‘Bobby’ Does Malibu Shtick

HOWIE MANDEL, whose Saturday morning children’s TV series “Bobby’s World” was recently picked up for another two years has purchased a getaway home in Malibu for just under its asking price of about $2.9 million.

Mandel, 37, played Dr. Wayne Fiscus for six seasons on NBC’s “St. Elsewhere” before he created, wrote and did the voices for the award-winning “Bobby’s World,” now in its fourth season on Fox.

The stand-up comic, who has starred in a number of TV specials, performs with Robin Williams and a cast of other comic all-stars in the cable film “In Search of Dr. Seuss,” which will premiere on TNT next year.

Discovered in 1979 when he went on stage during amateur night at the Comedy Store on Sunset Strip, the Toronto-born Mandel and his wife, Terry, live with their three young children in the San Fernando Valley.

“I do 200 (stand-up comedy) dates a year, so when I come home, the last thing I want to do is to go very far,” he said. “Now I can go on vacation in 12 minutes.”

He describes his Malibu home--a remodeled, four-bedroom Cape Cod--as “a totally different atmosphere, yet not far” from where he lives most of the time. He and his family rented a Malibu Colony home this summer and fell in love with the area.

“I don’t surf. I don’t swim. I don’t like to get sand in my feet, either. I bought in Malibu because I wanted to be in ‘Hot Property,’ and I was told that the house was bigger than a bread box, and it is away from the (entertainment) industry,” he said with a chuckle.

Actually, he likes the fact that Malibu Colony is gated, and he views the community as a safe place for his children to ride their bikes. Besides that, his home is next door to one owned by his pal, Tom Hanks.

Jay Rubenstein, manager of Jim Rapf & Associates in Malibu, represented Mandel.

Former teen idol FRANKIE AVALON, who just turned 53 and has his own lines of vitamins and beauty-care products, and his wife, Kay, have bought a lot in Westlake Village, where they plan to build a home.

Known as Moondoggie when he was making “Beach Blanket Bingo” and other beach movies with Annette Funicello in the early ‘60s, the actor/singer paid $375,000 for the lot, which is in a gated estates area where some lots are priced at $1.5 million each. His lot sold for $550,000 eight years ago.

The Avalons moved to Westlake Village seven years ago from Hidden Hills. They’re in their second Westlake Village home, having moved there in 1989.

They plan to build a larger house on the lot they just purchased, “because they have eight children, everyone comes home for Sunday dinner and their second grandchild just arrived,” said selling agent Kathy White of Brown Realtors, Westlake Village.

BOB WEISS, new coach of the L.A. Clippers, and his wife, Tracey, have leased a Brentwood home for a year at nearly the asking price of $6,800 a month, sources say.

When he took the job with the Clippers, after coaching the Atlanta Hawks through two playoff seasons within three years, Weiss, 51, chose a Beverly Hills home as his new residence. He shipped his furniture there, but then another offer on that home was accepted, and so the coach rerouted his furnishings to Brentwood, said Ron Hacker, the Weisses’ real estate adviser.

The Weisses leased a four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot, traditional-style home on an acre, where they are living with their two children, dog and cat.

The coach will commute quite a distance for practices, although the Clippers are moving their training camp this month from La Jolla to Irvine. Brentwood isn’t far, however, from the Magic Castle, which Weiss, an accomplished amateur magician, has expressed an interest in joining.

His new home had been listed by Anne Ruby of Coldwell Banker. Bobbi Branson of Fred Sands Estates was the selling agent.

Hollywood gossip maven RONA BARRETT has sold her Beverly Hills home for slightly under $2 million.

She leased a Beverly Hills condo following a two-week escrow period and plans to expand her Santa Ynez Valley ranch home, a source said.

Barrett had completely rehabbed the Beverly Hills house, which she had owned for about five years. The one-story home has two bedrooms and maid’s quarters in 3,700 square feet. Among Barrett’s additions were stone floors and a waterfall.

Bruce Nelson of John Bruce Nelson & Associates represented Barrett in her sale, and Judy Hanauer of Jon Douglas Co., Beverly Hills, represented the buyers, described as a retired couple who had been living in a nearby condo.

TONY RASTATTER, a film editor with Modern Video, and his wife, MARIA CRENNA RASTATTER, director of comedy development at Lorimar Television, have sold their Toluca Woods home for nearly $375,000 and have bought a $650,000 house in Encino. Maria Rastatter is the daughter of actor Richard Crenna, sources say.

The Rastatters plan to enlarge their Encino house by about 1,500 square feet so it will have four bedrooms and five baths, said selling agent Betty Kelly of Jack Hupp & Associates, Beverly Hills.