Home on the range fetches high price

“Rancho Autry,” the Palm Springs estate of late cowboy crooner Gene Autry, has sold for $7 million — the most paid for a home in that city this year.

Not only is the deal a 2020 high, the sale ranks as one of the priciest in the city’s history. Other blockbuster deals include the $13-million sale of Bob Hope’s Modernist mansion and the $7.7-million sale of the Elrod House. Set on an acre and a half in Old Las Palmas, the gated mansion spans 13,400 square feet and also includes a guest apartment, tennis court and glass mosaic swimming pool set among gardens, palm trees and droughttolerant landscaping.

Entered via porte-cochere, the main home holds seven bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms and five fireplaces in a single story. Hardwood floors, arched doorways, skylights and coffered ceilings adorn the common spaces, which include a green-and-yellow kitchen and a spacious living room.

Outside, the 1920s home wraps around a courtyard complete with loggias, lounges, a pool, spa and mountain views. A three-car garage, plus the original one-car garage, complete the property.

The ranch was of many properties that Autry and his wife,

Jackie, bought throughout Southern California. In addition to owning the Los Angeles Angels for 36 years, their other holdings included a TV station, multiple radio stations, a Palm Springs hotel, a Midcentury condo and an Encino mansion that later sold to “Survivor” host Jeff Probst.

Autry, who died in 1998, had a TV show bearing his name from 1950 to 1956 and was in scores of films. His signature song, “Back in the Saddle Again,” was used in the 1939 film “Rovin’ Tumbleweeds” and became the theme song for his radio show, which ran from 1940 to 1956. His biggest hit song was “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Louise Hampton of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties held the listing. James Gault of Bennion Deville Homes represented the buyer.