Making a Case for Renovations

Actor Corbin Bernsen, who first gained fame as divorce attorney Arnie Becker in the NBC series “L.A. Law,” and his wife, actress Amanda Pays, have listed their Hollywood Hills home, which they refurbished, at $999,000.

Bernsen co-starred with Marla Maples in the TV movie “Two of Hearts” in February. He starred in four TV movies last year, including “The Dentist II” on HBO. After “L.A. Law” (1986-94), he also was in the movie “The Great White Hype” (1996) and starred in the TV series “The Cape” (1996-98).

Bernsen, 44, and Pays, 38, were married in 1988. They co-starred in the NBC movie “I Know My Son Is Alive” (1994).

Their Hollywood Hills home is one of several they have restored for themselves before selling. Their first project was during “L.A. Law” days.

Their biggest project was a home on 40 acres in England, where they lived for three years. The Hollywood Hills home, which they’ve owned since they moved back to L.A. last year, prompted them to form Bernsen-Pays Properties, to restore and sell other homes.

“We were looking to rent but then found the Hollywood Hills house,” Bernsen said. “So we bought it and did our thing fixing it up. But the house is a little small for us, with four boys. So we decided to put it on the market and focus on our little business.”

The Hollywood Hills house has four bedrooms, three baths, a den and an office in 2,900 square feet. The gated, English-style home, built in 1952, also has a deck and a pool.

The couple plans to redo houses they can buy for about $750,000 each, but they just bought a property for themselves that will be a major renovation. It’s a farm complex with barns and other buildings on 12 acres in France.

Todd Beattie of Leland Properties, Studio City, has the listing on the Hollywood Hills house.

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Three-time NBA All-Star Kiki Vandeweghe, who most recently played basketball with the L.A. Clippers in 1993, and his wife, Peggy, have listed their Bel-Air home at about $5 million.

The couple have owned the home, which they refurbished, since 1997, when they bought it for about $2.6 million.

The house was built in 1929. It was owned for 25 years, until 1973, by Oscar-winning actress Greer Garson, who died at 92 in 1996.

The English Tudor-style home, on an acre behind gates, has five bedrooms and six baths in 6,000 square feet.

Kiki Vandeweghe, 39, is a financial agent for athletes. Peggy Vandeweghe is an interior designer.

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Charles Shyer, who co-wrote and produced “The Parent Trap” (1998) as well as “Father of the Bride” (1991) and its 1995 sequel, has purchased a Bel-Air home for about its $2.1-million asking price.

The three-bedroom, traditional-style home, behind gates, was built in the 1950s.

Shyer, 57, and his wife, Nancy Meyers, co-wrote and co-produced a number of movies before selling their Sherman Oaks home in January. The couple, together for nearly 20 years before marrying in 1995, reportedly separated in 1998.

Kurt Rappaport of Stan Herman-Stephen Shapiro & Associates, Beverly Hills, had the Bel-Air listing.

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Craig Corman, a litigation attorney who will make his debut as a film producer and director with the upcoming movie “Vital Parts,” and his attorney wife, Karen, have purchased the Beverly Hills home of the late Dorothy Leavey, widow of Thomas Leavey, co-founder of Farmers Insurance.

Dorothy Leavey died at 101 in January 1998. At the time, her foundation had donated more than $100 million to educational, medical and Catholic causes.

Her five-bedroom, 6,000-square-foot home was sold for $2 million. The Cormans sold their previous Beverly Hills home for $875,000.

“Vital Parts,” due to be filmed this month in the Philippines and Hong Kong, was Harold Robbins’ work-in-progress when the novelist died in 1997. Corman wrote the screenplay and made a deal with Concorde/New Horizons for him to direct and produce the film, starring Richard Grieco.

Corman’s father, Gene, is executive producer, and his uncle, Roger, heads Concorde/New Horizons.

Michael Lebow of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., Beverly Hills south office, represented both sides of the real estate transaction.

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Self-employment experts Paul and Sarah Edwards, who have written 10 books on working from home including “Making Money in Cyberspace,” have listed their Santa Monica townhouse at $468,000.

The couple, who also write the syndicated column “Your Home Office,” started working from home in 1974. They have lived in the townhouse for about 12 years. The loft office is their third home office.

The couple, married for 33 years in April, plan to move to a more remote area in the mountains. “It will be a big lifestyle change,” Sarah Edwards said. The three-story townhouse, in a four-unit building built in 1980, is a block from Main Street.

The two-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot townhouse has a deck, hot tub, and city and ocean views.

Randy Freeman of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co.’s Pacific Palisades office has the listing.

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CLARIFICATION: Terry Landeck is project manager and interior designer for the renovation of the Beverly Hills home of actors-writers Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna (Hot Property, March 14).