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    Twice KISS’d: Gene Simmons Just Relisted His Beverly Hills Mansion for $25 Million

    Usually when a home is taken off the market and then relisted, the price gets a shave. Not in this case. Gene Simmons of KISS gave the asking price on his Beverly Hills mansion a $3 million hike, raising it from $22 million in October 2020 to $25 million this week.

    The property still has a house with over 13,000 square feet, seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, formal and informal dining rooms, office, bar and bonus room. Plus, the full-sized tennis court, parking for 30 cars and a pool with a 60-foot waterslide. So what’s changed?

    The estate got a few upgrades over the winter months. “We didn’t want anyone to come in and complain,” Simmons tells Robb Report. So they replaced some of the electrical, added a new roof system to prevent leaves from clogging the gutters, changed some remaining wood parts of the home to poured concrete and added more foliage. The five lead-lined safety rooms dotted throughout the house were also made more secure and easier for residents to access. “If a bad guy breaks in,” Simmons says, “he’ll never find you.” The estate also sits on nearly two acres, with lush greenery helping to keep it private.

    The home has four levels on one side and three on the other, meeting in the middle at the gorgeous great room with those tall windows on each side. On the lower level, there’s a six-car garage, a billiards room and a wine cellar, though the musician doesn’t drink. While one wing was used for meeting and his KISS museum memorabilia, he decided against building a music or recording room, instead opting to keep the place as an escape.

    The patio and pool. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    While Simmons and his wife, model-actor Shannon Tweed, bought the property in 1987, it didn’t always look so spectacular, but it did have a storied past. The home that was originally on-site was a 3,500-square-foot wooden farmhouse. “We flattened it and brought in tons of soil, spent close to $11 million sprucing up the place,” Simmons says.
    They bought the acreage from Irving Azoff, who went on to manage Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. “The Eagles were put together on the property,” Simmons says. And before that, Nicholas Schenk, one of the original Hollywood moguls, used to keep his mistress at the estate.

    A regulation-size tennis court is on site. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    The Simmonses gradually renovated it and completed the build on the estate’s current house in 2000. While the exterior of the home has plenty of drama with its enormous windows, dual staircases and multiple wings, inside, the vibe is less rockstar and more family-traditional, with a flair for comfort and simplicity (though admittedly on a grand scale) rather than excess. Much of which was showcased on their television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels. 

    In October, when the couple first listed the Benedict Canyon place, it was said that they were moving to another residence they already owned in tax-free Washington state. But that is inaccurate—Simmons has never owned property there. And recently, there have been murmurings about Simmons and Tweed purchasing a house in a gated Malibu community, atop a secluded peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. Simmons is now setting the record straight—Tweed has purchased the house as a personal investment with her own money, but they do not plan to live there. She also bought a lakefront property in Whistler, Simmons says. The duo has apparently long kept their accounts, taxes, investments and business interests separate. “Good fences make good neighbors,” he says.

    The grand foyer. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    That said, the couple still plans to leave LA for a quieter lifestyle and escape the celebrity map listings and tour buses. “We’ve always loved LA, but you do have to deal with fires every year, every once in a while the ground shakes, and those tourist buses. Everything has its time,” Simmons says. “The house is too big for us. It’s just Shannon and myself and four dogs. The empty nest thing is happening.” They’re headed for neighboring Nevada. “In Nevada, we’re close enough. The kids have their homes here in LA. It’s just an hour flight.”
    He’s already purchased a 12,000-square-foot home there with an indoor swimming pool with slides and is considering buying an adjacent 90-acre parcel. What’s with all the slides? “If you’re going to entertain, some folks want to sip coffee but others want to swing from the chandeliers,” he says. “A home shouldn’t just be a home, but a place where you have parties and enjoy yourself.”
    The Beverly Hills listing remains in the hands of Million Dollar Listing brokers Matt and Josh Altman of the Altman Brothers for Douglas Elliman.

    Wide-plank flooring and incredible woodwork elevate the living room. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    The home office. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    The dining room. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    The kitchen. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    Soaring windows let sunshine in, even to the upper floor. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    The primary bedroom suite. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    Simmons’ Beverly Hills estate. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

    The mansion has seven bedrooms and nine baths. 

    Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles More

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    Jerry Seinfeld Lists Both of His Colorado Mountain Retreats for $18 Million

    Now that ski season is coming to a close, comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his wife, Jessica, have not one, but two Telluride, Colo., estates on the market. For the larger property—about 27 acres—and its house, they’re asking $14.95 million. For the smaller one—on a mere 17 acres with just a four-bedroom home—the price tag is $2.78 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. The second parcel will first be offered to the buyer of the main house. “It’s another spectacular home, says Compass listing agent Bill Fandel, surrounded by aspens and with dramatic views.

    This isn’t the first time the bigger residence has been on the market. In 2011, after a massive renovation, the 12,500-square-foot home was listed for $18.25 million but then was taken off the market. Now, with the price drop and buyers looking for secluded, resort-style retreats, the timing might be better. The home is being sold furnished, so you could enjoy the same view Seinfeld that did from the same leather recliner.

    The double-height windows let in the light. 

    Photo: Joshua Johnson

    The larger home has 11 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and a spacious kitchen suitable for feeding a full house with its commercial appliances, acres of countertop space and several dining areas. Done in a modern farmhouse style, warm wood paneling and reclaimed plank flooring pervades both the entertainment and private spaces, with beams crisscrossing the ceilings. The double-height living room has a massive stone fireplace, plenty of sunshine and views of Wilson Peak.
    A gym, yoga studio, lower level rec room with ping-pong and other games, a wine room, gear room for skis and other toys round out some of the amenities (alas, there’s no baseball diamond like the one at his Hamptons pad). The heated garage surprises by holding only four cars—Seinfeld is a known Porsche collector. But he does have other several other places to park that collection. But the garage also has a few bells and whistles for auto enthusiasts, including the ability to wash cars inside it, even in winter. Outside there’s a 5,500-square-foot deck and miles of manicured trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter and hiking, running and mountain biking in summer. The trails cross over Turkey Creek and lead into the abutting National Forest.

    A stone fireplace is the focal point (besides the view) for the living room. 

    Photo: Joshua Johnson

    Built in 1991, the home was purchased by the couple for $7.55 million in 2007, according to Fandel. It was originally built for a Hollywood director and was featured in Architectural Digest in 1994. When the Seinfelds bought it, Fandel says, “They completely reimagined and expanded the house.” The outdoor terraces are heated so they can be used year round. The cobblestone driveway is also heated to melt snow and ice. But unlike many other homes in ski towns, “it’s as good a summer house as it is a ski house,” Fandel says. “In some places the outdoor spaces and yards are overlooked, but not here.”  It’s located just 10 minutes from Telluride’s ski resort.

    In addition to the Colorado and Hamptons estates, the Seinfelds have bought and sold many properties in Manhattan, their home base, as well as in Los Angeles.

    The farmhouse-style kitchen
     

    Photo: Joshua Johnson

    A look at the whole shebang 

    Photo: Joshua Johnson More

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    Shaquille O’Neal’s Super-Size Florida Mansion Is Back on the Market for $16.5 Million

    First listed in 2018 for $28 million, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s massive home in Windermere, Fla., was finally sold. But the deal fell through, and the palatial estate is now back on the market for $16.5 million, with a few key updates.

    Gone is the ginormous Shaq-sized round bed in the primary bedroom; added is an improved pool area, complete with a summer kitchen, as well as landscaping and minor cosmetic fixes, such as fresh coats of paint and exterior pressure washes.

    But the mansion remains as massive as ever at 31,000 square feet, with a 6,000-square-foot indoor basketball court, 12 bedrooms and 15 baths. Of course, everything about this home was done on a grand scale. The two-story great room alone is more than 1,100 square feet, with its glass walls looking out to the pool and tranquil Lake Butler. The formal dining room, with its handcrafted wood paneling and molding, seats 16. In the kitchen, there’s a Viking six-burner stove, two built-in Wolf steamers, a side-by-side Sub-Zero fridge and freezer plus a second glass-doored fridge and two double-door convection ovens.

    The outsized porte cochere at the home’s entrance 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    Also on the main level are some of the residence’s best amenities: a sound-proofed cinema room; a “gentleman’s room” with game tables, a wet bar, wine fridge and ice maker; a separate, enclosed cedar-planked humidor and wine storage; an aquarium room with a triangular saltwater fish tank; the guest wing with its five en suite bedrooms, great room and bar; and the basketball court.
    On the second level, the primary suite is a secluded retreat that takes up a full wing of the estate. The bedroom is 900 square feet and has a private balcony, a drop-down screen for the projector TV and a marble fireplace. The walk-in closet is actually four separate rooms with custom shelving and a center island. Dual bathrooms have jetted showers, and one has a two-person Jacuzzi tub. Four other en suite bedrooms are also on the second level.

    The great room 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    Shaq likes his cars, so there’s also a 17-car garage with an attached fitness studio. A second garage houses another nine dream machines, as well as a dance studio and an enclosed recording studio (where *NSYNC is rumored to have recorded some of their first songs).
    The property sits on three acres of land in Windermere’s gated neighborhood of Isleworth, a prestigious golfing community with its own string of lakes. It’s in the most secluded section of the neighborhood. While the common amenities offer a lot, so does Shaq’s place. He named his 95-foot pool Shaq-apulco, and it does feel like a private resort out on the terrace with the large hot tub and expansive outdoor kitchen. A tiki-style cabana overlooks the sandy beach on Lake Butler, and there’s 700 feet of lakefront. A dock and boat lift provide direct access to the water.

    The fully loaded kitchen 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The NBA star is selling because he spends much more time in Atlanta these days with his job as a sports analyst for TNT, but he told listing agent Benjamin Hillman the things he’ll miss most about this mansion, which he built in 1990, are “those panoramic views of Lake Butler and the fun water activities like riding his wave runners through the chain of lakes in Windermere.”

    The family room 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The games room 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The home theater 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The 44-foot-long home office 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The huge primary bedroom 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    One of four rooms inside the master walk-in closet 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The two-person jetted tub in the master bath 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    One of the other 11 bedrooms in the home 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The indoor basketball court is wired for sound. 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The dance studio and secondary garage 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    The 95-foot pool is 15 feet deep 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

    Shaq named his pool area Shaq-apulco. 

    Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty More

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    Rihanna Snaps Up a Luxurious 1930s-Era Beverly Hills Mansion for $13.8 Million

    Rihanna apparently caused a big stir by skipping the 2021 Grammy awards, leaving the spotlight to other music superstars like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. Reports said the Barbadian singer’s absence was due to not being nominated—and then there’s the pesky fact that her much-anticipated upcoming album “R9” still has yet to surface, despite being years in the works. Of course, Rihanna’s also been busy with other things, too, like becoming a retail mogul. Sales of the burgeoning cosmetics tycoon’s Fenty Beauty makeup line have gone bonkers, and her Savage x Fenty lingerie brand is now reportedly valued at a whopping $1 billion.

    The Grammys skip might also have something to do with the fact that Rihanna recently found residential love in a not-so-hopeless place. The singer has just acquired a new house—a $13.8 million mansion, to be exact—and the property is located on a highly coveted cul-de-sac in the mountains above Beverly Hills. Neighbors include Sir Paul McCartney, and a few doors away lies a sumptuous estate that was leased for several years to Mariah Carey, and was more recently rented by Madonna during the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Originally built in the 1930s, the Rihanna estate was formerly owned by Mary Sheldon, the daughter of I Dream of Jeanie creator Sidney Sheldon. In 2016, Sheldon sold the dated house for $4.3 million to entrepreneur and investor Daniel Starr, whose acquisition of the property was chronicled on Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing.

    The mansion blends both contemporary and traditional elements. 

    Alexis Adam

    Starr subsequently spent millions to demolish and rebuild nearly every inch of the house (and he would later sue his contractors for those millions, alleging fraud and shoddy workmanship.) Last year, the property was put up for sale, asking $15 million. The transfer to Rihanna appears to have gone down off-market, but the Umbrella empress forked over $13.8 million for the premises, according to tax records.
    Invisible from the street behind tall hedges and big gates, the 7,600-square-foot mansion is approached a driveway that slopes up to meet the two-car attached garage. A curved flight of stairs ascends to the house, which sports a crisply contemporary look with white paint paired against a black metal roof and black trim. The mansion features a “sophisticated design” that “blends both contemporary and traditional elements,” per the listing, and the place pays clear homage to the trendy modern farmhouse look, with its French white oak hardwood floors and open floorplan.

    A glass front door pivots into the foyer, which is dominated by a giant black bull sculpture—grab life by the horns, if you will—and overlooks the proverbial heart of the property: an open-air central courtyard with an al fresco terrace, pool, spa, and firepit.

    The open-air central courtyard features a pool, spa, and firepit. 

    Alexis Adam

    Public spaces of note include a fireplace-equipped living room with walls of Fleetwood glass sliders opening to the outdoors, while the luxe wet bar area goes for a more masculine look with its moody splash of dark gray hues. The bar services an intimate family room/lounge/library with another fireplace, plus floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves.
    The listing describes the kitchen as “stunningly executed.” Indeed, nearly every surface is slathered in marble, and there are not one but two islands, both with brass fixtures. Top-of-the-line stainless appliances service a breakfast banquette that goes way glam with tufted black leather seating.
    Upstairs, the master suite looks as though it just stepped out of a Bali resort travel guide, with a five-star bedroom that overlooks Coldwater Canyon, and a custom closet with black lacquer cabinetry. Decked out in a unique, thickly-veined marble, the spa-esque master bath opens to an al fresco lounge area.

    The estate offers plenty of privacy for the star. 

    Alexis Adam

    The half-acre property is steeply sloped, so tall retaining walls encircle the house and yard, providing security plus privacy—ideal for a big celebrity.
    In case anyone didn’t know, Rihanna is a real estate mogul in the making who owns at least four other multimillion-dollar homes, including a $6.8 million Hollywood Hills estate, a vacation retreat in her native Barbados, and a high-floor condo along LA’s Wilshire Corridor. The 33-year-old’s current main residence, however, is a $5.5 million penthouse in Century City’s coveted The Century skyscraper, where residents have 24/7 concierge and doorman services, plus gym, spa, and in-house restaurant facilities. Some of the high-profile neighbors in that building include Candy Spelling, Matthew Perry, and celeb chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

    Check out more photos below:

    Alexis Adam

    Alexis Adam

    Alexis Adam

    Alexis Adam

    Alexis Adam

    Alexis Adam

    Alexis Adam More

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    Derek Jeter’s $13 Million Lakefront Castle Has an Infinity Pool Shaped Like a Baseball Diamond

    Just 50 miles from Yankee Stadium sits a four-acre parcel on Greenwood Lake, complete with two castles, owned by Derek Jeter. While it’s not a surprise that he may not be spending much time there, considering his current role 1,300 miles away as CEO of the Miami Marlins, it is a surprise that he would sell the property that has long been part of his life and on which he lavished so much time and money.

    Jeter bought the property in 2002 through a holding company, reportedly for $425,000. It was in rough shape, but it had sentimental value for him: He spent summers there with his maternal grandfather while growing up. The home was originally built in the early 1900s by Dr. Rudolph Gudewill for his wife, according to Toptenrealestatedeals.com. It was later sold to John and Julia Tiedemann, who lived there with their 13 children, one of whom, William “Sonny” Connors, they adopted after his parents died. Connors later married a Tiedemann cousin and was Jeter’s grandfather. The Tiedemann family sold the estate in 1996.

    The living room. 

    Photo: Wright Bros./ TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

    When Jeter took it over, the property needed major work. He reportedly spent $3 million on just stone, fixing up the two castles and the grounds, which include a private lagoon with a rock bridge traversing it. At one time the 12,600 square feet of living space was rumored to have held 33 bedrooms. During Jeter’s massive renovation, that was trimmed back to six bedrooms with seven full baths and five half-bathrooms. He also added some extras, like a game room and bar, an office and a gym. There are four indoor kitchens on-site, with a fifth outdoor kitchen. The dark wood-paneled formal dining room and great room are made for large family gatherings.
    Other special, and unusual, details include a turret with a widow’s walk, a dungeon with a spiral staircase, a replica of the Statue of Liberty, a stone waterfall and medieval battlements. Jeter also renovated a boathouse at the edge of the lake and built a pool house beside an oversized infinity pool that’s in the shape of a baseball diamond.

    The pool. 

    Photo: Wright Bros./ TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

    The five-story home has an elevator (even pro athletes don’t always take the stairs) and a total of 24 rooms between both the main castle and the guest castle. It also has 700 feet of dedicated shoreline on the picturesque Greenwood Lake, which has long been a haven for tourists and celebrities, including another famous Yankee, Babe Ruth, as well as Greta Garbo. The castle was often featured on local postcards.

    Now at its new asking price of $12.75 million, the estate is listed with Mary Lovera of Wright Brothers Real Estate. Check out more photos of it below:

    The kitchen. 

    Photo: Wright Bros./ TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

    The main dining room. 

    Photo: Wright Bros./ TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

    Another view of the expansive compound. 

    Photo: Wright Bros./ TopTenRealEstateDeals.com More

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    Home of the Week: Tom Cruise’s 320-Acre Winter Wonderland in Colorado Lists for $39.5 Million

    Tom Cruise would like you to show him the money—$39.5 million, to be precise—before taking a tour of his spectacular 320-acre mountain-top Telluride lodge that the Jerry Maguire star has just listed.

    Finding a buyer for the sprawling compound has proved to be something of a mission impossible for Cruise, 58. He reportedly first privately listed the home back in 2014 for an eye-watering $59 million. With no takers, it quietly came off the market two years later.

    Now with the property market in this chic Colorado ski resort on fire, and the actor reportedly rarely visiting, he’s shaved the price by $20 million and listed it with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty in Telluride. Agents Eric Lavey  and Dan Dockray hold the listing.

    “It’s hard to express just how spectacular this property is,” Dockray tells Robb Report. “It offers the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring views you’ll ever see. It is so private and secluded, yet just minutes from the town of Telluride.”

    The front entrance to the home. 

    Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

    If the cedar-clad, 10,000-square-foot main lodge looks vaguely familiar, it’s where Cruise famously sat down for a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2008. You can still find it on YouTube.
    As Oprah says as she walks up to the house, gazing at the jagged peaks in the background: “I have never seen anything like this in my life. I swear I want to weep, it’s so beautiful.”
    No doubt inspired by the visit, seven years later Oprah paid $14 million for a five-bedroom Telluride cabin just down the mountain from the property, plus $10 million for a prime piece of land nearby that she’s currently developing.

    The kitchen has a wall of fridges. 

    Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

    Surrounded on three sides by national forest land, the Cruise home was, according to the listing, custom-built with privacy in mind. The secluded estate is accessed by a secure, gated entry and a snaking, mile-long driveway through groves of towering aspens.
    Despite its seclusion—the main house sits on an escarpment with panoramic views of the 13,000-foot-high, snow-capped Campbell Peak behind it—it’s only a 10-minute drive from downtown Telluride with its funky shops, restaurants and ski runs.

    The great room has stunning mountain views. 

    Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

    Cruise reportedly bought the first parcel of land in 1992 and spent the next two years working on the home’s design and overseeing the construction. It was completed in 1994. Yet, according to Dockray, it wasn’t until 2002 that the actor acquired all the land now included in the estate—five parcels in total—that make up the 320 acres.

    Clad in bleached cedar timber and native stone, the two-story main house has as its centerpiece a magical living room with a huge stone fireplace, exposed rough-hewn beams and wrap-around windows showcasing those million-dollar views.

    The dining room. 

    Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

    Close by is the family kitchen with industrial-grade appliances, a trio of fridges and a vast central island with twin sinks. Wooden steps lead up to a rustic dining room with stunning oversized, dove-tailed, timber-planked walls.
    A cozy den for movie watching—the new owner will definitely need a bigger TV —features overstuffed sofas and is lined with rustic bookshelves. Other spaces include a billiards room, library and gym. Upstairs are four ensuite bedrooms, and when guests stop by, the home has a stand-alone,1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom guest house.

    The cozy den. 

    Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

    Befitting an action-hero owner, the estate has been designed for outdoor fun. There are dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle trails and snowmobile tracks, along with a labyrinth of hiking and snow-shoeing paths.
    For aircraft-loving Cruise—his upcoming Top Gun: Maverick is set for a July 2 release—the home has added appeal in that its decks are high enough to be able to look down on the private jets flying in and out of Telluride airport. Naturally the estate has its own helipad.

    The billiards room. 

    Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

    In recent years, Cruise is believed to have off-loaded many of his trophy properties in Beverly Hills, New York and England to focus on a penthouse in Clearwater, Fla. Close to the headquarters of Scientology, where the actor is a devout follower, the condo is part of a building designed by Mexican property developer and major Scientology donor Moises Agami.
    The penthouse takes up the ninth and tenth floors of The SkyView tower and is said to feature a 39-foot rooftop infinity pool, a private car elevator and a passageway leading to a smaller condo with a flight simulator, office and gym. More

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    Serena Williams Lists Beverly Hills Home For $7.5 Million (PHOTOS)

    Front Exterior

    LOCATION: 12043 Summit Circle, Beverly Hills, California
    SQUARE FOOTAGE: 6,000
    BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 5 bedrooms & 7 bathrooms
    PRICE: $7,495,999
    Tennis superstar Serena Williams has listed her Beverly Hills home for just under $7.5 million. Located at 12043 Summit Circle in the guard-gated Summit Estates, the Spanish Contemporary style home was built in 2017 and is situated on 1/4 of an acre of home.

    It features approximately 6,000 square feet of living space with 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, foyer with staircase, formal living & dining rooms, gourmet kitchen, family room, rec room with wet bar, gym, wine cellar, 2-car garage and more.
    Outdoor features include a gated driveway, covered patio with BBQ and a swimming pool. More