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Hot Property Newsletter: It’s certainly not cold

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The only thing hotter than the weather of late may be the celebrity-driven real estate market. This week’s collection includes speculation about a sports superstar, a soap opera actor looking for a fairy tale ending and a race car driver speeding out of Las Vegas. Oh and we also unmasked the blogger behind Yolanda’s Little Black Book.

For a look at a Beverly Hills contemporary, check out our Home of the Week. “Polished” is the word to describe this multilevel residence outfitted with a remote-controlled wine wall, a game room and other leisure-oriented amenities. The price to play is $4.995 million. Take the video tour from Fox 11.

For years, Yolanda’s Little Black Book has been a mystery in L.A. real estate circles. By dishing tightly guarded details of the latest multimillion-dollar housing transactions, the gossipy anonymous blog has wreaked havoc among elite real estate agents and their wealthy, celebrity clients. Now, a Times investigation unmasks the real Yolanda.

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Once you’re done reading about these deals, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can find Hot Property stories and updates throughout the week.

Neal J. Leitereg and Lauren Beale

His new home town

Four-time league MVP LeBron James had ties in L.A. long before the Lakers snagged him.

Three years ago, the basketball superstar’s production company inked a deal with a Burbank studio to create television, film and other digital content. Months after the production company set up shop, James purchased his first home in the area, paying about $21 million for a gated estate in Brentwood.

Many basketball players own real estate in Los Angeles and spend the off-season there, but James appeared to double down on the area in December when he bought a second home in Brentwood for $23 million.

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Now that he has settled on a home base for the next four years, the next question is whether his two Brentwood estates will be enough home for the King.

He’s out of the Valley

Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has let go of a base in the San Fernando Valley, selling his gated home in Sherman Oaks for $1.98 million.

The Mediterranean-villa-style home, built in 2003, has six bedrooms, six bathrooms and more than 4,600 square feet of living space.

Puig bought the place through a trust four years ago for $1.8 million, records show.

The 27-year-old won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year honor last year after finishing tied for first among National League right-fielders with 18 defensive runs saved.

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Moving their scrimmage line

Reality TV personality Kristin Cavallari and her husband, former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, have put their Nashville mansion on the market for $7.9 million.

Set on 8.5 acres of wooded hills, the nearly 20,000-square-foot villa was built in 2007 and has 25 rooms — including living and family rooms, a den, a hobby room, a wet bar, a home theater, a library, seven bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms.

Cavallari, 31, starred on “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” then joined the cast of “The Hills.” Her new E! reality series is called “Very Cavallari.”

Cutler, 35, was released by the Bears last year after eight seasons with the team. He joined Fox Sports as a broadcaster.

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The couple moved to Nashville last year and plan to relocate in the area.

A fairy-tale ending?

A Hollywood Hills home owned by British soap star and actor Clive Robertson is for sale at $4.995 million.

The French country estate, built in 1950 but reflecting a 1920s style, oozes charm. Renovations have retained the home’s original character, such as the Juliet balcony. The 4,008 square feet of living space include an office, four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

The close to half-acre of grounds contain an outdoor dining area, a deck for entertaining and a rock-surrounded swimming pool with a spa. Stone steps lead to the one-bedroom guest house, which has a living room, a kitchen and two bathrooms.

Robertson, 52, has appeared on the American soap opera “Sunset Beach,” the drama “Wicked Wicked Games” and the Canadian series “Starhunter.”

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Race car driver changes course

NASCAR driver Alex Tagliani has sold his place in Las Vegas for $1.2 million.

Although Mediterranean from the outside — with arched windows and a tile roof — the two-story home’s updated interiors are so clean-lined, they have an office-building feeling. Wavy metal stair railings add an industrial vibe.

A breakfast nook, three bedrooms and 4.25 bathrooms are within the 3,455 square feet of living space.

Built in 2004, the house looks out on a golf course. The quarter-acre lot contains a covered patio and a swimming pool with a spa.

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Tagliani, 44, hails from Quebec. He won the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award.

His favorite room

David Gebbia of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” has a subterranean secret in his Beverly Hills estate that once caused a ruckus with his children’s school. His “burlesque room” was originally upstairs next to the bar, but was relocated after teachers and parents caught sight of the stripper pole during a school event held at the home.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” ex made the stripper pole the focus of the "burlesque room."

“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” ex made the stripper pole the focus of the “burlesque room.”

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

From the archives

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Ten years ago, actress Katherine Heigl listed her starter house in Los Feliz for $1.75 million. The 2,400-square-foot redone contemporary had three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

Twenty years ago, actor Sylvester Stallone sold his longtime Malibu home for close to its asking price of $3.7 million. Built in 1981, the Mediterranean-style house on Broad Beach had five bedrooms and an ocean-front pool.

Thirty years ago, actor Burt Reynolds put his Holmby Hills house on the market for $6 million. The gated Mediterranean home had two guest houses and a swimming pool on about an acre.

What we’re reading

Pro golfer Hunter Mahan has a lake house for sale at Long Cove, a vacation home hot spot east of Dallas, reports CandysDirt.com. The $3.8-million price includes six bedrooms, 5,356 square feet of living space and a lakefront swimming pool.

Storybook-style homes are few and far between, but Realtor.com managed to curate a collection of 10 on the market across the United States. Particularly detailed were an Oakland three-bedroom listed at $748,000 and a Nashville cottage for $650,000.

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ICYMI: A Los Angeles couple redoes old “chauffeur’s quarters” into a snug two-bedroom house for their aging parents, according to a Los Angeles Times article on making sure parents can age in their own space. The key was accommodating their mobility issues while personalizing the space.

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