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      Rupert Murdoch’s Nephew Is Selling a Cliff May-Designed Equestrian Spread for $21 Million

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      After nearly 14 years of ownership, Los Angeles-based businessman David Calvert-Jones has decided to part ways with his longtime residence in the horse-friendly Sullivan Canyon community, on the border of Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. The Australian-born nephew of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch together with his wife Karina are asking a speck under $21.5 million for their revamped spread, which the couple acquired for just over $4 million.

      Before that, the home was owned for almost five decades by Hollywood actress and activist Maxine Cooper, who is best known for her role as private detective Mike Hammer’s secretary Velda in the 1955 film noir classic Kiss Me Deadly, as well as appearances in the TV shows Dragnet, Perry Mason and The Twilight Zone. She and her Oscar-nominated producer and screenwriter husband Sy Gomberg purchased the place for a mere $122,500 back in the mid-’60s.

      The Cliff May-designed home is fronted by a cobblestone motorcourt flanked by an attached three-car garage.

      Tyler Hogan

      Originally built and designed in the early ’40s by noted architect Cliff May, the equestrian property underwent an extensive renovation and expansion during the Calvert-Joneses tenure, and includes a five-bedroom, five-bath house featuring a little more than 6,200 square feet of split-level living space adorned throughout with a mix of stone and rustic hardwood floors, vaulted wood-beam ceilings, ample built-ins, and steel-framed windows and doors framing picturesque views of the garden-laced grounds.

      Hidden away on a leafy cul-de-sac parcel spanning nearly two-thirds of an acre, within the Riviera Ranch enclave that May developed, the creamy stucco, stone and terra-cotta-roof structure is known as “Paradise Found,” and secluded behind walls and a gated driveway lined with mature olive trees. Once inside via an attractive hand-carved wood door, a fireside living room doubles as a screening room and a formal dining room rests beyond a decoratively trimmed entrance with pocketing wood doors.

      Eye-catching walls and an antler chandelier are part of the breakfast room’s unique charm.

      Tyler Hogan

      A glass-lined breakfast room topped by an antler chandelier connects to the gourmet kitchen, which is outfitted with an expansive eat-in island, a pantry and high-end stainless appliances, and other highlights include a family room and private office space. There’s also an inviting primary bedroom suite sporting a sitting area nestled beside a cozy fireplace, two sets of French doors leading outside, a walk-in closet, and spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a built-in soaking tub and separate shower.

      In addition to a large detached guesthouse and horse stable, the exterior amenities also consist of a central courtyard hosting a lengthy swimming pool flanked by an open-air cabana warmed by a fireplace, several al fresco lounging and entertaining spots, and a spacious motorcourt flanked by an attached three-car garage.

      Set on nearly two-thirds of an acre, the property includes a structure where you can keep your horses.

      Tyler Hogan

      The listing is shared by Drew Fenton and Bjorn Farrugia of Carolwood Estates, and Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker Realty.

      Click here for more photos of the “Paradise Found” house.

      Tyler Hogan More

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      A Sleek L.A. Spec Mansion on Storied Hollywood Ground Lists for $45 Million

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      Over in a particularly prime pocket of Los Angeles, on a hallowed parcel once home to legendary Hollywood actress Claudette Colbert, a newly built spec mansion has just popped up on the market. The asking price is a hefty $45 million, or a about $37 million more than the Holmby Hills spread last sold to a development group for almost four years ago, back in March 2019.

      Completed this year, the grand house rests on property that has a celebrity pedigree dating back to the 1930s. That’s when Colbert commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s son Lloyd Wright to build her a striking Colonial-style mansion on a 4-acre hilltop estate surrounded by picturesque gardens, where the It Happened One Night star lived until the ’60s with her husband Dr. Joel Pressman, head of UCLA’s Neck & Hand Surgery Department.

      A vintage souvenir postcard published circa-1941 from the “Homes of Movie Stars in California” series shows a view of Claudette Colbert’s Holmby Hills mansion.

      Nextrecord Archives/Getty Images

      Later owned by retired Northrop Grunman chairman and CEO Kent Kresa, and subsequently occupied by businessman Juan Villalonga, the house sold in 2014 for $7.3 million to a real estate developer who razed Colbert’s home and subdivided the surrounding land into smaller lots. An original piece of the property was next snapped up in 2019 for around $7.6 million by Kohen Development Group, who went on to design and construct a sleek architectural-style home boasting six bedrooms and 12 baths filtered across a little more than 17,600 square feet of three-level living space.

      Tucked away behind a gated driveway and high hedges, on nearly three-quarters of an acre near the prestigious Harvard-Westlake Middle School campus, the contemporary showpiece is centered around a mature olive tree that’s encased by glass walls and sits amid a water feature on the basement level.

      A dining area with a floor-to-ceiling wine display connects to a glass-lined living room overlooking the grounds.

      Christopher Amitrano/CS8 Photo

      Other highlights include a living room flaunting a soaring two-way fireplace clad in stone and dining area sporting a glass-encased wine display, along with a family room that adjoins a gourmet kitchen outfitted with top-tier Miele and PITT appliances, a couple of mini-wine cellars, dual eat-in islands and a secondary prep kitchen. A movie theater with blackout shades flows via pocketing doors to a bar holding court outside, and there also is another bar in a nook off the family room, plus two laundry rooms, an elevator and office space.

      A sumptuous upstairs master retreat features a private balcony, fireplace, hidden ceiling TV, and double walk-in closets and lavish baths, while the aforementioned basement level comes complete with a gym, sauna, and steam and massage rooms; and outdoors, the manicured grounds host a hot and cold plunge pool, circular infinity-edge pool and spa flanked by a sundeck, built-in barbecue, and several spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a roof deck and two-car garage.

      The listing is shared by Mauricio Umanksy and Zach Goldsmith of The Agency, and Aaron Kirman, Bryce Lowe and Kirby Gillon of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate.

      Click here for more photos of 615 N. Faring Road.

      Christopher Amitrano/CS8 Photo More

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      Tom Petty’s Widow Just Spent Millions on a 1920s Spanish-Style Hacienda in L.A.

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      It’s hard to believe six years have passed since 66-year-old music legend Tom Petty unexpectedly died after slipping into unconsciousness at his Malibu home. Since then, Dana York — the Michigan native who was Petty’s wife for the last 16 years of his life — has continued living at the same Malibu estate, though it appears that residential situation could be changing. A trust linked to the Petty family recently paid $6.6 million for a luxury home in L.A.’sLittle Holmby neighborhood, an affluent enclave near UCLA and the bustling Wilshire Corridor.

      Originally built in the 1920s, the Spanish Colonial Revival-style home was recently renovated by its longtime owners, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” executive producer Alec Berg and his wife Michele Maika Berg. The Bergs put their stylish hacienda on the market for $6.25 million, and it appears York fell hard for the keys, as she paid $350,000 over the asking price.

      From the street, most of the roughly 4,600-square-foot house is hidden behind tall hedges and trees. But past a gated courtyard entryway, the five-bedroom, 6.5-bath stunner offers decorative tilework throughout, a wrought iron staircase, lustrous hardwood floors stained a deep brown, arched doorways, and antique French paned windows throughout. But the kitchen is all-new, featuring state-of-the-art luxury appliances and a big island, while the executive office boasts convenient garage access. Rounging out the main floor are a fireplace-equipped living room, a powder room and maid’s quarters.

      Upstairs are the four family bedrooms, the primary suite equipped with an original fireplace and dual bathrooms, plus a bonus room that could be another office or a gym. Views drink in the lush backyard, which is awash with tropically-inspired landscaping. Also out back is a convenient lap pool and a separate hot tub, plus plum and nectarine trees; an outdoor kitchen services a stone patio and multiple terra-cotta terraces.

      There’s also a state-of-the-art security system with multiple cameras monitoring the premises, a detached guesthouse and a full outdoor kitchen with a built-in barbecue center.

      It remains to be seen if York purchased this Little Holmby estate was purchased for her personal use or for her adult son Dylan Epperson, who was recently married. Epperson’s current main residence, also owned by York, is a significantly smaller bungalow in Pacific Palisades. As for York, her longtime main residence is a Mediterranean-style mansion directly overlooking Malibu’s bustling Pacific Coast Highway, originally purchased by Tom Petty way back in 1998. Earlier this year, York sold Petty’s separate Malibu “recording studio,” an oceanfront cottage on Escondido Beach, for $10.3 million to Canadian hotel mogul Salim Sayani. More

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      A Video Game Mogul Just Snapped Up an Ultra-Luxe Mansion for $11.5 Million

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      Though Dave Hagewood enjoys sailing the seas aboard his tricked-out superyacht, the video game designer and entrepreneur has settled on a more permanent locale in Los Angeles. Records reveal the video game designer and entrepreneur—best known as the founder of San Diego-based developer Psyonix, which came out with the hugely successful vehicular soccer title “Rocket League” and was subsequently acquired by Epic Games for an undisclosed amount—recently picked up the keys to an $11.5 million mansion resting on a particularly sought-after street in the westside neighborhood of Brentwood.

      Built in 2019 by prolific developer Ramtin Ray Nosrati of Huntington Estate Properties, the newly acquired property includes six bedrooms and nine baths in 9,300 square feet of living space adorned throughout with bespoke light fixtures, smart-home technology, and an array of fireplaces and water elements. Originally listed for $13 million this past spring, and then reduced to $12 million, the place went to Hagewood and his wife Danielle in late October at a substantial discount.

      Automated Fleetwood doors in the main living spaces allow for a seamless flow to outdoor environs spotlighted by an infinity-edge swimming pool overlooking panoramic views. 

      Nick Frandjian/Open House Foto

      Tucked away behind gates and high hedges, amid a secluded cul-de-sac parcel spanning over a third of an acre, the modern three-story structure is fronted by an attached two-car garage flanked by a waterfall. Fire and water features enhance a floating walkway, which leads into a main level highlighted by a living room sporting a striking veined-marble fireplace stretching to the ceiling, as well as Fleetwood doors spilling out to a terrace and lawn ideal for al fresco entertaining with a cozy fireplace and built-in barbecue station.

      Other standout attributes include a waterfall-clad dining area and fireside family room, both of which connect to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with Italian cabinetry, an eat-in island and top-tier Miele appliances; and upstairs, a plush master retreat features a custom fireplace, wraparound balcony and spacious walk-in closet, plus a spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower.

      Recreation and relaxation is the name of the game on the lower level, which has a four-TV video wall, back-lit onyx bar, gym, movie theater with stadium seating and 1,000-bottle wine cellar. And the glitzy amenities continue outdoors, where the backyard hosts an infinity-edge pool and spa, and the aforementioned roof deck flaunts a bar and fire-pit.

      An expansive roof deck has a cozy sitting area warmed by a fire-pit.

      Nick Frandjian/Open House Foto

      The Charlotte, N.C., native, who is now in his 40s, dropped out of college, and supported himself while learning the game design and development trade. He went on to found Psyonix in 2001, before getting his big break in 2015 with “Rocket League” and ultimately selling the company to Epic Games some four years later.

      Hagewood recently purchased the refitted 184-foot Benetti superyacht Galaxy, which is valued at $25 million; and for now, the couple also still own a Mediterranean-style villa in the Point Loma area of San Diego that they paid about $2.7 million for back in spring 2020.

      The listing was held by Jon Gednalske, Jamie Waryck and Mauricio Umansky of The Agency; Ernie Carswell and Spencer Daley of Douglas Elliman repped Hagewood.

      Click here for more photos of Dave Hagewood’s Brentwood house.

      Nick Frandjian/Open House Foto More

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      Halsey Sold Her $11 Million L.A. Compound to the Director of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’

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      Though the deal was inked off-market, public records confirm that Halsey very quietly sold her big estate on the Los Angeles County outskirts over the summer. The sales price rang in at $11.6 million—not quite the $11.9 million she’d been asking, but still a very big number for the neighborhood. The buyer was neighborhood local and prominent Hollywood director/producer Jon Chu, best known for Crazy Rich Asians, who with longtime wife Kristin already owns a smaller home less than a half-mile away.

      Halsey acquired the big spread barely two years ago for about $10.2 million. It was previously owned by Liam Payne of One Direction fame, who himself bought the place in 2015 from English financier Roger Jenkins, the ex-husband of former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member Diana Jenkins.

      Built in the early 1990s and tucked into the hills between Calabasas and Malibu, in the unincorporated Monte Nido neighborhood, the estate has been gradually upgraded and improved by its laundry list of lavish-living owners. Today, the various structures on the premises include a small gate house for a full-time security guard, a detached 3-car garage, a guesthouse with its own 3-car garage, a pool house, standalone recording studio and a secluded “meditation studio,” per the listing.

      Set on five full acres of land, the gated compound features no fewer than seven distinct structures.

      Google Earth

      And then there’s the 10,000-square-foot main house, a Mediterranean villa-style residence with walnut floors, a chef’s kitchen, two-story library, movie theater, three upstairs bedroom suites and a full basement level with a beauty salon.

      But the property’s stunning grounds are what really steals the real estate show; all five acres are fully landscaped, with grassy lawns, mature sycamores and ancient oaks scattered around the premises. There’s also a vineyard, a dog run, vast patios with an outdoor kitchen, a swimming pool and even a gurgling creek running the property’s full length.

      In her spare time, Halsey dabbles as a real estate mogul—over the past six months, she’s bought two new multimillion-dollar homes: a secluded bungalow in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon and a vintage Spanish-style mansion in Los Feliz. Records also reveal the 29-year-old has long owned two perfectly ordinary houses elsewhere, both of them likely occupied by family members. One of those lies in the prototypical L.A. suburb of Santa Clarita, the other is in New Jersey, the state where she was born and raised. More

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      A Late Billionaire’s Historic Mansion Gets Drastic $55 Million Price Cut

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      Almost five months after it officially hit the market with an eye-popping $250 million price tag—and just a few short weeks after its longtime owner, billionaire telecom pioneer Gary Winnick, passed away at age 76—the Bel Air trophy estate widely known as “Casa Encantada” (loosely translated to “Enchanted House”) has popped up for sale again, this time with a substantially reduced $195 million ask. Back in 2019, it also was quietly floated as an off-market pocket listing, asking $225 million.

      Originally designed and built way back in the 1930s by architect James Dolena, to the reported tune of around $2 million, for Hilda Boldt Weber—a former New York City hospital nurse who married multimillionaire Cincinnati glass manufacturer Charles Boldt, and then inherited a considerable fortune upon his death in the late 1920s—the dwelling was later sold to hotel magnate Conrad Hilton for a mere $225,000 in 1950.

      The home is fronted by a fountain and neoclassical portico entrance.

      Simon Berlyn

      After Hilton passed away in 1979, retired Dole Food Products chairman David Murdock bought the place for $12.4 million in 1980. He subsequently transferred the estate for $94 million in 2000 to Winnick and his wife, artist and author Karen Winnick, who spent more than two years and tens of millions of dollars extensively restoring the premises in collaboration with noted architect Peter Marino. The $94 million deal, it should be noted, was long a residential record for California but also was a non-standard sale, involving both cash and two large pieces of land.

      Tucked away behind walls and gates, amid an 8.4-acre hilltop parcel that juts out over the Bel Air Country Club golf course, the H-shaped mansion is fronted by a motorcourt bolstered by a bubbling fountain and an opulent neoclassical portico entrance, and features seven bedrooms and 20 baths filtered across 40,000 square feet. There also are plenty of glitzy amenities, including a pool pavilion with a bar and movie theater.

      A wood-clad lounge area is warmed by a fireplace.

      Simon Berlyn

      Inside the primary 60-room residence, a grand double-height entry foyer displaying a sweeping staircase greets and flows to a reception hall resting beneath an 18-foot ceiling. From there, the living space is highlighted by dual living and dining rooms, along with a wet bar-equipped den/card room and handsome walnut-paneled study/office lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. There’s also a 3,500-square-foot master retreat boasting double sitting rooms and baths.

      The property, which has no neighbors on either side, sits atop a subterranean tunnel that connects two holes of the exclusive golf course, and overlooks picturesque city, mountain and ocean views; and the resort-like grounds also host rose, herb and tropical gardens, as well as an 80-foot pool, a desirable north/south tennis court with a viewing pavilion, an additional sport court, and numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining.

      A poolside pavilion comes complete with a movie theater.

      Simon Berlyn

      In addition to the Bel Air estate, which is co-listed by Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency and Drew Fenton of Carolwood Estates, Winnick’s widow still maintains a Charles Gwathmey-designed apartment on the 20th floor of New York City’s iconic Sherry Netherland Hotel that’s currently on the market for just under $4.5 million.

      Click here for more photos of Casa Encantada.

      Simon Berlyn More

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      Melanie Martinez’s Stylish Los Angeles Retreat Is Up for Grabs

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      Now that she’s upgraded into a sprawling Mediterranean-style property in Topanga Canyon, an unincorporated Los Angeles neighborhood tucked into the remote hills between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley, Melanie Martinez has unsurprisingly put her custom-built equestrian spread in the prestigious guard-gated Bell Canyon community due north of Calabasas up for sale.

      Records show the singer, songwriter and producer—who first gained fame as a contestant on The Voice in 2012 at just 16 years old, and subsequently blossomed into a “pop star plucked from the imagination of Dr. Seuss”—doled out $3.1 million over the summer for her new home, which has three bedrooms and four baths in a little more than 3,300 square feet of living space.

      Martinez recently paid $3.1 million for this gated estate in semi-remote Topanga Canyon.

      Google Earth

      Meanwhile, the other place she paid $2.1 million for in an August 2022 bidding war is already up for sale at $2.85 million.

      Resting behind a gated brick driveway, amid a heavily wooded parcel spanning almost an acre, the creamy stucco and wood-trimmed structure was custom built in 1979. Stylishly updated during Martinez’s short tenure, the two-story house features four bedrooms and a matching number of baths in 3,420 square feet of open-concept living space adorned throughout with hardwood floors, high ceilings, arched doorways and detailed woodwork.

      Set behind gates and a private brick driveway, the custom-built home draws heavy inspiration from French Normandy architecture.

      Lacey Wood Photography

      Especially standing out is a portico entryway that opens into an eye-catching foyer displaying a vaulted ceiling and staircase. From there, steps descend to a living room sporting a stone fireplace, wall of windows and wet bar, while a family room boasting a two-way white brick fireplace connects to a “completely reimagined” kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island and top-tier stainless appliances. Elsewhere are an office space and a dining room topped by a wrought-iron chandelier.

      Upstairs, the spacious primary bedroom is showcased by a sitting area, walk-in closet, and spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower; and outdoors, the secluded backyard hosts a sundeck-encased pool and spa flanked by a barbecue and kitchen setup with a fireplace, along with a covered terrace ideal for al fresco entertaining. There’s also a barn with three horse stalls, as well as a motorcourt and an attached three-car garage out front.

      The formal living room is highlighted by an exposed-beam ceiling, a bay window and floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace incorporating built-in shelving.

      Lacey Wood Photography

      Listed by Steve Clark of Backbeat Homes, the Bell Canyon property also comes with a $280-per-month HOA fee that provides the new owner with access to the community’s clubhouse and fitness center, tennis courts, and hiking, biking and horse trails.

      Now 28, the New York native is signed to Atlantic Records, through which she released her debut single and EP Dollhouse. The eccentric, visually oriented musician followed that up with the studio albums Cry Baby and K-12 (with an accompanying film), and the EP After School. Most recently, Martinez released Portals, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

      Click here for more photos of Melanie Martinez’s Bell Canyon house.

      Lacey Wood Photography More

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      Michelle Pfeiffer Pays $10 Million for a Sophisticated L.A. Estate on the Palisades Riviera

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      It’s no secret that Michelle Pfeiffer and her television producer husband David E. Kelley have a thing for the posh Westside of Los Angeles. The couple has bought and sold a number of homes there over the past few years, frequently at eye-popping prices. Two years ago, they inked a widely publicized deal to sell a Pacific Palisades mansion for $25 million to the ex-wife of a major TikTok investor. And way back in 2005, they sold a palatial Brentwood home for $18 million to its current owner—Disney CEO Bob Iger.

      Now the serial house flippers are at it again; records indicate they’ve ponied up $10.6 million to acquire a house located in a particularly prime pocket of the so-called Pacific Palisades Riviera. The 7,600-square-foot mansion happens to sit right next door to Bill Cosby’s longtime L.A. home, and it’s also sugar-borrowing distance from the lavish estates of Steven Spielberg, Sugar Ray Leonard and Dan Castellaneta.

      Built in 1993, the Mediterranean-inspired mansion last sold in 1995 for $2.8 million to legendary winemaker Al Scheid, who died in the house earlier this year. Kelley and Pfeiffer were eager to secure the keys to their very beige new castle, as they paid some $130,000 over the Scheid family’s initial asking price.

      The flat 0.38-acre lot is defined by the exceptionally tall trees that ring its perimeter; they dominate the front motorcourt, which is double-gated and features an attached three-car garage. Arched double front doors open into a grand formal entryway highlighted by a sweeping staircase. To the right of the foyer lies a fireplace-equipped living room brightened by multi-pane windows.

      Many of the other rooms are pleasingly luxurious ’90s decorative throwbacks, including the family room—with its granite-topped wet bar and burled hardwood floors—and the kitchen, which spills out into “an informal secondary family room,” per the listing. Upstairs are four of the home’s five bedrooms, all of them decked out in wall-to-wall carpeting. The supersized primary suite features a fireplace, dual closets, a sitting area and a private balcony overlooking the grassy yard.

      Out back, a vine-draped loggia hosts an outdoor dining patio, while terracotta tile steps lead down to rectangular swimming pool shaded by manicured hedgerows and multiple palm trees.

      Pfeiffer and Kelley also have ties to this smaller Palisades home, currently for sale at $7.4 million.

      Open House Foto

      Records also indicate that this is not the only Pacific Palisades property Pfeiffer and Kelley currently own. They’ve also got a far smaller and older house elsewhere in the neighborhood, which happens to be currently up for grabs at $7.4 million. The couple quietly bought that 1940s place in late 2021, paying $6.9 million. More