A place to get away from ‘The Office’
Should they need to get away from “The Office” from time to time, actor John Krasinski and his movie star wife, Emily Blunt, have bought a country home in Ojai for $2.15 million.
Once the site of the Ojai Foothills Hotel, the 5-acre-plus property centers on a 4,177-square-foot main house with high ceilings, four fireplaces, four bedrooms and 51/2 bathrooms. There is solar power, a swimming pool with spa and a three-car garage.
Krasinski, who turns 33 on Oct. 20, has starred on “The Office” since 2005. Blunt, 29, will star with Tom Cruise in the film “All You Need Is Kill.” She starred last year in “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” and “The Adjustment Bureau.”
Tonya Peralta of Keller Williams Realty was the listing agent. Patricia Waltcher of Coldwell Banker Property Shoppe represented Krasinski and Blunt.
Flipper banks on Rihanna’s vibe
Rihanna took a financial hit last year when she sold her water-damaged home in Beverly Crest. Now an industrious flipper is trying to make back some of the money the pop star lost and has listed the newly improved place at $9.95 million.
The multiple Grammy Award winner paid $6.9 million for the property in 2009 and sold it two years later for $5.03 million. When listed then, the gated house was described as a “major fixer” with “extensive damage from moisture.”
The 8,520-square-foot contemporary and a swimming pool sit on about three-quarters of an acre with unobstructed canyon and city views. Details include a custom closet with suede ceilings in the master suite, tiered seating in the home theater and 35-foot-high tongue-and-groove wood ceilings in the open-plan living space. There are three fireplaces, a bar, a library/study den, seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
The water damage rained on the pop star’s parade, but not her style, which remains in evidence in the home. There’s a 20-foot-long white leather headboard in the master suite, a black-and-white bathroom with Swarovski crystal accessories, and that custom closet includes shoe racking and handbag systems “like being in a store,” said listing agent Valerie Fitzgerald of Coldwell Banker’s Beverly Hills North office.
Rihanna, 24, is one of the world’s top-selling recording artists. Her earnings from May 2011 to May 2012 were estimated by Forbes at $53 million.
Joseph Babajian of Rodeo Realty shares the listing.
‘Live!’ co-host trades up and out
Kelly Ripa co-host Michael Strahan has been active on the real estate market front this year. The Fox football analyst and his fiancee, television personality Nicole Murphy, bought a home in Bel-Air, sold one in Hermosa Beach and have another on the market in the beach city.
The gated Bel-Air estate they purchased for $7.9 million centers on a 1926 Mediterranean with a courtyard entry. Among features are walls of glass, a screening room with a bar, a gym, a sauna, five bedrooms and 61/2 bathrooms. The 1-acre-plus property includes a detached guesthouse and a swimming pool.
The pair sold a four-bedroom, 41/2-bathroom house with 3,291 square feet of living space in Hermosa Beach for $3 million. They also have a 2,560-square-foot custom town house in Hermosa Beach for sale at $1.849 million.
Strahan, 40, co-hosts “Live! With Kelly and Michael.” He replaced longtime co-host Regis Philbin. The defensive end played for the New York Giants his entire NFL career, setting a record for sacks in a single season and retiring in 2008 after winning Super Bowl XLII. He starred in the 2009 TV series “Brothers.”
Murphy, 44, was married to comedian Eddie Murphy from 1993 to 2006. She stars in the reality series “Hollywood Exes,” which documents five high-profile women who are former wives of Hollywood A-listers or music stars.
Myra Nourmand and Fariba Meskin of Nourmand & Associates and Joseph Babajian of Rodeo Realty were the listing agents for the Bel-Air estate. Bob Hurwitz of Hurwitz James Co. represented the buyers.
Lee LeGrande of NW Real Estate Brokers was the listing agent on the Hermosa Beach house that sold and is listing the one on the market.
Actress terminates ownership
Actress Linda Hamilton has terminated her ownership of a gated villa in Malibu, selling it for $4 million. The property came on the market in February at $5.495 million.
The 4,754-square-foot residence features open-plan living spaces, vaulted wood-beam ceilings, terra-cotta floors, a skylighted kitchen, two fireplaces, a bar, five bedrooms and 41/2 bathrooms on one level. The 1.1-acre compound includes several patios, a guesthouse, garage space for six cars and beach access. Expansive lawns, palm trees and boulders surround the swimming pool.
Hamilton, 56, has had a recurring role on “Chuck” for the last two years. She is best known for her role as Sarah Connor in the “Terminator” movies starting in the mid-1980s. She will star in the upcoming thriller “Right Next Door.”
Susan Monus of Coldwell Banker’s Malibu West office was the listing agent. Christopher Cortazzo of Coldwell Banker’s Malibu West office represented the buyer.
Drummer gives up his old beat
Drummer Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and his wife, vocalist Selene Vigil, have snared a buyer for their Malibu house, selling it for $2.453 million.
Wilk is known to have an affinity for the number three, and this sales price delivered one. He uses threes in his drum playing and decision-making.
The ocean-view contemporary, built in 2001, features walls of glass, a large deck, a loft office, two bedrooms and 21/2 bathrooms. The house has about 2,750 square feet of living space.
Wilk, 44, also has played with Audioslave and Greta. Vigil was lead singer for the band 7 Year Bitch.
Public records show he bought the property in 2003 for $1.9 million. The couple put it on the market in June at $2.699 million.
Isidora Fridman and Tomer Fridman of Ewing Sotheby’s were the listing agents. Uni Mayesh of Shorewood Realtors represented the buyer.
