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    Josh Brolin Just Dropped $7 Million on This Elegant Montecito Estate

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    Thanos is coming to Santa Barbara County! After decades of clashing with just about everyone in the greater Marvel Universe, the supervillain is retreating to the posh seaside neighborhood of Montecito, where records reveal Hollywood actor Josh Brolin has just shelled out $7.1 million for a decidedly demure and quietly elegant spread in the foothills of the San Ysidro mountains.

    Last sold in the summer of 2022 for $6.8 million, the 2.8-acre spread transferred to Brolin in an off-market deal, so photos and details are unfortunately scant. But dated listings indicate the oak tree-shaded estate consists of a nearly 6,000-square-foot, East Coast traditional-style house originally built in the 1930s, plus a separate aviary, an equestrian riding arena, a barn and several large patios ideal for entertaining.

    The all-white and clapboard sided house is a sprawling single-story affair, and it offers a total of five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Inside, the vaulted and skylit ceilings overlook interior spaces flooded with natural light. Renovated in recent years, the public areas display a mix of hardwood and terracotta tile flooring, while nearly every room features at least one set of French doors opening to various parts of the outdoor gardens. As for the primary bedroom suite, it sports direct access to the backyard, plus a dedicated sitting area, walk-in closet with custom built-in cabinetry, and a spa-style bathroom.

    But the outdoor spaces are the real magic infused into this real estate equation. Whimsically meandering pathways and staircases lace the terraced grounds, which are studded by dozens of mature sycamores and the aforementioned oaks. The gardens feature mostly native and drought-tolerant plantings, ideal for the often arid Southern California climate, and naturally the entire property is walled and gated for privacy and security.

    What the estate notably lacks, according to our research, is a swimming pool and spa—somewhat of a disappointment in the north of $7 million price range. But there’s certainly more than enough space to add those things, if desired, and we doubt Brolin will miss them. The 56-year-old Los Angeles native is much more a fan of surfing than relaxing around a backyard pool.

    In addition to their new Montecito digs, Brolin and his wife Kathryn also maintain a mansion in the Atlanta suburbs and a spacious but relatively unassuming house in California’s Simi Valley. More

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      The Creator of ‘CSI’ Just Dropped $14 Million on a Hilltop Santa Barbara Estate

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      All signs indicate that Anthony Zuiker, the $200 million man who created and produced the television juggernaut known as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, was indeed the mystery buyer who recently dropped just over $14 million for a hilltop estate in Santa Barbara County. Zuiker scored a discount on the 5-acre property, which had originally been offered for $16.2 million when it hit the market last spring.

      Although the home has been said to be located in the perennially posh neighborhood of Montecito—and indeed, its address is frequently written as “Montecito, CA”—our research indicates it lies just a short walk outside that community’s borders. Instead, the property is technically sited in neighboring Summerland, a much lesser-known but still charming and unincorporated beach town about five miles south of Santa Barbara.

      Built in the late 1990s but completely renovated in 2022, the single-story compound sits atop a high knoll on a private street shared with 15 other homes, all of them luxe, multi-acre estates. Comprised of a sprawling main house, a detached guesthouse and a poolside cabana, the contemporary ranch-style spread features a total of four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms in nearly 10,000 square feet of sun-drenched living space.

      Sited on a Summerland hilltop, the 5-acre estate has a long driveway with room for upwards of a dozen cars.

      The roughly 8,000-square-foot main house is clearly designed for entertaining. Vast, open public rooms are nearly monumental in scale, while big windows and pocketing glass doors drink in the ocean views. Described as “epicurean” in the listing, the slickly modern kitchen has a huge island and custom cabinetry. There’s a formal dining room, a breakfast nook and a spacious covered loggia for al fresco dining and entertaining, all of them with stunning views of the blue sea.

      The primary bedroom suite conveniently adjoins a bespoke study and offers a private terrace with ocean views, a spa-style bathroom and a decidedly bespoke closet with long rows of glass-fronted cabinets. There are also two smaller bedrooms in the main house, one of them facing the mountains and the other tucked away behind the three-car garage. The estate’s fourth bedroom lies in the detached guesthouse, which also sports a full bathroom, living room and kitchenette.

      Out back, the sparkling pool hosts an inset spa; the poolside cabana, meanwhile, is tricked out with a media room and a home gym. The tropically-landscaped grounds pay more than a passing tribute to Hawaii, with all manner of palms, hibiscus, creeping vines and long grasses.

      Zuiker, 54, has been much in the headlines for his real estate doings in recent years. In early 2023, he paid $6 million for a strikingly contemporary mansion just outside Las Vegas, shortly before selling a smaller but still multimillion-house he owned in the same area.

      The procedural forensics crime drama expert also still maintains a $6.2 million waterfront home on California‘s Lake Arrowhead and has owned several homes in Malibu, too. Some months before he sold a Bali-inspired estate in 2019 to NBA star Chandler Parsons, he paid another NBA star, Kevin Durant, $12.3 million for an oceanfront home near Broad Beach. That place was sold, earlier this year, for just over $15 million to Roc Nation co-founder Jay Brown. More

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      Ellen DeGeneres Just Sold Her $32 Million Montecito Estate to a Billionaire Mining Magnate

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      Robert Friedland seems determined to single-handedly keep Santa Barbara‘s ultra-high-end real estate market afloat. Five months ago, the multibillionaire mining tycoon—he’s the chairman of Ivanhoe Mines, and was also a business mentor of the late Steve Jobs—paid about $47 million for an oceanfront estate on Carpinteria’s prestigious Padaro Lane.

      Now Friedland has done it again—records show the charismatic 73-year-old was the buyer who just paid a lofty $32 million for a spectacular Montecito compound sold by Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. is located only about four miles northwest of Friedland’s new Carpenteria pad, but is not oceanfront.

      Today, the century-old estate is undoubtedly among the grandest compounds in Montecito, with 8-acres of manicured grounds.

      Jason Rick / Blake Bronstad

      While that $32 million sales price is still among the highest prices paid for a Santa Barbara-area home over the past year, it’s significantly less than the $46.5 million DeGeneres wanted. But it’s also nearly $10 million more than the former talk show host paid for the place less than one year ago, back in June 2023. As is her modus operandi, DeGeneres and her team of skilled contractors and designers gave the place a quick yet complete makeover, transforming it into a trendily minimalist and soothingly neutral retreat that embodies quiet luxury.

      Completed in 1919 and known as Pompeiian Court, the house and its 8-acres of manicured grounds are cloaked from public view behind an enormous iron gate and a quarter-mile-long driveway that culminates in a motorcourt surrounded by mature olive trees. Described as a “classic Roman courtyard residence” in the listing, the compound includes a rare single-story main house, plus four additional structures: two guesthouses, a poolside cabana and a petite building that currently functions as an art studio.

      Once overwrought, Pompeiian Court’s interiors are now chicly minimalist, albeit still sumptuous.

      Jason Rick / Blake Bronstad

      Other highlights include formal gardens, ancient oaks, towering eucalyptus trees and rows of Italian cypresses. Both the swimming pool and full-size tennis court are romantically hidden out of sight from the main house, and meandering pathways lace their way around the premises as they bypass fountains, secluded sitting areas and a chardonnay vineyard.

      In addition to his two new Santa Barbara-area mansions, Friedland also owns two side-by-side Beverly Hills estates, plus Zsa Zsa Gabor’s former Bel Air property, a luxury flat in Singapore and an oceanfront home in Thailand.

      As for DeGeneres and de Rossi, they’ve still got multiple other Santa Barbara-area properties, including a vast estate atop a Carpinteria blufftop and several smaller homes scattered around Montecito.

      Click here for more photos of Montecito’s Pompeiian Court. More

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      Maria Sharapova Scores an $11 Million Montecito Estate

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      Last fall, noted Chicago philanthropist Ann Lurie put her longtime vacation home in California‘s famously posh seaside neighborhood of Montecito on the market, asking just under $13 million. Records now reveal the property has quietly sold for $11.5 million in an all-cash deal, and the spendy buyer is retired tennis superstar Maria Sharapova.

      Lurie, the widow of real estate titan and former Chicago White Sox and Bulls part owner Robert H. Lurie, acquired the stunningly lavish Montecito hideaway in the mid-2000s, paying about $8.3 million. Since then, it’s clear the house and its extensive grounds have been exquisitely and painstakingly maintained.

      Reportedly designed by noted architect Lockwood de Forest Jr. and completed circa 1949, the five-bedroom main house is surrounded by 3.3 acres of lush lawns and terraced gardens shaded by mature specimen trees. Walled and gated, the impressive estate lies high in the foothills above downtown Montecito, at the very end of a quiet and secluded cul-de-sac. The property also happens to sit directly next door to an even larger compound owned by Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.

      Though it has been modified and expanded over the years, the home’s rustic, wood-trimmed interiors still hark back to its midcentury roots.

      VirTour Media

      Best described as an ultra-refined and elegant take on a rustic cabin in the woods, Sharapova’s new home is filled with natural light, thanks to soaring walls of glass that blur the line between indoors and out. Sunlight also filters in through the skylit-topped entry foyer, which connects to a living room equipped with one of the largest brick fireplaces we’ve ever seen.

      Radically overhauled in recent years, the open kitchen offers commercial-grade appliances and a slim island hewn entirely from rustic hardwood. There’s also a separate and full outdoor kitchen tucked under a loggia and equipped with sleek stainless appliances, which we would guess were installed during Lurie’s ownership.

      Other property highlights include a resort-worthy master suite outfitted with a fireplace, a stainless steel-shelled soaking tub and vanishing walls of glass that provide direct access to a covered terrace with pool and ocean views. Speaking of the property’s current pool, it was installed during Lurie’s ownership and is stunning in all its sail-shaped, visually dramatic glory. Also on tap out back are a fully detached guesthouse with its own full kitchen and lounge area, plus a sunken fire-it seating area and a detached three-car garage.

      Sharapova, 36, still maintains a $9 million compound in the Santa Barbara County community of Summerland. But for many years, her main residence has been a heavily customized contemporary home in the affluent city of Manhattan Beach. More

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      Zoe Saldana Drops $17 Million on a Grand Old Montecito Estate

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      Today’s real estate market is sluggish, but Zoe Saldana has not been deterred by the slowdown. Last week, the Daily Mail revealed—and property records confirm—that the prolific Hollywood actress, 45, was the buyer who earlier this year paid $17.5 million for a historic estate in prime Montecito, complete with sweeping mountain and ocean views.

      Built circa 1930, the home was designed by prolific Santa Barbara architect George Washington Smith. In 1933, following Smith’s death, the Spanish Revival-style villa was expanded by Lutah Maria Riggs, the noted pioneer who became Santa Barbara’s first licensed female architect. In the 90 years since, much of the estate’s original period details have survived — the light fixtures, tilework and windows remain largely intact — though the place has also seen upgrades over the years.

      Owned by the same family for the past several decades, the house first hit the market last December, asking $18.9 million. It’s perhaps not surprising that Saldana saw the place as a prime candidate for an overhaul—as noted by Siteline Santa Barbara, the quirky old house has a very atypical floorplan. There are two guest bedrooms on the main floor, neither of which currently sports an ensuite bathroom. The kitchen, while large, appears to have undergone an unfortunate 1980s remodel. And upstairs, there’s a third guest bedroom that is only accessible via traipsing through the carpeted master bedroom.

      The rambling 1930s mansion is surrounded by lush grounds equipped with a swimming pool and full-size tennis court.

      Google Earth

      Still, some quirkiness is to be expected in an old house, and charm abounds here. There are rambling hallways that seem to go on forever, a gorgeous wood-paneled library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, intricately crafted ceilings, and grand public rooms with big windows.

      And then there are the 4.7 acres of grounds, where vast terraces spill out to gardens containing dozens of ancient oaks, charmingly overgrown flowers and grassy lawns. A proper north/south tennis court abuts a classically oval swimming pool. Also on the estate are a detached art studio, a guesthouse with ocean views, two three-car garages and a two-bedroom staff apartment attached to the main house.

      In addition to their newly-acquired Montecito classic, Saldana and her husband Marco Perego also maintain a lavish tennis court estate in the mountains above Beverly Hills. That property, once owned by Kimora Lee Simmons, was up for grabs at $16.5 million over the fall but is now available for longterm lease at a princely $47,500 per month. More

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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.

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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.

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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.

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      Ellen DeGeneres Puts Her Palatial Montecito Estate Up for Grabs at $46 Million

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      Ellen DeGeneres has always preferred to update historic estates rather than buying land and building anew. Over the years, the former talk show host has remodeled numerous homes, and now she’s got the often challenging process honed to a science. Witness this spectacular estate in Montecito, which she and Portia de Rossi bought this June. In just four months, the couple and their skilled team have already given the 8-acre property a complete renovation and hoisted it back up for sale.

      That expertise won’t come cheap; the asking price is $46.5 million, more than double the $22.5 million DeGeneres and de Rossi originally paid. But the scale and historical nature of the estate ranks it among the grandest in all of Montecito.

      Built in 1919 and known as Pompeiian Court, the house and its grounds are hidden behind an enormous iron gate and a quarter-mile-long driveway that ends in a circular motorcourt surrounded by olive trees. Described as a “classic Roman courtyard residence” in the listing, the palatial main structure was fully remodeled circa 2000 before being re-transformed by DeGeneres into a minimalist and soothingly neutral retreat that embodies the current trend of quiet luxury.

      Quiet, refined luxury is now Pompeiian Court’s ethos.

      Jason Rick / Blake Bronstad

      In contrast to many of Montecito’s other historic mansions, Pompeiian Court is a rare single-story manor, with all of its rooms opening to a central courtyard laced with Roman columns and warmed by an outdoor fireplace. In addition to the main house, there are four ancillary structures scattered around the 8-acre property: two guesthouses, a poolside cabana and a petite art studio.

      The exquisitely manicured grounds include formal hedgerows and lawns, mature Italian cypresses, ancient oaks and eucalyptus trees. Both the swimming pool and full-size tennis court are privately tucked well away from the main house, and there are several large fountains and walking paths on the premises. There’s also a chardonnay vineyard.

      Robert Riskin at Riskin Partners Group holds the listing.

      Click here for more photos of Ellen DeGeneres’ latest residential project. More