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      Simon Cowell’s Former Beverly Hills Estate Sells for Nearly $34 Million

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      Back in summer 2020, near the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Simon Cowell sold his longtime Beverly Hills main residence for exactly $25 million. Three years later, the nearly 1-acre property has made real estate waves once again, transferring in another off-market deal for a whopping $33.6 million — one of the priciest deals ever closed south of Sunset Boulevard, in the so-called Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood. The latest transaction was first reported by The Real Deal.

      The unapologetically lavish property, which boasts a sublime location on the best block of a prestigious street, was acquired by Cowell way back in 2004 for just $8 million. The all-around mogul subsequently spent five years — and undoubtedly many millions of dollars — transforming the place into a high-tech fortress packed with custom amenities, including a wellness center and a million-dollar security system.

      Cowell sold the property in 2020 by Alon Abady, a Beverly Hills local who is managing partner at Waterfall Bridge Capital, a commercial and residential real estate investment firm. Abady, 53, flipped the estate at a substantial profit to Syailendra Bakrie, a businessman and member of one of Indonesia’s wealthiest families. Earlier this year, the 43-year-old’s younger sister Adinda Bakrie paid $21 million for a contemporary mansion elsewhere in the Beverly Hills Flats.

      Because the Cowell estate has never been publicly offered on the market, some of its various interior accouterments remain a mystery. But the “America’s Got Talent” judge had the property photographed and published many times over the years, and the traditional-meets-contemporary residential fusion boasts a black-and-white interior motif enhanced by copious amounts of marble and glass. There are at least five bedrooms and eight baths in nearly 10,000 square feet of living space.

      Some of the property’s numerous amenities include a solarium, movie theater, lap-lane swimming pool, pool cabana with a retractable roof, an at-home tanning salon, a state-of-the-art gym, two kitchens, and that wellness suite with spa and massage facilities, plus a steam room. For the hired help, there are maid’s and butler’s quarters, and a security detail can monitor the premises through the world-class security system, which includes retina scan authorization.

      Outside, the estate includes a sparkling pool, a detached pool house/guesthouse of some sort, verdant lawns, mature palm trees and a street-facing façade obscured by gorgeous native sycamores. A gated courtyard has parking space for at least a half-dozen luxury vehicles.

      Fully customized by Cowell, the nearly 10,000-square-foot house includes a bevy of high-tech amenities. More

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      Greta Garbo’s Former Beverly Hills Home Returns to Market for $10 million

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      From the time she arrived in Hollywood in 1925, Greta Garbo bounced around from one rented home to another. So the story goes, in 1937, around the time of the release of George Cukor’s costume drama “Camille,” the Swedish-born actress briefly took up residence in a brand-new Beverly Hills home with her freshly divorced friend (and rumored boyfriend) Leopold Stokowski, the snowy-haired British orchestra conductor who went on to marry designer jeans pioneering American socialite Gloria Vanderbilt, aka Anderson Cooper’s mom. By most accounts, Garbo had moved on to another rented house by the time “Ninotchka” came out in 1939.

      Cleaved to a steep hillside in the coveted Crest Streets neighborhood, a low-key area with winding streets and no through traffic, Garbo’s former home has just been put back on the market with Markus Canter of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties for $10 million. The current asking price is a substantial reduction from the $12 million asked when the property first popped up for sale with another agent affiliated with another brokerage in early 2022.

      The dining area overlooks the step-down living room.

      Joshua Spooner / Courtesy of Markus Canter Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties

      Though there are hints and whispers of the home’s original Jazz Age moderne stylings, such as the camber of the front façade that echoes the sweeping curve of the street, the home bears few of its original details since an extensive transformation in the early 2000s by HGTV-featured interior designer Nicole Sassaman. The home last changed hands in 2006, for almost $7.5 million, when Sassaman sold up to its current owner, a Nevada-based corporate concern connected to Russian film producer and tech investor Arcadiy Golubovich.

      There are five (and easily six) bedrooms and five bathrooms, plus a powder room, dispersed among the almost 4,700-square-foot home’s three stories. Configured to take advantage of the canyon-framed view of the downtown skyline, there are two fireplaces, one of them in one of the main-floor guest bedrooms, and a trio of balconies, one off the primary bedroom and another outside an ensuite office/bedroom tucked down a private staircase beneath the street-level two-car garage.

      The top-floor primary bedroom spills out to a private terrace with epic views.

      Joshua Spooner / Courtesy of Markus Canter Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties

      A petite, infinity-edge swimming pool and a large spa hug the back of the house with endless views over the city. In fact, it’s possible to open one of the sliding glass doors in the living room and step directly into the pool. Below the pool are a pair of grassy terraces, and below that, out of sight and shielded by great plumes of verdant foliage and retractable awnings, is an intimate alfresco lounge.

      Fiercely private, Garbo retired in 1941, at 36 years old and at the peak of her fame, and after be-bopping about for a dozen years, she finally settled in New York City, where she bought a three-bedroom co-operative apartment at the Campanile building in the swanky Beekman Place neighborhood, where she lived until her death in 1990 at 84 years old. Still owned by her family, the elegant fifth-floor apartment was listed last year at $7.25 million, but with no takers, it was removed from the market later in the year.

      Click here for more photos of Greta Garbo’s former home.

      Joshua Spooner / Courtesy of Markus Canter Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties More

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      Rockstar Energy’s Founder Sells His Sprawling L.A. Estate for $25 Million

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      After more than three years of it bouncing on and off the market, energy drink mogul Russ Weiner has finally succeeded in unloading his Beverly Park mansion, one of two lavish estates he owns in the famously expensive and star-studded gated community. The 1.2-acre property sold for exactly $25 million to local businessman Tony Safoian, the CEO of Google Cloud-focused technology consultancy SADA Systems, and his longtime wife Lana.

      Built in 1999 for a now-deceased Russian businessman and designed by noted architect Richard Landry, the Tuscan-style manor sits behind gates and tall hedges. With 10,575 square feet of main house living space, plus a detached guesthouse, the resort-like place has more than enough room for grand galas and events.

      Weiner, 53, bought the house in 2015 for $18.6 million. With brief interruptions, the essentially unchanged property has been on the market since early 2020, with asking prices ranging from a high of $35 million to a low of $27.9 million. When Safoian finally came calling, the house was listed at $30 million.

      In addition to eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, interior highlights include an enormous foyer with dual staircases, limestone flooring throughout, a gym with an attached sauna and massage room, a chef’s kitchen with commercial-grade appliances and a mahogany library that includes a walk-in safe. Upstairs, the master retreat is itself the size of a small house, and packs in a spa-style bathroom, dual closets, a private office, private balcony and a “hidden” spiral staircase leading down into the library, per the listing.

      Outdoors, the grounds include two expansive lawns, one made of AstroTurf and the other containing real grass. There are also pathways traced by manicured boxwood, bright bunches of bougainvillea and olive trees. And al fresco entertaining is made easy with a loggia-covered dining area and a poolside outdoor kitchen with an outdoor fireplace, wet bar and built-in BBQ center.

      Safoian, 45, cofounded SADA Systems in 2000. In 2021, the North Hollywood-based tech company surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time; last year, it inked a $2.5 billion partnership deal with Google. Since 2015, Safoian has owned and occupied a two-story house in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood.

      As for Weiner, he now primarily resides in Florida but still owns a mansion in Park City, Utah, in addition to another Beverly Park home he’s owned since 2007 and an investment property in the Hollywood Hills.

      Beverly Park, long famed as the most expensive gated community in Los Angeles, boasts a number of high-profile residents behind its heavily guarded gates. While turnover has been heavy in recent years, Hollywood figures such as Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Sofia Vergara, Adele, The Rock and Rod Stewart still call the enclave home. More

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      A Pizza Mogul’s $34 Million Beverly Park Mansion Sells to a Prominent Surgeon

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      After first putting his Beverly Hills-adjacent home up for sale at the beginning of this year, pizza pie tycoon Larry Flax and his wife Joni have successfully unloaded the elaborate spread, complete with its healthy extra helping of custom ingredients, for $34.4 million. While that’s significantly less than the California Pizza Kitchen cofounder’s original $48.5 million asking price, it’s still a very impressive number for the guarded Beverly Park enclave, arguably the most desirable gated community in Los Angeles.

      Records confirm the spendy buyer is an entity tied to Dr. Bardia Anvar, a Beverly Hills-based general surgeon and founder of the national surgical-based Skilled Wound Care chain, and his wife Tania Pourat, a dentist. Anvar and Pourat, who also own a custom-built home in the Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood, now hold title to a 14,000-square-foot Beverly Park manor sporting seven bedrooms and some 12 bathrooms.

      Completed in 1994, and tucked away behind gates and a circular motorcourt embellished with a tiered fountain, the property includes a French chateau-inspired main house and detached guesthouse spread across a 2.8-acre parcel of lushly landscaped land.

      Wrought-iron and wood-trimmed doors open into a limestone-clad foyer, which displays a sweeping staircase and gold-leaf dome boasting a marbled alabaster skylight. From there, the formal living room has a glass-encased entertaining area and floor-to-ceiling French doors spilling out to a covered loggia with a fireplace, plus a 20-seat dining room adorned with a coved ceiling and hand-painted wall paneling flanked by a china room with plenty of felt-lined storage space.

      The house offers walls of glass overlooking the lush grounds.

      Adrian Van Anz

      And that’s not even the topping on this proverbial real estate pizza! There’s also a limestone-bathed family room with its own marble fireplace and wet bar, connecting via pocket doors to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with a wraparound granite island, commercial-grade appliances, a butler’s pantry and fireside dining area overlooking an 1,800-bottle wine cellar.

      Other highlights include a wood-paneled library and glass conservatory topped by a Murano glass chandelier, along with a sumptuous upstairs master retreat that comes complete with a separate seating area with fireplace, kitchenette and private balcony, as well as dual bathroom suites equipped with walk-in closets, a soaking tub, fireplace and an office. Also on tap is a movie theater with a velvet stage curtain.

      Outside, the rigidly manicured grounds feature rose gardens, a big grassy lawn, a full-size tennis court and meandering pathways. Spacious patios provide plenty of opportunities for al fresco lounging and entertaining, and there’s a 70-foot swimmer’s pool with a spa serviced by an outdoor kitchen and built-in BBQ.

      Rounding it all out is garaging for five cars, and monthly HOA dues of nearly $5,200 just for the privilege of calling the exclusive community home. Some of the nearest neighbors include Adele, Denzel Washington, Sofia Vergara, Rod Stewart and Eddie Murphy.

      This is hardly Dr. Anvar’s first brush with celebrity. Less than two years ago, he paid $10.3 million for the oceanfront Malibu home of actor Leo DiCaprio. As for Flax, he’s moved on to a $12.5 million condo at the Century, one of L.A.’s most prestigious residential skyscrapers.

      Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker and Linda May of Carolwood Estates repped both Flax and Anvar in the Beverly Park transaction.

      Click here to see more photos of the Beverly Park mansion that pizza built. More

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      Rihanna’s First Ever California Home Sells for $15 Million

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      It’s no hopeless place, but yet another buyer has found love in Rihanna’s former Beverly Hills house. Occupied by the Barbadian superstar from 2009-2011, the boxy and very contemporary structure was the first Los Angeles residence she ever owned. In the 12 years since, the property has changed hands several more times.

      The most recent deal was inked just last month, when the house sold for $15 million to an entity linked to 35-year-old Jeremy Troxel, an attorney and founder of the Troxel Law firm. Over the past few years, Troxel Law has earned widespread recognition for filing numerous class action lawsuits against major companies such as Tylenol, Coinbase, Juul and Major League Baseball.

      While $15 million is certainly a large amount of money, it’s also a significant financial loss for the sellers, Canadian healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Sheldon Elman and his wife, Dr. Meryl Elman. The Elmans had acquired the former Rihanna estate for $16.8 million from John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, who owned the place from 2016-2021.

      Originally built in 1966 and located high in the mountains above Beverly Hills’ Coldwater Canyon, the house was completely rebuilt and expanded in the 2000s. During their ownership, Legend and Teigen also remodeled the estate, adding a unique patterned ceiling imported from Thailand, painting the exterior and interior walls, upgrading the bespoke kitchen and refinishing the wide-plank oak floors.

      A chunky double-sided fireplace bisects the spacious family and living rooms, while the upstairs primary suite — one of five bedrooms in the 8,500-square-foot house — flaunts a handmade brass fireplace and private balcony, plus what the listing calls a “glam room” and dual showroom closets. Outside, the dark-bottomed saltwater pool is heated and has spectacular canyon views. A vine-wrapped pergola additionally offers a built-in BBQ grill and wood-burning oven. Elsewhere on the property are a gym and movie theater.

      Rihanna, now a billionaire thanks to her Fenty cosmetics and fashion brand, currently maintains another home in Beverly Hills and two lavish condos in Century City’s The Century skyscraper, including one valued at $21 million. As for Troxel, he and partner Kristi Piacentile currently lease a luxury home in L.A.’s Beachwood Canyon neighborhood and own a second mansion in Scottsdale, Arizona. More

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

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      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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      Mischa Barton’s Former Beverly Hills Estate Hits the Market for $10 Million

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      A new California listing just hit the market with ties to one of The O.C.’s star actresses.

      Set on over an acre of land, a Beverly Hills compound once owned by Mischa Barton can now be yours for $10 million. The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom Bowmont estate offers four beds in the main residence and one in each of the two guest houses. You’ll find most of the luxe amenities inside the 10,305-square-foot main residence that range from great rooms with soaring ceilings to a home theater to a backyard pool. Scenic views from the property also make you feel as though you’ve left the City of Angels behind and landed in Northern Italy.

      The living room with a fireplace, set next to an office area

      Upon your arrival at the estate, the main residence’s stony facade covered in cascading greenery welcomes you inside. A decorative iron door allows you to enter the interior, where you’ll spot exposed wood-beam ceilings and stone flooring—both of which are key design details you’ll notice are carried throughout the abode. The heart of the manse, on ground level, features a light-filled space surrounded by an iron-rail staircase and the nearby formal dining room. A spacious chef’s kitchen fitted with wooden cabinetry, a massive island with seating, and top-of-the-line appliances can also be found on the same floor, alongside a breakfast eating area.

      The formal living room features a decorative fireplace alongside an excess of windows and doors that lead out to the verdant grounds. An office space sits to the right of the living room space. One floor above lies the grand primary bedroom that also houses a fireplace, as well as a private balcony with scenic views of the grounds. The complimentary primary bathroom has two steam showers, a soaking tub, and four tall windows that let the light in. And to store your designer wardrobe, the space also includes two closets with excess space and views of L.A. Other luxe amenities you’ll find inside the home include a game room, a wine cellar, a home gym, and a theater room for entertaining.

      Inside the spacious primary bedroom

      Outdoors lies a backyard oasis beneath a covered loggia that is engulfed by lush greenery. Elsewhere on the grounds, you’ll find the lap pool set next to ample space for lounge seating—not to mention breathtaking views of the horizon and Italian cypress trees. A patio area, closer to the residence, also boast a spacious layout for outdoor dining and city views. When you’re ready to explore the grounds further, a stone pathway in the backyard leads you to additional views from the opulent estate.

      Aaron Kirman, Cindy Ambuehl, and Daniel Millstein of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate hold the listing.

      Click here for more images of the home.

      Anthony Barcelo More

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      Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Just Bought a $61 Million Mega-Mansion in Beverly Hills

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      House-hunting is hard—even if you’re Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.  

      The high-profile Hollywood couple has been mansion-shopping for months, and it seems as if they’ve finally settled on a super-sized estate in Beverly Hills. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Bennifer just closed on a spectacular, five-acre spread in Los Angeles, which would add yet another gem to their growing real estate portfolio. The colossal 38,000-square-foot pad was originally listed at $135 million back in 2018, but the asking price was later slashed to $75 million in March. Naturally, the stars snagged the French-style residence at a steal: The new digs only cost just shy of $61 million. 

      Set in the gated Wallingford Estates community, the lavish mega-manse was rebuilt and significantly expanded upon by developer Gala Asher, as per Forbes. Altogether, the compound features a total of 12 bedrooms and a whopping 24 bathrooms split between a main house, a 5,000-square-foot guest penthouse, a caretaker’s cottage, and a guardhouse. A few of the behemoth’s most notable features include an epic 155-foot infinity pool, a boxing ring, a basketball court with a viewing gallery, and a sports lounge. Together, Lopez and Affleck share a pretty insane auto collection, but they won’t have to worry about space. There’s a 12-car garage on site, plus enough room to park 80 additional vehicles.

      You can bet that a property of this magnitude has heaps of other amenities, too. There’s a movie theater, a wine and whiskey cellar, and an on-site spa, which is decked out with a sauna, a massage room, and even a hair and nail salon. Outside, the grounds include not one but two tennis courts and a sprawling 2,500-square-foot covered patio. Did we mention it’s also heated? 

      For comparison, the reunited couple’s new crib far surpasses the $64 million Pacific Palisades estate they were in escrow in March. That one-acre abode stretched 16,000 square feet with eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, and had an 800-square-foot gym. If they were holding out for something better, they definitely found it. You can check out a video of the home below:

      [embedded content] More