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      Marilyn Monroe’s Iconic L.A. Home Was Bought by the Billionaire Heiress Next Door

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      Earlier this month, news of the pending demolition of Marilyn Monroe’s famed Los Angeles home went viral. Since then, onlookers have wondered who would pay more than $3,000 per square foot — already a very high price for the neighborhood — only to tear down the local landmark.

      The property quietly changed hands in August, when it sold to a mysterious trust (“Glory of the Snow 1031 Trust”) that paid about $8.4 million, in cash, for the place. The trust’s trustee is Andrew Schure, a Philadelphia-based businessman.

      Many speculated that the new owner was a greedy developer, or a high-flying tycoon looking to build a custom dream home on the half-acre lot. But the real story is a little more complex.

      This week, the L.A. tour bus service Esotouric uncovered a very big clue to the owner’s identity. Recent photos reveal the wall and hedge between Monroe’s home and the much larger house immediately next door have been removed, an indicator that the two properties are being linked together to create one large compound.

      The house next door is owned by a notably wealthy heiress named Brinah Milstein, who is married to Roy Bank — a former reality television producer and Philadelphia native. Milstein acquired her current Brentwood home, a 2006-built mansion that spans some 6,000 square feet of living space, in 2016 for about $8.2 million.

      The acquisition of Monroe’s house gives Milstein more than 1-acre of prime Brentwood land.

      Google Earth

      Milstein, 42, is a daughter of the late Carl Milstein, a powerful businessman who was one of Cleveland’s most prominent real estate developers. In the 1970s, he served prison time for bribing a federal housing official; he also founded Associated Estates (AEC), which became one of the largest owners and managers of apartment buildings in Ohio.

      In 2015, AEC was sold for $2.5 billion. Today, some of Brinah Milstein’s siblings are executives at Milstein Asset Management, a single family office with a portfolio of assets and investments worth “billions of dollars.”

      In addition to her two-property, $16.6 million Brentwood compound, records indicate Milstein recently bought an oceanfront vacation home in Newport Beach, Calif., paying $8.2 million.

      Milstein’s $8.2 million vacation home in Newport Beach.

      Google Earth

      It’s still unclear what Milstein and Bank plan to do with the Monroe property once the house is torn down, though it seems destined to became one piece of a larger estate. Clearly, the vacant lot would have more than enough space to accommodate a full-size tennis court, a guesthouse, gardens or garages for additional parking.

      But for folks upset by Milstein’s plans, all hope is not yet lost. Last week, the L.A. city council unanimously voted to consider the house for historic preservation, prompting the building department to revoke Milstein’s demolition permit. Beyond that, immediate neighbors of the Monroe house have told Robb Report that they’ve spoken directly to Milstein, who they claim has already changed her mind about tearing down the iconic home.

      Neighbors say Milstein may have changed her mind about tearing down Monroe’s hacienda.

      Mercer Vine

      Some vocal critics have derided all the hullabaloo about Milstein’s demolition plans. They point out that the Monroe house is just another Spanish-style hacienda, one of thousands in L.A., and that it has been remodeled multiple times since Monroe’s death, leaving the 2,600-square-foot structure an imperfect blend of 1920s throwback and 2000s modernity. Why does it matter that one of Hollywood’s most famous stars lived and died there decades ago, they say.

      But “imperfection is beauty,” Monroe once noted. So maybe her little slice of Brentwood imperfection will stick around to see another year.

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      Kaley Cuoco Is Buying and Selling L.A. Houses

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      Kaley Cuoco is shuffling her Los Angeles property portfolio once again. A little over three months after her contemporary mansion in a semi-remote part of Agoura Hills popped up for sale with a $7 million ask, she’s already picked up the keys to a nearly 2-acre spread tucked away in a gated Westlake Village community, on the outskirts of L.A.

      Records show the veteran TV and film actress—probably most known for her role as Penny on The Big Bang Theory, as well as Based on a True Story, The Flight Attendant and those ubiquitous Priceline commercials—has doled out $6.4 million for a modern ranch-style home that was built new in 2023, and features five bedrooms and seven baths in almost 7,000 square feet of mostly single-level living space.

      Meanwhile, the Agoura Hills place she purchased in a bidding war from actor Taylor Lautner in spring 2022 for $5.25 million is still up for sale. After having undergone four price cuts since it first hit the market in early June, it’s currently listed for $5.75 million.

      As for her newly acquired residence, the main level is highlighted by a formal dining room accented with a decorative wood wall, plus a gourmet kitchen decked out with a central island, top-tier appliances and a casual breakfast nook. An adjacent wet bar-equipped family room has a floor-to-ceiling fireplace flanked by glass doors spilling outside.

      Elsewhere are an office and three en-suite bedrooms, which include a sizable master retreat displaying a fireplace, walk-in closet, and luxe bath outfitted with dual vanities and a soaking tub. Two additional bedrooms can be found in the basement, which also has a climate-controlled wine cellar and movie theater/game room; and outdoors, the grassy grounds host a covered patio and plenty of room for equestrian facilities should Cuoco wish to indulge her love for horses. There’s also an attached four-car garage and a motorcourt out front.

      In addition to her for-sale and just-purchased houses, the California native also owns a 40-acre horse ranch in a secluded area of Ventura County, along with a Studio City townhouse she picked up in late 2015 for just $720,000.

      The buyer was represented by her real estate agent father, Gary Cuoco of Re/Max Gold Coast; Jordan Cohen of Re/Max One acted on behalf of the seller. More

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      A $20 Million Malibu Home Has Sold to a High-End Supermarket Chain Owner

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      There’s apparently great wealth in wellness. A company linked to Josephine Antoci, who with her husband Tony owns the health-oriented and über-expensive Erewhon supermarket chain, has just paid $20 million for an oceanfront house on Malibu’s Broad Beach.

      Over the past 10 years, Erewhon — which recently opened its 10th location in the greater Los Angeles area — has evolved from a single-location health foods store into a see-and-be-seen organic Mecca with locations in nearly every posh L.A. neighborhood, and a favorite haunt of Tinseltown’s rich and famous. Today, the chain is perhaps best known for its $20 smoothies, of which there are a wide assortment of only-in-Tinseltown flavors, including “Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie.”

      As for the Malibu home, it’s a 1950s ranch-style structure sited on more than half an acre of oceanfront land, complete with an impressive 73 feet of beach frontage. With six bedrooms and six bathrooms in nearly 3,700 square feet, the recently renovated residence includes hardwood floors throughout, walls of glass, soaring ceilings with exposed wood beams and a covered balcony upstairs.

      Other amenities include a long and gated driveway, a snug kitchen with new appliances and butcher-block countertops, a breakfast bar, a fireplace-equipped living room and a guest suite with its own separate entrance.

      Nice as the upgraded house is, it still isn’t good enough for everyone. Just last year, nursing home mogul Lee Samson bought the place for $19.6 million and immediately sought to demolish the existing structure. The current listing notes the property transferred to its new owner with “plans and renderings for a new Richard Landry-designed home of approximately 10,000 square feet,” although it is unclear what Antoci’s ultimate intentions are.

      For unknown reasons, Samson apparently changed his mind about building a new Broad Beach dream home, opting to abandon the project before construction began. But the 76-year-old still owns a giant Richard Landry-designed mansion in prime Beverly Hills.

      The Antocis are longtime Malibu residents who own another oceanfront home elsewhere on Broad Beach. The couple, who sold a minority stake in Erewhon to New York-based private equity firm Stripes Group in 2019, also recently completed construction on a $30 million, all-custom mansion in L.A.’s exclusive Brentwood Park neighborhood. More

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      Olivia Wilde Has Quietly Sold Her Charming Hacienda on L.A.’s Eastside

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      During their nearly decade-long relationship, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis accumulated a small portfolio of impressive homes, including a mansion-sized townhouse in Brooklyn and a renovated Spanish hacienda in L.A.’s Silver Lake neighborhood.

      Property records indicate those real estate trophies were divided up following the demise of the two actors’ coupledom, with the Brooklyn townhouse going to Sudeikis and the Silver Lake property being transferred to Wilde’s sole control. And given that Wilde recently bought a multimillion-dollar new home in Studio City, it’s probably no surprise that the “Don’t Worry Darling” director has quietly sold the Silver Lake house. Though it was never on the market, records show the stylish place sold for $4.2 million to a non-famous entertainment attorney and his wife.

      Back in 2019, Wilde and Sudeikis paid $3.5 million for the 1928-built Spanish-style home, which directly overlooks the Silver Lake Reservoir. Originally designed by Frankie Faulkner, one of L.A.’s first female architects, the approximately 2,800 sq. ft. structure was completely remodeled in 2016 by noted design firm DISC Interiors. While the exterior remains period-correct, the home’s innards now sport a far more contemporary and neutral palette, all while retaining many original architectural details — arched doors, casement windows and a beamed barrel ceiling in the living room.

      Set on a 0.13-acre lot, the hillside property features a two-car garage and plenty of additional street parking.  The low-maintenance yard is landscaped with native and drought-tolerant plantings — olive trees and various species of cacti, along with a petite patch of grassy lawn and a saltwater swimming pool in the backyard.

      Indoors, a spacious living room includes an original fireplace and the aforementioned barrel-vaulted ceiling. The sleek eat-in kitchen opens to the dining area and features custom cabinetry, limestone countertops, plus a mixture of vintage and high-end appliances.

      Though the Wilde-Sudeikis home appears to be single-story from the streetfront, it drops down mullet-style to three full separate levels out back. On the ground floor is a guest bedroom suite with private entry and a convenient wet bar, while the top floor includes the property’s other three bedrooms — two guest rooms that share a bathroom and the home’s fully modernized master suite, with its walk-in closet, dual bathroom vanities and soaking tub. More

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      ‘Avatar’ Actress Zoe Saldana Is Seeking $16 Million for Her Beverly Hills Home

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      After a little more than seven years of ownership, Zoe Saldana has put her traditional tennis court property in Beverly Hills up for sale. As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the veteran film actress—probably best known for her roles in Star Trek, Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy—is asking $16.5 million for the place she picked up from model/entrepreneur Kimora Lee Simmons for $8.7 million back in spring 2016.

      Tucked away on a gated and hedged parcel spanning over a half-acre, in the guarded Hidden Valley Estates community where other residences include Adele, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz, the three-story structure was originally built in 1974. Since remodeled, it features five bedrooms and seven baths in 6,400 square feet of living space boasting hardwood floors, imported polished stone finishes and designer lighting throughout.

      Steps pass through a manicured yard before emptying out at a columned front porch and yellow-hued door, which opens into a double-height entry foyer displaying a curving staircase. From there, highlights include a formal dining room surrounded by wainscoted walls, fireside living room adorned with steel-and-glass cabinetry and wood-clad family room, plus a bespoke kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier appliances and a separate breakfast room. 

      A wood-paneled family room has French doors spilling out to a terrace.

      Jeremy Spann

      A spacious upstairs master retreat sports a fireplace, sitting area and dual closets, as well as a marble bath spotlighted by a large oval soaking tub; and elsewhere is a media room, lounge area and gym, along with grassy grounds hosting a pool and spa, an al fresco dining area with a barbecue and kitchen setup, and a lighted tennis court. There’s also a two-car garage on the premises.

      The property, also available for lease at $47,500 per month, is listed by Brett Lawyer of Carolwood Estates.

      Click here for more photos of Zoe Saldana’s Beverly Hills house.

      Jeremy Spann More

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      Halsey Buys a Spanish Colonial Revival Classic in Los Angeles

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      You could say Halsey is on a real estate roll. Three months ago, the “Without Me” singer sold her lavish estate near Calabasas for nearly $12 million; almost immediately following that, she paid $700,000 over the asking price for a gem of a house in Laurel Canyon. Now she’s done it again — dropping an impressive $5 million on an impeccably restored Spanish Colonial Revival house in Los Feliz.

      Located almost directly across the street from one of the most popular Griffith Park entrance points, the house was built in the late 1920s for restaurateur and civic reformer Clifford Clinton and designed by architect Arthur W. Larson. In 2011, the longtime Clinton family was awarded Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument status.

      Although it’s located on a very busy roadway, the nearly 6,000-square-foot house sits behind tall fences and stucco-clad walls. Inside, a coffered wood front door opens to a magnesite-tiled foyer, to the right of which is a formal living room featuring a grand fireplace, a stained glass picture window, coffered ceilings, and French doors that lead to a tiled veranda. To the left of the foyer is a formal dining room with coved ceilings, another stained glass picture window, and peg and groove hardwood floors.

      Across the hallway is an stylish office that showcases a curved fireplace, hand-stenciled ceilings, gorgeous woodwork, leaded-glass windows, and coat-of-arms sconces. Further down the hall is the butler’s pantry with wood countertops, an original zinc sink, and original Deco tile in robin’s egg blue, the kitchen, outfitted with a snazzy La Cornue range and a refurbished original Frigidaire refrigerator, and a sunny magnesite-tiled breakfast room.

      Upstairs are four bedroom suites with glorious original-tile baths in a variety of hues, built-in vanities, and “wedding cake” ornamental plaster. Also on this floor are multiple cedar closet, including one containing a very early version of a fire extinguisher, a sunroom, and multiple Juliet balconies offering city views. The sprawling home also has a plush home theater with a starry-night-sky ceiling and seating for six.

      Exterior amenities include an colorfully-tiled swimming pool, a sun deck, a bath house, a dining pavilion, and a three-car garage. Halsey also scored a deal on the property, securing the 0.34-acre estate for $800,000 under the $5.8 million asking price. More

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      The ‘God Is a Bullet’ Producer Is Selling His All-New East Coast Traditional House in L.A.

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      Back in spring 2020, Michael Mendelsohn doled out $1.7 million for an early 1900s residence in Los Angeles. He then took it down to the studs, and spent the next three years completely remodeling and expanding the place.

      Now the Tinseltown producer—probably best known for the movies Reservoir Dogs, Lord of War, Cut Throat City, and most recently, God is a Bullet starring Jamie Foxx—has decided to try his hand at selling the newly reborn East Coast Traditional-style digs in Hollywood Hills with a significant jump in price, asking a speck under $4.3 million.

      Tucked away behind walls and gates, on less than a quarter-acre parcel within walking distance of Runyon Canyon, the wood-sided structure features a little more than 3,500 square feet of modern living space on two levels accented throughout with marble finishes and herringbone wood floors.

      Per the listing, held by Angel Kou of The Agency and Taryn Keyser of Compass, there’s also a separate guesthouse with its own living area, kitchen and bath that could easily serve as an office or a studio.

      A gourmet kitchen connects to a fireside family room, which has glass doors opening to a terrace.

      Especially standing out on the main level is a gourmet kitchen decked out with an eat-in island, top-tier Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and a walk-in pantry. An adjoining family room displays a fireplace flanked by built-in shelving, along with glass doors spilling out to a covered terrace ideal for al fresco entertaining with a built-in barbecue. Elsewhere is a living room boasting a brick fireplace, an office space and a chandelier-topped dining room.

      Five bedrooms include an upstairs master retreat outfitted with a fireplace, private balcony and walk-in closet, plus a luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a freestanding soaking tub and glass-encased shower. Outdoors, the secluded backyard hosts a herb garden, as well as a sparkling pool and spa lined with waterfalls on one side and a sundeck on the other.

      Click here for more photos of Michael Mendelsohn’s Hollywood Hills house.

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      Simon Cowell’s Former Beverly Hills Estate Sells for Nearly $34 Million

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      Back in summer 2020, near the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Simon Cowell sold his longtime Beverly Hills main residence for exactly $25 million. Three years later, the nearly 1-acre property has made real estate waves once again, transferring in another off-market deal for a whopping $33.6 million — one of the priciest deals ever closed south of Sunset Boulevard, in the so-called Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood. The latest transaction was first reported by The Real Deal.

      The unapologetically lavish property, which boasts a sublime location on the best block of a prestigious street, was acquired by Cowell way back in 2004 for just $8 million. The all-around mogul subsequently spent five years — and undoubtedly many millions of dollars — transforming the place into a high-tech fortress packed with custom amenities, including a wellness center and a million-dollar security system.

      Cowell sold the property in 2020 by Alon Abady, a Beverly Hills local who is managing partner at Waterfall Bridge Capital, a commercial and residential real estate investment firm. Abady, 53, flipped the estate at a substantial profit to Syailendra Bakrie, a businessman and member of one of Indonesia’s wealthiest families. Earlier this year, the 43-year-old’s younger sister Adinda Bakrie paid $21 million for a contemporary mansion elsewhere in the Beverly Hills Flats.

      Because the Cowell estate has never been publicly offered on the market, some of its various interior accouterments remain a mystery. But the “America’s Got Talent” judge had the property photographed and published many times over the years, and the traditional-meets-contemporary residential fusion boasts a black-and-white interior motif enhanced by copious amounts of marble and glass. There are at least five bedrooms and eight baths in nearly 10,000 square feet of living space.

      Some of the property’s numerous amenities include a solarium, movie theater, lap-lane swimming pool, pool cabana with a retractable roof, an at-home tanning salon, a state-of-the-art gym, two kitchens, and that wellness suite with spa and massage facilities, plus a steam room. For the hired help, there are maid’s and butler’s quarters, and a security detail can monitor the premises through the world-class security system, which includes retina scan authorization.

      Outside, the estate includes a sparkling pool, a detached pool house/guesthouse of some sort, verdant lawns, mature palm trees and a street-facing façade obscured by gorgeous native sycamores. A gated courtyard has parking space for at least a half-dozen luxury vehicles.

      Fully customized by Cowell, the nearly 10,000-square-foot house includes a bevy of high-tech amenities. More