Newsletter: Hot Property: Fried chicken and Chili Peppers
Good Saturday morning,
Not every home in L.A. can stake a claim to a celebrity owner-- past or present -- but some have earned a reputation for being magnets for star-studded activity. This week, we’re looking at A-list entertainer spaces that have spanned generations.
Star attractions
Houseguests, the bane of holidays and vacations for some, can be a selling point for homes with history. Case in point: a Gerard R. Colcord-designed home that recently went under contract in Beverly Hills.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Colonial Revival-style house, built in 1939, was the home of movie producer and screenwriter Jerry Wald and his wife, Connie Wald, beginning in 1943.
Over the years, Connie’s home-cooked meals, notably her fried chicken, attracted some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Paul Newman and Harrison Ford.
A Spanish-style estate in Encino, on the market for the first time in nearly four decades, touts a more political pedigree. Guests of the home, listed for sale at $2.299 million, include the families of Presidents Kennedy, Carter and Clinton.
John Wayne’s family was said to frequent the home, which features park-like grounds with rolling lawns, a sports court and a swimming pool.
As the legend goes, musicians including Ringo Starr and members of Fleetwood Mac were guests of a rock-star-worthy home in Brentwood that recently popped on the market for $7.2 million.
Framing views from the Getty to the coastline, the exotic Modernist-style home is primed for entertaining with an open-space floor, walls of glass and a free-standing fireplace topped with an eagle statue. A swimming pool, koi pond and observation deck complete the resort-like setting.
And in other Fleetwood Mac news, a Santa Monica home where band members assembled to compose a reunion album sold last week for $23 million -- one of the most expensive sales historically for the Westside community.
Other short-term guests of the 3.3-acre compound have included British singer-songwriter Lily Allen. The house also has a television and film claim to fame -- the home known as Villa Ruchello was used as a location for the HBO series “Entourage” and the movie “Beverly Hills Cop.”
Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too?
Members of the funk-rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers have an appetite for new addresses.
The latest change-up concerns drummer Chad Smith, who sold his super-cool crib in Venice for $2.85 million after a year of ownership. Rock-star features include floor-to-ceiling collapsing glass walls, an architectural bridge leading to the master suite and a two-sided fireplace wrapped in reclaimed lumber.
Smith’s deal comes on the heels of group co-founder, singer and lyricist Anthony Kiedis selling his funky ‘40s villa in Hollywood Hills West for $4.2 million. Talk about a totally different vibe.
Late last year, Peppers bassist Flea took center stage selling a Mediterranean-style compound in the Griffith Park area for $6 million and then dropping $2.47 million for a two-story Traditional-style home in Los Feliz.
And past Pepper Dave Navarro, Jane’s Addiction guitarist and former “Ink Master” host, put his sleek Hollywood loft up for sale at $899,000. He sold for $795,000.
A bite of history
This week’s release of “Sharknado 3” marks the 10-year anniversary of actor Ian Ziering’s cameo in Hot Property. Ziering, who stars as Fin Shepard in the disaster horror film series, listed a log-and-stone home of 5,500 square feet for sale in Vail, Colo., for $2.5 million.
What we’re reading
Lifestyle films, home tours by helicopter and elaborate parties with elite guests are among the tools used by L.A.’s top real estate agents to sell luxury homes to uber-wealthy clients, reports our Times colleague Tiffany Hsu.
Sums of $300,000 for marketing are not out of line when commissions can exceed $1 million for a single sale.
The commission on a century-old mansion in Northern California will be a tad smaller after an eight-figure price cut. Once listed for $100 million in 2013, the 47.4-acre estate in Hillsborough is back on the market for of $39.9 million -- a 60% reduction in price -- the Wall Street Journal reports.
And finally, in a nod to the upcoming film “Straight Outta Compton,” the Estately blog put together an eight-pack of tiny homes for sale that really are straight out of the South Los Angeles community.
For more luxury real estate, visit us at the Hot Property blog and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
