More stories

  • in

    A Ritzy South Florida Penthouse Sells to Local Philanthropists for $17.3 Million

    It’s not Billionaire Bunker, but it’s still pretty spiffy! After seeking a pied-à-terre in South Florida to replace their $87 million Indian Creek mansion that just went to Jeff Bezos, retired banker Javier Holtz and his wife Andria have settled on a swanky Piero Lissoni-designed penthouse at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach.

    The couple’s 10,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven-bath spread sold to Bezos as part of an off-market deal in late May, adding to two other waterfront estates the billionaire Amazon founder recently picked up on the exclusive man-made barrier island known as Billionaire Bunker for a total of roughly $234 million. In turn, the Holtzes doled out $17.3 million for a fully furnished residence, which spans the top floor of the building, an eight-story luxury condo and villa development currently occupied by Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, MLB Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, and American Eagle CEO Jay Schottenstein.

    As first reported by The Real Deal, the seller was an LLC tied to James and Amy Dieterich of White Plains, N.Y. Originally listed for nearly $20 million in December 2023, the ritzy pad went to the wealthy philanthropists at an impressive discount; though it’s still around $2 million more than the Dieteriches paid for the place over three years ago, back in early 2021.

    A formal dining room sits next to a floor-to-ceiling wine cabinet.

    Iglesias Photography

    Once they make themselves at home in their new four-bedroom, five-bath digs, the Holtzes will enjoy almost 6,000 square feet of living space boasting sleekly designed interiors complemented by blonde hardwood floors and high ceilings, plus floor-to-ceiling walls of glass and a wraparound balcony providing sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. Glitzy amenities include an office, a custom wine cabinet, a built-in barbecue station, and a pool and spa flanked by a street art mural, along with access to a climate-controlled garage and a 40-foot boat slip.

    Among the other highlights: a slatted-wall entry foyer adorned with a pedestal displaying a colorful sculpture. There’s also a glass-lined great room hosting a formal seating area that connects to an entertainment space on the other side via a bespoke TV console, a spacious dining room, a family room, and an eat-in kitchen outfitted with an island and top-tier appliances. An opulent master retreat comes complete with a walk-in closet, a luxe bath sporting an enclosed wet room holding a soaking tub and a rainfall shower, and a separate lounging space leading out to a private patio with a hot tub.

    The primary bedroom’s separate lounge area opens to a private patio with a hot tub.

    Iglesias Photography

    Topping it all off are plenty of building amenities, courtesy of a hefty $12,753 monthly HOA charge, which include a concierge, a roof deck hosting a pool and cabanas, a meditation garden, a spa and fitness center, and a private marina.

    Cuban-born Holtz is the retired chairman and CEO of Marquis Bank, which was sold to Professional Bank in 2020. Also a son of the late Abel Holtz, a Miami civic leader and multimillionaire founder of Capital Bank, and his widow Fana, Javier and his wife Andria are widely known for their support of local institutions like the Jackson Health System, where a children’s hospital is named for his father.

    The Penthouse 1 listing was held by Grace Dieterich of Coldwell Banker, with Andrew Holtz and Nancy Batchelor of Compass representing the buyers. 

    Click here for more photos of Penthouse 1 at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach.

    Iglesias Photography More

  • in

    Meghan Trainor’s Spare L.A. Home Hits the Market for $12 Million

    Now that Meghan Trainor has purchased DJ Zedd’s rockstar-worthy mansion in the Los Angeles enclave of Encino for just over $17.1 million, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter’s other San Fernando Valley home has unsurprisingly popped up for sale, listed with Justin P. Huchel of Carolwood Estates.

    Trainor, known for smash pop music hits like Lips Are Moving and All About That Bass, is asking nearly $12 million for the glitzy digs, which she and her husband, Spy Kids actor Daryl Sabara, paid rapper TMG Fresh $6.6 million for around three-and-a-half years ago, back in late 2020.

    Originally built in 1998 but fully renovated from top to bottom during Trainor’s tenure, the white stucco structure is sequestered behind tall gates and hedges and features six bedrooms and eight baths in a little more than 14,100 square feet of multi-level living space. Also on the premises is a two-story detached guesthouse, which sports a gym on the bottom floor, plus a bedroom, a bath, a kitchen, and a living room up top.

    Among the main-level highlights is an entry foyer boasting a double staircase, which flows to a pair of formal living rooms. A fireside family room connects to a gourmet kitchen, which is outfitted with a duo of islands, top-tier stainless appliances, and an accompanying dining area that has sliding glass doors spilling out to the backyard; elsewhere is an office space and a guest bedroom with its own bath.

    RELATED: Gwyneth Paltrow Lists in L.A., Milla Jovovich Snags an NBA Star’s House, and More Celebrity Deals

    The amenities continue upstairs, where five additional en-suite bedrooms include a sumptuous master retreat flaunting custom glass doors opening to a separate fireside lounge area with access to a private patio, along with two walk-in closets, and a luxe bath spotlighted by dual vanities, a soaking tub, and a marble-clad shower. A lower-level recording studio with its own entrance is also decked out with a kitchenette and a bath, while a top-floor bonus space is currently being used as a playroom.

    As for the park-like grounds, they span just over an acre and host a new swimming pool with a spa, a waterslide, and a waterfall, as well as a firepit, an al fresco dining area, a sports court, a mini-putting green, and an elaborate children’s play space. Also on the premises are an expansive motorcourt and a carport that can accommodate up to 10 vehicles.

    In addition to the just-purchased and for-sale homes in Encino, the couple recently splashed out $3.1 million for a newly built modern farmhouse-style home also in the area. More

  • in

    Actor Tony Hale’s Cozy L.A. Retreat Is Up for Grabs at $2.6 Million

    After seven-plus years of ownership, Emmy-winning actor Tony Hale has decided to part ways with his “cozy, sit-by-the-fire refuge” in Los Angeles. Records show the Arrested Development and Veep star has stuck a nearly $2.7 million price tag on the charming Nantucket-inspired ranch house, which is tucked away in the foothills of Studio City.

    Though that’s around a million more than he and his makeup artist wife Martel paid for the property back in 2016, the couple did completely remodel the premises during their tenure in collaboration with Martin & Brockett designer Jason Martin. Described in marketing materials as a “picture perfect traditional hideaway” and featured in Architectural Digest, the 1930s house offers two bedrooms, two full baths, and a powder room in a little more than 2,400 square feet of modern yet inviting living space adorned throughout with a mix of hardwood and slate stone floors, bay windows, and French doors leading outside. There’s also a separate one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse and a detached two-car garage.

    The window-lined living room is centered around a wood-burning fireplace.

    Josh Bustos

    Gates and high hedges front the creamy stucco and brick-accented structure, which is perched atop almost one-third acres of land overlooking picturesque city lights and mountain views. Inside, an entry foyer flows to a spacious light-filled living room highlighted by a wood-burning fireplace, a formal dining room, and a kitchen outfitted with marble countertops, custom cabinetry, a subway-tile backsplash, a farmhouse sink, a six-burner Wolf range, and an accompanying breakfast nook sporting a built-in window seat.

    The duo of en-suite bedrooms includes a primary retreat boasting a covered deck warmed by a fireplace, as well as a walk-in closet and a spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub, and a walk-in shower. Elsewhere are a hidden bar, a wine cellar, and a laundry room, plus secluded turf-clad grounds laced with fruit trees and hosting numerous al fresco lounging and entertaining spots enhanced by a bar and barbecue setup and a firepit. Adding to the home’s allure are an alarm system, solar panels, and even a tree swing.

    RELATED: Charlize Theron Just Bought a $3.3 Million House in SoCal’s Studio City

    A tree swing can be found just outside the primary bedroom’s private deck.

    Josh Bustos

    A native of New York, the 53-year-old actor and comedian first gained notoriety as Buster Bluth in the Fox series Arrested Development and went on to win two “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” Emmys for his portrayal as personal aide Gary Walsh on HBO’s Veep. Most recently, Hale can be heard as the voice of Fear in Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2, a sequel to the Oscar-winning 2015 animated film.

    The listing is held by Carrie Lewis of Douglas Elliman.

    Click here for more photos of Tony Hale’s Studio City House.

    Josh Bustos More

  • in

    Gwyneth Paltrow Lists in L.A., Milla Jovovich Snags an NBA Star’s House, and More Celebrity Deals

    Published on June 6, 2024

    Anthony Barcelo; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

    Now that Gwyneth Paltrow’s custom-built mansion in Santa Barbara’s posh seaside Montecito enclave has finally come to fruition, the Oscar-winning actress and lifestyle guru has decided to lighten her SoCal real estate portfolio, having stuck a nearly $30 million price tag on her longtime Los Angeles home in the Lower Mandeville area of Brentwood.
    Though that’s a whopping $20 million or so more than the Goop CEO and her ex-husband Chris Martin of Coldplay fame paid for the 1950s spread almost 12 years ago, back in spring 2012, Paltrow did extensively renovate the premises during her ownership. According to The Wall Street Journal, she added a one-bedroom guesthouse boasting a climate-controlled wine cellar, an office, a gym, a game room, and a movie theater. There’s also an apartment resting atop the garage.
    Nestled on a parcel spanning roughly two-thirds of an acre and described in marketing materials as “Southern Transitional,” the Windsor Smith-designed house features eight bedrooms and 11 baths in a little more than 12,700 square feet of single-level living space boasting reclaimed wood floors and patterned stonework throughout.
    Highlights include a voluminous living room with French doors leading out to a backyard hosting a plunge pool, as well as a bookshelf-lined family room and a gourmet kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island, a breakfast nook, double cooktops and ranges, plus a wood-burning oven. Elsewhere is a secluded primary wing hosting dual baths.

    Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo

    Paltrow has shared the digs with her husband, writer-producer Brad Falchuk, since they were wed in 2018. The couple, who have four grown children between them, now plan to split their time between their homes in Montecito and Amagansett, N.Y., along with a potential new dwelling in L.A.
    The residence, which sits right next door to a modern farmhouse-style spread that was reportedly just purchased by rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar for more than $40 million, is listed by Lea Porter of The Beverly Hills Estates.

    Image Credit: Jordan Nelson; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

    NFL Quarterback Tyrod Taylor Tosses His Georgia Home on the Market for $5 Million
    Tyrod Taylor has officially hoisted his swanky estate in the Roswell suburb of Atlanta up for sale. The New York Jets quarterback acquired the residence for $2.4 million a little over five years ago, back in spring 2019, and now it’s returned to the market with a $5 million ask.
    Originally built in 2016 and fully remodeled during Taylor’s tenure in collaboration with Infinite Home and The Chalice by Ashleigh Chalice, the brick-clad structure features seven bedrooms and 10 baths in a little more than 15,000 square feet of multi-level living space boasting an elevator, six fireplaces, a fully loaded guest apartment, a billiards room, a humidor, and a wellness center with a gym and sauna. Other posh amenities can be found amid the gated and landscaped grounds, which span just over 2 acres and host a fire-pit, a sports court, and a waterfall-enhanced pool and spa.

    Image Credit: Jordan Nelson

    Additional standout features include a double-height entry foyer displaying a glass and steel-framed wine cellar, a wood-paneled library/office, and a family room holding a fireplace flanked by built-in shelving and French doors spilling out to a lanai with a barbecue station. An adjacent gourmet kitchen is furnished with custom cabinetry, an eat-in island, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and a breakfast nook, while a sumptuous primary retreat flaunts a fireplace, a mini-bar, dual showroom-style closets, and a luxe bath outfitted spotlighted by a fireside soaking tub and a steam shower.
    Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, the 34-year-old Virginia native recently rejoined the Jets in March. He also launched the luxury streetwear brand DIALLO alongside Dex Robinson.
    The listing is held by Matthew Doyle and David Goodrowe of Compass.

    Image Credit: Stephane Cardinale-Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

    An NBA Player’s Hidden Hills Mansion Finally Sells to Milla Jovovich
    Ben Simmons has officially offloaded his Hidden Hills residence via auction for a smidge over $12 million, or a substantial $5.4 million less than the NBA All-Star paid for the place three years ago, back in spring 2021.
    Records reveal the buyer is Resident Evil actress Milla Jovovich and her English director/producer husband Paul W.S. Anderson. After languishing on the market since May 2022, initially with a hefty $23 million ask, the listing price was reduced several times before the house finally sold to the couple at a substantial discount.
    Resting at the end of a secluded cul-de-sac, amid a gated and olive tree-laced parcel spanning 1.5-acres, the home was built in 2021 by Nobel LA in the trendy modern farmhouse style, complete with a striking exterior hewn from vertical reclaimed wood siding and charcoal-hued brick. A total of seven bedrooms and eight baths are sprawled across 12,000 square feet of living space, with amenities including two pools, a guesthouse, a gym, and a three-car garage.
    A dramatic two-way fireplace serves as the focal point of a spacious great room, which holds a living area with automated Fleetwood glass doors opening to a patio and a dining room with a duo of custom metal chandeliers that reportedly cost more than $100,000 each, plus a climate-controlled wine wall and tucked-away catering kitchen with commercial-grade appliances.
    RELATED: Joe Jonas Buys in Brooklyn, Sarah Silverman Scoops Up the House Next Door, and More Celebrity Buys
    Other highlights include a candy dispenser-equipped screening room, along with a fireside family room providing an indoor garden and access to a backyard terrace sporting a fireside lounge area. A sleekly designed kitchen has glass burners and a pop-up vent integrated into the marble island, as well as a dining area; and elsewhere is a sky bridge leading to a primary retreat displaying a fireplace, a designer showroom closet, and a luxe bath equipped with two chiseled marble block sinks, a soaking tub and steam shower.
    Jovovich and Anderson still own two L.A. properties: a contemporary Hollywood Hills mansion they paid $10.2 million for in 2022 and a house in the Mount Olympus neighborhood that was reportedly once occupied by Jovovich’s mother Galina.

    Image Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images

    Usher Lists Celeb-Pedigreed L.A. House for $3.8 Million
    For the past two years, music superstar Usher has owned a Hollywood Hills estate he purchased for $3.4 million from London-born model/actress sisters Cara and Poppy Delevingne. Now the OMG and Yeah! crooner has flipped the midcentury residence back up for sale with a $400,000 jump in price, asking $3.8 million.
    Originally built in the mid-1950s and occupied for more than a decade before the Delevingne sister’s tenure by Oscar-winning actor and musician Jared Leto, the premises have been remodeled through the years and include five bedrooms and four baths in roughly 4,000 square feet of two-level living space. There’s also a studio and a detached two-car garage.
    Hidden away on a street-to-street parcel spanning over a quarter of an acre, the white stucco structure greets with walls and gates. Once inside, an upper-level entry flows to a formal living room displaying a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace and walls of windows and a formal dining room sporting a bay window. A gourmet kitchen is outfitted custom cabinetry, stone countertops, an eat-in island, and top-tier Bertazzoni appliances, and one of two primary suites has sliding glass doors spilling out to a wraparound balcony.
    There’s another oversized primary bedroom on the lower level, along with a bonus room that comes complete with a wet bar-equipped lounge area that opens to palm tree-laced grounds hosting a lagoon-style pool, a private spa, a fire-pit, a built-in barbecue, and a tree-shaded al fresco dining deck.

    Image Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images

    Ashley Tisdale Is Selling Her Chic L.A. Abode for $6.8 Million
    Back in fall 2022, Ashley Tisdale paid billionaire Johnson & Johnson heiress Jaime Johnson around $6.2 million for a midcentury residence in the Hollywood Hills. Now the High School Musical alum and her composer husband Christopher French are ready to hand over the keys to the home, asking a speck under $6.8 million.
    Originally built in the late 1940s, the place was extensively redecorated by Tisdale herself and featured in Architectural Digest. Sited behind double gates, the private dwelling has four bedrooms and six baths in a little more than 4,100 square feet modern living space boasting large walls of glass throughout. There’s also a separate two-story guesthouse with an additional bedroom suite, a kitchenette, and a play/media room, plus garden-laced grounds hosting a kidney-shaped pool and a lounge area warmed by a fire-pit.
    Other highlights of the “one-of-a-kind property” include a wood beam-topped living room displaying a fireplace encased withing a fluted plaster surround and a sleekly designed kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, a central island, and high-end appliances, as well as a sumptuous primary suite flaunting a walk-in closet and a luxe bath equipped with a soaking tub. Rounding it all out: a lower level sporting an office/studio with its own entrance. More

  • in

    Kristin Cavallari Lists Tennessee Estate For $11 Million (PHOTOS)

    Share this home! Listed with Tim Thompson (615) 207-3295 of Tim Thompson Premier REALTORS LOCATION: 2050 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin, Tennessee SQUARE FOOTAGE: 6,788 BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 4 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms PRICE: $11,000,000 American television personality, fashion designer, and author Kristin Cavallari has just listed her 28-acre Tennessee estate for $11 million. The TV star purchased the […] More

  • in

    A Tech Magnate Is Asking $12.5 Million for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Former L.A. Home

    Almost three months after Jim Demetriades hoisted his extravagant Los Angeles compound known as Villa Theos on the market with an impressive $85 million price tag, the veteran tech entrepreneur has now put another smaller house he owns right next door up for sale, asking a smidge under $12.5 million.

    The founder and CEO of Kairos Ventures has owned his larger property in the Beverly Hills Post Office area since 2000. That’s when he and his then-new wife Nancy paid $8.4 million for a single house and then began piecing together a gated collection of red brick and stucco structures that cost tens of millions of dollars to assemble and feature a total of 13 bedrooms and 16 baths in 28,000 square feet, all of it resting on two parcels of land spanning over 2 acres.

    The NBA legend’s former home has posh amenities like an indoor sports court.

    Paul Barnaby

    Along the way, in 2005, the native of Greece doled out around $6.5 million more for the house next door, a contemporary structure originally built in 1956 and previously owned by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Records show the legendary Lakers basketball center acquired the place for roughly $2.2 million in the early 1990s and subsequently added an indoor sports court and a gym with a spa and a steam room. The six-time NBA MVP resided there until summer 2001, at which time he sold the place for $500,000 more than he originally paid.

    Sited atop a promontory in the desirable Beverly Crest neighborhood, on almost an acre of land overlooking sweeping city lights and ocean vistas, the four-bedroom, five-bath home is hidden away behind a lengthy gated driveway. Inside, a little more than 6,300 square feet of renovated living space boasts soaring ceilings and vast walls of glass providing seamless indoor/outdoor environs.

    A glass-lined living room has French doors opening to the backyard pool area.

    Paul Barnaby

    Highlights include a sunken living room accented by a wet bar and a particularly eye-catching fireplace, as well as an office and a library loft. A formal dining room rests beneath a striking chandelier, while the updated kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances, and an accompanying breakfast nook that opens to a courtyard warmed by a firepit.

    Elsewhere in the house is a primary suite that comes complete with a seating area, a private patio, and a luxe bath equipped with a spa tub and a glass-encased shower; and outdoors, the grounds host a swimming pool and numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a motor court and a four-car garage on the premises.

    The listing is held by Aaron Kirman of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate.

    Click here for more photos of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s former house.

    Paul Barnaby More

  • in

    Imagine Dragons Bassist Ben McKee Hangs a $1.3 Million Price Tag on His Longtime Bay Area Retreat

    Almost 10 years ago, Ben McKee acquired a Tuscan-inspired home at the end of a secluded road in the hilly Montclair Village area of Oakland and proceeded to create “some pretty incredible memories.” The bass player for the Grammy-winning rock band Imagine Dragons composed music as a gentle breeze blew in from the open doors, celebrated the marriage to his wife Mary with a photo session in the beautifully terraced garden, and invited friends over for numerous game nights and dinner parties. The culinary enthusiast also recorded segments for his YouTube cooking show, whipping up meals in the “professional quality kitchen” alongside the likes of Ming Tsai and Paris Hilton.

    But the moment this Sonoma County native enjoyed the most? “Simply to sit outside on the front porch and watch the sun set behind the San Francisco skyline as the red-tail hawks left their perches for the day and were replaced by the great-horned owls that call to each other into the night,” he said in a statement.

    A pair of decks offer picturesque views over San Francisco Bay.

    Open Homes

    Now, more than a decade and a lot of fond recollections later, the 39-year-old musician is ready to part with his longtime home and is putting the property up for sale, asking a speck under $1.3 million, around $145,000 more than he paid for the place back in summer 2014. But the premises have been extensively renovated during his tenure, most notably with an expansion that included the addition of two decks, a lower-level bedroom and bath with its own entrance, and central air-conditioning.

    RELATED: Joe Jonas Buys in Brooklyn, Sarah Silverman Scoops Up the House Next Door, and More Celebrity Buys

    Built back in the early 1990s, the brown wood-shingled structure is tucked away on a terraced and garden-laced parcel of land spanning almost one-third of an acre within the affluent Montclair Village neighborhood pocket. Inside, three bedrooms and an equal number of bathrooms are spread across nearly 2,700 square feet of multi-level living space, which is adorned throughout with blonde hardwood floors and soaring ceilings dotted with wood beams and skylights.

    A combined living and dining area opens to an expansive deck that’s ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining.

    Open Homes

    Especially standing out is a spacious living and dining area flanked by built-in seating and boasting sliding glass doors spilling out to an expansive wraparound deck overlooking sweeping views of San Francisco Bay. An adjacent kitchen has been updated and outfitted with a butcher block-topped island, high-end stainless appliances, and a walk-in pantry. Elsewhere is a primary suite flaunting a private deck and easy access to an outdoor hot tub, as well as a walk-in closet and a spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a spa tub, and an open rainfall shower.

    RELATED: Rihanna Takes a Slight Loss on Matthew Perry’s Former L.A. Penthouse

    “It is a very special place and I will never forget the time that we spent there,” McKee told listing agent Sharon Ho of Compass. “I’ve never lived in a place like it and I know that I will never find another place like it. From the thrill of watching the Blue Angels buzz the house for Fleet Week to counting the stars from the hot tub after a long day, our time there and all of the memories we’ve made will be something that we treasure for the rest of our lives.”

    Click here for more photos of Ben McKee’s Oakland Hills house.

    Open Homes More