Hot Property Newsletter: Now that’s expensive
There’s a price point at which even jaded real estate reporters sit up straighter and take notice. We have one such property in this week’s collection — a mansion with a history of celebrity ownership listed at $47.5 million. That includes a Beverly Hills address, more than an acre of land and 10,400 square feet of living space.
Our comparatively modest Home of the Week is a minimalist contemporary house in Torrance that was designed to evoke the light and dark contrast found in traditional Japanese architecture. A white interior is tucked within a shell of dark corrugated cement fiberboard. The asking price is $1.699 million.
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— Neal J. Leitereg and Lauren Beale
They’re hoping it’s a hit
Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and his wife, model Behati Prinsloo, have put their Beverly Hills home on the market for $47.5 million.
The house is long on star appeal, having been previously owned by “Will & Grace” creator Max Mutchnick and, before him, tennis star Pete Sampras.
Set on more than an acre of grounds, the gated estate centers on a Traditional-style house of nearly 10,400 square feet. Built in 1933 and recently remodeled, the classic two-story has a separate guesthouse for a total of five bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.
Levine, 40, is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Grammy-winning pop-rock group. Since 2010, he has appeared as a coach/judge on the NBC singing competition series “The Voice.”
Prinsloo, 30, has been featured in ad campaigns for luxury brands such as Juicy Couture and Tommy Hilfiger.
Pro baller takes a loss
Former pro basketball star David Lee has sold his unfinished condominium at the Sierra Towers in West Hollywood for $11 million. The transaction chalks up as a loss for the two-time all-star, who bought the property in 2017 for $13.5 million.
Composed of three combined units, the roughly 5,500-square-foot condo takes up half a floor within the 31-story building.
During his ownership, Lee had walls removed to maximize the city-to-ocean views. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors look onto a terrace balcony that runs the entire length of the unit.
Lee, 36, averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds during a dozen seasons with the Knicks, Warriors, Celtics, Mavericks and Spurs.
Actor opts for a scene change
Actor Aaron Eckhart, known for his film roles in “The Dark Knight” and “Thank You for Smoking,” has put his home in the Beverly Hills Post Office area on the market for $3.1 million.
The single-story house, built in 1960, sits up from the street on two hilltop lots totaling nearly two acres. There are three bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in more than 3,000 square feet of interior.
Outside is a swimming pool, a spa, patio space and mature landscaping.
Eckhart, 51, has kept busy with film roles in “I, Frankenstein” (2014), “London Has Fallen” (2016) and “Sully” (2016). Last year, Eckhart appeared in the Amazon Prime original series “The Romanoffs.”
Ex-mayor elects to sell
Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has listed his home in the Hollywood Hills for sale at $2.995 million.
The contemporary-style house, built in 1977 and since renovated, has skylights, a two-way fireplace dividing the living and dining rooms, a media room, an office/den, four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms within its 3,660-square-foot interior. A small gym is in the separate guesthouse.
Villaraigosa, 66, served eight years as Los Angeles’ 41st mayor. Last year, he finished third in the primary for governor of California, behind eventual winner Gavin Newsom and businessman John Cox.
He bought the Hollywood Hills home in 2015 for about $2.5 million.
Will soap star clean up?
Joshua Morrow, known for his longtime role as Nicholas Newman on the daytime soap opera “The Young and the Restless,” has listed his renovated home in Lake Sherwood at $4.995 million.
The Traditional house, built in 1995, combines contemporary elements with East Coast-inspired design. The stately two-story has about 6,000 square feet of living space, a two-story entry, a media room/den, an office, six bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.
A covered and heated outdoor living room creates additional living space in the backyard. The house sits on nearly half an acre of grounds with a new swimming pool and spa, a fire pit, a built-in barbecue and a four-car garage.
Morrow, 45, has starred in “The Young and the Restless” since 1994 and formed the boy band 3Deep in 1998.
Her favorite room
TV judge Tanya Acker was taken with the home office when she first saw the 4,000-square-foot house she rents in Beverly Hills. “I liked the idea of waking up, walking down the hallway and coming in here to work,” she said. When the “Hot Bench” magistrate isn’t on television, she can be found in the cozy, plant-filled space working on a book, developing a podcast, looking at producing opportunities or involved in philanthropic causes. Her favorite thing about the room, which features family photos and paintings from Haiti, are the views because they elicit fond memories of growing up in L.A.
This French 18th century desk is the focal point.
From the archives
Ten years ago, comedian and talk-show host Byron Allen sold a 3,562-square-house in the “bird streets” area of the Hollywood Hills for $6.25 million after more than two years on the market. The house had been vacant for three years. “I originally purchased the home for my mother, but she elected to have a home in a gated community with more security,” Allen said.
Twenty years ago, veteran actor-singer Hal Linden of “Barney Miller” fame and his wife, Frances, sold their Brentwood home of 20 years for $3 million. The property included a 4,400-square-foot main house, a one-bedroom guest cottage and a swimming pool.
Thirty years ago, James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan bought a six-acre Malibu estate for close to $3 million. The Mediterranean home was set on lush tropical grounds containing a pool with a waterfall.
What we’re reading
Singer Aretha Franklin’s onetime home in Detroit sold to a developer in October for $300,000. Now the 5,623-square-foot Tudor has been flipped back on the market at $750,000, reports Detroit.Curbed.com. The “Rose Estate” — where her album “A Rose Is Still a Rose” was recorded — has been fixed up some since last year, but the current listing says: “This home requires major renovation.” Rose themes remain in the wallpaper, a red chandelier and the floral carpet in the foyer.
A collection of nine houses for sale that are on the National Register of Historic Places caught our eye over at Realtor.com. Among them is a lavish three-story brick home on Rhode Island built in 1881 and listed at $1.849 million, as well as a Queen Anne Victorian in Findlay, Ohio, that dates to 1893. The asking price is $409,000.
