Raphael Stevens

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    The ‘Saw’ Franchise Creator Is Cutting Out of His $4.7 Million Hollywood Hills Home

    James Wan is best known for directing the Saw and The Conjuring horror film mega-franchises, and more recently the non-spooky blockbuster hit Aquaman, but it appears the prolific Malaysian-born filmmaker is angling for a different role in his latest venture: real estate seller. Wan is currently seeking a buyer able to pony up $4.7 million for his revamped midcentury modern in the hills above West Hollywood, tucked away near the top of the Doheny Estates neighborhood and abutting the much better-known Bird Streets enclave.

    Records indicate Wan bought the house way back in 2007, paying $3.2 million; for much of the past 10 years, the property has been leased out. The relatively petite structure packs three bedrooms and four bathrooms into 2,951 square feet of living space. Constructed in 1960, the single-story house has since been thoroughly modernized and privatized, shielded from public view by gates and tall hedges. Covered in neutral tan stucco that’s been paired with brown accent trim and a gray shingled roof, the place boasts a long, wide driveway leading to a two-car garage for convenient off-street parking

    Built in 1960, the midcentury ranch-style house has been updated and now sports contemporary interiors and walls of glass.

    Google Earth

    Ash gray hardwood flooring, stark white walls, recessed lighting, and a distinct indoor/outdoor flow define the home’s interior theme. Like many open-plan houses, the living room, dining area, and kitchen all share a single, wall-free space. A sliding glass door provides stunning views of the surrounding hills and also has convenient access to the backyard’s patio lounge area. The dining area, separated from the living room and kitchen via a pair of funky pass-throughs, is demarcated by a radiant modern chandelier; the sleekly modern kitchen offers a breakfast bar, custom cabinetry and plenty of countertop space, plus up-to-date stainless appliances.

    Though not especially roomy, the master suite has enough space for a wee sitting area in the bedroom. Woven bamboo shades provide privacy from the front yard-facing windows, and there’s a walk-in closet and master bath with separate vanity area.

    Out back, there’s a swath of grassy lawn and an azure-colored swimming pool. Perhaps the most show-stopping element of Wan’s property is a patio dining area that adjoins a koi pond, making for a lovely place to host an intimate al fresco dinner party. There’s also a second, pergola-covered dining area conveniently sited just outside the kitchen.

    Wan’s current home is a nearly $20 million Bel Air estate formerly owned by both Meg Ryan and Diane Keaton.

    Google Earth

    Besides his no-longer-wanted house in the hills above WeHo, Wan also owns a much grander 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion in Bel Air he purchased from HauteLook founder Adam Bernhard for $18.5 million in 2016. That estate boasts an impressive pedigree: Bernhard originally acquired it from actress Meg Ryan, and the lavish property was once also owned by fellow actress and noted architecture aficionado Diane Keaton. More

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    Charlize Theron Is Selling a Spare Los Angeles House for $3.8 Million

    Charlize Theron is lightening her real estate load once again, having chosen to relinquish ownership of one of her Los Angeles properties. Records show the veteran actress—who also owns three other homes in the Southern California area—has stuck a nearly $3.8 million price tag on a Spanish-style residence tucked away in a particularly celeb-packed pocket of the Hollywood Hills.

    Purchased by Theron for exactly $3 million almost two decades ago—a few months after she won a 2004 “Best Actress” Oscar for her portrayal of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster—the house is described in the listing as “truly exceptional and exciting.” Built in the late 1960s and updated through the years, the modern digs feature three bedrooms and four baths in just over 3,100 square feet of two-level living space boasting hardwood floors and soaring wood-beam ceilings throughout, plus sweeping valley and mountain views from every vantage point.

    Hidden down a lengthy semi-private drive off Mulholland Drive, atop a gated promontory parcel spanning a little over an acre, the white stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure is fronted by a motorcourt and an attached two-car garage. Once inside, highlights include a fireside living room, dining area and family room sitting adjacent to an eat-in kitchen outfitted with high-end stainless appliances.

    A primary bedroom off of the main level has a private terrace, as well as a luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a window-topped spa tub and large glassy shower, while two downstairs bedrooms each have their own sitting rooms and share a bath. Elsewhere is an office and a media lounge, along with a secluded backyard hosting a lagoon-style pool, an al fresco dining spot and a built-in barbecue station.

    A native of South Africa, the 48-year-old actress first gained notoriety after appearing in the films The Devil’s Advocate, Mighty Joe Young and The Cider House Rules, and went on to win the Academy Award for Monster. Theron has since appeared in numerous movies and TV series, including North Country, Tully, Bombshell, The Italian Job and Atomic Blonde. Under Denver and Delilah Productions, she’s also produced The Burning Plain, Dark Places and Long Shot. More

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    Nick Cannon Drops Millions on a Spacious Suburban L.A. Estate

    With his family growing at a blistering pace, it’s no surprise that Nick Cannon is likewise growing and expanding his real estate holdings. Records show the rapper, comedian, actor and all-around entertainment industry fixture has now forked over $3.1 million for a sizable Los Angeles home, a midcentury ranch-style structure recently given a contemporary refresh.

    Tucked away in the prototypically suburban L.A. enclave of Woodland Hills, deep within the San Fernando Valley, the all-white house sits behind gates on a corner lot in the desirable Walnut Acres neighborhood pocket. Secured behind gates and walls, the home is fronted by a pea gravel motorcourt with space for up to four cars. Around the side of the residence, discreetly hidden from the main entryway, there’s also a two-car garage and plenty of street parking.

    The modern farmhouse-meets-ranch-style house offers a two-car garage set around the corner from the main motorcourt and entryway.

    Google Earth

    Tax records and listing details note the house offers five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in about 4,400 square feet of living space. While that’s relatively spacious, it will no doubt still be a tight squeeze for Cannon and his family—the San Diego native famously has 11 young children with six different women.

    Described in the listing as a “contemporary entertainers’ estate,” the mostly single-story house offers a breezy, open floorplan that’s quintessentially SoCal in how it seamlessly blends the outdoor and indoor living spaces. Blonde and faux-distressed hardwood floors lend the place a modern farmhouse vibe and pair well with the long, gallery-like expanses of white walls.

    Highlights include a living room with a minimalist, mantle-free fireplace, a “music room,” a formal dining room and an open kitchen with high-end appliances and a notably large, 60-foot center island. Beyond the island, bi-folding glass doors spill out to a concrete patio that wraps around a rectangular swimming pool.

    There are three guest bedrooms that share two bathrooms, plus a bonus bedroom suite with its own private entrance. Supremely spacious, the master suite is kitted out with a fireplace, vaulted ceiling, spa-style bath, a large closet and a private office area. Views overlook the pancake-flat backyard, which offers grassy lawns for play, a full outdoor kitchen, native landscaping and a built-in banquette abutting a fire-pit.

    As far as we know, the just-acquired Woodland Hills property is Cannon’s only L.A.-area home. Property records indicate he also owns a suburban tract house in the city of Temecula, about two hours by car southeast of Los Angeles, which is known to be occupied by his grandparents. The former Wild ‘n Out host has also long owned a six-bedroom, multimillion-dollar mansion in the affluent New Jersey city of Saddle River.

    Cannon and Mariah Carey once owned this sprawling tennis court estate in the hills of Bel Air.

    Google Earth

    During his eight-year marriage to Mariah Carey, Cannon and the pop music crooner maintained a lavish home in the upper reaches of L.A.’s Bel Air neighborhood. That tennis court estate, which the erstwhile couple acquired in 2009 for $7 million, was sold amid their 2015 divorce for $9 million to its current owners—a local cardiologist and his dentist wife. More

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    Roc Nation’s CEO Drops $15 Million for a ‘CSI’ Creator’s Malibu Home

    After roughly six months on the market amid declining asking prices that began at $18.5 million and ultimately and gradually fell to just under $17 million, CSI creator Anthony Zuiker has managed to sell his oceanfront home in Malibu, records indicate. The Broad Beach-adjacent estate went for about $15.3 million to Jay Brown, the brash Roc Nation co-founder and CEO who oversees the careers of some of music’s most notable talents, among them Jay-Z, Rihanna and Alicia Keys.

    Zuiker, 55, acquired the property about five years ago from NBA superstar Kevin Durant, paying about $12.2 million. But with extravagant homes in many other in many other cities—Las Vegas, Lake Arrowhead and Montecito, just to name a few—the Las Vegas native and his wife Michelle ultimately did not end up using their oceanfront vacation pad as much as they originally anticipated.

    Cleaved to a steep slope along a postcard-ready cove at the end of a private, gated cul-de-sac, the slightly more than 5,100-square-foot contemporary has four bedrooms, six bathrooms and four fireplaces over spread three floors serviced by an elevator. Spare, modern and relaxed with premium-quality finishes, light-filled interior spaces feature wide plank French oak floorboards, vast expanses of art-friendly white walls and vaulted ceilings. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels slide open to unite the house with three levels of decks with ocean, coastline and sunset views.

    Under a massive skylight, the main living room has a minimalist, raised hearth fireplace set into a hand-burnished plaster wall while the adjoining dining room is completely open to an all-white kitchen expensively fitted with designer-grade appliances and Calacatta marble counter tops that waterfall over one end of a center island. The residence’s wide variety of other living and entertaining spaces include a cozy den, a home theater, a library, a lofted massage and exercise studio and a media lounge complete with a full kitchen, showy, glass-fronted wine cellar and direct access to an outdoor dining terrace with a private staircase to the beach.

    In addition to their new Malibu getaway, Brown and his longtime wife Kawanna continue to maintain a spacious, Mediterranean-styled home in the upper reaches of L.A.’s Bel Air neighborhood. They also own a high-floor condo in one of the many high-rise buildings that dot L.A.’s always-bustling Wilshire Corridor area near Century City. More

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    Comedian Tim Dillon Lists Celeb-Pedigreed L.A. House for $5 Million

    For the past two years or so, Tim Dillon has lived in a Los Angeles residence he purchased for $4.6 million from Silicon Valley actor Thomas Middleditch. Now the standup comic and podcaster is flipping the Hollywood Hills estate back up for sale, asking a smidge under $5 million.

    Originally built in the early 1970s—and occupied for two years before Middleditch’s tenure by married Tinseltown stars Claire Forlani and Dougray Scott—the Spanish-style premises have been renovated through the years, and include three bedrooms and two baths in roughly 3,000 square feet of living space. There’s also a separate one-bedroom guest cottage with a steam shower-equipped bath, plus an attached two-car garage.

    Tucked away on a clifftop parcel of land spanning just over a third of an acre, high above Mulholland Drive, the main house is introduced via decorative arches spanning the entire front of the terracotta roof and stucco structure. A wide set of steps leads to the double front doors, which open into single-level interiors boasting French doors overlooking the pool and entertainment areas.

    In addition to living and dining areas, a family room is spotlighted by a vaulted ceiling, an exposed brick wall and a massive fireplace. An all-white kitchen is outfitted with sleek cabinetry, top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook, while the spacious master retreat comes complete with a wood-burning brick fireplace, walk-in closet and luxe bath holding a large frameless shower. 

    Elsewhere are two additional guest bedrooms—one accessible to an adjacent spa-like tiled bath, and the other with a stone fireplace and French doors that open to a private garden—as well as a fireside den/office and window-lined media room; and outdoors, the terraced grounds host a heated pool surrounded by a sundeck, along with a pathway leading to a secluded hot tub.

    Probably best known for The Tim Dillon Show, which has amassed 1 million weekly listeners, the 39-year-old New York native also maintains a $900,000 house in Austin, Texas, and a $2.6 million home in Southampton, N.Y. More

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    A Striking Ray Kappe-Designed Beverly Hills Home Resurfaces for Sale at $16 Million

    Though it’s particularly eye-catching, and crafted by none other than noted Southern California Institute of Architecture founding director Ray Kappe, Julian Reis has still been trying to offload his Beverly Hills residence for almost a year now with no takers. One of the last homes completed before the modernist master’s death in November 2019 at age 92, the contemporary estate once was offered for as much as $22 million and previously listed for rent at $35,000 per month, but now has returned to the open market with an asking price that’s just a dash less than $16 million.

    If the CEO of SuperOrdinary—a Los Angeles-based incubator he launched to help cosmetic and personal-care brands break into the Chinese marketplace—does get anywhere near the ask, he still can expect a hefty loss. Records show Reis, who also cofounded the global beauty brand Skin Laundry in 2013 with his ex-wife Yen Reis, paid L.A.-based hotelier Bob Ghassemieh $19 million for the place a little more than two years ago, back in winter 2021.

    A sunken living room has floor-to-ceiling walls of glass opening to al fresco lounging and entertaining areas.

    Anthony Barcelo

    Secluded behind a gated driveway and high hedges—on almost three-quarters of an acre set stop a promontory overlooking Benedict Canyon, just minutes from The Beverly Hills Hotel—the architectural wood-and-glass structure features six bedrooms and nine baths in 9,000 square feet of living space boasting concrete, redwood and teak accents throughout. Posh amenities include a glass elevator to all three levels, plenty of wall space for displaying art, a gym, movie theater and climate-controlled wine cellar.

    Visitors are greeted by steps that travel past a water feature before emptying out at the front door. From there, an entrance hallway displaying a floating staircase leads to a sunken living area sporting several lounge spaces and Fleetwood sliding glass doors spilling out to the backyard. A dining area connects to the sleek Bulthaup kitchen, which is outfitted with an eat-in island and hidden appliances.

    A pickleball court is just one of the home’s many outdoor amenities.

    Anthony Barcelo

    Upstairs, the master retreat comes complete with not one but two private balconies overlooking city, canyon and ocean views, as well as dual walk-in closets and a luxe bath; and outdoors, the greenery-encased grounds are spotlighted by a pool and spa flanked by a pool house equipped with a bath and locker room, along with a barbecue station nestled alongside an al fresco dining area, pickleball court and stairs leading to a “secret” pergola. There’s also a detached one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse, plus a spacious motorcourt and an attached three-car garage out front.

    The listing is held by Bryce Pennelof Douglas Elliman.

    Click here for more photos of the Ray Kappe-designed house.

    Anthony Barcelo More

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    Model Miranda Kerr Is Selling Her Longtime Malibu Compound

    Ten years ago, fresh off her divorce from actor Orlando Bloom, a newly single Miranda Kerr paid $2.2 million for a 0.73-acre property in the far western reaches of Malibu, sequestered at the end of a little-known cul-de-sac above Pacific Coast Highway. Since then, much has changed. The former Victoria’s Secret model is now married to billionaire Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, with whom she shares an international portfolio of lavish estates and several children.

    So while the Kerr-Spiegels have continued to use the Malibu home as a local getaway, it’s probably no surprise that the couple has now opted to unload the relatively petite spread, a hillside compound comprised of four separate buildings. The nearly $4.5 million asking price reflects the numerous custom upgrades Kerr has made to the place during her decade of ownership, plus the continued surge in Malibu property values. It’s worth noting that the property also has a rich Hollywood history—for decades, until his 2009 death in this house, the place was owned by acclaimed actor James Whitmore, perhaps best known to the current generations for his prime role in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption.

    The all-white main house features breezy, open-plan living space and windows that frame peek-a-boo views of the ocean.

    Marcelo Lagos

    In the single-story, nearly 2,200-square-foot main house, open plan and all-white living areas includes aliving room with wide-plank wood floors, a raised hearth stone and fireplace surrounded by built-in bookshelves, a vaulted and beamed ceiling, and a pentagonal wall of windows with a serene, through-the-trees ocean view. The adjoining and also ocean view dining area has glass sliders on two walls and is divided from the upgraded kitchen by a stool-height snack counter.

    Two family bedrooms share an unusually spacious hall bathroom with wood floors, dramatically vaulted and sky-lit ceiling and a huge tiled vanity. The master bedroom offers several Palladian-style windows with whitewater views, access to an ocean view deck and a renovated bathroom with an oversized and skylit shower space.

    There’s a brick terrace around the swimming pool and attached spa as well as a vast, partly covered and trellis-shaded deck that wraps around the dining room end of the house and makes a broad run the full length of the house. Tall trees and towering bamboo shoots that shade the deck both obscure and frame glimmering vistas over the ocean.

    Also on the lush property are a pond suitable for koi, large wooden decks and off-street parking for a dozen or more cars.

    Marcelo Lagos

    The three other structures on the property are comprised of a 684-square-foot pool house equipped with a gym and changing facilities, plus two hillside guesthouses—both of them weighing in at under 500 square feet but one slightly larger than the other. All told, the property offers six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and a single powder room. Brian Goldberg of Luxury Malibu Property holds the listing.

    For the moment, Kerr and Spiegel mainly reside in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood, in a $12 million mansion once owned by Harrison Ford. The couple also maintains a $30 million villa in Paris, France, a vineyard estate in Kerr’s native Australia and a $120 million mega-estate in Holmby Hills that’s finally nearing completion after years of construction. Spiegel, who was raised in L.A.’s posh Pacific Palisades neighborhood, also continues to own the very first house he ever bought — a charming $3 million “cottage” on a narrow street in Brentwood.

    Click here for more photos of Miranda Kerr’s Malibu house.

    Marcelo Lagos More

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    Malibu’s Only Robert Skinner-Designed Home Sells to a Prominent Video Game Exec

    Upon relocating to California over six decades ago, German-born physicist Gisela Eckhardt—best known as co-inventor of the Raman laser—was looking to put down stakes in the Los Angeles area. She wound up falling in love with a Robert Skinner-designed house in the Trousdale Estates neighborhood of Beverly Hills and subsequently enlisted the modernist architect to create a ranch-style home for her in the eastern reaches of Malibu, directly above Big Rock Beach.

    Completed in 1966 and sold for $4 million in late 2020 after Eckhardt’s passing to a real estate developer with Maison d’Artiste—complete with a staunch promise he had made to her that he would preserve the place in keeping with Skinner’s original design—the extensively restored property popped up on the market again in late 2022, asking a speck under $12 million.

    Now, a little over a year and several price reductions later, the residence has traded hands once more, this time going for $9 million to digital media and technology veteran Javier Ferreira, co-CEO of the interactive entertainment company and mobile games publisher Scopely.

    A dining area and sunken living room offer up sweeping ocean views.

    Joel Danto

    Skinner’s one and only Malibu creation, the midcentury gem is aptly known as the “Eckhardt House,” and features four bedrooms and three bathrooms in roughly 2,700 square feet of open-concept living space boasting newer terrazzo floors paired with whitewashed interiors, block walls and natural oak accents. Vast expanses of glass also provide sweeping city lights and ocean views from almost every room.

    Resting amid a bluff-top parcel spanning nearly 3 acres, and protected by a security system, the striking all-white structure is fronted by a motorcourt and an attached two-car garage. Double doors open into an entry foyer that flows to a sunken living room sporting a decorative floating-hearth fireplace, while an adjacent dining area adorned with a massive mural adjoins an eat-in kitchen outfitted with bespoke cabinetry, Corian countertops, and top-tier Fisher & Paykel and Miele appliances.

    Numerous spots spread across the terraced grounds are ideal for enjoying the breathtaking scenery.

    Joel Danto

    Elsewhere is a glass-lined primary suite flaunting a built-in desk, private sauna and walk-in closet, as well as a spa-inspired bath equipped with dual vanities and a custom waterfall shower. Outdoors, the terraced backyard hosts a large white-bottom pool, fire-pit, “strolling gardens,” and numerous patios ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining.

    The listing was held by Elizabeth Donovan of Coldwell Banker Realty; David Caskey and Jeremy Robinson of eXp Realty of California repped Ferreira.

    Click here for more photos of Javier Ferreira’s Malibu house.

    Joel Danto More