Hillbillies home listed at $350M
The Bel-Air estate may be known as Chartwell, but it’s off the charts in terms of asking price. The home of late Univision billionaire A. Jerrold Perenchio is for sale at $350 million US — making it the most expensive residential listing in the United States.
“There are very few homes of this calibre in Los Angeles,” said Corey Weiss of John Aaroe Group. “Like the Playboy Mansion and other homes in Bel-Air, the initial asking price is in the stratosphere.”
Classic-TV watchers may remember the 25,000-square-foot main residence, built in 1933, from the credits of the sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies.
Designed by architect Sumner Spaulding for grand entertaining, the mansion was inspired by 18thcentury French neoclassical style. Under Perenchio’s direction, it was enhanced and restored by designer Henri Samuel.
Features include a detailed limestone facade, a ballroom, a wine cellar and a panelled dining room.
The property was amassed during the past 30 years to include 10.3 acres of grounds. Adjacent sites acquired to expand the estate include a Wallace Neff designed guesthouse and the long driveway. The grounds contain manicured gardens, a tennis court, covered parking for 40 cars, a 75-foot swimming pool and a pool house.
Drew Mandile, the agent who has brokered past deals for the famed Owlwood estate and Fleur de Lys, noted that L.A. is a prime target for wealthy international buyers.
“People are seeing the prices in L.A. as good prices when you compare them to other places,” he said. “Here you get a lot of land. Weather here is amazing and people like it here. It has been recognized as a great place to live.”
And, he added, “it is the most prime estate around.”
Perenchio, former chairman and chief executive of Univision, died in May at 86.
Ed Norton goes modernist in Malibu
Actor Ed Norton, of Fight Club fame, has bought a John Lautner-designed home along the sand in gated Malibu Colony for $11.8 million.
Known as the Stevens Residence, the modernist triumph draws inspiration for its curved form from the shape of waves.
Built in 1968, the wood-andconcrete house features retractable walls of glass, herringbone-patterned floors and wood slats that filter natural light. An open-air section shelters a swimming pool.
A step-down living room, an eat-in kitchen, five bedrooms and five bathrooms also lie within nearly 3,400 square feet of interior space.
Rear decking and a front courtyard create additional living space outside. Steps lead down to 37 feet of sandy beachfront.
The property was offered four years ago for $22 million, about double what it sold for, records show. More recently it was listed for $13.75 million.
Norton, 47, has earned Oscar nominations for his performances in Primal Fear (1996), American
History X (1998) and Birdman (2015). Last year, he lent his voice to the animated comedy Sausage
Party (2016).
Costner dances with a lower asking price
Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner has dropped the asking price for his 10-acre oceanfront spread in Carpinteria, from $60 million to $55 million.
Costner bought the freewayclose acreage about a decade ago with the vision of building his forever home there, but his plans have changed. Set behind fences secured by cameras, the gently rolling bluff was once a polo field. It features 500 feet of oceanfront, a path to the beach and panoramic Pacific views. The Santa Barbara Mountains and islands are also visible.
The actor has used the site for sports, a wedding and family enjoyment.
Costner, 62, won best picture and best director Oscars for Dances With Wolves (1990). This year, he appeared in Hidden Figures.
Public records show that the property changed hands in 2006 for $28.5 million.
Amazon founder buys a real-estate firewall
Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos has gone shopping on Los Angeles’ Westside, buying a home for $12.9 million in a deal completed off-market.
Never publicly listed for sale, the 1956-built house sits on a halfacre lot that backs up to the Spanish-style estate that Bezos bought in 2007 for $24.45 million.
In other words, it’s a real-world firewall for the multibillionaire.
Details are few and far between, but tax records show that the home has 4,586 square feet of interior space on one level. Formal living and dining rooms, four bedrooms and six full bathrooms are among the living spaces. There are two fireplaces.
Mature trees, patio space and a swimming pool fill the backyard. A motor court with two gated entrances marks the entrance to the property.
Combined with the neighbouring estate, the two properties total about 2.5 acres.
Bezos, 53, founded Amazon.com in 1994 and owns nearly 81 million shares in the company. With a net worth of about $85 billion, he is among the richest people in the world.
West sells house in Hills for $2.95 million
After several attempts to hook a buyer, rapper and fashion designer Kanye West has quietly sold his longtime home in Hollywood Hills West for $2.95 million.
Built in 2002, the multilevel house features sweeping views, open-plan spaces and plenty of character.
Of note is a cartoon-like mural in the dining room and a fish tank in the master bathroom.
A formal entry, a breakfast room, a den, a home theatre, three bedrooms and four bathrooms are within more than 4,200 square feet of living space. Balconies on three levels allow for indooroutdoor living.
West previously listed the house for sale in 2010 for $3.995 million and, more recently, in 2013 for $3.3 million. Records show he bought the property in 2003 for $1.75 million.
West, 40, is one of the bestselling hip-hop artists of all time. Among his records is The College Dropout, Graduation and Yeezus. Last year, he released the album The Life of Pablo.
He and his wife, reality television personality Kim Kardashian, also own property in Bel-Air and Hidden Hills.