Newsletter: Hot Property: Wearing down the shoe leather
Luxury real estate agents may be phoning it in from the Amalfi Coast this time of August, but your dynamic duo is hard at work, uncovering the deals of a variety of musicians, actors and notables. Fortunately for us, such transactions are an ever-renewable resource. To borrow the 1920s marketing slogan for the phonograph, real estate news is the “gift that keeps on giving.” (Yes, we looked up the origins of that phrase.)
– Lauren Beale and Neal J. Leitereg
And speaking of the '20s
Singer-songwriter Charli XCX may be disappointing concertgoers by cancelling the second half of her U.S. summer tour, but who wouldn’t want to get back to this eccentric Tudor-style house in Hollywood Hills? The 23-year-old, who released the album “Sucker” last year, recently bought the restored 1920s home for $2.815 million.
The brick façade of the chimney and three fireplaces look like the work of a tipsy brick layer with stones turned in every which way. Further whimsical touches are evident in the handcrafted doors and rustic light fixtures. A personal favorite is the original aqua-and-black tile bathroom — very rock star.
The 1920s Tudor home purchased by singer-songwriter Charli XCX is charming and quirky — perfect for a rock star. (Realtor.com)
Dita Von Teese is the curvaceous model and dancer known for keeping burlesque current. The onetime Mrs. Marilyn Manson and Playboy cover girl drives vintage cars, has her own lingerie line and just landed a stunning Tudor Revival-style house in Los Feliz for $2.83 million. Beyond the rotunda entry inspired by a castle turret are myriad 1927 details including wood-beam cathedral ceilings, gothic arches and decorative medallions. It’s a true beauty. There’s also a cool pool house with a wet bar and a sauna.
Model and dancer Dita Von Teese, who has a love of vintage things, has bought a 1920s home in Los Feliz. (PlanOmatic)
The phrase “old Hollywood” is more of a vibe than an architectural style – you’ll know it when you see it. But if you’re still not sure, check out the house that nu metal band member Fred Durst has for sale. The Limp Bizkit vocalist is asking $1.645 million for the 1920s Spanish-style home. Wood-beam ceilings and archways set the tone, but the vintage tiles are the topper. Be sure to click into the photo gallery for the colorful bathroom. Maybe no one wants to clean tile, but it sure looks pretty.
The Hollywood Hills home owned by Limp Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst retains much of its 1920s charm. (Anthony Barcelo / Realtor.com | Inset: Stefano Paltera / For The Times)
Moving on to the midcentury
Famed TV writer and producer Steven Bochco has a few Emmys in his possession, but he just gave up a true trophy selling his Richard Neutra-designed home in Encino for $4.725 million. The Midcentury Modern-style house brings in views of the outdoor setting, which includes a reflecting pool, steppingstones and a dining patio.
More than 4,200 square feet of living space, gleaming wood ceilings, a swimming pool with a spa and wooded grounds complete the prize package. Known for his work on “Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law” and “NYPD Blue,” Bochco retains a talent for crime drama. He is the creator, writer and executive producer of the current series “Murder in the First.”
TV writer Steven Bochco has sold his Richard Neutra-designed trophy home in Encino. (Simon Berlyn | Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)
Sporting a modern look
It would seem that salsa king Marc Anthony has traded his dancing shoes for a pair of the traveling variety. The Grammy-winning artist listed his freshly styled New England Traditional in Tarzana this week after just seven months of ownership.
Listed for $4.35 million, the white two-story was built last year and has two family rooms, a den/office and a lavish master suite in 6,590 square feet of space. A crystal-clear swimming pool and spa are worth taking a peek at.
Seven months after buying, Marc Anthony has listed his Traditional-style home in Tarzana for sale at $4.35 million. (Ashera J. Photography | Los Angeles Times)
Bruising professional football player Ndamukong Suh, who signed a record-setting $114-million contract with the Miami Dolphins this offseason, made his presence known in the Ft. Lauderdale market with the purchase of a glass-and-steel contemporary for $6.5 million.
Fronting the Intracoastal Waterway on half an acre, the three-story home weighs in with 11,142 square feet of space with free-flowing rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows and glassed-in catwalks connecting the upper levels. A massive swimming pool with a waterfall feature and a raised spa completes the postcard-worthy coastal setting.
Ndamukong Suh, the Miami Dolphins' $114-million man, has paid $6.5 million for a glass-and-steel contemporary in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Redfin | Inset: Getty Images)
Free-swinging outfielder Josh Hamilton hasn’t had much luck connecting with a buyer in Newport Coast’s Crystal Cove. The former Angel, now with the Texas Rangers, chopped $612,000 off the asking price of his 10,850-square-foot mansion to bring it to $15.888 million.
Built in 2013, the Provence-style spread sits on the highest point of the gated enclave, with an infinity-edge pool, an outdoor kitchen and a loggia making up the half-acre grounds. Inside, a lower entertainment wing has a clubhouse vibe with a game room, a home theater and an eight-car garage.
Former Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton, now with the Texas Rangers, has dropped the price on his Crystal Cove mansion from $16.5 million to $15.888 million. (Redfin | Getty Images)
Dusting off the archives
Ten years ago this week, actress and eternal beauty Raquel Welch was listing her “generously sized” Beverly Hills area home for $4.5 million. Although everything about the place was done large — the two-story entry with a sweeping staircase, a living room with 14-foot ceilings — the 8,000 square feet of living space seems modest by today’s mega-star standards.
Twenty years back, hoop superstar Michael Jordan leased a home in a gated development off Mulholland Drive for two months at close to $50,000. These days he’s trying to sell his more than 7 acre estate in Highland Park, Ill., for $14.855 million. The individual numbers in that price add up to 23, his longtime Chicago Bulls jersey number.
The legendary basketball player has put his 56,000-square-foot compound in Highland Park, Ill., on the market for $14.855 million. (Joseph Noel | Inset: Associated Press)
What we’re reading
A paparazzi-proof penthouse seems like a tall order, but that’s what a new high-rise on the Westside aims to provide. L.A. Times reporter Roger Vincent details the new Four Seasons development taking shape in Beverly Hills that will feature 59 units, concierge service and a kitchen serving residents and guests. The crown jewel of the development is an ultra-private penthouse, complete with 9,000-square-foot garden, swimming pool and exclusive elevator, to be priced at $50 million.
The penthouse atop the Four Seasons Private Residences-Los Angeles will have a 9,000-square-foot garden and a swimming pool. (Genton Property Group)
We love us some movie homes, but this one makes our skin crawl: On the market in Pennsylvania is a Victorian-style scene in the 1991 thriller “The Silence of the Lambs." Yes, the fictional residence of serial killer Buffalo Bill can be had for just $300,000, reports Hooked on Houses. Lotion, anyone?
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