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    LeBron James Buys Katharine Hepburn’s Former Beverly Hills Compound for $36.8 Million

    Although the deal was extensively reported in July, it’s only today—fittingly, near the end of a fantastic Lakers season—that LeBron James has finally closed on his $36.8 million residential upgrade in the 90210, a multi-structure compound packing fantastic views and a storied, only-in-Hollywood pedigree.
    Built in the 1930s, the colorful Mediterranean-esque villa was owned for years by Charles Boyer, an Oscar-nominated leading man actor of that era who starred in a number of black-and-white classics, among them Conquest and Algiers.
    In the late ’40s, Boyer and RKO Pictures, one of the big five Hollywood studios at that time, terminated the actor’s contract. As part of an unusual settlement negotiation, the studio agreed to buy out Boyer’s interest in his 2.5-acre estate; because RKO was owned at that time by Howard Hughes, the reclusive billionaire became the technical owner of the Boyer residence, though he never lived there. Instead, Hughes leased the palatial property to his ex-flame and longtime confidante Katharine Hepburn, who occupied the mansion during the height of her career.

    At some point after Hepburn moved out, the property fell into the hands of non-famous owners, where it remained until 1986, when soap opera pioneer Lee Phillip Bell and her business partner husband William J. Bell (The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful) bought it for $2.9 million, as per tax records. The couple significantly upgraded and restored the tired lady to her former Golden Age glory during their many years of ownership, and they expensively landscaped the grounds with mature trees and formal gardens.
    Bill Bell died in 1995, though Lee Bell continued residing at her beloved 90210 home until her own death this past March. Back in June, her lovingly maintained estate crash-landed on the market for the first time in decades with a $39 million asking price—the $36.8 million James paid represents a 6 percent discount.
    Secured by a celebrity-worthy collection of cameras and one of LA’s most massive driveway gates in existence, the compound is accessed via a epic long brick driveway flanked on either side by mature cypresses. The driveway eventually dead-ends at a commodious motorcourt that’s accented by a stone fountain and ringed by a dozen mature palm trees.

    The lavish interiors include a sunlight-flooded living room with a vaulted ceiling and exposed ceiling beams, an ethereal dining room set beneath a huge skylight—perfect for gazing up at the heavens while enjoying a chef-catered meal—and a carpeted library with built-in bookcases for real books. The cozy movie theater includes a fireplace for sophisticated ambiance, one of seven in the main mansion.
    Elsewhere on the property are two detached guesthouses, multiple al fresco dining and entertaining areas, and a lighted tennis court with viewing pavilion. At the far rear of the complex, soaring views of the entire LA skyline take center stage as they sweep over Benedict Canyon to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina. The oval swimming pool—a gorgeous remnant of the property’s Golden Hollywood history—adjoins a poolhouse and is watched over by a giant gold Buddha.
    James also continues to own two separate mansions in LA’s posh Brentwood neighborhood. The first was scooped up for $21 million in 2015 and has remained vacant for most of the time since. The second estate, the NBA superstar’s current main residence, is sited on plum hillltop and was purchased for $23 million in 2017.
    Jeff Hyland and Rick Hilton of Hilton & Hyland held the listing.
    Check out more photos below: More

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    Pierce Brosnan Is Selling His James Bond-Inspired Malibu Home for $100 Million

    A former 007 is taking on what could be one of his trickiest assignments yet—selling his Malibu beach house.
    Pierce Brosnan, perhaps best known for playing the titular role in four James Bond movies, is unloading his Broad Beach mansion for no less than $100 million. The Irish actor and his wife, filmmaker Keely Brosnan, commissioned the home after the success of his fourth Bond film, Die Another Day. The mansion’s Southeast Asian aesthetic is in fact inspired by Brosnan’s time shooting the movie in Thailand, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

    Of course, bringing the nearly 12,500-square-foot home to life was no small feat. Prior to building the house, the Brosnans lived in a ranch-style residence on the same plot of land, but it proved to be too small for them. The current residence took about a decade to complete.
    The great room.  Compass

    They had some help, though—architects Ralph and Ross Anderson designed the resort-like property, and it was subsequently built by Albino Construction. The finished product sits on more than an acre of land with access to 117 feet of beachfront. The Brosnans dubbed it “Orchid House,” because, well, the landscaping includes plenty of orchids. (Plus palm trees and gardenias.)
    Broad Beach  Compass

    Between the main house and the guest house, the home has five beds and 14 baths. The primary motif here is teak, which is ideal in oceanfront communities as the wood weathers the moisture well: The floors are wide-plank teak and the entry gates and cabinetry are made of the same material. Another architectural standout is the green clay tile roof, which was directly inspired by the temples in Thailand.
    There’s a separate guest house on the property, plus a two-car garage.  Compass

    Ocean views are also a priority—it’s so close, after all—so many of the interior spaces have large glass windows and doors that look out onto the crashing Pacific. The great room opens up to the beachside deck, and the adjacent kitchen, which has two islands and two stoves, also has a view of the water.
    There’s a fire pit on the property for entertaining.  Compass

    Two bedroom suites also occupy this main level, but it’s the primary bedroom upstairs that’s the real showstopper. The space takes up 4,000 square feet all on its own, and includes two bathrooms, a private deck and a large sitting area. Also upstairs is a private office and an additional guest room.
    The saltwater pool.  Compass

    The amenities fit out the lower level, including a soundproof movie theater with tiered seating and a bar—great for mixing a martini and putting on your favorite Bond flick, naturally—and a gym, music room and spa with two soaking tubs.

    One of hte outdoor dining areas.  Photo: Courtesy of Compass

    Outside there’s the beach, obviously, but the Brosnans also installed a saltwater pool with a waterfall, plus two glass-enclosed areas for outdoor dining. The nearby guest house has two levels, so guests can enjoy a gorgeous view from their upstairs perch—or the whole building can be repurposed into a pool house. Also on the grounds is a two-car garage, which may be worth expanding for larger gatherings in the future.
    The view from one of the decks.  Photo: Courtesy of Compass

    That $100 million asking price is right in line for Malibu. Last year Whatsapp founder Jan Koum shelled out nine figures on a 14,000-square-foot home in the area. And Orchid House isn’t even the most expensive Malibu home on the market—that distinction belongs to a seven-bed, 10-bath property off Pacific Coast Highway that’s hoping for $125 million.
    As for the Brosnans? They’ve decamped to Hawaii, according to The Wall Street Journal. So they’re still not too far from the beach. More

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    Pierce Brosnan Lists Beachfront Estate In Malibu, California For $100 Million

    Rear Exterior

    LOCATION: 31118 Broad Beach Road, Malibu, California
    SQUARE FOOTAGE: 13,000
    BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 5 bedrooms & 5+ bathrooms
    PRICE: $100,000,000
    Actor Pierce Brosnan has listed his nearly 1.2 acre Thai-inspired beachfront estate in Malibu, California for a whopping $100 million.

    Located at 31118 Broad Beach Road, it was built in 2000 and boasts a main house and 2-story pool/guest house. There is approximately 13,000 square feet of living space with 5 bedrooms, 5+ bathrooms, open concept living/dining room, gourmet kitchen, wet bars, home theater, wine cellar, gym, 2-car garage and more.
    Outdoor features include a gated entrance, motor court, decks/terraces, fire pit and a saltwater swimming pool. More

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    Inside John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s New $17.5 Million Beverly Hills Mansion

    With their third bundle of joy due to arrive in March, high-profile celebrity power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen have bid adieu to their 90210 “starter” house—once owned by Rihanna—and upgraded to a more roomy, $17.5 million home elsewhere in the mountains above Beverly Hills, in a neighborhood known as Beverly Hills Post Office. The Wall Street Journal first reported the deal.
    Built new this year and sheathed in metal and glass, the hard-edged contemporary mansion contains 10,700 square feet of living space, with 6 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. Developed by local contractor JB Builders, the nearly one-acre estate offers a prairie-sized motorcourt, perfect for hosting large events.

    Inside, the home boasts a collection of bespoke materials, with exotic wood and marble trim, wide-plank oak wood floors and a soaring glass atrium that floods the massive great room with light. Naturally, the house is equipped with a slew of designer goodies—Toto toilets, Miele kitchen appliances, LED mirrors, Crestron smart home technology, and a five tankless water heaters.
    Realtor.com

    From the residence, disappearing walls of glass lead out to a backyard with a 100-foot saltwater swimming pool and lush views across Benedict Canyon, down to the Century City skyline. There’s also a petite pool house, plus a 500-square-foot media room with top-notch acoustics for a theater-quality movie experience.
    Amid a frenzied media blitz, Teigen and Legend hoisted their former Beverly Hills home onto the market last month with a $23.95 million ask. Despite that aggressive price point, the couple almost immediately received an offer and the house is currently in escrow to be sold, according to the MLS. For the moment, the growing family is quarantining in a leased mansion—also designed in the contemporary architectural style—down in the Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood.
    Sally Forster Jones of Compass held the listing; Marshall Peck of Douglas Elliman repped Legend and Teigen.
    Check out more photos of the property below:
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    Home of the Week: Derek Jeter’s Tampa Mansion, Currently Rented by Tom Brady, Just Listed for $29 Million

    There’s no eviction notice yet, but if baseball legend Derek Jeter finds a buyer for his sprawling waterfront mansion in Tampa, Fla. any time soon, his tenants may be rushing to find new digs.
    Which is slightly awkward when your renters are Tom Brady and his supermodel wife, Gisele Bündchen.
    The Bradys moved into Jeter’s almost 22,000-square-foot estate in April, after the former New England Patriots star inked a two-year, $50-million deal to play quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    The good news is that the “For Sale” signs going up in the front yard won’t be a too much of a shock to the renters.
    “Tom and Derek negotiated terms in the lease agreement so we could list, market and, obviously with proper notice, show the property,” listing agent Stephen Gay, of Tampa-based realtors Smith & Associates told Robb Report.
    And no, the Bradys haven’t shown any interest in buying the compound, which according to Gay, is “the most impressive home to ever hit the market in the Tampa Bay area.”
    Derek Jeter’s just listed his Tampa home for $29 million.  Photo: Uneek Image

    Jeter’s company Kered Connors LLC reportedly paid a total of $7.7 million to acquire three adjoining waterfront lots on Tampa’s Davis Islands between 2005 and 2006. The roughly 1.3-mile, man-made island is minutes from downtown Tampa and is one of the city’s prime residential neighborhoods.
    Jeter spent four years constructing the huge, custom-built home on the 1.25-acre lot—by far the biggest on Davis Islands—completing the project in 2011.
    “The attention to detail, the quality of the finishes, the materials used in the construction are just exceptional. Really, no expense was spared in building this home,” says Gay.
    The billiards room and bar.  Photo: Uneek Image

    The construction wasn’t without its controversy. Jeter fought for, and won, permission to build an eight-foot privacy fence around the property—six-feet is the norm—earning it the nickname among locals as “The Great Wall of Jeter.”
    Built from hand-carved, gray Connecticut granite and limestone, the two-story main house features seven bedrooms, eight full bathrooms and eight half-baths.
    The dining room.  Photo: Uneek Image

    Imposing hardwood doors lead into the vast, open foyer with 24-foot-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning, west-facing views across Tampa’s Hillsborough Bay. Everywhere you look are high-end finishes and fine detailing; from hand-polished Venetian plaster, solid hardwood millwork and marble mosaic tiles, to tailored silk drapes.

    Directly off the “grand salon” foyer is the expansive clubroom with its full-service bar, billiards table and multiple TVs. The room’s glass corner wall slides open and leads out on to the huge, 9,000-square-foot, made-for-entertaining waterfront patio with its 80-foot, saltwater lap pool and large outdoor kitchen.
    The great room.  Photo: Uneek Image

    The home’s gourmet kitchen was also designed with large-scale, professionally-catered gatherings in mind. It comes with two huge Sub-Zero fridges, a Wolf range, four dishwashers, a walk-in pantry, a butler’s pantry, and two marble-topped islands.
    Upstairs, the master suite features a spa-like bath with a truly enormous steam shower, dual walk-in custom closets and a bedroom complete with fireplace and balcony with views over the water.
    The living room.  Photo: Uneek Image

    Other special features of the home include a wine cellar, a wood-paneled office, movie theater and a professional-grade gym (naturally), plus a guest suite and au pair wing. Outside, two air-conditioned garages can accommodate up to six cars.
    According to Gay, one of the estate’s selling points is its 345 feet of open bay frontage, a rarity, along with a deep-water dock and two boat lifts.
    The master bathroom.  Photo: Uneek Image

    One of the reasons the Bradys might not be stepping up to buy the property is that proximity to the water. Shortly after moving in, Brady told Howard Stern on Sirius XM that he was not happy at the number of boaters constantly circling around outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the power couple.
    The Bradys put their former Massachusetts home on the market in 2019. 
    As for Jeter and his wife Hannah, home is currently a 19-floor 5,200-square-foot palace-in-the-sky at the new Grove at Grand Bay skyscraper in Miami. The couple moved there following Jeter’s purchase of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team in 2017. He’s currently CEO and co-owner.
    The private dock.  Photo: Uneek Image

    As for the Tampa home, Stephen Gay says there’s already been considerable interest. “We’ve had a ton of calls, but I suspect many are fans of the Bradys who just want to get a look inside.”

    Just don’t expect any Open House stagings any time soon.
    The pool deck and bay beyond.  Photo: Uneek Image

    The driveway leads to two air-conditioned garages.  Photo: Uneek Image

    The home sits on 1.25 acres.  Photo: Uneek Image More

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    Inside a Pink Waterfront Mansion in Miami That Looks Like a Fairytale Castle

    Marrying Millions star Bill Hutchinson has just listed his six-bedroom, seven-bath mansion in Miami’s Coconut Grove for $8.25 million. The mansion really does look like a castle with its soaring, 30-foot ceilings, spacious great hall and unique architectural details, such as Romeo and Juliet-worthy stone terraces and balconies. Maybe it’s no accident that Hutchinson bought it in the first place, as the youngest of his six children is named King.

    The home has 65 feet of water frontage and its own private dock as well as a keystone-edged infinity pool overlooking the channel.

    Inside, the 12,800-square-foot pink palace seems like both castle and cathedral with its gothic touches, such as carved archways and columned passages, as well as those massive stained glass windows in the great hall and one of the bedrooms. Some of the grand and quirky (for Miami, at least) details include stone fireplaces, antique stained-glass windows, French cast bronze chandeliers, cast stone window tracery and Jerusalem stone floors.
    While many of the details take their inspiration from prior centuries, the home’s interior style is comfortably modern.
    The huge chef’s kitchen includes a La Cornue stove and range—and massive blue hood. The master suite is vast, with an equally impressive ensuite bathroom with its soaking tub. An there’s an elevator that takes you up to the rooftop sundeck, if you don’t feel like lounging at the pool down below or want to catch the best sunset views.
    The home is located at 1840 S. Bayshore Lane in Coconut Grove.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    The 62-year-old Lifetime star bought the home in 2016 and is selling it to move back to Dallas with his 22-year-old girlfriend and costar, Brianna Ramirez and his family, where his children are enrolled in school and where his real estate business is headquartered.
    The Miami manse, built in 2009 and located at 1840 S. Bayshore Lane, is listed with Chad Carroll and Matthew Dugow of Compass. LeBron James owns a home on nearby on Crystal View Court.
    Check out more photos of the property below:
    The great hall.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    The living room.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    The TV room.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    The dining room.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    The master bedroom.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    Another of the six bedrooms.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    Stained-glass windows in one of the bedrooms.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    The roofdeck.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group

    The private dock.  Photo: Courtesy of The Carroll Group More

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    Shaquille O’Neal Re-Lists Lakefront Florida Home For $19.5 Million (PHOTOS)

    Rear Aerial

    LOCATION: 9927 Giffin Court, Windermere, Florida
    SQUARE FOOTAGE: 31,000
    BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 12 bedrooms & 15 bathrooms
    PRICE: $19,500,000 ($28,000,000 in 2018)
    Basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal has just re-listed his lakefront home for $19.5 million. He first listed it in 2018 for $28 million. The home, which appeared on MTV’s Cribs, is located at 9927 Giffin Court in Windermere, Florida and is situated on 4 acres of land.

    It was built in 1990 and features approximately 31,000 square feet of living space with 12 bedrooms, 11 full and 4 half bathrooms, 2-story foyer with double staircase, 2-story great room, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen, breakfast room, family room, home office, lounge with wet bar, walk-in humidor with wine storage, home theater, indoor basketball court, 17-car garage and more.
    Outdoor features include a gated entrance, porte-cochere, covered/uncovered patios, kitchen/BBQ, swimming pool with rock waterfall and a dock. More

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    Derek Jeter Lists Florida Home For $29 Million (PHOTOS)

    Rear Aerial

    Former professional baseball player Derek Jeter has just listed his Florida waterfront home for $29 million. Located at 58 Bahama Circle in Tampa, the massive home was built in 2011 and is situated on 1.2 acres of land. It features approximately 22,000 square feet of living space with 7 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, floating staircase, elevator, 2-story great room, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen with double islands, breakfast/family room, office, lounge with wet bar, home theater, gym, 6-car garage and more. Outdoor features include 2 gated entrances, motor court, porte-cochere, terraces, kitchen/BBQ, swimming pool with spa and a dock. More