‘ Idol’ host is offering up a trophy
Ryan Seacrest is shooting for the stars in Beverly Hills. Eight years after buying a secluded compound from Ellen DeGeneres for $ 36.5 million, the TV host has listed it for $ 85 million.
The massive price hike is not only representative of the value of trophy estates skyrocketing over the years, but also of the work Seacrest put into the property. Listing photos show he updated the living spaces and added highend amenities such as a massage room and media room.
Located across the street from Franklin Canyon Reservoir, the contemporary compound covers about three acres and includes a 9,000- square- foot main house, two guesthouses, a pool house, detached gym and underground garage. Manicured lawns, gardens and dining areas dot the grounds, which feature a reflecting pond and swimming pool.
Exposed beams, skylights and chandeliers hang over the common spaces inside. There’s a living room lined with clerestories, formal dining room, open- concept kitchen, office, library and lounge with a wet bar. A sunroom adds a grill and pizza oven.
In total, there are seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, including four bedrooms and six bathrooms in the main house. Spacious patios are nestled behind the home, descending to the scenic pool with city views perched at the edge of the property.
Seacrest, 45, is best known as the host of the singing competition show “American Idol.” He also co- hosts the morning talk show “Live With Ryan and Kelly” and hosts the radio shows “American Top 40” and “On Air With Ryan Seacrest.”
Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency holds the listing.
An ambitious listing by Hilton family
Another trophy estate has surfaced for sale in Bel- Air, where the longtime home of late business magnate Barron Hilton is up for grabs at $ 75 million.
Hilton, son and successor of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, bought the property in the 1960s and lived there until his death last year. The mammoth price tag makes it the 11th- priciest property on the market in L. A. County, records show.
It’s an ambitious listing, but one that will stay in the family. The agents are Hilton’s son and grandson, Richard Hilton and Barron N. Hilton, respectively, of Hilton & Hyland.
The Georgian- style mansion comes with a bit of history. It was built in 1936 for Jay Paley, a businessman and film producer from the famed Paley family who founded the Columbia Broadcasting System. Paul R. Williams — a famed architect with a star- studded client list including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz — handled the design.
Showcasing elegant style across more than 15,000 square feet, the mansion is considered one of Williams’ most iconic works. A motor court approaches the whitewashed exterior, and inside, intricate moldings and panels bring a formal feel to the living spaces.
In addition to 13 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms, there’s a step- down living room, formal dining room, billiards room, den and commercial kitchen. A sweeping staircase and elevator navigate the twostory f loor plan, ascending to a pair of primary suites overlooking the manicured gardens out back.
A covered patio lined with towering columns hangs off the back of the home, leading to a massive lawn surrounded by lush landscaping. One of the estate’s finest features sits just past the grassy space, where a custom pool has alluring blue, gold and yellow tiles that depict the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Beyond that, a pool house and sunken tennis court complete the 2.5- acre grounds.
Hilton, who died last year at 91, served as the chairman, president and chief executive of Hilton Worldwide, the hospitality company that holds more than 6,000 hotels worldwide. He also founded the American Football League and was the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Actress sheds longtime haunt
After nearly half a century in Beverly Hills, Priscilla Presley is moving on. The actress and former wife of rock legend Elvis Presley has sold her Spanish- style compound for $ 13 million, The Times has confirmed.
The estate surfaced for sale over the summer for the first time in over 45 years asking $ 16 million, but an October price cut brought the tag down to $ 14.5 million.
Gated and landscaped, the leafy retreat centers on a 1950s villa of nearly 9,000 square feet. It is surrounded by a series of gardens, lawns and terraces and includes amenities such as a swimming pool and tennis court.
A whimsical gate accesses a courtyard at the front of the home, which draws the eye with a bright yellow façade lined with ivy and topped with clay tile. The living spaces exude Spanish style, with exposed beams, arched doorways and ornate fireplaces across two stories.
Rich wood panels wrap around the library, and the formal dining room adds velvet drapes and a crystal chandelier. Elsewhere are seven bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms, including an owner’s suite with a private terrace.
Jonah Wilson of Hilton & Hyland held the listing. Peter Zimble and Dan Beder of Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.
Presley, 75, was married to Elvis Presley for about six years and served as the chairwoman of Elvis Presley Enterprises. As an actress, she is known for her roles in the “Naked Gun” films and on the prime- time television soap opera “Dallas.
Snowboarder flips Malibu retreat
Snowboarder Shaun White has racked up a record 15 X Games gold medals over the course of his career, but his recent Malibu home sale is slightly less historic.
The 34- year- old just sold the coastal estate for $ 8 million — nearly $ 5 million less than he was originally asking, and $ 2.75 million shy of the price he paid for the property in 2016.
The long, sloping lot covers an acre, combining two parcels perched just above the beach in Malibu’s Point Dume community.
While many of the neighboring homes cram in as much square footage as possible, White’s house spans only about 2,200 square feet, letting a vast stretch of lawn take up most of the scenic estate.
Inside, an open f loor plan with white walls and hardwood f loors overlooks the ocean through picture windows.
There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room with a fireplace and a kitchen with a breakfast nook.
The lower level extends to a covered patio, and the upper level opens to a spacious deck overlooking the swimming pool and the ocean beyond. Solar panels top the roof.
Aaron Kirman and Chris Cortazzo of Compass handled both ends of the deal.
Dubbed “the Flying Tomato” for his red hair, White is an accomplished snowboarder and skateboarder.
The San Diego native won Olympic gold medals in 2006, 2010 and 2018. He also has won 23 X Games medals.
Prized land trades hands
He didn’t do much, but media mogul David Geffen still walked away with a $ 3.75- million profit in Beverly Hills.
About a year after dropping $ 30 million on an empty 1- acre lot in the ultra- exclusive Billionaire’s Row enclave, Geffen sold the land for $ 33.75 million to investor Randall Van Wolfswinkel.
When Geffen bought it last year, the vacant lot came with plans for a 24,500- square- foot modern mansion designed by architecture firm Shubin Donaldson.
Blueprints called for seven bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a bowling alley, nightclub, bar, theater, salon, gym and a giant 140- foot swimming pool — but so far, nothing has been built.
Perched on a hillside, the property boasts sweeping views that stretch from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean.
The $ 33.75- million deal ranks among the priciest Southern California home sales in November, but it wasn’t quite the most expensive sale on its street. That title belongs to a 20,000- squarefoot showplace designed by Paul McLean that traded hands for $ 48.5 million two days before Thanksgiving.
Billionaire’s Row has seen some massive transactions in the last few years. In 2014, Minecraft creator Markus Persson spent $ 70 million on an extravagant 23,000- square- foot spec house built by Bruce Makowsky on the same street, and four years later, businessman Evan Metropoulos paid $ 65 million for the former home of late comedian Danny Thomas.
Geffen’s been wheeling and dealing in real estate all year long, kicking off 2020 with a bang by selling the famed Jack Warner estate to Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos for $ 165 million — a deal that shattered California’s all- time price record.
Over the summer he bought a little something for himself: a striking Beverly Hills mansion that cost him $ 68 million. The 3.25- acre estate was owned by Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee President Casey Wasserman and centers on a colossal 18,500- square- foot home made of stone, glass and white oak.
The 77- year- old is known for founding the music labels Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records, which is now known as Interscope Geffen A& M Records.
In 1990, he co- founded DreamWorks Pictures with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency held the listing. Barbara Duskin of Hilton & Hyland represented the buyer.