Newsletter: Hot Property: Inside the celebrity housing orb
Though Los Angeles employers are concerned that high housing costs are an obstacle to hiring top talent, the Southern California celebrity sphere remains largely immune to such affordability fears.
As spring temperatures rise, so do the number of home deals among the area’s high-profile actors, athletes and others. Check out these offerings in the $1-million-to-$9-million range.
Once you’re done with these star-studded transactions, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can find additional Hot Property stories and updates throughout the week.
– Neal J. Leitereg and Lauren Beale
Keeping up with its listings
If you’ve been “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” over the years, there’s a good chance you’ll recognize this home in Studio City. The opulent estate was used to depict the front facade and grounds of the main Kardashian-Jenner compound during previous seasons of the reality TV show.
On and off the market about as frequently as the show’s sisters change their looks, the Italianate-style home is currently back on — this time at $8.995 million.
Set on nearly an acre, the 7,800-square-foot house boasts such details as ornate woodwork, hand-plastered Venetian walls, statues and murals.
Terraces, a saltwater swimming pool, lawns and landscaping complete the grounds.
The property also has been used for the HBO shows “Rome” and “True Blood.”
He takes a price cut
Actor Julian McMahon of “Nip/Tuck” fame has sold his Malibu home of about a decade for $3.55 million.
The property came on the market last year for $4.395 million, and after a few nips and tucks was most recently listed at $3.85 million.
The blue-exterior house has vaulted ceilings, walls of windows and 3,654 square feet of interior space.
Lush landscaping surrounds a blue-tiled swimming pool and spa. A volleyball court, lawn and mature trees fill out the park-like property.
McMahon, 48, appeared last year on the series “Hunters” and “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.”
She sells house of charm
Constance Zimmer of “House of Cards” and “UnREAL” has sold her home in Studio City for $2.15 million.
The Spanish-style two-story sits behind wrought-iron gates. Vines along the facade and a Juliet balcony above the front door give the 2003 home an Old World vibe. This is what real estate agents called a “charmer.”
The approximately 3,620 square feet of living space contains a formal living room with a fireplace, a library with custom built-ins and a center-island kitchen. French doors in the great room and pink-hued dining room extend the living space outside.
Including a detached guesthouse, there are five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Zimmer, 46, has scores of television credits, including “The Newsroom,” “Entourage” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Zimmer sold her home in Studio City for $2.15 million.
Big man near the beach
Often it’s hard to tell where sports stars play based on their real estate purchases. A recent case in point: Tiago Splitter of the Philadelphia 76ers has picked up an ocean-view home in Malibu for $3.25 million.
Situated on a cul-de-sac, the single-story contemporary features marble and hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling glass walls and vaulted ceilings — a detail that likely appeals to the 6-foot-11 center.
The approximately 4,100 square feet of living space contains three bedrooms and four bathrooms. A great room with a fireplace and a speakeasy-style bar sits off the kitchen.
Splitter, 32, was on the move earlier this year when he was traded by the Atlanta Hawks to the Sixers. The Brazilian-born big man won an NBA title in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs.
Their Shangri-La lair
Actress Andrea Parker, who appears on the show “Pretty Little Liars,” and her husband, film producer Michael Birnbaum, have listed their retreat in Palm Desert for sale at $1.139 million.
Built in 1955, the contemporary residence brings to mind a Shangri-La with its tropical landscaping, bamboo hedges and a waterfall-fed saltwater swimming pool.
The 2,673 square feet of open-plan living space includes a great room with a fireplace, a formal dining area, an eat-in kitchen, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Parker has television credits that include “ER,” “The Pretender” and “Desperate Housewives.” Birnbaum produced the films “Bandits” (2001) and “John Tucker Must Die” (2006).
Fleet-of-foot athletes
It’s surprising that so many professional athletes buy homes, considering how frequently they move. Los Angeles Lakers wing Corey Brewer may not be thinking permanent residence yet, but he has leased a home in Manhattan Beach for $10,000 a month.
The contemporary beach house, built in 1999 and recently remodeled, features Brazilian walnut floors, beamed ceilings and a fireplace in the living room. Two upper-level balconies take in city and ocean views.
Within the approximately 2,000 square feet of living space are three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Brewer, 31, was part of the Florida Gators team that won NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007. This season, he has averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 80 games for the Houston Rockets and the Lakers.
Her favorite room
Actress Marisol Nichols’ favorite room is the office of her 2,800-square-foot Toluca Lake home. “I like the pirate and gypsy vibe,” said the “Riverdale” star. “That’s always been my thing.” It’s where she does her nonprofit work for the charity she started, Foundation for a Slavery-Free World.
“I wake up, grab my coffee and start my day in here,” the actress says of her home office. “It’s my main place.”
From the archives
Ten years ago, Amazon.com mastermind Jeffrey Bezos bought a Beverly Hills home for close to $30 million. The Spanish-style estate, on more than 2 acres, had seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms in nearly 12,000 square feet.
Twenty years ago, R&B singer Luther Vandross sold his Beverly Hills home of more than 10 years in the $3-million range. The Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter had relocated to New York City. The nearly 10,000-square-foot house was built in 1983 by former TV entertainment reporter Rona Barrett.
Thirty years ago, the Palos Verdes Peninsula home of former L.A. Raider Lyle Alzado was open for tours to benefit a South Bay women’s philanthropic organization. The house, which was worked on by about two dozen designers prior to the event, had 22 rooms in 8,500 square feet of interior space on an acre with ocean and city views.
What we’re reading
ICYMI: It’s not sharks, but high home prices that are scaring buyers away from the beach. Residents of coastal Southern California are increasingly making the decision to move away — a trend many economists blame on a housing shortage driving rents and home prices sharply higher.
A Minneapolis home Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly 60 years ago is for sale for the first time. Offered for $1.395 million, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom brick-and-stone house includes 2,647 square feet of living space containing Wright-designed furniture and fixtures, reports Town & Country Magazine.
