‘DWTS’ dancer Mark Ballas looks to tango with a buyer in Beverly Crest
Professional ballroom dancer Mark Ballas of “Dancing With the Stars” fame is ready to execute a move in Beverly Crest, listing his updated home for sale at about $4 million — roughly $1.5 million more than what he paid for the property last year.
Sitting on more than a third of an acre, the refreshed 1970s home keeps things paired up with two kitchens and two family rooms in nearly 4,900 square feet of living space. Two fireplaces are found in the formal dining room and one of the family rooms.
Other details of note include herringbone wood floors, vaulted ceilings with exposed beams and an updated kitchen complete with crisp white cabinetry, a tiled backsplash and modern fixtures. The master suite has a large walk-in closet and a glass-enclosed shower for a total of four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.
Outdoors, tall privacy hedges surround a brick-accented patio with a swimming pool and spa.
Anthony Paradise of Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.
Ballas has history when it comes to flipping. Last year, he sold a renovated Studio City home with fellow “DWTS” dancer Derek Hough for $1.85 million. They had bought the property together more than a year earlier for $1.275 million.
The 30-year-old Ballas first appeared on “DWTS” in 2007, winning the dancing competition series twice. He received an Emmy nomination for outstanding choreography in 2011.
His new house is no joke
Comedic actor Ken Jeong, known for his role in “The Hangover” films, has bought a home behind gates in Calabasas for $3.95 million in a deal completed outside the Multiple Listing Service. The seller was Moshe Barkat, the founder and former president and CEO of Modern VideoFilm.
The Tudor-style estate, built in 2006, was extensively remodeled during Barkat’s ownership and features two offices, a private screening room and a modern chef’s kitchen with a French Lacanche range. A custom temperature-controlled wine cellar can hold as many as 3,000 bottles.
A two-story living room, a formal dining room and a gym are also within more than 6,700 square feet of living space. The master suite — one of four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms — has his and hers closets and a private balcony overlooking the grounds.
Outdoors, two covered verandas flank a custom swimming pool and spa. A built-in barbecue, lawns and citrus trees fill out the half an acre of grounds. Unobstructed views take in the surrounding mountains and city lights.
Anat Erster of White House Properties represented both the buyer and the seller.
Jeong, 47, has credits that include the sitcom “Community” and the films “Pineapple Express” (2008) and “Pain & Gain” (2013). He currently appears in, writes and produces the ABC medical comedy “Dr. Ken.”
Barkat founded the postproduction and distribution company Modern VideoFilm in 1979. The company has provided services for such shows and films as “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008), “Avatar” (2009) and the HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
Couple continue up-in-the-air reprogramming
Television host and personality Mary Hart and her husband, producer Burt Sugarman, have put another unit at the Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live up for sale at $8.8 million.
The couple, who sold another unit in same high-rise in March for $6.7 million, bought the property three years ago for $3.8 million and customized the interiors with modern fixtures, wide-plank oak floors and a wall of flat-screen televisions in the media room/den. Walls of floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the residence, bringing city-to-ocean views inside.
The 4,170 square feet of open space also includes a large living/dining room area, an office, a modern chef’s kitchen, three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.
Reached by sliding automatic doors, the master suite boasts his and her wardrobes and electronic blackout shades. Automated features continue in the master bath with a self-cleaning Whirlpool tub.
Two covered parking spaces are also included in the sale.
Alex Limandri of Big Block Realty holds the listing.
Hart, 65, hosted “Entertainment Tonight” from 1982 to 2011, setting a Guinness world record for longest-serving entertainment news host. Sugarman, 77, is known for producing game shows and such films as the critically acclaimed “Children of a Lesser God” (1986).
No longer kicking it in La Jolla
Landon Donovan recently returned to the fold with the L.A. Galaxy, but earlier this year he was making another sort of move: selling an ocean-view parcel of land in La Jolla for $2.9 million.
Sitting on a hillside in the upper Shores area, the more than half-acre lot sits up from the street and has a beach volleyball court. Views from the property extend down the crest of La Jolla Cove.
Plans for a Bill Hayer-designed home of 6,840 square feet were included in the sale, according to the listing notes. Renderings show a multilevel contemporary with walls of glass, multiple ocean-facing decks and a detached guest/pool house.
The property came up for sale last year for $3.65 million, records show. More recently, it was listed at $3.25 million.
Susana Corrigan of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties was the listing agent. Malena Suarez, also of Berkshire Hathaway, represented the buyer.
Donovan, 34, ended a 21-month retirement in September when he re-signed with the Galaxy. A six-time winner of the MLS Cup, he is the all-time leader in goals and assists in both MLS and with the U.S. national team.
Turnkey compound hits the right note
A resort compound owned by beloved Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel at the time of his death has come to market in Palm Springs for $1.995 million.
Gabriel, who died in August at 66, purchased the property a year ago for $1.55 million. Before that, the turnkey compound had been operated as a boutique hotel, said listing agent Brian Beard of Keller Williams Luxury Homes.
Tucked behind a corrugated metal fence, the U-shaped residence totals 3,500 square feet of living space with eight private suites on a single story. French doors off each suite open to a center pavilion complete with a sun deck, a swimming pool and a separate spa.
The master suite has a walk-in shower that connects to a private outdoor spa. Travertine-lined showers and soaking tubs, custom furnishings and wall fireplaces are found in each of the bedroom suites.
A large parking area fronts the more than quarter-acre property.
Gabriel, one of the bestselling artists in Mexican history, wrote more than 1,000 songs for himself and other performers during his career. The singer was known for his ballads of love and heartbreak including the 1984 hit “Querida” (“My Dear”).
Twitter: @NJLeitereg
