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      The One That Got Away: Inside Katy Perry’s Fight Over a $15 Million Montecito Estate

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      In October 2020, Katy Perry paid $14.2 million for a hillside estate in Montecito, the seaside enclave that has long been considered one of California‘s poshest neighborhoods. The purchase was widely reported, and the pop star and her fiancée Orlando Bloom promptly made the 9-acre compound their main residence.

      What went unreported at the time was that Perry’s scenic new estate was not the property she had really wanted to buy. Back in July 2020, court records now show, and following an extensive house hunt, the “California Gurl” entered into an agreement to pay $15 million for a different Montecito estate, this one significantly smaller but also much closer to Montecito’s trendy downtown area than the other. But what initially seemed a clear-cut transaction has since devolved into a messy three years of legal wrangling and lurid allegations.

      Perry paid $14.2 million for this Montecito tennis court estate in late 2020, but it wasn’t the house she really wanted.

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      In 2020, amid the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, wealthy residents from Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major cities fled to peaceful Montecito, sending real estate prices skyrocketing. In May 2020, Dallas-based entrepreneur Carl Westcott — the founder of 1-800-Flowers — paid $11.3 million for a 2.5-acre property sitting just a few doors away from Oprah Winfrey’s storied “Promised Land” complex.

      Within a month of his purchase, Westcott had already hired an agent to court potential buyers who wanted to buy his new home. One of them was Maria Shriver, who offered $13 million for the nearly 10,000 square foot house, which sports eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. Facing competition, California’s former First Lady subsequently upped her offer to $13.5 million. But Shriver was ultimately outbid by Perry, who ponied up the $15 million now in dispute. On July 14, 2020, Westcott signed the agreement to sell the house for $3.7 million more than he had paid less than two months prior.

      Almost immediately, Westcott appears to have had second thoughts about the deal. On July 22, 2020, according to a deposition, the 84-year-old contacted his real estate agent and asked about cancelling the contract, citing capital gains taxes and his girlfriend’s reluctance to move again. Two days later, an attorney hired by Perry’s business manager contacted Westcott, informing him that Perry and Bloom still wanted to buy the house and reminding him of his contractual obligation to complete the sale.

      The Montecito house at the center of the multimillion-dollar legal war has formal gardens, a guesthouse and sits on 2.5 acres of land.

      Google Earth

      In August 2020, Westcott sued Perry’s business manager, claiming through his attorneys that the real estate contract should be voided because “the combination of age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered [Westcott] of unsound mind.”

      Perry promptly countersued Westcott for millions in damages and has scoffed at his claims, noting that “[Westcott] was competent when he hired an experienced real estate broker, vetted the brokerage commission rate, arranged showings of the property, entertained multiple offers, sought alternative houses, and ultimately negotiated a highly lucrative sale.”

      For now, the Montecito estate’s property title remains in Westcott’s name, though the high-maintenance estate has reportedly been left vacant as the three-plus-year legal battle unfolded. In any case, a judicial decision on the matter could finally be reached as soon as November; the two sides are currently battling it out in a Los Angeles courtroom.

      And for whatever reason, this is not the first time Perry has faced a dispute with elderly people over pricey real estate. Back in 2014, Perry was involved in another legal tussle with several nuns after the local Archdiocese accepted her $14.5 million offer for a 22,000-square-foot convent in Los Angeles, which the singer intended to convert into a single-family home. Perry won that battle after years of wrangling, but ultimately lost interest in the property and declined to complete her purchase. More

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      Sylvester Stallone Sells $17 Million California Estate to John Fogerty

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      He’s outta there! Less than two years after Sylvester Stallone bought a 2.2-acre ranch in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, the property has changed hands again. Records reveal the speedy new owner is music legend John Fogerty, originally of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame.

      While still a huge sum of money, the $17.2 million Fogerty paid is well under Stallone’s $22.5 million asking price, and it’s also $1 million less than what Rocky himself paid for the keys back in spring 2022. It appears Stallone made almost no renovations to the place during his short ownership; designed for a previous owner, the Martyn Lawrence Bullard-crafted interiors remain intact and the horse-friendly grounds still features lushly scenic landscaping that’s just begging for an Architectural Digest feature.

      Tucked away at the end of a secluded cul-de-sac within the famously star-studded and guard-gated Hidden Hills community, the ex-Stallone ranch is one of the most private properties in the entire enclave. Invisible from the road behind gates and mature trees, the estate contains a large main house, a detached guesthouse, large cabana and a substantial horse barn. There’s also an arena for horse riding, plus organic vegetable gardens, more than 100 fruit-bearing trees, a greenhouse and koi pond. Altogether, the property includes four bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms in well over 10,000 square feet of living space.

      Interior highlights include a great room with a vaulted ceiling and skylights, a fireplace-equipped dining room, kitchen with high-end Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, a media room with a projector and mirror-walled gym. The upstairs master suite offers dual vanities, a sitting area, dual showroom closets and a private balcony overlooking the sprawling grounds.

      In addition to a large riding arena, the 2.2-acre spread contains four separate structures.

      Google Earth

      Out back, multiple loggias have ample room for al fresco entertaining, and the lush grounds encircle a private swimming pool with a Baja deck for sunbathing. There’s also a fire-pit lounge area, and plenty of tree-shaded spots to watch the horses romp in their arena.

      In addition to their fancy new Hidden Hills spread, Fogerty and his longtime wife Julie still own an even larger estate out in the Hidden Valley community near Thousand Oaks. That 20-acre compound was up for grabs at $20 million earlier this year, though it’s since been removed from the market. As for Stallone, he and wife Jennifer have traded California for Florida, where they recently acquired a $35 million Palm Beach mansion. More

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      Following a Multimillion-Dollar Restoration, L.A.’s Historic Almidor Estate Has Hit the Market

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      Traditionally, the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles has not been known as a haven for beautiful and historic architecture. But one particular property might singlehandedly change everyone’s mind — it’s a Spanish Colonial Revival build in Woodland Hills known as “Almidor, the John Show Ranch estate,” originally constructed in 1928 and designed by architect L.G. Knipe.

      The 1920s valley was largely farmland, and Almidor certainly harkens back to that past. The 6,000-square-foot house was originally the centerpiece of a 350-acre ranch comprised largely of citrus and walnut trees. These days, Woodland Hills and the communities surrounding it are prototypical examples of suburban sprawl, and Almidor now sits on just a little over 1-acre of land. But the house and what remains of the grounds have lost none of their charm, having been expertly restored by current owners Gwilym and Peggy McGrew.

      The McGrews acquired the property in a 2002 probate sale, paying just $485,000, and have now put the revitalized estate back up for sale at $5 million. That’s a big number for Woodland Hills, but a peek at the stunning amenities and the ask starts to seem like a bargain.

      The step-down living room features original stained glass windows.

      gavin cater

      Invisible from the street behind gates and enormous trees, the house is accessed via two steep driveways that meet at a motorcourt. From there, it’s a walk up a long flight of stairs to the home’s arched façade, which covers a porch overlooking stunning gardens and a fountain.

      Inside, guests will be awed by the double-height foyer, which displays forged iron work, original tile floors and a grand staircase. Also on tap are a living room with original stained-glass windows and a decorative fireplace, a large den equipped with its own wet bar, and a library decked out in a particularly verdant shade of green. Perhaps the one interior surprise is the kitchen, which appears distinctly more modern than the rest of the home but nonetheless still packs in many charming original details — in addition to the stone countertops and high-end Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances demanded by today’s luxury homebuyers.

      All four of the home’s bedrooms are located upstairs, and each are equipped with ample closet space or dressing rooms. Out back, there are two distinct patio areas — an upper deck with a BBQ center, fire-pit and al fresco dining area, and a lower deck for sunbathing by the pool. As an added bonus, the property was recently upgraded with a new roof, new electrical wiring and the installation of a new triple-zone HVAC system. Benjamin Kahle of Compass holds the listing.

      Click here for more photos of Almidor, the John Show estate. More

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      Nancy Sinatra’s Former Beverly Hills Pad Can Be Yours for $3 Million

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      Got a pair of boots that are made for walkin’? You might want to throw them on and stroll on over to this hot property before it’s gone!

      As first announced by The Hollywood Reporter, a groovy midcentury modern abode once owned by singer Nancy Sinatra has just popped up for sale in a canyon high above Beverly Hills for the first time in five decades, asking a step under $3 million.

      “Rarely do we see a home come to the market with such a rich Hollywood history,” listing agent Steve Frankel of Coldwell Banker Realty told THR. “This is a wonderful opportunity to restore this midcentury gem and further cement it as the Hollywood treasure it is for years to come.”

      The singer poses at her former home with a selection of boots.

      Gunther/MPTV Images

      Per records, the eldest daughter of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra purchased the place while married to pop star Tommy Sands back in the ’60s, around the same time she released her No. 1 hit These Boots Are Made For Walkin‘. The Beverly Hills Post Office residence was subsequently occupied for a short time by Lost in Space director Sobey Martin, before ultimately selling to Abraham and Renee Frank for a mere $103,000 back in June 1973.

      Currently owned by the couple’s daughter Orly Frank, who has lived there since she was in high school, the low-slung whitewashed structure rests on a gated quarter-acre parcel in the Beverly Hills Post Office area, and features four bedrooms and a matching number of baths filtered across a little more than 2,700 square feet of “largely preserved” living space.

      Sliding glass doors open to a pool area surrounded by a sundeck.

      Jeff Ong

      Other highlights include a gated motorcourt with a “mod entry,” which opens into a spacious living room sporting a martini bar, white brick fireplace with a yellow floating hearth and walls of glass spilling out to a sundeck-encased pool area offering picturesque hillside views; and elsewhere is a dining area, the original kitchen and a primary bedroom hosting a walk-in closet.

      Last, but not least, there’s also a two-car garage that’s accessible via a driveway where Sinatra filmed the video for her ’67 tune I Gotta Get Outta This Town.

      According to THR, Frank is selling because her parents have since passed away. “My mom just loved that house so much and so did my dad,” she said. “It’s a great home. It has all the midcentury modern bones.”

      Click here for more photos of Nancy Sinatra’s former Beverly Hills house.

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      ‘NYPD Blue’ Creator’s $25 Million L.A. Spread Sells to a Prominent Media Financier

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      Last year, Joe Ravitch warned Variety of further upcoming media upheaval and the looming prospect of a “good recession.” But that hasn’t stopped the veteran media financier — his Raine Group famously took home $65 million in fees for advising the WWE on its recent takeover by the Endeavor Group — from investing lots of money into Los Angeles real estate. Ravitch and his wife Sonya were the buyers who recently paid $25 million for a rather stunning Pacific Palisades compound with a very Hollywood history.

      Built in 1937 and designed by famed architect Paul R. Williams, the Tudor-esque home was reportedly occupied Sylvester Stallone during the 1970s. In 1997, it was acquired by prolific and Emmy-winning producer Steven Bochco, who created some of the most beloved television shows of all time — NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues and Doogie Howser, M.D., to name a few.

      Sited on the Pacific Palisades Riviera, the compound is equipped with a lighted tennis court.

      Anthony Barcelo

      Bochco utilized the 1.4-acre spread as a main residence until his 2018 death, after which it was inherited by his son Jesse. The younger Bochco put the Palisades Riviera estate up for grabs last summer, asking $35 million, but it took a year and several big price chops before Ravitch came calling.

      Completely walled and surrounded by an enormous hedge, the very private compound features two gated driveways and a two-story, mansion-sized main house that was recently renovated and painted a crisp white throughout, per the listing. But the real star of this show are the property’s park-like grounds, which also encompass a detached guesthouse, a full-size tennis court and a poolside cabana. All told, the place offers seven bedrooms and 10 baths in nearly 11,000 square feet of living space.

      The kitchen has a pizza oven, marble countertops and a breakfast nook with garden views.

      Anthony Barcelo

      In the main house, indoor highlights include a modernized kitchen kitted out with a wood-burning pizza oven and stone countertops, plus a library with a built-in bookshelves, a family room with a drop-down projector screen, a wine cellar and a separate guest wing. The detached guesthouse has a bedroom and bathroom, plus its own kitchen and gym.

      Outdoors, the rolling grounds include vast swaths of grassy lawn, mature trees and a sparkling pool set well away from the main house. Scattered throughout the property are several spots ideal for al fresco dining and entertaining.

      The lush grounds span 1.4 fully landscaped acres.

      Anthony Barcelo

      Ravitch, 61, is relocating to L.A. from New York, where he owns a home in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood. That three-bedroom apartment sports contemporary finishes and is currently listed for sale, asking $5 million.

      The listing was held by Aaron Kirman, Morgan Trent and Dalton Gomez of Aaron Kirman Group at Compass.

      Click here for more photos of the Bochco Estate. More

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      Judd Apatow Just Sold His $27 Million L.A. Home to a Mystery Buyer

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      Judd Apatow, who already sports a net worth reportedly well north of $150 million, just added a huge check to his bank account. In a deal that quietly closed last month, records reveal the super-prolific Hollywood director/producer (Bridesmaids, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and actress Leslie Mann sold their mortgage-free Los Angeles main residence for $27 million.

      Because the deal was inked off-market, photos and details are scant. In fact, the lavish Brentwood Park estate has never been publicly marketed for sale. Built in 2005 by “Prison Break” producer Marty Adelstein, the manicured property was sold to Apatow in 2009, in an $18 million deal also inked off-market.

      Tax records and aerial imagery reveal the traditional-style main house is quite large, with five bedrooms and seven baths in more than 10,000 square feet of living space. There’s also a detached pool house, plus a semi-detached three-car garage connected to the house by an enclosed walkway.

      Other amenities include a full finished basement, a gated motorcourt, a backyard swimming pool and lush lawns shaded by mature oaks and sycamores. The entire property, which spans three-quarters of a flat acre, is ringed by tall hedgerows for residential tranquility.

      The gated estate features a detached pool house, an in-ground trampoline and a swimming pool.

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      Although it seems very likely their name will emerge in the coming weeks, the buyer’s identity is not yet known and remains shielded behind a mysteriously-monikered LLC. And as the house is located on what is perhaps the most prime street in Brentwood Park, some of the buyer’s new neighbors will include a long list of high-profile people — Sofia Richie, David Foster, and “South Park” creator Trey Parker, to name a few.

      Maybe it’s not really a surprise that Apatow and Mann have sold their elegant estate. The showbiz pair recently became empty nesters, and last year Mann jokingly told Seth Meyers that she was left with “no idea who I am,” when her children moved out. No word yet about where the couple is relocating, but records show they’ve long owned a $9 million condo in New York City’s West Village neighborhood. More

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      MLB Star Justin Upton Puts His SoCal Farmhouse on the Market for $6.8 Million

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      Justin Upton is officially on deck in Southern California, where he’s hoping to score a home-run real estate deal. As first reported by the Orange County Register, the former Anaheim Angels outfielder is asking a speck under $6.8 million for his sleekly designed Newport Beach spread, which is listed by Annie Clougherty of Compass.

      Records show Upton and his wife Ashley paid $4.7 million back in spring 2020 for the modern farmhouse-style digs, which were originally designed by architect Randall Coombs and later reimagined by Scottsdale-based DeCesare Design Group. Completed in 2019, the white wood-sided structure offers five bedrooms and seven baths in almost 6,000 square feet of living space boasting reclaimed oak hardwood floors, Lutron lighting and brass fixtures throughout, plus a striking floating staircase adorned with solid oak treads.

      An open-concept living and dining area flows seamlessly to an al fresco entertaining terrace.

      Alejandro España

      Resting amid a parcel spanning less than a quarter of an acre, in the desirable Dover Shores neighborhood near the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, the three-story house is highlighted upon entry by a sunken living room with a fireplace. Barn doors slide open to reveal a cozy den, and a family room and dining area connect to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with lava stone countertops, a butcher block-topped eat-in island and Thermador appliances.

      Upstairs, a luxe master retreat comes complete with a fireplace, sitting area, private balcony, walk-in closet, and spa-like bath sporting dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower; and down on the lower level is a custom glass-encased wine cellar, as well as a surround-sound screening room flanked by a full wet bar equipped with a beer froster, ice maker, refrigerator and popcorn machine.

      The lower-level screening room has surround sound and an accompanying bar area.

      Alejandro España

      Outdoors, the turf-clad backyard hosts an expansive terrace ideal for al fresco entertaining with a built-in barbecue and fire-pit, and per the listing, plenty of room to add a pool. There’s also an attached three-car garage and moutcourt out front.

      Upton, 36, became a free agent in 2022. He began his professional baseball career in 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks after being chosen as the first pick of the 2005 draft right out of high school, and went on to join the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. He’s been selected to four All-Star teams and won three Silver Slugger Awards.

      Click here for more photos of Justin Upton’s Newport Beach house.

      Alejandro España More

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      A Celebrity Doctor Just Paid $27 Million for a Bayfront SoCal Mansion

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      He’s been labeled the “most popular psychiatrist in America,” with millions of followers on social media and 12 New York Times-bestselling books under his belt, and now Dr. Daniel Amen has the house to reflect that success. The 69-year-old mogul recently recently paid exactly $27 million for a bayfront mansion in Newport Beach, Calif., not far from the Costa Mesa headquarters of his Amen Clinics empire.

      Built on speculation by a developer, the Tuscan-style house spans nearly 9,500 square feet of living space and was completed in 2006. Later that same year, it was sold to auto tycoon Fletcher “Ted” Jones Jr., owner of the world’s largest Mercedes-Benz dealership by volume, and his second wife Kimberly.

      After the Joneses divorced about 10 years ago, records indicate Kimberly kept the lavish Newport marital home, though the waterfront property was on and off the market for much of the last seven years at prices fluctuating between $30 million and $32 million. At least two buyers’ offers were accepted during that time, but both deals eventually fell through before Dr. Amen stepped up to the plate.

      Most of the home’s Old World-style finishes are antique and imported. Numerous French doors open to covered terraces.

      Andrew Bramasco

      Sited on a third-of-an-acre lot, large for tightly-packed Balboa Peninsula, the estate is fronted by a detached four-car garage complete with an upstairs guesthouse. From the street, visitors heading to the main house must travel via a gated walkway that passes under the guesthouse before spilling into a tranquil courtyard accented by a large central fountain flanked by grassy lawns.

      Beyond that, the main house features antique finishes, imported stone from Italy, and a mixture of hardwood and limestone flooring. There’s a gourmet kitchen open to a bar seating area and a fireside dining area, plus a separate formal dining room with bay views.

      Open to the kitchen, this fireside dining area overlooks Newport Harbor.

      Andrew Bramasco

      Other amenities are not limited to an upstairs master retreat with dual bathrooms and dual private terraces, a movie theater with seating for 10 lucky viewers, and a backyard with an infinity pool and two ancient olive trees. In addition to a wine cellar, the house also boasts what the listing describes as a “subterranean wine room” with space for entertaining. But perhaps the property’s most notable features are its panoramic coastline views and a massive private boat dock, the latter capable of mooring two 60-foot yachts.

      Over the course of his 40-year career in psychiatry, Dr. Amen has built a majorly profitable business that now includes numerous books, dietary supplements, speaking engagements, television appearances and more than 200 employees. He was prominently featured on a recent episode of “The Kardashians,” and is perhaps best known for his usage of SPECT imaging for diagnostic purposes — the Los Angeles native’s clinics have performed some 200,000 of these $3,500 brain scans over 30 years.

      Andrew Bramasco More