A native returns to anchor
Paul Magers, the new KCBS-TV anchor, and his wife, Kathy, have settled into the Beverly Hills home they purchased for about $6.5 million.
The native Californian, a TV anchor for almost 20 years in Minnesota, and his wife bought a Mediterranean-style villa with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms in about 6,700 square feet. The home, built in 1927, was completely renovated by John Bercsi, who also recently refurbished silent screen star Buster Keaton’s Beverly Hills estate.
The house the Magerses purchased has a courtyard with a fountain, a large living room with a beamed ceiling, a media room, a library-study and a wine cellar.
KCBS-TV was rumored to have almost doubled the anchor’s salary from what he earned at KARE in the Twin Cities after his 10-year contract, estimated to be worth $11 million, expired.
Richard Minchenberg, Loren Judd and Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency, Beverly Hills, handled the real estate transaction, sources said.
‘Bounce’ actress lands first condo
Sara Foster, who costars with Morgan Freeman in the upcoming movie “The Big Bounce,” has become a first-time home buyer with her purchase of a West Hollywood condo with a loft for about $560,000. The actress, 22, is the daughter of Grammy-winning film composer David Foster.
She bought a two-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot condo in a Mediterranean-style building. The loft-office opens to a garden with city views.
Foster, a former fashion model, briefly hosted the “Entertainment Tonight” spinoff “ET on MTV” and then was cast as the female lead in “The Big Bounce,” an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel. The comedy caper will be released Friday by Warner Bros. Foster and Freeman previewed the movie Jan. 17 in Hawaii during her first USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour. Trent David of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills North, represented both sides of the condo deal.
Sklar brother buys in Silver Lake
Randy Sklar, half of the Sklar Brothers comedy team, and his wife, Amy, have purchased a Traditional-style home with a lake view in Silver Lake’s Moreno Highlands for close to its $785,000 asking price.
The comic, who teams with his twin Jason, and his wife, a decorator, bought a three-story home that was built in 1936. It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms plus a large apartment with a separate entrance.
The Sklar Brothers co-star in the Miramax film “My Baby’s Daddy,” which opened this month. Their stand-up comedy special, “Comedy Central Presents,” is running on Comedy Central. They are about to release their first comedy CD, “The Sklar Bros ... Poppin’ the Hood,” on Stand Up Records.
Fred Henry of DBL Realtors, Sunset Strip, had the listing, and Michael Tunick, with the same office, represented the couple in buying.
Sahl house is ‘Dreams’ home
David Semel, a co-executive producer and director of the NBC series “American Dreams,” has purchased a Beverly Hills-area home for slightly more than its $1.6-million asking price. The house was owned for years by comedian Mort Sahl. It was sold by the design team of Paul Dolansky, Brandon Hoskins and Stephen Wilson, who specialize in architectural renovation.
The team consulted with Peter Choate, son of Chris Choate, who designed the house in 1960.
“We peeled away the layers of design applied to make it look Southwestern, Traditional and Contemporary, and we restored it to its original intent,” Wilson said. The mid-century house is a modern interpretation of Chris Choate’s Japanese-influenced, organic pavilion design. The four-bedroom 2,600-square-foot home has walls of glass that open to a pool and canyon views.
Semel has directed episodes of many TV shows, including “Ally McBeal,” “Judging Amy” and “Dawson’s Creek.”
Billy Rose of Westside Estate Agency, Beverly Hills, represented Semel in buying, and Barry Fields of DBL Realtors, Sunset, had the listing.
To see previous columns, visit latimes.com/hotproperty.
