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      A Prominent Attorney Is Seeking $33 Million for This Historic Montecito Gem

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      Back in 2004, Robert Lieff and his then-wife Susan paid $4.5 million for a historic residence in the seaside enclave of Montecito and then spent another $2 million on renovations. A year later, the couple divorced and the home went to Susan, with Lieff relocating to Napa and San Francisco to be closer to Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, the plaintiff law firm he founded in 1972 that’s widely known for representing landmark civil cases such as the Exxon Valdez oil disaster.

      Fast-forward a few years, and Lieff ultimately ended up repurchasing the place from his ex-wife for nearly $12 million in summer 2012. “I knew I would get this house back sooner or later,” he told The Wall Street Journal at the time. “I always wanted this house.” 

      But that was then; and now, over a decade later, Lieff and his current wife Gretchen have decided to put the Spanish Revival mansion dubbed “Los Sueños” (translated to “The Dreams”) up for sale, asking a hefty $33 million. The listing is held by Cristal Clarke of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties.

      A lengthy tree-lined driveway empties out at a motorcourt bolstered by a central fountain.

      Jim Bartsch

      Built and designed by noted Santa Barbara architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Riggs way back in the late 1920s for Rachael Ogilvy Douglas, daughter of a linen manufacturer, the dwelling was later owned in the ’80s by Joan Cohn Harvey, the widow of Columbia Pictures President Harry Cohn. During their tenure, the Lieffs restored the premises and updated a garden originally designed by landscape architect A.E. Hanson.

      Tucked away behind a lengthy gated and tree-lined driveway, on a parcel spanning just over 3 acres, the white stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure features seven bedrooms and nine baths in almost 11,000 square feet of living space adorned throughout with a mix of marble and hardwood floors, custom chandeliers and groin-vaulted ceilings. There’s also a four-story tower guesthouse, which has a spiral staircase that travels from a bottom living area up to a kitchen, bath and top-floor bedroom offering ocean views.

      A fountain-clad motorcourt greets, with the front door opening into an entry foyer that flows to an impressive central hallway displaying black-and-white marble floors, a soaring rib-vaulted ceiling, and fanlight-topped French doors spilling out to a red brick terrace nestled alongside a square pool flanked by sculptures. Back inside, a formal living room is adorned with a fireplace and trio of green-trimmed French doors leading out to a balcony, while the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances, a butler’s pantry and an adjoining breakfast nook.

      A striking wood-paneled living room has a fireplace and multiple doors opening to a terrace.

      Jim Bartsch

      In addition to a formal fireside dining room boasting checkered marble floors and handsome wood-paneled library/office, a hotel-like master retreat sports a fireplace, sitting area, and dual walk-in closets and baths; and outdoors, the manicured grounds are dotted with rose gardens, olive trees and an orchard, and host the aforementioned courtyard and pool, along with a tennis court and four-car garage.

      Lieff, 87, and his wife Gretchen, a former TV journalist, also own and operate wineries in the California cities of Napa and San Luis Obispo.

      Click here for more photos of Robert Lieff’s historic Montecito estate.

      Jim Bartsch More

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      This Cozy Montecito Cottage Once Owned by Larry David Can Be Yours for $7.5 Million

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      In the fall of 2021, “Curbed Your Enthusiasm” creator and star Larry David plunked down $5.7 million for a historic home in the Hedgerow neighborhood in the celeb-packed seaside community of Montecito, California, that he lickety-split sold just eight months later for $6.9 million. 

      Like David, the buyer appears to have also caught a case of the real estate fickle because the property popped up for sale earlier this year for $8 million and has since had the asking price reduced to $7.5 million. The listing is held by Tyler Kallenbach at Compass.

      Designed and built in 1929 in a French Normandy style by celebrated high-society architect George Washington Smith—a departure from the Spanish Colonial Revival-style homes for which he is most widely known—the stately if modestly proportioned home measures less than 2,900 square feet with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms.

      The $7.5 million cottage faces a slender, hedge-lined lane.

      Blake Bronstad Photography

      Situated just a mile from the coastal village’s downtown district, the entrance to the home is along a narrow one-way lane. Vintage character abounds outside and inside, and beyond the simple, unassuming slate-blue front door, interiors bend toward elegant and cozy rather than grand. Bespoke finishes and expert craftsmanship work together with delicately patterned wallpaper and floral-patterned curtains to create a sophisticated yet comfortable and casual environment.

      The living room’s soaring, wood-beamed ceiling is anchored by a stone fireplace; chunky exposed wood adds rusticity to the adjacent dining room; and a spacious butler’s pantry connects the dining room to the kitchen. Guest bedrooms are ample, and guest baths are updated with vintage charm, while the primary bedroom offers a fitted dressing room and an unexpectedly large bathroom with a chrome-sided soaking tub.

      The updated kitchen is complemented by a spacious butler’s pantry.

      Blake Bronstad Photography

      The back of the house is encrusted in vines, and the one-fifth-acre spread’s various gardens include brick terraces and pathways, a built-in potting bench, numerous citrus trees, and a metal tea house.

      Tax records indicate the seller has already purchased another larger and no less charming house in the same neighborhood, while David went on to buy another, substantially larger Montecito home last year for $7.6 million. He also maintains residences in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades and on Martha’s Vineyard.

      Click here for more photos of 175 Miramar Avenue.

      Blake Bronstad Photography More

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      Dodgers Star Mookie Betts Relists Tricked-Out L.A. Compound at a Discounted $8.5 Million

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      Mookie Betts is doubling down on his efforts to unload the Los Angeles residence he’s owned since 2020. After eight months on the market with no takers, the Dodgers right fielder and six-time Golden Glove winner has relisted his swanky estate in the San Fernando Valley community of Encino for a smidge under $8.5 million—or $1.5 million less than he was originally asking for the place in February.

      Records show Betts paid UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly $7.6 million for the property back in fall 2020, around the same time he helped his team capture its first World Series title in over three decades. Since upgraded with some particularly custom touches, the 2018-built spec home has nine bedrooms and 10 baths in a little more than 9,400 square feet of living space boasting white oak hardwood floors, high ceilings and oversized windows throughout.

      A double-height entry foyer greets with a striking staircase.

      Anthony Barcelo

      Resting amid a walled and gated parcel spanning over a half-acre of land, the modern farmhouse-style structure is fronted by a circular driveway. A pair of attached two-car garages flank the front door, which opens into a soaring entry foyer topped by a designer light fixture and displaying a curving staircase.

      From there, highlights include formal living and dining rooms, along with a fireside family room that connects to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with upscale Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, a large walk-in pantry and an accompanying breakfast nook; and elsewhere are a movie theater, sauna, temperature-controlled wine cellar, and luxe upstairs master retreat sporting a fireplace, sitting area, private balcony, and dual closets and baths.

      Especially standing out is a personalized indoor basketball court.

      Anthony Barcelo

      Outdoors, the resort-like grounds host a bar and kitchen setup ideal for al fresco entertaining, as well as a zero-edge pool flaunting a spa and sunken fire-pit-equipped lounge, an open-air cabana, a putting green and an additional freestanding fire-pit surrounded by built-in seating. There’s also an air-conditioned building that houses a gym and blue-hued basketball court emblazoned with the initials “MB,” plus a two-bedroom guesthouse with its own kitchen and fireside living room.

      Nashville-born Betts, 31, has played professional baseball since 2014, launching his career with the Boston Red Sox. He was traded to the Dodgers in 2020, and subsequently inked a $365 million contract extension that will keep him with the Boys in Blue through the 2032 season.

      The listing is held by Morgan Trent of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate.

      Click here for more photos of Mookie Betts’ Encino house.

      Anthony Barcelo More

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      Imagine Dragons’ Frontman Just Scored $16 Million for Kurt Russell’s Former Malibu House

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      Nestled near the eastern end of Malibu‘s Broad Beach, a Balinese-influenced tropical hideaway has sold for $16.7 million — under the $18 million asking price, but far more than the $11.3 million the house last fetched just three years ago, during the pandemic-gripped summer of 2020. The lucky seller was Grammy-winning vocalist Dan Reynolds, lead singer of internationally famous rock band Imagine Dragons; the buyers were low-profile businessman John Vojtech and his wife Luz Estela.

      Built in the late ’70s, the oceanfront mansion sports a Hollywood pedigree. For many years, it served as a vacation getaway for long-coupled actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who filled the home with numerous Buddhas and other eclectic furnishings during their ownership.

      After many years of attempting to sell the four-bedroom, 4.5-bath spread, Hawn and Russell unloaded the property in 2013 for $9.5 million. The non-famous buyer made very few alterations to the home and even retained some of Hawn and Russell’s furniture, including their campy four-poster bed in the master suite. That buyer eventually sold the house to Reynolds, who likewise made few changes and also retained Hawn and Russell’s bed.

      Behind high walls and gates, a stone Ganesha watches over a tranquil, bamboo-filled courtyard watched connecting the detached three-car garage to the 4,200 sq. ft. main house. Inside, a soaring foyer overlooked by a gallery steps down to a double-height living room with a stone fireplace and wet bar, and the adjoining dining room is filled with ornate furnishings that include a crystal chandelier, a decorative animal tusk and what appears to be an East Asian-influenced sculpture.

      The dining room opens to the gourmet kitchen, which is spacious and equipped with all the expected high-end stainless appliances. Upstairs, the master suite includes a fireplace, large closet, private ocean-view balcony and a bathroom hewn almost entirely from Chinese onyx. There are two additional guest suites in the main house, plus a Creston-operated media room and an oversized office.

      Directly above the detached garage lies a petite guesthouse with a bedroom, bath, kitchenette, and sitting area that does double duty as a gym. And in the backyard, an oceanside alfresco dining terrace is overlooked by the main home’s towering back wall of smoked glass. There are also various fountains, an outdoor fireplace, and private trails leading down to the beach — things that form the real estate dreams of so many Malibu beachgoers.

      Some of the nearby Broad Beach homeowners include Pierce Brosnan, Ray Romano, “Friends” creator Marta Kauffman, Dustin Hoffman and Mindy Kaling. More

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      Extreme Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt Strums out of Viewtastic Hollywood Hills Retreat

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      Nuno Bettencourt needs more than words! In this particular scenario, the veteran Portuguese-American musician is seeking a fairly substantial chunk of change for his longtime residence that just popped up for sale atop the Beachwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles.

      The 57-year-old lead guitarist of the iconic Boston rock band Extreme—who also regularly tours with pop superstar Rihanna—is asking just under $4 million for the contemporary architectural-style spread, or around $1.8 million more than he paid for the place a little over a decade ago, back in spring 2013.

      Built back in the early 1990s, but since updated, the home features five bedrooms and six baths filtered across a little more than 5,500 square feet of open-plan living space boasting dark hardwood floors, high vaulted ceilings, skylights and an elevator, plus stellar views of the Downtown L.A. skyline, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Sign, Lake Hollywood and Pacific Ocean beyond.

      Some of the most spectacular scenery in Los Angeles is available from almost every vantage point.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

      Nestled on roughly a third of an acre of land, the multi-story gray stucco structure is fronted by a trio of glassy side-by-side garage bays, with the front door opening into a soaring living room flaunting an attractive wood-encased fireplace, seated wet bar and sliding glass doors spilling outside.

      Other main-level highlights include an office space, a cozy den and formal dining room, along with a gourmet kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island, high-end stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook; and upstairs, a spacious master retreat is decked out with a sitting area, private balcony, walk-in closet and dressing area, as well as a spa-inspired bath equipped with a soaking tub, separate shower and sauna.

      The studio where Extreme recorded its latest almost Six has been converted into a guesthouse.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

      The outdoor setting definitely steals the proverbial rock show, complete with an upper-deck oasis hosting a pool and spa nestled alongside a sundeck and an open-air cabana. There’s also a guesthouse that was previously used as a recording studio.

      Extreme achieved its greatest success with the 1990 album Pornograffitti, which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and went on to earn a double-platinum certification. The album featured the hit singles Hole Hearted and More than Words, the latter of which remains one of the most popular rock songs of all time with more than a half-billion streams and upwards of 633 million YouTube views.

      The group recently released its first studio album since 2008; Six was recorded at Bettencourt’s home studio and landed at No. 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, with 12,500 copies sold during the first week.

      The listing is held by Cindy Lorimer and Peter Lorimer of PLG Estates.

      Click here for more photos of Nuno Bettencourt’s Hollywood Hills house.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios More

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      Jennifer Aniston Lived at This L.A. Compound While Filming ‘Friends.’ Now It Can Be Yours for $2.5 Million.

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      A Los Angeles compound where Jennifer Aniston lived while shooting the Emmy Award-winning sitcom Friends is on the market, and honestly, we couldn’t be any more excited. 

      Originally built in 1936, the storied Laurel Canyon estate has played host to a fair share of prominent Hollywood figures over the years. Most notably, the hilltop spread was the long-time residence of actor-producer Beach Dickerson and later, author and celebrity matchmaker—to put it politely!—Scotty Bowers. Following Bowers’s passing in 2019, husband-and-wife houseflippers Corbin Bernsen and Amanda Pays took ownership and put the place through a massive renovation. Interestingly enough, Beach willed the Kew Drive dwelling to Bernsen, who was also his godson. 

      The quirky, celeb-pedigreed compound perched atop Laurel Canyon was just listed for $2.59 million.

      Sergii Dolgyi

      Dubbed “The Crown Jewel,” the city-view compound features a total of four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Occupying less than 6,000 square feet, the lot comprises multiple structures—a main house, an A-Frame guest cottage, a pool house, and a bungalow nestled into the hillside below the pool. The latter is nicknamed “El Nido de Nestor” after its former tenant, Oscar-winning Spanish cinematographer Nestor Almendros.  

      “What sets this property apart is its unassuming charm; it’s been dubbed the Crown Jewel of Laurel Canyon, yet it maintains the laid-back, funky vibe that draws buyers to this neighborhood,” says Compass agent Wendy Moore in a press statement. “Truly, it’s a one-of-a-kind gem.” 

      The circa-1930s home has a long ownership history and counts Friends star Jennifer Aniston as a former resident.

      Sergii Dolgyi

      Inside, the two-bed main pad has a lot going on design-wise and is almost as quirky as the Friends apartment itself. The space sports walls of glass in the living/dining room and black-and-white checkerboard flooring in the simply updated kitchen. Outside the living/dining room, brick and concrete terracing surround the swimming pool and spa.

      The city-view compound includes an A-frame guest house with a loft-style bedroom.

      Sergii Dolgyi

      From the photos, the pool house looks as if it doubles as a gym, while the one-bed “El Nido de Nestor”bungalow is currently set up as an office or a studio. Elsewhere, the rustic wood-clad A-frame guest cottage is decked out with its own kitchenette and a lofted bedroom.  

      According to property records, the abode last sold in 2020 for $2 million. Now, it’ll cost you just shy of $2.6 million to acquire The Crown Jewel. 

      Click here to see more photos of Jennifer Aniston’s former home. 

      Sergii Dolgyi More

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      In a Leafy L.A. Suburb, This Revamped Midcentury Modern Is Primed for the Spotlight

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      Just a short commute north of Los Angeles lies the peaceful and quietly affluent town of La Cañada Flintridge, better known to locals as just La Cañada. Bordered by the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains, the once semi-quaint town has become a refuge for upscale families seeking serenity, great schools and easy access to numerous hiking trails.

      Just steps from the forest, this stunningly restored midcentury modern is sure to make any number of moneyed buyers swoon. Originally built in 1958 and designed by architecture firm Burge-Roach, the single-story residence was recently overhauled by ASOM HOME, a design team led by Marieke Ochtman and Annie Segal, the latter the daughter of legendary L.A. tastemaker Fred Segal. With the project now officially wrapped, the house is on the market — asking just a smidge under $4 million.

      Ochtman and Segal focused on creating cohesive living spaces that blend original features with updated finishes. The five-bedroom, four-bath structure remains headlined by the strikingly glass-walled living room, which flaunts its original wood-beamed ceilings. Second up to bat is the essentially all-new kitchen, which services a great room anchored by an original circular fireplace.

      There’s also a formal dining room with a convenient wet bar, a primary bedroom suite with unobstructed views of the swimming pool, and numerous sliding doors opening to the tree-shaded yard, which spans just under half an acre. 

      Out back, the manicured grounds include a large, trellis-covered patio with a fire-pit and wooden decks ideal for outdoor entertaining. Near the far rear of the lot, the sparkling swimming pool is privately watched over and shaded by mature trees.

      Though it remains a low-key bedroom community seemingly a world apart from the hustle and glitzy bustle of Hollywood, celebrities have found their way to La Cañada in recent years. Current area residents include Donald Glover, Mario Lopez, actor Topher Grace and “Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi.

      Rob Kallick and Mary Regal of Compass hold the listing.

      Click here for more photos of this revamped midcentury modern in La Cañada. More

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      Philanthropist Ann Lurie Seeks $12.8 Million for Magical Santa Barbara Estate

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      Ann Lurie has hoisted her longtime midcentury residence in Santa Barbara’s posh seaside Montecito enclave onto the market with a nearly $12.9 million price tag. Records show the prominent philanthropist—widow of the late Chicago entrepreneur Robert H. Lurie, a partner of real estate magnate Sam Zell, as well as part owner of the Chicago White Sox and Bulls sports teams—acquired the sprawling estate for $8.3 million a little more than 18 years ago, back in summer 2005.

      Originally designed and built in the late 1940s by landscape architect Lockwood de Forest Jr., and subsequently updated and expanded through the years, the property is sited on over 3 acres, amid a walled and gated cul-de-sac lot brimming with mature oak, redwood and fruit trees, and is showcased by a sprawling five-bedroom, five-bath main house adorned throughout with rustic wood accents and expansive walls of glass providing seamless indoor/outdoor environs.

      A vintage fireplace serves as a centerpiece of the windowed media room.

      Highlights include an entry foyer topped by a wood-trimmed skylight, as well as an office sporting a built-in desk and a cozy media room warmed by an eye-catching fireplace. The kitchen is outfitted with a central island, stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook, and elsewhere is a fireside master retreat boasting a bath equipped with a steel-encased soaking tub and sauna.

      Especially standing out are the grassy grounds, which host an elaborate kitchen and barbecue setup resting next to an al fresco dining area, along with a sunken fire-pit, and massive infinity-edge pool and spa flanked by a wood sundeck overlooking the breathtaking scenery. There’s also a separate one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse with its own living area and kitchen, plus a detached three-car garage.

      A sail-shaped pool overlooks the ocean.

      Lurie inherited her husband’s substantial wealth after his 1990 death from colon cancer at age 48. As president of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation, she’s since made it her full-time mission to fund various causes, including cancer research and children’s health care. Among her largest gifts to date: a $100 million contribution in 2007 to the Children’s Memorial Hospital to help build a new pediatric research hospital; completed in 2012, it was named the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

      She previously sold a historic 18,000-square-foot home in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood to the Latin School of Chicago for $12 million in 2017—the highest-priced sale in the Chicago area at the time.

      The listing is by the Randy Solakian Estates Group, a team affiliated with the Montecito office of Coldwell Banker Realty.

      Click here for more photos of Ann Lurie’s Santa Barbara house.

      Gavin Palmer More