Newsletter: Hot Property: Oprah Winfrey, Chris Paul and more
Take notable personalities, history and the backdrop of Hollywood. Look at them through the lens of real estate transactions and you’ve got the makings of a Hot Property.
This week’s celebrity homes tour takes us to the new residence of an L.A. Clippers star, back in time to early Toluca Lake and to such far-away locales as Colorado and Panama. We hope you enjoy the journey as much as we did.
– Lauren Beale and Neal J. Leitereg
Tech the halls
High-tech gadgetry runs most of the systems at the tricked-out Telluride home Oprah Winfrey bought from tech entrepreneur Bob Wall.
The media mogul spent $14 million for the custom house, which has driveway sensors to alert her when a car pulls up, a wine tunnel outfitted to look like an old mine with piped-in sounds of creaking wood and dripping water and a $240,000 funicular to deliver her to the ski slopes. All that and 3.25 acres on the slope side of Mountain Village.
Oprah Winfrey paid $14 million for the contemporary-style home in the Mountain Village area of Telluride, Colo. (Greg Allen / Invision/Associated Press)
Frequent shopper miles
Australian singer-songwriter Sia has added to her real estate portfolio with the purchase of a Toluca Lake compound for $5.15 million.
The “Big Girls Cry” singer also bought a Mediterranean Revival villa in Los Feliz for $4.7 million earlier this year and four months later listed the distinctive A.F. Leicht-designed house.
Love thy neighbor
Should Chris Paul need to borrow a cup of sugar this winter, the Clippers point guard may be knocking on the door of reality TV personality Khloe Kardashian. Paul this week bought an estate in a gated Calabasas community that's right next door to the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star.
Set on about two acres, Paul's new house is outfitted with a swimming pool and spa, a lighted tennis court and an entertainer's patio with room for an entire starting lineup. Six bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms are within more than 10,400 square feet of space. Price: $8.995 million.
Holiday gift idea?
Actors Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and Mel Gibson have all had island fever at one time or another and ended up owning their own.
Three undeveloped tropical islands off Panama are for sale as a group at $100 million. The Cayonetas Islands, available for the first time in more than 35 years, include some 50 beaches, 19 miles of coastline and 1,800 acres.
Three islands off Panama encompassing about 1,800 acres are listed for sale as a group. (Ivan Wigin, Claus Mittermayer and Herbert Holzer)
Gift keeps on giving
A mid-century house in Palm Springs that actress Debbie Reynolds once gifted her parents is on the market at $515,000.
Her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, who would go on to star in the “Star Wars” films, and son Todd Fisher were frequent visitors at their grandparents’ home. Good timing for the listing agents. Such star power is certainly a marketing force awakened.
A home that Debbie Reynolds once bought for her parents is for sale in Palm Springs. (Eric G. Meeks)
Old school roots
Musician David A. Stewart of Eurythmics fame has sold his Toluca Lake home to “House of Cards” executive producer Dana Brunetti for $3.85 million. But that’s just the latest link in a celebrated chain.
The Spanish-style house, built in 1929, was once home to Toluca Lake's original architect, Park French. His movie star clients included Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Norma Talmadge.
Dave Stewart's Spanish-style house, built in 1929, was once home to Toluca Lake's original architect, Park French. (Realtor.com | Getty Images)
Away in Topanga
Actor Zen Gesner has listed a contemporary house for sale in Topanga at $2.099 million.
His place, built in 1965, is family friendly with ocean views, an enclosed yard and an outdoor dining space. Gesner gained fame for starring in “The Adventures of Sinbad” and as a villain on “All My Children.”
The ocean-view contemporary in Topanga has 2,564 square feet of living space. (Realtor.com | Getty Images)
Time capsules
Ten years ago this week, actor Matthew Perry closed out the year with a bang, selling his Beverly Hills-area home for $6.1 million. The sale was Perry’s second big move of 2005; earlier in the year, the “Friends” actor bought a Sunset Strip-area condo for about $2.5 million.
More recently, Perry, a Hot Property fixture for more than two decades, sold a modern retreat in Malibu this past February. The ocean-view contemporary-style home known as the “Pier House” fetched a cool $10.65 million.
Matthew Perry sold the sleek contemporary home in Malibu in February. (Michael McNamara | Los Angeles Times)
What we’re reading
— Developer Mohamed Hadid, who has been on the reality series “Shahs of Sunset” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” is facing criminal charges over allegations that he failed to stop construction and demolish unapproved features of a 30,000-square-foot mega-mansion he is building in Bel-Air. Building inspectors have reported such code violations as an unapproved 70-seat, underground Imax theater and guest suites built below a swimming pool.
— Homes have gotten bigger as lots shrink. While the median size of newly built, detached homes has increased by nearly 28% since 1992 to 2,445 square feet, lots decreased by 12%. Kris Hudson, recently of the Wall Street Journal, reports on how families cope with plots the size of a 10th of an acre in such locales as downtown Denver.
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