Newsletter: Hot Property: You can’t always get what you want
The week’s celebrity housing roundup brings to mind the Rolling Stones classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The Stones, of course, weren’t writing about real estate transactions. The sentiment, however, seems appropriate.
Some recent sellers had to settle for less than their asking prices — and a couple for less than they originally paid. That the places sold at all underscores the truth in these lyrics about not always getting what you want: “But if you try sometimes, well, you just might find, you get what you need.”
– Neal J. Leitereg and Lauren Beale
For their next act
Actors Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are getting to be regulars on the celebrity real estate circuit.
The couple have put a home in Hollywood Hills West on the market for $3.495 million. Earlier this year, they sold another home in Hollywood Hills West to reality TV star and model Kendall Jenner for $6.5 million. They had asked as much as $8 million for the digs at one point.
Their current listing is a single-story house sitting behind walls and gates at the end of a cul-de-sac.
The 3,500 square feet of interiors have been remodeled to feature vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, light wood floors and contemporary lighting.
Krasinski and Blunt bought the house two years ago for $2.575 million.
Blunt and Krasinski are ready to part with another of their Southern California homes. (Realtor.com | Inset: Getty Images)
Thinking white, seeing green
For skiers, it’s never too early to think snow. But that’s all Olympian Bode Miller could do at his Coto de Caza estate, which just sold for $4.2 million. There are no slalom courses in the exclusive Orange County community. But the house has lots of other cool stuff.
For starters, the Tuscan-inspired home takes in 360-degree views of mountain, ocean and canyon scenery.
Inside, the 8,000 square feet of living space feature an office, a library, a bonus room, a butler’s pantry, a wine room, five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and two laundry rooms. The amply equipped kitchen has three ovens, three dishwashers, three sinks and two large islands. Hey, the two-time overall World Cup champ likes multiples.
Outdoors, there’s a fire pit and a sand volleyball court. Did we mention the six-car garage?
Miller has won six Olympic medals, including a gold in super combined competition at the 2010 Vancouver Games. He paid $4.14 million for the property three years ago. Most recently, the estate was priced at $4.65 million.
An Eagle flies
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Timothy B. Schmit of Eagles fame has parted with a historic home in Whitley Heights for $1.9 million — just a slight take off its $1.995 million asking price.
The 1924 Spanish-style blends original details with eclectic additions such as windows and doors imported from India and Morocco. Talk about dripping with character.
Among the more dramatic spaces within the 3,500 square feet of interiors are a formal living room with a gently arching ceiling, a red-walled dining room and an industrial-loft-inspired kitchen.
Schmit, who joined the Eagles in 1977 and recorded two studio albums with the group, bought the house seven years ago for $1.501 million. The 68-year-old bass player has recorded with Steely Dan, Bob Seger and Boz Scaggs.
Schmit sold his Spanish-style home in historic Whitley Heights for $1.9 million. (Realtor.com | Los Angeles Times)
The ripple effect
When NBA stars pull down the big money, their agents do well, too.
A case in point is Rich Paul, LeBron James’ longtime friend and the three-time NBA most valuable player’s agent. Paul just bought a newly built home in the Beverly Grove area of Los Angeles for $3 million.
He has plenty of company out here on the West Coast. Less than a year ago, James bought in Brentwood for $21 million, and his business manager, Maverick Carter, followed with the $3.47-million purchase of a house in the Hollywood Hills.
Paul’s new contemporary has nearly 4,000 square feet of clean-lined space with a floating-style glass-and-steel staircase. A striking chandelier sits at the top of the glass-walled stairwell.
Outdoor spaces include covered dining and living rooms with a fireplace and an entry patio seating area. There’s also a swimming pool with a spa.
Paul, whose clients include James, John Wall and Ben Simmons, paid $3 million for the newly built home in Beverly Grove. (Framed Pixel)
Timeless design
The love of all things Old Hollywood keeps many Hot Property readers coming back for more.
This week’s blast from the past took us to the onetime Palm Springs home of Hollywood costume designer Edith Head, who dressed such big screen stars as Ginger Rogers and Elizabeth Taylor.
The Hacienda-style house, listed at $799,000, recently sold for $775,000.
Built in the late 1950s, the 2,200-square-foot rustic-vibe home retains its arched doorways, exposed brickwork, rough sawn wood beams and handmade Saltillo clay tilework. The swimming pool, accented with a wide band of blue tile, takes in mountain views.
Head, who died in 1981 at 83, won eight Oscars for her costume design.
A Palm Springs residence where the Oscar-winning costume designer once lived sold for $775,000. (Gina Graves | Los Angeles Times)
An athlete’s paradise
Pitcher Tim Lincecum, who recently finished up a season with the Angels, has sold his athlete-friendly home in Paradise Valley, Ariz., for $3 million.
The angular contemporary features a noteworthy gym with a half basketball court that can be transformed into a batting cage. Sharing the space are two diner-style booths — for snack breaks no doubt.
Encompassing three acres of desert with mountain views, the estate includes more than 11,000 square feet of living space, a lagoon-style swimming pool, waterfall features and a spa.
Lincecum, who recently joined triple-A Salt Lake, bought the house four years ago from former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Kevin Young for $3.4 million. The two-time Cy Young Award winner previously spent eight seasons with the San Francisco Giants.
From the archives
Ten years ago, the word “housewives” in a Hot Property headline was a reference to the drama “Desperate Housewives” — not “The Real Housewives of …” Beverly Hills, Orange County or wherever. Eva Longoria, who played former model Gabrielle Solis in the “Desperate” series, had purchased a newly built home in the Hollywood Hills that was listed at nearly $3.8 million. The three-story, contemporary Mediterranean featured six bedrooms and nine bathrooms within 8,500-plus square feet. She was moving up from a nearby three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot house.
Twenty years ago, O.J. Simpson co-prosecutor Christopher Darden moved from Carson to a home in the Ladera Heights area of Los Angeles. Darden purchased the 25-year-old house for $460,000, and then set about upgrading it with marble floors and Berber carpets. The three-bedroom, 2,500-square-foot home had an ocean view from the backyard.
What we’re reading
— Donald Trump’s boyhood home in the Jamaica Estates area of Queens has failed to find a buyer at its $1.65-million asking price, reports Newsday. So the Tudor-style house will be up for auction Oct. 19. The bidding will start at $849,000. The seller has not disclosed the minimum acceptable sales price.
— California Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to stem the state housing crisis quietly failed last month. Among the reasons, reports Los Angeles Times staffer Liam Dillon, is that Brown’s proposal challenged local control over housing by cutting red tape. Cities place regulations on development because residents want them, an opposition spokesman said.
— Home buyers can easily deep-six their mortgage pre-approval without realizing it. NerdWallet.com writer Deborah Kearns identifies some of the most common mistakes, which include closing credit card accounts and taking out auto or student loans.
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