Newsletter: Hot Property: Houses are the gifts that keep giving
It’s that lovely time between holidays during which real estate sales and listings slow down. But before we close the books on 2015 and get all sentimental on you, there are still a few deals we’d like to get on record.
Winding up the year of sales were such notable properties as the Jayne Meadows and Steve Allen estate in Encino and billionaire Kirk Kerkorian's onetime Beverly Hills home. And starting 2016 fresh with new housing purchases are actress Alyson Hannigan and spokesmodel Natalie Martinez.
– Lauren Beale and Neal J. Leitereg
One door closes
The longtime Encino home of the late entertainers Jayne Meadows and Steve Allen sold for $3,778,888.
Why all the eights? The asking price of $4,488,888 was a nod to Meadows’ upbringing by her missionary parents in China, where eight is a lucky number. Looks like the buyer followed suit.
Meadows and Allen entertained scores of Hollywood notables during their decades in the 7,542-square-foot ranch-style home.
The longtime home of Jayne Meadows and Steve Allen has sold in Encino. (Rob Silverman | Inset: Los Angeles Times)
Making a statement
Attention, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fans. Actress Alyson Hannigan — who also left her mark on “How I Met Your Mother” — has bought a house in Brentwood for $7.89 million.
The Traditional-style house is set on more than half an acre with a fully outfitted 1,000-square-foot guest house and a swimming pool. Formal rooms abound. This is a house that says, "I have arrived."
A sound investment
Kirk Kerkorian amassed his fortune buying, selling and buying again, so it comes as little surprise to see the late billionaire entrepreneur’s Beverly Hills home bring in a solid return on investment.
Purchased by Kerkorian nearly two decades ago for $4 million, the 1.3-acre estate recently changed hands for $19 million.
The Mediterranean-style mansion has all the makings of a mogul’s estate: a double-gated entrance giving way to a pair of motor courts and a massive circular fountain. Six bedrooms, including two master suites, grand formal areas and a screening room are within more than 9,700 square feet of interiors.
The longtime Beverly Hills home of Kirk Kerkorian came to market in October for $22 million. (Realtor.com | Associated Press)
No returns on this item
A Beverly Hills home that silent-film star Mary Pickford built for her mother is available for $6.5 million.
The Spanish-style villa, constructed in 1929, is set on more than a third of an acre with Mediterranean-inspired gardens, a detached office/guest house with a fireplace and a swimming pool.
At the time Pickford bought the property, she was married to swashbuckling leading man Douglas Fairbanks. They lived in a nearby Wallace Neff-designed mansion dubbed Pickfair, set on 18 acres.
The Beverly Hills home that Mary Pickford purchased for her mother was built in 1929. (David George)
Where the trumpet sounded
A Toluca Lake compound that once belonged to jazz trumpeter Manny Klein is for sale at $2.795 million.
Klein, who died in 1994 at 86, played with such notable big-band leaders as Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. Known for his technical skills and versatility, he performed on several Dean Martin recordings.
The Toluca Lake home once belonged to jazz trumpeter Manny Klein. (Rani Sikolsky / Sky Photography LA)
Her own kingdom
Actress and J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez spokesmodel Natalie Emilia-Romagna Martinez of the series “Kingdom” and “Secrets and Lies” has bought a gated home in Sherman Oaks for close to $1.04 million.
The 1956 Traditional features a spa-like master suite that occupies one entire level of the house. Martinez could be looking at this place as a makeover project.
The gated home in Sherman Oaks has about 3,400 square feet of living space. (Realtor.com | Getty Images)
Passing on the Big Island
Terry Bradshaw may have reason to break out a touchdown dance should he get near the asking price for his 12-acre estate in Kamuela, a northern town on the island of Hawaii.
The Hall of Fame quarterback put the plantation-style home, which features a waterfall entry, two koi ponds and a 60-foot lap pool, on the market for $2.7 million — $850,000 more than what he bought it for last year.
Terry Bradshaw has put his nearly 12-acre estate in Hawaii on the market for $2.7 million. (Redfin | Associated Press)
Padding their portfolio
Former L.A. Clippers owners Donald and Shelly Sterling, who own more than 100 properties across greater Los Angeles, added another piece to their portfolio, buying a $3.1-million home in Beverly Hills.
Built in the 1930s, the Mediterranean Revival-style home has five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in more than 4,000 square feet of space. It's now up for lease at $11,500 a month.
The former L.A. Clippers owners have put the 1930s Mediterranean they bought for $3.1 million up for lease at $11,500 a month. (Realtor.com | Associated Press)
From the archives
Ten years ago, Don Rickles, king of the insult comedians, and his wife, Barbara, were settling into a newly purchased Point Dume home. They had just sold their longtime Malibu Colony residence for slightly less than its $11.5-million asking price.
What we're reading
— San Bernardino has always been a hard sell for Ponce & Ponce Realty, and that’s only gotten worse since the recent massacre. But it’s a city where $200,000 can still buy a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a fenced-in backyard. And, as Times columnist Steve Lopez reports, a place where dreams of owning that first home still come true.
— The new 8.5-minute gondola ride linking what was Park City and Canyons ski resorts in northern Utah got us thinking about second home prices. A quick survey of Park City listings at Realtor.com shows that $72,500 will buy a one-bedroom, 766-square-foot condo and $25 million will fetch a 5.6-acre estate with a four-bedroom house of just under 8,000 square feet.
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