Posted by Annalisa Burgos | August 26, 2009
From our Cool Houses Daily files:
Iconic “Baywatch” and “Knight Rider” star David Hasselhoff has relisted his 5-bed, 5-and-a-half-bath home in Encino, Calif., at a reduced price of just under $4.2 million (a discount from the original $5.95 million price tag earlier this year).
The “America’s Got Talent” judge is selling the estate as part of his divorce settlement with ex Pamela Bach.
The estate has almost 9,000 square feet of living space, with a two-story entry foyer and his-and-hers closets in the master suite.
In the chef’s kitchen, there’s a whole wall devoted to Hasselhoff’s gold and platinum late-1980s European pop albums, but you fill the wall space with your own personal accolades when you snap up the property.
Outside, the home features a pool with a waterfall, tennis court and a huge motorcourt for all of the Hoff’s celebrity get-togethers.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | August 13, 2009
This from our Cool Houses Daily files:
Rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson III, slashed the asking price on his massive Farmington, Connecticut mansion again, hoping to unload the former money pit he rarely used.
It was originally listed at $18.5 million in 2007 and reduced late last year to $14.5 mil. Now, he’s asking $10.9 million — surely to cover the $4.1 million he shelled out for it in 2003 and the additional $6 mil he spent on repairs and upgrades.
The 17-acre estate has been the subject of an ongoing court battle between “Fitty” and an engineering firm he hired to repair and improve the home. Fitty sued BVH Integrated Services, claiming the firm owed him $3 million for maintenance repairs that were not included in its original repair estimate of about $500,000. Terms of the settlement in June were not disclosed.
The mansion has a whopping 21 bedrooms and 25 baths, a private lake with gazebo, an indoor/outdoor pool, gym and grand media room, all spread nicely over 48,000 square feet of living space.
If you love Fitty’s house like, er, a fat kid loves cake, view the listing to find out more about his crib.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 15, 2009
If she could turn back time, Cher probably would have accepted a reported offer for her massive Malibu estate, which she listed last August for $45 million but pulled off the market after nine months, says “Mama” from the popular Real Estalker blog.
Now the singing-songwriting diva has relisted her famous Italian Renaissance-style mansion for $41 million — still a bit stiff for a market where ultra high-end homebuyers are clearly in the minority.
We’ve discovered that the luxury market is not exempt from the recession as once thought.
That said, if you are in the market for a lavish home, the house that Cher built won’t disappoint. She is, after all, Cher.
The 13,000+ square foot, 6-bed, 7-bath home sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and features a theatre, gym, infinity pool, tennis court and multiple verandas.
Cher, do you believe in getting your asking price after renovating? I really don’t think that’s strong enough.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 9, 2009
Las Vegas visionary Steve Wynn’s Manhattan home is just as luxurious as the world-class resorts he builds.
The mind behind such Sin City landmarks as the Bellagio, Wynn and Encore has listed his seventh-floor condo at 817 Fifth Avenue (at 63rd Street) for $25 million. Furniture included.
Wynn reportedly paid $7 million for the unit in late 2000, but made some extensive renovations. The 3,500+ square foot luxury home features nine rooms, including a master suite and bath fit for a billionaire like Wynn.
The original living room, formal dining room and library were combined to form one massive living area and media center.
The unit has a new formal dining room and a state-of-the-art electronics system. And check out the breathtaking views from those windows — beautiful Central Park and New York City.
See more pictures of Wynn’s home for sale in the Sotheby’s International Realty listing on FrontDoor.com.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | June 23, 2009
Wanted: Architecture buff with deep pockets willing to put in some elbow grease.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous and endangered Ennis House in Los Angeles is on the market for $15 million.
The 6,000-square-foot Mayan-inspired estate, which lies on a hilltop in the Los Feliz neighborhood north of downtown L.A., is falling apart from earthquake and rain damage and desperately needs restoration.
The legendary architect built the home in 1924 in the experimental “textile block” style using 27,000 16-inch concrete blocks.
The current owner, the Ennis House Foundation, has already invested $6.5 million to stabilize the property. The new owner would need to put in an estimated $5 million to $7 million to restore the home, in addition to the $15 million purchase price. One condition of the sale will be a conservation easement to ensure that the public has access to the house a few days each year.
The main house features three bedrooms, an elevated dining room with massive fireplace, high ceilings, numerous art-glass windows, a rare Wright-signature glass-tile mosaic fireplace, billiards room, pool and small Japanese garden.
The sale is being handled by Hilton & Hyland and Dilbeck Realtors, with marketing services by Christie’s Great Estates.
The Ennis House has appeared in film and TV, including “Blade Runner,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Twin Peaks.”
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | May 12, 2009
Model/actress Milla Jovovich may be known for killing zombies, but it seems she won’t be making a killing in real estate.
It’s been about a year since the Resident Evil actress first listed her four-story, four-bedroom home in the West Village for $8.75 million. Today, it’s listed at $7 million, about 600K more than what she paid for it. She’s cut the price twice already, and if she doesn’t get any bites, she may have to do it again.
The Greek revival townhouse features an extravagant master suite, walk-in closets behind mirrored French doors, cast-iron railings, mahogany banisters, five fireplaces, stone heated floors, solarium and roof terrace.
Plus, you’re on trendy Greenwich Avenue, which is packed with great bars and restaurants.
Jovovich, known for her roles in action and sci-fi films, is engaged to writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson and has an 18-month-old daughter Ever Gabo Anderson.
To see more fascinating homes for sale, check out Cool Houses Daily. Browse more listings on FrontDoor.com and explore the neighborhoods in New York City.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | April 10, 2009
Everytime I tell people I work for HGTV, they immediately tell me how much they looooove “House Hunters.” Most of these people aren’t actively looking to buy a home, so I ask why. And the response is pretty much the same across the board — “I love looking at houses.”
Imagine that. People who just want to look at houses. Well — ask, and you shall receive. We’ve got just the thing to unleash your inner property voyeur.
FrontDoor’s “Cool Houses Daily” gives you an exclusive peek into an amazingly cool house each day. And by cool, we mean homes with over-the-top features like panic rooms and helipads, celebrity-owned homes or even a house that supposedly will extend your life!
Safe to say HGTV has mastered the art of showcasing homes and bringing the excitement and drama of homebuying and selling to viewers who can not only relate, but want to be part of it (i.e. how can I get HGTV to redo my kitchen?).
So it was only natural for HGTV to launch FrontDoor.com, with the goal of reaching the millions of Web-savvy consumers who are not only actively buying or selling a home, but those who are just genuinely passionate about the idea of “home” and real estate. You’ve probably already seen the extensive how-to guides and expert tips on the site. But how cool is it to check out some of the most unique homes on the market?
So stop by everyday: http://www.frontdoor.com/coolhouses. You’ll get a daily dose of interesting properties you never knew existed. Who knows? It may motivate you to start house hunting or at least see what other unusual homes are out there. And if you know of a cool house for sale, email a description and photos to coolhousesdaily@frontdoor.com. We could feature it on CHD.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | April 7, 2009
If you’ve got $150 million to burn and you’re a huge fan of classic TV series like “Dynasty” and “Beverly Hills 90210″, we’ve got a home for you.
The widow of legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling is downsizing and has listed their 56,000-square-foot monster mansion in Los Angeles at a whopping $150 million.
Dubbed “The Manor,” the estate spans nearly 5 acres on South Mapleton Drive in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood. The three-story home features a dozen bedrooms, two dozen bathrooms, a high-tech screening room (for watching all those great episodes of 90210!), library, gym, doll museum, bowling alley, wine cellar and a beauty salon/barber shop in the finished attic. The estate includes 16 car ports, a tennis court, pool/spa complex and several gardens. And best of all, the Playboy Mansion is nearby!
You’d think that with a recession going on, buyers would bulk at the price tag. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“We already have interest from both local and foreign buyers, even though it is very early in the process,” said Sally Forster Jones of Coldwell Banker Previews International, who shares the listing with Hilton & Hyland/Christie’s Great Estates. “The Manor is a property unlike any other. A property of this pedigree comes on the market once a decade, if not, once in a century. For that reason alone, discriminating buyers recognize it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
If this McMansion is out of your price range, Candy Spelling is selling another property in nearby Century City for a mere $4.8 million. The more “modest” home in the gated Century Woods community has 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.
If that one isn’t for you, check out thousands of other homes for sale in Los Angeles. With home prices in the City of Angels falling (as they are in many markets), you’re sure to find a home perfect for your price range.
And if you’re not buying but are just really into cool homes, check out “Cool Houses Daily” on FrontDoor.com. These homes are too cool to miss and they’re for sale!
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | March 10, 2009
Barbie's Malibu home oozes contemporary style.
So Barbie just turned 50 (and looks fabulous might I add). Mattel went all out for its blond bombshell — renting out a real 3,500-square-foot Malibu mansion to pose as her dream home. (I wonder what the going rent rate is for the neighborhood.) It’s on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. And of course, it’s decked out in pink by interior decorator Jonathan Adler.
Some of the unique features: A chandelier made out of 30 blond wigs, an Andy Warhol portrait of Barbie, and a wall mirror of 64 dolls. Apparently, she loves to make cupcakes, since she’s got all the ingredients ready in her kitchen.
By the looks of it, her house seems to be ultra contemporary, with lots of windows to blend seamlessly with its breathtaking environment.
But contemporary houses aren’t for everyone. What style is right for you? Find out with FrontDoor’s Home Styles guide! Learn about 18 unique styles and share your style with our online community.
Inside, the design is undoubtedly over the top. In the real world, in this market, she probably wouldn’t be able to sell the home as is, since the style is so taste-specific that it may put off potential buyers in the future. (The blond wig chandelier in the living room freaks me out.) But then again, someone buying Barbie’s home would be buying it as a fan, not necessary for the house.
Should Barbie sell her home, her living room is too taste-specific for most buyers.
If anything, it would be cool just to live near her. And if you can’t afford to live in Malibu, there are other
great neighborhoods in L.A.
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