Growing Pains Are Behind Him

Actor KIRK CAMERON and his wife, model-turned-actress CHELSEA NOBLE, have just moved into their new home on an acre with large oak trees in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Cameron, 27, is best known for his role as Mike Seaver in the ABC sitcom “Growing Pains” (1985-92). He plays a psychiatrist who treats a dog in the Disney Channel comedy “You Lucky Dog,” which aired in June, and had his own sitcom, “Kirk,” on the WB network (1995-97).

Noble, 32, also appeared on “Growing Pains,” “Kirk” and “You Lucky Dog.”

The couple, married seven years, are the founders of the Firefly Foundation and Camp Firefly, for terminally ill children, in Georgia.

They bought their new home in June for about its $675,000 asking price. Since then, the house has undergone some remodeling and expansion while the couple was at Camp Firefly and on vacation on the East Coast, sources say.

The couple bought a Spanish-style, 2,600-square-foot house built in 1980 by its former owners. The property has a pool, spa and year-round creek. It is close to hiking--Cameron and Noble are hikers--and horse trails. The sellers raised thoroughbreds on the property.

Cameron and Noble had a home in the Beverly Hills area but sold it before moving out of state to do “Kirk.”

Nona Green of Fred Sands Realtors, Agoura, represented the sellers, and Tracey Bunetta of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., Woodland Hills, represented Cameron and Noble.

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CHARLES PEREZ, former host of King World’s “American Journal” and of his own talk show, has sold his Beverly Hills home for close to its $1.5-million asking price and purchased a house in the Sunset Strip area for about the same amount, sources say.

Perez, 35, was hosting the talk show when he and his sister, TV news correspondent Michele Dabney-Perez, began co-anchoring “American Journal,” an existing magazine show, in September 1997.

The show was canceled after five seasons in March, but the siblings have been discussed for future co-hosting jobs.

Perez hosted his own series from 1994 to 1996. He has been a producer of the TV talk shows “Leeza,” “The Ricki Lake Show” and “The Montel Williams Show” and is currently producing a film based on the life of the late actor Montgomery Clift.

Perez sold a one-story, contemporary-style home with three bedrooms and maid’s quarters on just under an acre of park-like grounds in the Trousdale Estates area of Beverly Hills. The buyer was described as a producer in the music business.

Perez bought a three-bedroom home with a pool and a city view. “It’s about the same price and size but doesn’t have the grounds,” a source said. “He was tired of worrying about the grass.”

Alan Long of DBL Realtors represented Perez in the transactions.

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The longtime Studio City home of the late SAM YORTY, mayor of Los Angeles from 1961 to 1973, has been listed by his estate at $945,000. Yorty died at 88 in June.

The 2,100-square-foot house, on nearly an acre in the Longridge Estates area, has three bedrooms, three baths, three fireplaces, a pool and a spa. The home has valley and canyon views.

The house was built in 1953 for former actress Janis Paige; it then was purchased by actor Mickey Rooney, who sold it to Yorty in 1961, sources say.

Eileen Kenyon of Fred Sands’ Studio City office has the listing.

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ELIZABETH TAYLOR’S former longtime retreat in Puerto Vallarta has been put on the market at $1.5 million. The actress, who lives in Bel-Air, sold the property in 1990 to the current owners, Californians Frank and Toy Holstein.

Taylor and former husband and late actor Richard Burton rented the villa during filming of “The Night of the Iguana.” They bought the house the same year that the film was released, 1964, sources say.

At the same time, they bought a vacant lot in front of the villa to protect their view of the bay, river and jungle. Later, when Taylor wanted a pool, Burton had one built on the lot along with a pool house and a bridge to the villa.

Many of the furnishings that were custom-made for the actors are included in the sale, sources say. The 22,000-square-foot compound also has nine bedrooms, 12 baths and a number of verandas and patios.

The owners, who plan to retire, have been operating a seasonal rental and tour operation from the property, which is listed with Dean Allen of Tropicasa Realty, Puerto Vallarta.

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Music industry entrepreneur JIM LONG, whose Nashville-based Honest Entertainment just merged with Pat Boone’s Gold Label record company, and his wife, Deborah DeBerry Long, have purchased a Beverly Hills-area home for $935,000.

They are also building a 6,000-square-foot, trilevel contemporary on an ocean- and canyon-view site in Pacific Palisades, which they bought for about the same amount, sources say.

The Longs plan to live in their Beverly Hills home while building in the Palisades, but they also will spend time in Nashville, where they own a 4,600-square-foot log house built in 1814.

He is founder of several broadcast and radio syndication companies and is chairman and CEO of OneMusic Corp., which provides music to film and TV through stock music catalogs. He and Boone co-chair their merged company, Honest-Gold, focusing on Baby Boomers’ music interests.

The Longs co-founded Honest Entertainment in Del Mar to get a record deal for their old friend, country legend Charley Pride. As the label grew, the Longs opened a Nashville office in 1995; last fall, they sold their Del Mar home for $3.5 million.

Elizabeth and Victor Leon of Coldwell Banker / Jon Douglas Co., Beverly Hills, represented the Longs in Beverly Hills; Audrey Ann Boyle of Coldwell Banker / Jon Douglas Co., Pacific Palisades, and Robert Lovett, the Lovett Co., represented them in the Palisades.

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The Encino home of late composer-arranger-conductor PERCY FAITH has been sold. His wife, Mary, died this past year. The home had been in the family for more than 30 years.

Percy Faith, who died at 67 in 1976, may be best remembered for his recording of “A Theme From a Summer Place.” His music career spanned 50 years and included work in the movies, on TV and in concert. His arrangements of “Because of You,” “Cold, Cold Heart” and “From Rags to Riches” helped singer Tony Bennett win three gold records.

Built in 1955, the 3,058-square-foot home has four bedrooms, a den and a pool. It is in the Royal Oaks area of Encino. The buyer was described as a prominent Westside attorney.

Fred Nemani of Fred Sands’ Sherman Oaks office represented the buyer and Florence Silver of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., Encino, had the listing.

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MARK FLANAGAN, owner of the hot L.A. music and comedy club known as Largo, has become a first-time home buyer with his purchase of a condo overlooking Beverly Hills.

Flanagan, 33, purchased a single unit with city views for $128,000, sources say. The 680-square-foot condo is on the top floor of a 13-story, 151-unit building with a doorman and a pool.

Nancy Sill of John Aaroe & Associates, Beverly Hills, handled the transaction.