Huell Howser retreat plus parcel in Twentynine Palms sell for $650K

Huell Howser’s desert retreat in Twentynine Palms has sold, along with an adjacent 71-acre parcel, for $650,000 in an all-cash deal.

The proceeds from the sale of the late travelogue host’s house benefit an endowed scholarship and Howser archives as Chapman University in Orange.

There were multiple offers on the Midcentury Modern home, which has 2,221 square feet of living space and sits on 12 acres. Howser renovated the house after he bought the property more than 15 years ago for $160,000.

Among his touches, he infused the minimalist interiors with industrial details such as concrete kitchen counters and floors, stainless-steel baseboards and a master bathroom sink made by inverting a vintage streetlight fixture.

French-style home with views of the Pacific

The 1953 house, which retains its original exterior and footprint, features walls of glass and a wood-burning fireplace in the living room, a breakfast bar, two bedrooms, a den/office and 2.5 bathrooms. The garage was converted to entertainment space.

A swimming pool, a spa and sculpture gardens of found objects from his travels are among exterior amenities.

Howser died last year at 67. He is remembered for his more than two-decades-long television series “California’s Gold,” which took viewers to locales throughout the state.

Jeffrey Wysard of Keller Williams Luxury Homes International was the listing agent.

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