on the market for $3.875 million.

The LA Times reports that the home is back on the market. Muniz has been renting it out in recent years and new listing pictures show that it's missing the artwork and young-star-glam look it had back in 2007. Muniz meanwhile has turned his attention for acting to race car driving and playing drums with the band You Hang Up.

The traditional-style 1941 home and has five bedrooms total including a master bedroom that has skylights, walk-in closets and a bath with an infinity tub. The home is on a small plot of land but has a pool, spa, outdoor dining area and a charming outdoor fireplace. The home is now listed at $3.195 million.

Gallery: Frankie Muniz in the Hills

Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate, frankie muniz, hollywood hills, los angeles real estate

The Razor Slices Off Another Price Cut

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

I found out about this one a little too late for our list of biggest price drops but The Razor, an architecturally splendid residence in La Jolla, California would definitely qualify, falling right in the middle of our list with a total drop of $14 million. The architect Wallace E. Cunningham has been deemed one of Architectural Digest's Top 100 Designers and this home is one of his landmark designs. The Razor in La Jolla, California is pleasing slice of concrete and glass positioned for ideal ocean views. When Architectural Digest published a piece about this property in 2008 the owner, Don Cooksey was quoted as saying: "I'll never have a collection better than that view."

The home offers a panorama of sea and sky revealed in a series of curved forms set into the cliffside. The soft angles keep the house from being simply another modern glass box. The 11,000-square-foot home has four bedrooms including a master suite with a large swoop of a fireplace. There is also a two level guest house and private access to Black's Beach. The home hit the market in 2008 for $39 million but is now listed at $25 million.

Gallery: The Razor

Tags: california real estate, la jolla, the razor

Wellspring Ranch, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's property isn't just an home or even just a potential winery, it's also home to a complete custom designed Western Town complete with a bunkhouse from 1914. Wellspring Ranch in Buellton, California is over 700 acres in the Santa Rita Appellation wine trail. The property is four legal parcels with two main homes, four natural springs, barns, corrals and more. This property is listed at $9 million.

Gallery: Wellspring Ranch

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Todd Stashwick's Laurel Canyon Home On The Market

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Actor Todd Stashwick who had regular roles on "Heroes" and "The Riches" and most recently appeared in "$#*! My Dad Says" has a charming home in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles that he has listed for less than he paid for it. The LA Times reports that Stashwick and his wife Charity bought the home in 2007 for $1.255 million. Former owners actor Jeffy Perry and casting director Linda Lowy had expanded and renovated the original 1922 property into a three-bedroom home before selling in 2003.

The home's delightful features include a light-filled living room with a peaked roof and Dutch door, a double-height formal dining room, a family room with wood-burning fireplace and a master suite with a fireplace and balcony. Sunny paint colors give this home a very appealing cottage hideaway look. The landscaped grounds have a rock-bed stream, a children's playhouse and a 200-year-old oak tree.

James Foreman of Sotheby's International Realty, Los Feliz, is the listing agent.

Gallery: Todd Stashwick in Laurel Canyon

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Jenny Craig Lists Her Rancho Santa Fe Home And Horse Farm

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The Real Estalker reported that diet guru Jenny Craig has listed her longtime Rancho Santa Fe, California home. Craig, whose diet plan has had a host of celebrity spokespeople, founded her business in the 1980s and sold it in 2006. Craig bought this home with her late husband Sidney in 1997 from the estate of Pete Rozelle, a former NFL commissioner. The four-bedroom home is on 3.37 acres that include a two-bedroom guest house, pool with a pool pavilion, tennis court, manicured lawns and a car museum. This home is listed at $8.995 million.

The backyard overlooks Rancho Paseana Farm, a 228-acre thoroughbred race horse training facility that Craig currently has on the market for $29.95 million. The horse farm was originally developed by Gene Klein and his trainer Wayne Lucas, as a premier race horse facility. It has 228 all flat usable acres with a seasonal stream and a 3/4 mile race track. Craig and her late husband Sid were racing enthusiasts who invested in thoroughbreds. Their horse Chocolate Candy ran in last year's Kentucky Derby.

Gallery: Jenny Craig's Rancho Santa Fe Home

Gallery: Rancho Paseana Farm

Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate, equestrian real estate, jenny craig, rancho paseana farm, rancho santa fe

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Nicholas Carriger Estate and Winery, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Back in 1847 when California was a golden, unshaped dream, Nicholas Carriger purchased over 1,000 acres of land from General Vallejo. Carriger used his land for farmland, raising cattle and planting orchards and vineyards. Now the heart of the land that was originally purchased by Carriger with gold dust mined during the California Gold Rush is back up for sale. Today the main home sits on 16 acres. The home was restored a few years back and has three master suites, a country kitchen, formal dining room and a pool. The property also includes a smaller home originally built for Carriger's daughter, horse barns and a 10,000 sq. ft. winery building that was completely restored in 2001. It's currently home to law offices and is rented out for special events but the winery is permitted for 5,000 case production and a tasting room and is waiting for the right owner with a sense of history and a taste for adventure. It is listed at $5.9 million.

Gallery: Nicholas Carriger Estate and Winery

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Diandra Douglas Slices $5 Million Off Montecito Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Finally a dose of real estate wisdom from Diandra Douglas. We've been following the saga of Michael Douglas' ex-wife as she fights for a share of Michael Douglas' earnings from Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps." Her case, which hinges on a clause in their divorce that said that she was entitled to profits from spin-offs from his existing projects, was rejected in New York but is currently under consideration in California. All the while, Douglas has kept her Montecito, California home firmly priced at $29 million for nearly a year. But when I looked recently the price had been dropped down to $24 million.

The former Mrs. Douglas owns an enviable spread in Montecito, the ultra-pricey enclave that is home to Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and others. The Tuscan villa is on over seven acres which is actually divided into two lots. It is rumored that she got a $45 million settlement in the divorce as well as this home. The Real Estalker reported that the home was purchased way back in 1979 for just $275,000. The 1920s Mediterranean has large iron gates and a motor court leading up to the grand home. The home has been recently updated and has a 75' pool, guesthouse, tennis court, Japanese water garden and green lawns from which to take in the ocean views. Tile floors, dark wood beams, vaulted ceilings and arched French doors all add to the feeling of classic Californian Mediterranean style. The pool/guest house offers another living room and kitchen.

Gallery: Diandra Douglas in Montecito

Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate, diandra douglas, montecito

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Bel-Air Architectural Home with $17.5 million Price Tag, Estate of the Day

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

If Modern estates are your thing, get your drool-wiping cloths ready. Located in a Bel-Air guard-gated community of just 11 houses, this 12,000-square-foot totally remodeled home is listed at $17.5 million. What's nice about this modern manse is that it's actually got a warm feeling to it, yet you recognize it for what it is: a piece of art that you happen to live in.

There's tons of light, city lights view, a pool with two infinity edges and an impressive entry gallery with a bar. There's an open floor plan with a large kitchen with a 20-foot eat-in island, tons of skylights, and formal living and dining rooms with 13-foot ceilings. The home has a lounge; a gym with a marble-walled bathroom with a sink carved from a chunk of mesquite; a walk-in wine room and a home theater with three tiers of leather seats. In addition to the 2,100-square-foot master suite, which has a sitting room with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, two bathrooms and two closets, there are five additional bedroom suites. Since we all know that first impressions count, the home is entered through a 9-foot-square pivoting oak door. The guest apartment has private entrance.

The remodeled home is the work of architect David Thompson of Assembledge+ in Los Angeles, with interior spaces designed by the listing agent, Billy Rose of Prudential California Realty.

The exterior of the two-story home is brick with steel gray stucco and lots of glass. It sits on a bluff top and has views of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Fernando Valley. We are especially pleased that the architect left the mature Chinese elm trees in place when creating the granite motor court.

There is a glass-tiled infinity pool and terraced orchards on the 1.5 acre property. Being a smart house, wall keypads control the home's climate and electronics.

Gallery: Stone Ridge Lane

Tags: Bel Air, bel air real estate, bel-air, california real estate, estate of the day

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10 Most Expensive Properties Listed for Sale in 2010

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Wasn't 2010 the year that we rejected our gluttonous spending ways, when we convinced ourselves that less was more and that Dante intended to have a circle for those who couldn't make do with any fewer than five bathrooms? Well, no doubt the following homeowners just want to join the downsizing party.

Presenting, the Luxist List of the 10 Most Expensive Properties on the Market in 2010. (An asterisk or two: Some of these listings are holdovers from 2009, one even from 2006. And while it's inconceivable that a publicly listed home in this price bracket would escape our attention, frequently homes are available as pocket listings -- the owner will sell them for the right price, but oh-so-quietly.)

1) The Manor -- or aka, Candyland, as the Candy Spelling mansion is dubbed. On the market at $150 million for eons now, the mistress of the mansion appears unwilling to bequeath the title of "most expensive home in America" to anyone else. Fair enough. But unless the frog she kisses turns into a Saudi prince, we fear this palace will be heading our list in 2011 too.
Besides, in this new era of austerity, what does one woman really need with 123 rooms and 56,500-square feet? It's the largest home in Los Angeles County and was built by Candy and her deceased husband Aaron Spelling, the entertainment mogul who created -- among other things -- "Beverly Hills 90290" that starred their daughter Tori Spelling. The two-story house has a level between the second story and the attic that is just for closets. There is a screening room, bowling alley, three rooms for wrapping presents and a parking lot for 100 cars. Oprah is said to have looked but if she did, she didn't buy. Listing agent: Jeff Hyland of Hilton & Hyland in Beverly Hills, who shares it with partner Rick Hilton and Coldwell Banker agent Sally Forster Jones.

Gallery: The Spelling Manor

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Malibu's La Villa Contenta Listed at $75 Million, Estate of the Day

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

We can't even look at this house without weeping at the thought it might be sold in pieces. Breaking up is hard to do and all that... Yet this Malibu eight-acre ocean-view estate is in the MLS twice: Once, as a buy-the-whole-enchilada for $75 million and then again as buy just the main house for $35 million.

Let's dispense quickly with the 12,000-square-foot main house. Yes, yes -- gorgeous and all that. There is a two-story hand-carved limestone entrance-way and the floor is hand-laid Pietra-dura mosaic made from antique reclaimed marbles.

The double living room is paneled in pale maple and a private covered loggia overlooks the lawn and sea. The dining room seats 24 and has an intricate hand-carved limestone ceiling. There's a Hermes marble fireplace in the library and 18Th century reclaimed floors in the kitchen. The lower level houses the English pine billiards room, a wine cellar, a 14-foot screen home theater and a full gym. The home has an elevator.

The upper level is home to the master suite, with a fireplace, large terrace overlooking the Pacific and his-and=-her bathrooms and closets. There are three additional bedroom suites on this level.

There is an outdoor infinity pool that is chlorine-free. and the pool area has a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen. There is a championship quality north-south facing tennis court and an organic kitchen garden planted with a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and cutting plants.

And then there's the rest of the estate -- the parts that make this a $75 million estate.

There is a carved marble natatorium -- an indoor pool that is Romanesque in style with a frieze over the doorway. It's a regular underwater baroque fantasy inside made of a million seashells. The two changing rooms are paneled in rare onyx and decorated with seashells. Each has a large steam shower and every spa amenity you could want.

The lap pool is tiled in Murano glass and has swim jets to provide the necessary resistance. The glass ceilings are 20-feet tall. Just outside is a covered loggia with hand-painted whimsical sea creatures and yet another swimming pool.

The estate has one of the largest private greenhouses in California, designed to accommodate several thousand orchids and other delicate exotics. There is also a desert garden between the pool pavilion and greenhouse, connecting the two buildings via a walkway of travertine slabs that "float" on water.

Chris Cortazzo of Coldwell Banker, Malibu West, has the listing.

Gallery: La Villa Contenta

Tags: california real estate, estate of the day, malibu, malibu real estate

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Charlize Theron Lists Her Malibu Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Our sister blog Housing Watch lets us known that Charlize Theron and her ex-partner Stuart Townsend are looking to unload their home in the La Costa Beach area of Malibu, California. Theron and Townsend have listed the home at $30,000 a month for a six-month lease and it is also available for sale at $7.5 million.

The three-bedroom home has a deck facing the ocean. Outside you'll find a hot tub, fire pit, water features and beach toys. The property is being offered fully furnished and it is decorated in a colorful, casual style that is appropriate for a beach home. The listing with Madison Hildebrand says that the master suite has high ceilings, picture windows, and a soaking tub. Other features include a drop down TV, sound system, security cameras, and a lanai.

Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate, charlize theron, los angeles real estate, luxury real estate, malibu real estate

Adam Brody Lists At A Loss

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Former teen star Adam Brody is the latest celebrity to list at a loss in Los Angeles. The Real Estalker reports that Brody bought his home from Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst back in 2006 for $2.225 million.

He is listing the three-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills for $1.99 million. The 1916 traditional home has been restored keeping the period floors (updated with a deep chocolate stain), windows and moldings. The listing promises that the house is perennially popular and never stays on the market for long. The home property is edged by hedges and has a pool, spa, dog run, a grassy yard, a garden swing and a detached garage, giving it a peaceful feel. There are two master suites with views, a sunroom, breakfast room, den and a bright white eat-in kitchen with marble counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The listing is with Teles Properties.

Gallery: Adam Brody In Los Angeles

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Bing Crosby's Palm Springs Home, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

It's the time of year when we hear Bing Crosby crooning "White Christmas" You could celebrate your own Christmas inside Bing Crosby's estate in Rancho Mirage, California.

The home is on more than an acre of land in the Thunderbird Heights community. The five-bedroom home combines an Asian theme with a dose of with Hollywood memorabilia. Legend has it that President John Kennedy met with Marilyn Monroe here back in 1962 and one two-bedroom suite in the house is named the Kennedy Suite and decorated with images of the young president and Marilyn Monroe. The Kennedy suite has a full-sized living area and a private entrance. The master suite has a fireplace and a spa. Much of the home opens to an outdoor swimming pool and spa with fireplaces and a custom-designed putting green. This estate is on the market for $3.495 million dollars. The home is also available as a vacation rental. More images are available on the estate's photo website.

Gallery: Bing Crosby's Estate Thunderbird Estates Palm Springs