It’s tipoff time for the sale of Jerry Buss’ home
It’s showtime, so to speak. No, not on the basketball court at Staples Center, but in Playa del Rey, where Jerry Buss’ mansion has come on the market at $5.95 million.
The custom Italian-style villa, built in 1998 by the late Los Angeles Lakers owner and billionaire, is a showstopper.
For starters, Lakers logos adorn the stained-glass double-door entry set in a rotunda. Inside, a hallway with Spanish tile floors and a wood-beam ceiling leads to a winding staircase.
On the second level, wood floors step down to the living room where columns flank the fireplace. A cozy bar occupies one corner of the game room. There are multiple balconies, three fireplaces, seven bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.
The massive master suite includes a lounge and a separate living area with a fireplace.
A three-stop elevator connects the 10,846 square feet of living space. The rooftop deck and spa feature slam-dunk views of the ocean, marina and cityscape.
Two four-car garages complete the estate.
Buss, who died in February at 80, was majority owner of the National Basketball Assn. team, which he bought in 1979. The Lakers won 10 NBA championships during his tenure, while the real estate mogul transformed the experience from spectator sport to “Showtime,” giving seats to movie stars and entertaining fans with the Laker Girls.
Barbra Stover of Rodeo Realty is the listing agent.
After biding his time, he says ‘deal’
Funnyman Howie Mandel has sold his custom-built Malibu home for $7 million.
A patient seller, Mandel put the Cape Cod-inspired traditional-style house on the market two years ago at $7.25 million. Then he raised the price early this year to $7.75 million.
The main house and guesthouse sit on more than an acre with a swimming pool and spa. There are ocean views and an expansive lawn.
The 5,865 square feet of living space includes an office, a theater, a gym, a den and a library. Along with the guesthouse are six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
Mandel, 57, is a judge on “America’s Got Talent.” He hosted “Deal or No Deal” from 2005 to ’09. The actor was the voice of Bobby on the animated series “Bobby’s World” (1990-98) and was on “St. Elsewhere” (1982-88).
Multiple Listing Service records show Mandel bought the property in 2006 for about $3 million. He tore down the original house to build the current one in 2008.
Matt Rapf of Pritchett-Rapf & Associates handled the transaction.
Way parts with Tarzana Tudor
That didn’t take long. Gerard Way, lead singer-songwriter for My Chemical Romance, and his wife, Lyn-Z, bass player for Mindless Self Indulgence, listed and sold their Tarzana home in less than a month. The sale price was $1.748 million.
The Tudor-style home, built in 1980, features leaded glass windows, vaulted beamed ceilings and half-timbered details. The 4,803 square feet of interior space includes a formal entry, an office, five bedrooms and six bathrooms.
There’s also a sauna and temperature-controlled wine storage.
The home sits on more than half an acre and has a swimming pool with a spa and an outdoor barbecue area.
Way, 36, co-founded My Chemical Romance in 2001. The alt-rock band disbanded this year. He also is a comic book writer.
The couple bought the house last year for $1.355 million, public records show.
Gwen Banta of Sotheby’s International Realty was the listing agent. Joyce Abrams of Landmark Realtors represented the buyer.
Closing escrow on a ‘Fringe’ benefit
Lance Reddick, who was a regular on the sci-fi series “Fringe” for five seasons, has bought a home in Studio City for $1.315 million.
Built in 1939, the main house contains four bedrooms and four bathrooms, while the guesthouse has another full bathroom. Also within the 3,191 square feet of living space are two fireplaces, a wet bar in the family room and a sunroom.
The nearly third-acre lot has a swimming pool, a spa and a built-in barbecue.
Reddick, 51, was in the fourth and fifth seasons of “Lost” and in “The Wire” (2002-08). He will be joining the cast of “American Horror Story: Coven.”
The actor is in the Spike Lee remake of the Korean thriller “Oldboy.”
Benjamin Toufer of Re/Max Olson & Associates was the listing agent. Chris Jacobs of Keller Williams represented Reddick.
Waltzing into Hollywood Hills
Karina Smirnoff of “Dancing With the Stars” has bought a home in Hollywood Hills for $1.25 million.
The Mediterranean-style house, built in 2004, has views of the Hollywood sign from its 1,914 square feet of living space. There’s an eight-person spa for soaking in after a hard episode of “Dancing” and a bar to belly up to in the game room.
Other amenities in the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home include a rock waterfall, redwood decking and a multi-camera security system.
The 35-year-old ballroom dancer won the 13th season of the dancing competition series paired with soap star J.R. Martinez. She has been on the show since 2006.
Smirnoff also owns residential properties in Woodland Hills and Studio City.
Velma Bell and Paul Sessum of Keller Williams were the listing agents. Desiree Zuckerman of Rodeo Realty represented Smirnoff.
Twitter: @LATHotProperty
