Raphael Stevens

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    Mischa Barton’s Former Beverly Hills Estate Sells to The Chainsmokers’ Alex Pall for $8.8 Million

    After spending a little more than two months on the market for just under $10 million, this posh Italian-inspired villa high above Beverly Hills has officially traded hands for $8.8 million. Records show the discount-minded buyer is musician Alex Pall, who is probably best known as one-half of the Grammy-winning DJ duo The Chainsmokers.

    Last sold in summer 2021 for just under $9.2 million, the three-building compound is probably best known as the one-time residence of British-born actress Mischa Barton, who paid $6.4 million for the place back in 2005 when she was starring as Marissa Cooper on Fox’s hit TV show The O.C. She went on to list the lavish abode for $8.7 million some five years later, after falling behind on her mortgage payments, before finally managing to unload it in 2016 for a smidge over $7 million to an entity linked to Agoura Hills-based investment firm Strategic Acquisitions Inc.

    Tucked away behind walls and gates, on a 1.2-acre parcel sited in the Beverly Hills Post Office area, the property was completed in 2003. Known as the Bowmont estate, the stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure includes a main house and two guesthouses—for a total of six bedrooms and nine baths in over 10,000 square feet of living space packed with glitzy amenities like a game room, wine cellar, gym and movie theater.

    The main house is introduced via a double-height foyer displaying a curving wrought-iron staircase, which flows to formal living and dining rooms, an office space, and a gourmet kitchen decked out with a marble-topped eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and a breakfast nook. Upstairs, a sumptuous master retreat is accessible via double doors, and comes complete with a fireplace, balcony, dual closets, and a bath sporting a soaking tub and pair of steam showers.

    Not to be overlooked are the picturesque grounds, which are laced with greenery and bougainvillea, and spotlighted by a lap pool and covered loggia. There’s also a detached garage for three vehicles, plus a motorcourt equipped with a handy car turntable.

    In addition to his new Beverly Hills home, Pall also maintains several houses throughout the Los Angeles area, including a 1930s bungalow in the Hollywood Hills that he bought in 2013 for $2.7 million and then remodeled. As for Barton, she’s currently set to guest star in an Amazon Freevee reboot of the Australian drama Neighbours.

    The listing was held by Aaron Kirman and Cindy Ambuehl of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate; James Harris and David Parnes of The Agency repped Pall. More

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    After 14 Years, Cheryl Burke Sells Her Midcentury L.A. Home

    Looks like Cheryl Burke would be well-suited to take up house-flipping for a living! Barely a month after she hoisted her longtime Los Angeles residence onto the market, the Filipino-American dancer, model and TV host has already handed over the keys to a new owner for a mere speck under her asking price.

    Records show the property went to a non-famous buyer for $2.2 million—or an impressive $900,000 more than the Dancing With the Stars alum originally paid for the place some 14 years ago, back in July 2009.

    A lot has changed since Burke paid almost $1.3 million for her stylish post-and-beam property tucked away in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of L.A. Not only did she make a name for herself on the popular TV dance competition as a two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner, but she also wed and subsequently divorced “Boy Meets World” actor Matthew Lawrence almost a year ago this September after nearly three years of marriage.

    The midcentury modern home is fronted by double entry doors and an attached two-car garage.

    Jeff Elson

    Resting directly off the street, on a compact parcel spanning less than a quarter-acre of land, the two-level structure was built back in the late 1950s and has since been updated with the help of Burke’s actress friend Leah Remini. Inside, three bedrooms and an equal number of baths are filtered throughout 2,100 square feet of open-concept living space boasting new wide-plank floors and high wood-beam ceilings, plus walls of glass providing sweeping canyon and city lights views.

    The main floor centers around a fireside living room that spills out to a balcony hosting a cozy fire-pit with built-in seating, and a wet bar-equipped dining area that opens to a small yet stylish kitchen outfitted with a breakfast bar, double ovens, a Sub-Zero refrigerator and beverage cooler. Elsewhere is a library/lounge area, along with a striking spiral staircase that heads to a lower level holding a spacious primary bedroom sporting a private balcony, walk-in closet, and stone-clad bath with dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower.

    The living room is warmed by a large stone fireplace.

    Jeff Elson

    Born in San Francisco to a Filipino mother and American father, Burke, 39, is best known as a longtime professional dancer on ABC’s DWTS. She competed on the show for 26 seasons beginning in 2006, and was the first pro to win twice and consecutively with celebrity partners Drew Lachey and Emmit Smith. She officially retired from the show in November 2022.

    The listing was held by Meredith Schlosser and Jeremy Hensley of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties; Justin Vold of Redfin repped the buyer.

    Click here for more photos of Cheryl Burke’s home. More

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    Jeff Bezos Pays Record Price for a Waterfront Estate on Miami Beach’s “Billionaire Bunker” Island

    It looks like Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are getting another mega-rich neighbor in Florida. Jeff Bezos and his helicopter-flying fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, are reported by Bloomberg to be the secret buyers who shelled out $68 million for a waterfront estate on Miami Beach’s Indian Creek Island. The off-market deal was sealed in June, a couple of months after Bezos took delivery of his half-billion-dollar boat, Koru, and shortly after the couple got engaged.

    The transaction sets a new price record for the ultra-exclusive island enclave, which is commonly referred to as the “Billionaire Bunker” due to the unusual number of billionaires who own homes on the tiny island. The previous record of $49.9 million was set in 2019. 

    With fewer than three dozen waterfront homes surrounding a private 18-hole golf course, the island is only accessible via a single bridge or by boat. Security is paramount, and hence, the bridge entrance is heavily guarded, and a private security force patrols the island, on land and on water, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

    An aerial view of the 2.75-acre waterfront estate.

    Apple Maps

    The property was not officially on the market, but tax records and other resources indicate the single-story mansion was built in 1965 and expanded in 1985 to around 10,000 square feet, with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The two-parcel spread encompasses 2.75 acres and includes a long driveway that passes under a porte cochère at the front of the house, while a secondary driveway provides access to the garage. There’s also a waterside swimming pool. 

    Bezos is also reportedly interested in the neighboring estate, an even larger and more opulent 19,000-square-foot palace that last sold in 2014 for $28 million and is now on the market with a sky-high price of $85 million.

    Kushner and Trump are shacked up in a rented condo while they renovate the 8,500-square-foot Indian Creek Island home they bought in 2021 for $24 million, and last year, former Victoria Secret model Adriana Lima sold up for about $40 million to Colombian banker Jaime Gilinski, who now owns five contiguous properties on the island. Other folks who have staked their claim on the island include Julio Iglesias, Carl Icahn, Tom Brady, hedge funder Edward Lampert, retired Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, and car dealership mogul Norman Braman.

    Bezos, who has been renting Kenny G’s bluff-top Malibu compound for $600,000 a month while his $165 million Beverly Hills mansion undergoes renovations, maintains a vast cross-country portfolio that includes a sprawling compound in Seattle’s tech-tycoon-packed Medina neighborhood, several apartments in New York City, a couple of homes in Washington, D.C., and a 14-acre spread on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

    An aerial view of Miami Beach’s Indian Creek Island, aka the Billionaire Bunker.

    Apple Maps More

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    The Producers Behind ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Back to the Future’ List Their Malibu Home for $18.5 Million

    Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, partners personally and professionally, are seasoned experts at bringing blockbuster films to the silver screen, and now, along with Compass agent Stan Richman, they aim to produce the $18.5 million sale of their Malibu home.

    Kennedy, an eight-time Oscar nominee known for producing E.T., Jurassic Park, and Star Wars, currently serves as president of Lucasfilms, while Marshall, whose credits include Back to the Future and Jason Bourne, runs the couple’s production company, The Kennedy/Marshall Company. In 2019, they were jointly awarded the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award—Kennedy is the first and only female winner of the prestigious honor—and their latest joint venture, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was released this summer.

    The Hollywood power couple, who also own a home in L.A.’s rustic Sullivan Canyon that was previously owned by Bea Arthur, purchased their Malibu getaway in 2015 for $9.75 million, which means they’re looking to just about double their money on the spectacularly sited residence.

    The gated courtyard entry.

    Anthony Barcelo

    The slightly shy of 4,000-square-foot, single-level home, on the high side of a steeply sloped 2.2-acre parcel and hidden behind a tall hedge at the tail end of a sinuous cul-de-sac high above La Costa Beach, makes the most of its high perch. Entry is through a wind-protected, sunken courtyard bursting with lush plantings. Inside, most rooms have huge sliding walls of glass that fill them with natural light and frame gorgeous ocean and coastline views over the infinity-edge swimming pool.

    The—ahem—cinematic sunset views take center stage in the serene and relaxed living room, where the crisply tailored and clean-lined interiors are moderated with natural materials. There are art-friendly white walls, a vaulted exposed wood ceiling, matte-finished wide-plank wood floorboards, and a minimalist fireplace set into a thick concrete column. In the eat-in kitchen, gleaming stainless-steel backsplashes and appliances are balanced with pale wooden cabinets, and in the dining area, glass sliders peel open to a grassy garden.

    The infinity-edge pool mirrors the color of the Pacific Ocean.

    Anthony Barcelo

    Among the four bedrooms and three bathrooms is the spacious main suite. In the bedroom, there’s a fireplace in the corner and a wall of sliding glass doors that open to a small private patio. Beyond the dressing area, with a 20-drawer built-in dresser, and the bedroom-sized walk-in closet, the sleek bathroom features a floating double-sink vanity with a jungle-green stone counter, an open shower, and a soaking tub set into a windowed corner with a leafy view of the gardens.

    Most rooms flow easily out to the backyard, where, in addition to the swimming pool and spa, there’s a pergola-shaded dining terrace, a tree-shaded patio with an outdoor fireplace, an outdoor shower, and, nestled into the slope below the pool, a seating area that gives the impression it’s floating on the ocean.

    The property transfers with membership rights to the low-key La Costa Beach and Tennis Club, which maintains a charming oceanfront clubhouse with barbecue facilities, bathrooms, and a beach volleyball court. The club’s three lighted tennis courts are about half a mile away.

    Click here for all the photos of 2575 Carbon Canyon Road.

    Anthony Barcelo More

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    The Producer of ‘Kung Fu Panda’ Just Listed Her 1920s Spanish Colonial in Los Feliz for $11.5 Million

    After barely four years of ownership, Melissa Cobb has decided to hoist her elegant residence in a prime Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles onto the market. And, according to the listing held by Marci Kays and Jonathan Mogharrabi of Carolwood Estates, the glam Spanish-style mansion “truly embodies Hollywood’s golden era.”

    The veteran entertainment industry executive—probably best known for producing the Kung Fu Panda franchise—is asking a speck under $11.5 million for the multi-level digs she picked up for nearly $6.4 million back in fall 2019.

    Originally commissioned by wealthy entrepreneur William C. Hay and completed by architect Charles C. Kyson in the early 1920s, the premises were prominently featured in a 1925 Architectural Digest article. The place recently underwent an extensive renovation courtesy of its previous owner, with Cobb also sprucing up the grounds during her tenure.

    The Spanish Colonial home is fronted by an inviting entryway lined with lush foliage.

    Andrew Bramasco

    Nestled on a gated hillside parcel spanning over a half-acre, the stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure features five bedrooms and five baths in almost 5,500 square feet of living space, all of it flaunting stylish interiors accented with a mix of hardwood and marble floors, hand-painted oak doors and stained-glass windows throughout.

    A walkway passes through a lushly landscaped yard before emptying out at an ornate wood front door, which leads into an entry foyer displaying a “scene-stealing” staircase topped by a barrel-vaulted ceiling. From there, highlights include a soaring fireside living room resting beneath a hand-painted coffered ceiling, and a step-down den and seated wet bar.

    The fireside living room is adorned with an ornamental fireplace, a hand-painted coffered ceiling, and French doors spilling outside.

    Andrew Bramasco

    A formal dining room sporting wood paneling imported from England and an ornamental tracery ceiling opens to a second-level veranda, and the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with high-end appliances, an eat-in island and a cozy breakfast nook. Elsewhere are a family room, library, wine cellar, home offices and staff accommodations, along with an oversized primary bedroom that houses a fireplace, an elevated closet, and a spa-inspired bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower.

    Outdoors, the grounds are laced with fruit trees, terraces and gravel pathways leading to secluded gathering spaces, and host a sunken fire-pit lounge and private pool flanked by a grassy lawn centered around a period fountain. There’s also a street-level garage for three vehicles—all just minutes away from the Griffith Observatory and Greek Theatre.

    Cobb joined Netflix as head of kids and family in 2017 and went on to gain recognition for helping to build the company’s animation studio. In 2022, after acquiring The Lego Movie animation studio Animal Logic, the former DreamWorks executive stepped down as vice president of animation film and currently serves as a producer for Netflix.

    Click here for more photos of Melissa Cobb’s home. More

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    The Former Home of a Late Hollywood Heiress Is Newly Listed at $2.8 Million

    Barbara Warner Howard grew up in one of the most famous homes in all of Beverly Hills. Built in the 1930s by her father, entertainment industry pioneer and film executive Jack Warner, the founder of Warner Bros., the palatial Georgian-style mansion (and its ten acres of landscaped grounds) was later owned by David Geffen, who, after three decades in residence, sold up in 2020 for $165 million to Jeff Bezos.

    As the daughter of one of Hollywood’s most influential moguls, Howard lived a life sprinkled with showbiz fairy dust. So the stories go: Judy Garland sang at her Sweet 16 party, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor attended her debutante ball, and she once climbed through a window at the legendary Brown Derby restaurant to escape the wandering hands of Robert Evans.

    She later lived in Paris, where she married and divorced twice before returning to Los Angeles and marrying screenwriter and producer Cy Howard. They were married until his 1993 death. Howard eventually settled in New York City, where she became a dedicated patron of the arts and a founding member of the New York Theatre Workshop. She lived for a time in a double-height apartment at the Gainsborough Studios building on Central Park South before moving downtown to a penthouse apartment atop an old, converted hotel on lower Fifth Avenue.

    The living room offers cinematic views thanks to massive picture windows.

    Jason Harlem

    In 2004, tax records show Howard dropped $1.45 million for a house back in Los Angeles, one much more modest in scale than her childhood home. The 2,600-square-foot home, set just above Hollywood Boulevard on a prime parcel in the historic Whitley Heights neighborhood and mostly obscured behind high hedging and security gates, is elevated atop a street-level two-car garage amid lush semi-tropical landscaping. The main living spaces are on the upper level to maximize light and views.

    Howard, who died late last year at 88, sold the house in late 2013 for $1.6 million to TV producer Nick Rabb Weidenfeld and his wife Amantha. Tax records show the property last changed hands in 2021, when the Weidenfelds sold it for $2.5 million, and now the circa 1950, late Moderne-style residence is newly on the market with Tim Swan at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties for a tetch under $2.8 million.

    Dubbed “Graciebird” and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the property offers sweeping views that, on a clear day, extend all the way from the downtown skyline to the Pacific Ocean. Updated with in-ceiling speakers and other creature comforts, the home retains many period details. Coved ceilings in the step-down fireside library/den and in the formal dining room add sensual curves matched in the decorative wrought iron railings featured both within the house and outside along a second-floor balcony.

    The backyard is a private, courtyard-style oasis.

    Jason Harlem

    Gigantic, mullioned picture windows converge in a corner of the nearly 400-square-foot living room, making for a cinematic view of the city lights through the surrounding trees, while the eat-in kitchen is up to date and the bathrooms showcase well-preserved vintage tile work. 

    All together, there are three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms dispersed over two floors. On the lower level, along with a couple of bedrooms and baths, a family room opens to a herringbone-pattern brick patio amid lush tropical plantings.

    The narrow, winding streets of the Whitley Heights neighborhood have long been popular with entertainment industry movers and shakers. Golden Age icons like Carole Lombard, Carmen Miranda, Rudolph Valentino, Ronald Reagan, and Charlie Chaplin all resided in the hilly enclave, as have modern-day film and TV stars Ellen Pompeo, Busy Philipps, Rachel Bilson, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

    Click here for all the images of 2019 Grace Avenue.

    Jason Harlem More