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      Married Skincare Entrepreneurs Drop $25 Million on a Lavish L.A. Spec Mansion

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      An extravagant Tobe Morrow-designed spec mansion recently traded hands in the ultra-posh Brentwood Park enclave of Los Angeles. The seller was local developer Gil Charash of AMG Capital, who paid $8 million for the existing property on the site in summer 2022, then didn’t even get a chance to officially list the newly built place in its stead before it was snapped up in an off-market deal that reportedly set a price-per-square-foot sales record for the area.

      Property deeds show the eager buyers are Dr. Katie Rodan and her husband Amnon Rodan—she a dermatologist who co-founded the anti-aging skincare powerhouse Rodan + Fields, makers of the acne-management brand Proactiv, and he the former chairman of the company—who doled out a dab over $25 million for the six-bedroom, nine-bath home in early February.

      Completed this year, the Rodans’ new contemporary estate rests on an a little over a half-acre of land secured by gates and enhanced by an attached three-car garage. Roughly 8,000 square feet of two-level living space is adorned throughout with hardwood floors, high ceilings, designer light fixtures and large expanses of glass offering seamless indoor/outdoor environs.

      A lofty wood-beam ceiling tops the living area, which leads out to a covered terrace overlooking the grassy backyard.

      Lawrence Fitz-Simon

      Glassy arched double doors open into an attractive wood-paneled foyer, which flows to a fireside living room spilling out to a covered terrace. There’s also a formal dining room equipped with wine storage, as well as a sleekly designed gourmet kitchen that comes complete with an oversized eat-in island, top-tier appliances and an accompanying breakfast room.

      Elsewhere is a sumptuous master retreat featuring a fireside sitting area, private balcony, walk-in closet, and marble-clad bath spotlighted by an enclosed wet room sporting a soaking tub and shower; and topping it all off are the lushly landscaped grounds, which host a Pickleball court, swimming pool and spa, and numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a detached guesthouse on the premises.

      In addition to their new Brentwood Park home, the couple—who launched the Rodan Family Foundation in 2018—own at least two properties in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades area, including one that’s been razed and is now up for sale at $8.5 million with plans for a new Marmol Radziner-designed structure, as well as houses in Aspen and San Francisco. A year ago, they sold a 6,750-square-foot residence in the California town of Piedmont for $7.2 million, and they also are rumored to have recently paid actor Ben Affleck $28.5 million for another Pacific Palisades mansion that’s currently undergoing an extensive renovation.

      The listing was held by Maxwell Hutchison of Official and Conrad Adamczak of The Beverly Hills Estates; Lisa Kirshner and Dylan Elkin of Guide Real Estate repped the buyers.

      Click here for more photos of the Rodans’ Brentwood Park house.

      Lawrence Fitz-Simon More

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      Extreme Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt Sells His L.A. House for Nearly $4 Million

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      Four months after Nuno Bettencourt hoisted his longtime residence atop the Beachwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles on the market for just under $4 million, the veteran Portuguese-American musician has officially handed the keys over to a new owner.

      Records show the 57-year-old lead guitarist of the iconic Boston rock band Extreme—who also regularly tours with pop superstar Rihanna—has sold the contemporary spread to a non-famous buyer for $3.7 million. Though that’s around $200,000 less than Bettencourt originally wanted, it’s still a healthy $1.6 million more than he paid for the place a little over a decade ago, back in spring 2013.

      Resting amid a hillside parcel spanning roughly one-third of an acre, and fronted by a trio of glassy side-by-side garage bays, the multi-level gray stucco structure was built in the early 1990s and has since been updated. Inside, five bedrooms and six baths are spread across a little more than 5,500 square feet of open-plan living space accented with rustic hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, skylights and an elevator, as well as picturesque views of the Downtown L.A. skyline, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Sign, Lake Hollywood and Pacific Ocean beyond.

      The soaring living room is spotlighted by a seated wet bar.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

      Highlights include a double-height living room sporting a wood-encased fireplace, seated wet bar and sliding glass doors spilling outside. There’s also an office space, a cozy den and formal dining room, plus a gourmet kitchen furnished with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook.

      Elsewhere is a primary bedroom adorned with a sitting area, private balcony, walk-in closet and dressing area, along with a stylish bath that has a soaking tub, separate shower and sauna; and topping it all off are the show-stealing grounds, which host an upper deck holding a pool and spa flanked by a sundeck and an open-air cabana. A guesthouse that previously served as a recording studio can also be found on the premises.

      Some of the most breathtaking scenery in Los Angeles is available from an upper-level pool deck.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

      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.

      Cindy Lorimer and Peter Lorimer of PLG Estates repped both sides of the deal.

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

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios More

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      Actress Nancy Kulp’s Former Los Angeles Home Hits the Market for $2 Million

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      Fresh on the market and overlooking the San Fernando Valley is the former Los Angeles home of the late actress and comedian Nancy Kulp, best remembered for her role as Jane Hathaway in the CBS sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. 

      Listed for just shy of $2 million, the Studio City residence was originally built back in 1946 and has been given an extensive overhaul in the years since. According to the listing, which is held by broker Yana Barenek of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, the single-story abode features three bedrooms and two bathrooms in a modest 1,436 square feet of living space. It also comes with permits for a casita, or a flexible space that can be used as an office or even a yoga studio.

      The living room is adorned with wood-beamed vaulted ceiling and a whitewashed brick fireplace.

      Mark Salazar/Modern View Media

      Nestled on Laurelwood Drive, Kulp’s former pad is positioned behind gates on a roughly 13,895-square-foot lot at the end of a long, semi-private driveway. In fact, it’s right next door to the former home of Kurt Russell (The Thing, Escape From New York) and down the block from where Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Barry) once lived. The exterior of the property is dotted with mature trees for extra privacy. Plus, there’s a pathway flanked by waterfalls on both sides leading up to the entry.

      “The residence feels like a secluded, peaceful sanctuary in the heart of the city,” notes the listing. Inside, the revamped spread comprises vaulted beam ceilings, hardwood floors, whitewashed walls, tons of natural stone, and glass windows and doors galore to amplify the mountain views. The kitchen is decked out with designer fixtures, custom white cabinets, and top-of-the-line appliances. There’s also an adjacent family room with a large fireplace, a six-person dining room, and a lavish primary suite with access to an outdoor deck.  

      A sprawling deck has sweeping views of the mountains over the San Fernando Valley.

      Mark Salazar/Modern View Media

      The grounds have also been transformed and now include a huge, sun-splashed deck with a pergola for shade, a garden with automated irrigation, an EV charging port, and off-street parking for up to five cars.

      Kulp, who died in 1991 at the age of 69 after battling cancer, got her start on My Three Sons in 1962. In 1967, she nabbed an Emmy nomination for her role as Mr. Drysdale’s secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway, and appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies for nine seasons until the show was canceled in 1971.  

      Click here to see all the photos of Nancy Kulp’s former L.A. home. 

      Mark Salazar/Modern View Media

      Authors

      Abby Montanez

      Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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      The Once High-Flying Founder of Bird Scooters Sold His L.A. Mansion at an $11 Million Loss

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      Travis VanderZanden has finally flown the very fancy coop—but he may also have flown a bit too close to the sun. Records show that after three years on and off the market, the controversial and once high-flying tech entrepreneur’s residential albatross in Bel Air has finally sold to a non-famous buyer for just $10.8 million—nearly $11 million less than the $21.7 million he paid comedian Trevor Noah for the contemporary house about 3.5 years ago.

      It’s probably not surprising that VanderZanden would be very motivated to unload his snazzy mansion. A former Lyft COO and Uber vice president, VanderZanden is the founder and former CEO of Bird, the once-popular and nationwide electric scooter-rental service that was valued at $2.5 billion during its 2019 heyday. By 2020, Bird had been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic; in December 2023, the company declared bankruptcy.

      But despite the huge amount of money it cost him, it remains unclear if VanderZanden ever actually lived in the Bel Air house. He bought the hilltop mansion in August 2020, paying $21.7 million. For much of the next six months, the place was undergoing renovations. But in April 2021, VanderZanden somewhat abruptly moved to Miami and his L.A. house was back up for grabs, listed at an optimistic $25 million. By early 2023, the property’s asking price had sunk to $18.9 million.

      Previously owned by Trevor Noah, the glassy house was vacant for much of VanderZanden’s 3.5 years of ownership.

      Sited atop a 1-acre promontory overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club golf greens, the spec-built house was completed in 2019 and first sold for $20.5 million to Noah that same year. Inside, the two levels of sun-drenched interiors span a total of about 10,000 square feet, with six bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms. Highlights include a stone wet bar showcasing a 500-gallon saltwater aquarium, a cigar room, a den with a marble fireplace, a movie theater and separate quarters for a live-in housekeeper or other staff member.

      A stylish catering kitchen is outfitted with a pair of marble islands, plus high-end Miele appliances, custom cabinetry and climate-controlled wine storage for up to 250 bottles. Upstairs, a 2,200-square-foot master retreat flaunts a bar, sitting room, dual showroom closets and marble baths, and an 800-square-foot balcony with dazzling views of the ocean and city lights.

      The family room sports walls of pocketing Fleetwood glass doors that disappear, allowing for easy access to an al fresco dining patio. Beyond, the mostly flat backyard hosts a sprawling lawn and 62-foot infinity pool with a transparent edge that seemingly hovers over the city far below. Topping it all off are a state-of-the-art Control4 home automation system, and fully automated Lutron shades for playing it cool. More

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      Clippers Star Kawhi Leonard Faces a Loss on His Downtown L.A. Penthouse

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      After four years of ownership, Kawhi Leonard has decided to hoist his Downtown Los Angeles penthouse back on the market. And the two-time NBA champ apparently wants to get rid of the seasonal outpost pretty bad—per Realtor.com, he’s priced the swanky pad at $6.5 million, or around $200,000 less than he originally paid.

      Purchased by Leonard for a little over $6.7 million back in winter 2019, the same year the All-Star forward signed with the Clippers, the unit lies on the 43rd floor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live, just steps from the Crypto.com Arena. Since the Gensler-designed structure first opened its doors in 2010, the exclusive building has housed celebs the likes of former Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, Lakers guard Lonzo Ball and filmmaker Jason Blum, just to name a few.

      As for Leonard’s part-time dwelling, the place features three bedrooms and four baths in almost 4,300 square feet of “impeccably designed” living space adorned with a mix of hardwood and carpeted floors, two custom fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass offering picturesque city lights views. There also are magnetic, wall-mounted iPads for controlling the window treatments, as well as Crestron and Lutron home-automation systems.

      A vestibule flows into a spacious living area displaying one of the aforementioned fireplaces, built-in shelving and plenty of room for a pool table, and an adjacent kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying dining area. There’s also a chic master retreat boasting a luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and steam shower.

      Topping it all off are plenty of building amenities courtesy of a substantial $5,880 monthly HOA charge, including a dedicated concierge, heated rooftop pool, spa, fitness center, valet parking and 24-hour hotel room service. Two parking spots also come with Leonard’s penthouse.

      Lest his fans be worried, it doesn’t look as if Leonard is planning to leave L.A. anytime soon—especially since he signed a massive three-year, $152.4 million contract extension in January. According to Yardbarker, it more likely stems from the fact that the Clippers are planning a move into the Inglewood-based Intuit Dome for the 2024-25 season. On the real estate front, the 32-year-old Moreno Valley native also still maintains a hilltop mansion in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood that he purchased for $17.1 million about three years ago. More

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      Judd Apatow Drops $32 Million on a Sleek Beverly Hills Mansion

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      After recently selling their posh and longtime Los Angeles home for $27 million to heavyweight lawyer Brian Panish, records reveal Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann have now bought a smaller home, albeit an even more expensive one in an arguably even posher part of town. The empty nesters doled out nearly $32 million for their new place, a single-story stunner in the western reaches of Beverly Hills.

      Unfortunately for the seller—apparel mogul Maurice Marciano, cofounder of the Guess clothing brand—that sale price is roughly $3.6 million less than he paid for the house barely a year ago, when he bought it for a lofty $35.5 million.

      The single-level home features automated steel and glass walls and doors throughout.

      Mark Singer

      Originally built in the 1950s as a humble midcentury ranch-style structure, the house underwent a dramatic rebuild and expansion a few years ago. Today, invisible from the street behind locked gates and towering hedges, the glossy and decidedly bespoke showpiece is described as the “embodiment of architecture as art,” and features five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in a mansion-sized 9,300 square feet of living space. Set on nearly an acre of land near historic Greystone Manor, the trophy estate also features a dark-bottom swimming pool, grassy lawns and manicured gardens.

      Property highlights include a “floating” entryway seemingly cantilevered over moat-like water features, hand-combed limestone throughout, imported white oak floors, exotic marble slabs and a media room almost totally swaddled in cashmere. A recurring theme throughout the house is the dichotomy of its floorplan, which can be either cozy or totally open depending on the homeowner’s whims, with numerous walls of steel and glass that disappear and reappear at the touch of a button.

      The skylit kitchen offers two marble-topped island with plenty of storage space.

      Mark Singer

      All five of the property’s bedrooms feature ensuite bathrooms and their own “private gardens,” per the listing, and the primary suite additionally offers a sitting area and boutique-style dressing room. The kitchen is primed for grand-scale entertaining, with its dual marble islands and commercial-grade stainless appliances, and also on tap are a library, a gym and a formal dining room with silk ceilings and walls, plus its own temperature-controlled glass wine closet.

      In addition to garaging for up to five cars, the residence is fronted by a sizable cobblestone motorcourt. Out back, the park-like grounds encircle an outdoor fireplace flanked by its own lounge area, and there are multiple spaces dedicated to al fresco dining or sunbathing.

      Surrounded by mature trees, the park-like estate offers ample space for al fresco entertaining.

      Mark Singer

      Apatow, a super-prolific Hollywood director/producer (Bridesmaids, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Mann continue to maintain a $9 million condo in New York City’s leafy West Village neighborhood. More

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      ‘District 9’ Star Sharlto Copley Doles Out $4.4 Million for a Stunning Lakefront Estate

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      Though most folks might know him best as main protagonist Wikus van de Merwe from the Oscar-nominated science-fiction film District 9, South African actor Sharlto Copley is now appearing as wealthy businessman Michael Fouchay in the 12th and final season of the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm. He’s also making his presence known on the Los Angeles real estate scene, having splashed out $4.4 million for a stunning spread tucked away in the picturesque hills between Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks, in an unincorporated area known as Lake Sherwood.

      Resting beyond a streetside two-car garage/artist studio and gated driveway, the French Country-style mansion is nestled amid almost one-third acres of land overlooking Lake Sherwood and the Santa Monica Mountains. Built back in 2003, the three-story home has four bedrooms and six baths in a little more than 6,600 square feet of living space.

      Double front doors open into a turreted entrance foyer displaying a curving staircase that heads down to a main level holding living and family rooms, each with fireplaces boasting hand-carved mantles. A formal dining room can seat up to 10, while the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with decorative wood cabinetry, a central island, breakfast bar, top-tier stainless appliances, a dumbwaiter and an accompanying breakfast room.

      Other highlights include a handsome bookshelf-lined office, plus a lower level flaunting a wet bar-equipped great room/movie theater, as well as a bespoke wine cellar that can accommodate up to 3,800 bottles. Upstairs, a sumptuous master retreat comes complete with a sitting area, fireplace, dual walk-in closets, and a spa-like bath offering dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower.

      Four additional en-suite bedrooms and a secondary bedroom also can be found on the upper floor. But the undeniable star of the show are the eye-catching grounds, which host a stacked-stone fireplace, full kitchen bedecked with a built-in barbecue, sport court, and an infinity-edge pool and raised spa overlooking the lake. Also on the premises: a couple of vineyards, per the listing, along with an extra three-car garage.

      In addition to his newly acquired Lake Sherwood house, the 50-year-old actor—who also has appeared in The A-Team, Elysium and Chappie—maintains a smaller house in the Hollywood Dell area of L.A. that he acquired for $860,000 back in early 2013.

      The listing was held by Mark Tyoran of Keller Williams Westlake Village. More

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      A Tech Entrepreneur Spent $13 Million on Late Architect Harry Gesner’s Unique Malibu Home

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      Famed Malibu architect Harry Gesner died in summer 2022, just weeks after his 97th birthday. To say Gesner led a colorful life would be putting it mildly; the word “epic” is probably be more apt. Born in Southern California to an engineer father and an artist mother, he was flying planes by age 14. At 19, he stormed the beach at Normandy; after the war, he first worked as a waterski instructor in Lake Arrowhead before turning down an invitation from Frank Lloyd Wright to study at Wright’s Taliesin architecture school in favor of being a tomb raider in Ecuador. Along the way, he famously dated numerous models and actresses, fraternized with Errol Flynn and Marlon Brando, collected fancy sports cars and surfed every day into his late eighties.

      Gesner designed many homes all over California, but his best-known works are found on the shores of his beloved and adopted hometown of Malibu. Among them are the iconic Wave House, designed for one of the architect’s surfing buddies with a copper-scale-topped roofline that resembles a series of cresting waves.

      Next door to Wave House is Gesner’s own longtime family abode, which he called Sandcastle. Completed in 1974, it is a testament to Gesner’s commitment to sustainable building practices. Among the salvaged materials used for its construction are old telephone poles, wall panels made from aqueduct pipes, birdseye maple from a high school gym, marble from public baths that were about to be demolished, old-growth redwood harvested in the 1800s, and windows and doors saved from one of Hollywood’s silent film theaters.

      First listed last year at $27.5 million, the oceanfront house has just sold for a heavily slashed $13.5 million. The discount-minded buyer is tech entrepreneur Jason Fried—co-founder and CEO of Basecamp, a multibillion-dollar project management firm, and a noted architecture enthusiast. Last year, Fried dropped $26 million on an especially glorious old estate in the California’s Carmel Highlands neighborhood.

      At the Sandcastle home’s entry is a library/lounge with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and ocean views. From here, one proceeds to the heart of the house, a commodious, window-wrapped living/dining room featuring massive spoke-like beams, wood-plank ceilings, and a vast brick fireplace at its hub. Modeled after the Hollywood Bowl, the fireplace and its large polished concrete hearth served as a stage for Gesner’s wife, actress Nan Martin.

      Echoing the cylindrical shape of the house itself, the kitchen wraps around a circular island and has tile countertops, stained glass lunettes fitted into the beams overhead, a fireplace, updated appliances, a breakfast bar, and a walk-in pantry. Adjacent to the dining area is a solarium with stained glass panels, beyond which lies the wraparound deck.

      The home’s main level also contains two en-suite bedrooms, one with built-ins making it suitable for use as an office. Upstairs is the primary suite tower, featuring lofty ceilings, a brick fireplace, eyebrow windows, a sitting area with ocean view, and a spiral staircase with handmade driftwood treads corkscrewing up to a studio/loft/meditation space.

      Additional structures on the .73-acre property include a “tree house” apartment with kitchenette, living room/dining area, bedroom, bath, and wraparound deck; a “boat house” with a full kitchen, ocean-view living/dining room with a built-in table and porthole windows; and another one-bedroom apartment “nest” with ocean view and stained glass above an indoor/outdoor cabana. There’s also a three-car garage with additional parking pad.

      Along with 122 feet of beachfront, exterior amenities include a covered deck, a brick patio, a lawn, an outdoor shower, surfboard and other storage areas, a staircase to the beach, and multiple vantage points from which to enjoy glorious sunset views. More