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Love your ‘Tender,’ gotta go

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Times Staff Writer

Priscilla Presley was in the throes of escrow to sell her Lake Arrowhead home when she had to stop what she was doing and fly to Graceland to greet President Bush and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan. The prime minister is a huge fan of Elvis.

After dutifully serving her country by listening to the prime minister’s rendition of “Love Me Tender” in the Jungle Room, the rock ‘n’ roll icon’s ex-wife returned to finish the paperwork on her Arrowhead house, which sold for close to its $2.5-million asking price.

She sold the estate because she hardly used it during her 12 years of ownership, despite putting much of her creative self into redesigning the interiors so that it became what she calls “a country-English farmhouse on a grand scale.”

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The house has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms in about 7,000 square feet. It also has a library with French doors and a fireplace, a gentleman’s study with a fireplace, a formal dining room with a butler’s pantry, and a living room with high ceilings plus French doors that open to a patio. For the staff, there is a separate staircase and entry.

Another building on the property was designed as a three-tiered theater with a small lobby and a bathroom. And the drama doesn’t stop there. The master-bedroom suite has a Juliet balcony with panoramic views of the 5-plus acres of grounds.

The home, built in 1989, has a circular drive, a motor court and is near the water in a community known as Canterbury. It is one of a half-dozen or so homes owned in various places by Presley, 61, who has a reputation for being a savvy businesswoman.

Lynne B. Wilson & Associates, Lake Arrowhead, had the listing, and Vicky Center of Prudential California, Lake Arrowhead, represented the buyer.

Beach town scores another player

Add a football star to the roster of sports figures who have discovered the “sandbox of the stars” -- as at least one local Realtor calls Manhattan Beach.

Jeff Garcia, the 36-year-old backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, and his girlfriend, Carmella DeCesare, Playboy’s Playmate of the Year 2004, have purchased a three-level house with five bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms for about $2.8 million.

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The newly built home has an elevator, a marble entry, a spiral staircase, a great room with city views, a spa-style bathroom and French doors that open to ocean views. The 4,200-square-foot home is on a cul-de-sac a short walk from the sand.

Ed Kaminsky of Shorewood Realtors, who represented the sellers, says Garcia is just the latest sports hero to discover the seaside pleasures of Manhattan Beach. Others have included stars in hockey, basketball and beach volleyball.

Joining the ranks in Beverly Hills

Tom Joyner, who hosts a nationally syndicated radio talk show, and his wife, fitness guru Donna Richardson Joyner, have purchased a home in Beverly Hills for close to its $5.4-million listing price.

The midcentury modern has four bedrooms and four baths in 4,000 square feet. There are city-to-ocean views, walls of glass, a pool, a fire pit, a wine cellar and a media room.

It is “the perfect entertainer/celebrity estate,” according to its Multiple Listing Service description. That seems to fit. Richardson Joyner became a star with the release of her popular fitness video, “Sweating in the Spirit,” and President Bush recently appointed her to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Her radio-star husband hosts “The Tom Joyner Morning Show.”

Marcia Glow and Nanette Marchand of Prudential/John Aaroe, Beverly Hills, had the listing. Michele Blackmon of Keller Williams, Beverly Hills, represented the seller, Josh Touber, a local developer.

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Condo is a major convenience

“American Idol” music director-bandleader Rickey Minor and his wife, Karen, found that living in San Bernardino County doesn’t always jibe with their hectic schedules, so they bought a condominium in Hancock Park where they could rest between gigs.

They purchased a large, one-bedroom unit with city, mountain and golf course views for $910,000, according to public records. The asking price was $889,000.

The unit is in a French chateau-style building constructed in 1926 and converted to condos in the early ‘90s.

Rickey Minor is working on several projects, including this summer’s hit show “America’s Got Talent” on NBC. He is also producer and musical director of “Celebrity Duets,” now on Fox.

Leah Lail of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills East, represented the Minors in buying the condo. The couple plan to maintain their San Bernardino County home.

ruth.ryon@latimes.com

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To see previous columns on celebrity realty transactions, go to latimes.com/hotproperty.

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