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      A Pizza Mogul’s $34 Million Beverly Park Mansion Sells to a Prominent Surgeon

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      After first putting his Beverly Hills-adjacent home up for sale at the beginning of this year, pizza pie tycoon Larry Flax and his wife Joni have successfully unloaded the elaborate spread, complete with its healthy extra helping of custom ingredients, for $34.4 million. While that’s significantly less than the California Pizza Kitchen cofounder’s original $48.5 million asking price, it’s still a very impressive number for the guarded Beverly Park enclave, arguably the most desirable gated community in Los Angeles.

      Records confirm the spendy buyer is an entity tied to Dr. Bardia Anvar, a Beverly Hills-based general surgeon and founder of the national surgical-based Skilled Wound Care chain, and his wife Tania Pourat, a dentist. Anvar and Pourat, who also own a custom-built home in the Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood, now hold title to a 14,000-square-foot Beverly Park manor sporting seven bedrooms and some 12 bathrooms.

      Completed in 1994, and tucked away behind gates and a circular motorcourt embellished with a tiered fountain, the property includes a French chateau-inspired main house and detached guesthouse spread across a 2.8-acre parcel of lushly landscaped land.

      Wrought-iron and wood-trimmed doors open into a limestone-clad foyer, which displays a sweeping staircase and gold-leaf dome boasting a marbled alabaster skylight. From there, the formal living room has a glass-encased entertaining area and floor-to-ceiling French doors spilling out to a covered loggia with a fireplace, plus a 20-seat dining room adorned with a coved ceiling and hand-painted wall paneling flanked by a china room with plenty of felt-lined storage space.

      The house offers walls of glass overlooking the lush grounds.

      Adrian Van Anz

      And that’s not even the topping on this proverbial real estate pizza! There’s also a limestone-bathed family room with its own marble fireplace and wet bar, connecting via pocket doors to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with a wraparound granite island, commercial-grade appliances, a butler’s pantry and fireside dining area overlooking an 1,800-bottle wine cellar.

      Other highlights include a wood-paneled library and glass conservatory topped by a Murano glass chandelier, along with a sumptuous upstairs master retreat that comes complete with a separate seating area with fireplace, kitchenette and private balcony, as well as dual bathroom suites equipped with walk-in closets, a soaking tub, fireplace and an office. Also on tap is a movie theater with a velvet stage curtain.

      Outside, the rigidly manicured grounds feature rose gardens, a big grassy lawn, a full-size tennis court and meandering pathways. Spacious patios provide plenty of opportunities for al fresco lounging and entertaining, and there’s a 70-foot swimmer’s pool with a spa serviced by an outdoor kitchen and built-in BBQ.

      Rounding it all out is garaging for five cars, and monthly HOA dues of nearly $5,200 just for the privilege of calling the exclusive community home. Some of the nearest neighbors include Adele, Denzel Washington, Sofia Vergara, Rod Stewart and Eddie Murphy.

      This is hardly Dr. Anvar’s first brush with celebrity. Less than two years ago, he paid $10.3 million for the oceanfront Malibu home of actor Leo DiCaprio. As for Flax, he’s moved on to a $12.5 million condo at the Century, one of L.A.’s most prestigious residential skyscrapers.

      Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker and Linda May of Carolwood Estates repped both Flax and Anvar in the Beverly Park transaction.

      Click here to see more photos of the Beverly Park mansion that pizza built. More

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      RZA Pays $10 Million for Lavish Hilltop Estate in Malibu

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      RZA’s career has spanned well over 30 years. Over that time, the legendary hip-hop music producer has tried his hand at everything from film scoring (most notably with the “Kill Bill” franchise), acting (“American Gangster,” “Californication”) and directing (“The Man With the Iron Fists”). 

      Now the Wu-Tang Clan mastermind and namesake of Rihanna’s son has decided his next adventure is becoming a real estate mogul. Property records show the 54-year-old Brooklyn native has paid $9.8 million for a sprawling Malibu estate, adding to a portfolio that includes his longtime New Jersey home and a more recently acquired spread in Bell Canyon, a guard-gated neighborhood in the northwestern outskirts of Los Angeles.

      Built in 2001 by Houston property developer Vincent Kickerillo, the property last sold in 2019 for $7.8 million to a non-famous buyer who gave the nearly 11,000-square-foot mansion a contemporary remodel. Set behind gates and a spectacularly long driveway on more than 5 acres of hillside land, the notably grand residence includes soaring ceilings, travertine floors, walls of glass and a newly open-concept floorplan.

      Other highlights are not limited to an elevator, a surround-sound system, a chef’s kitchen with granite countertops and premium appliances, a butler’s pantry and multiple sets of French doors spilling out to the grounds. Upstairs are dual master retreats, two of the home’s seven bedrooms, and each include walnut floors, a fireplace, bespoke closets, spa-style bathrooms and private balconies.

      But the outdoors is where this landlocked estate truly shines brightest; the manicured grounds include verdant fruit orchards and mature specimen trees, plus a full outdoor kitchen, ample patio space, parking for north of a dozen cars and a petite guesthouse. Best of all, an infinity-edge swimming pool boasts unobstructed panoramic views of the Malibu coastline, directly overlooking both the Encinal bluffs and El Matador State beach. More

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      The Weeknd’s Los Angeles Penthouse Sells at a $3 Million Loss

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      After nearly two years on the market, The Weeknd has finally managed to unload his little-used penthouse in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Occupying the entire 18th floor of the prestigious Beverly West building, the mansion-sized condo sold to married Drs. David and Andrea Feinberg, the former president and CEO of the UCLA Health System and current chairman of Oracle Health.

      Property records reveal the Feinbergs forked over $18 million, among the highest condo prices ever paid in Los Angeles but well under the unit’s original $22.5 million ask. That discounted sales price is also exactly $3 million less than what The Weeknd paid for the place four years ago. Still, it is unlikely he’ll suffer because of the big loss —- the 33-year-old Canadian entertainer, born Abel Tesfaye, long ago upgraded to a $69 million estate in prime Bel Air.

      The star of this real estate show are undoubtedly the condo’s 360-degree views, which include panoramic vistas of Downtown Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Mountains. Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass also drink in the Los Angeles Country Club and its lush golf greens, which adjoin the Beverly West building.

      There are four bedrooms and eight bathrooms in nearly 8,000 square feet of contemporary living space, all of it flaunting tall ceilings, designer lighting fixtures and walnut paneling throughout. The master retreat is stunningly lavish — it features a boutique showroom-style closet, an apartment-sized bathroom with a steam shower and soaking tub, and a private balcony.

      The great room offers panoramic views and space for grand-scale entertaining.

      Carston Schertzer for The Luxury Level

      Other highlights are not limited to a backlit and temperature-controlled “wine vault,” a mirror-walled gym, a great room that includes a living room and a wet bar with a TV wall, wide-plank white oak floors and a bespoke kitchen designed in Italy that is outfitted with top-of-the-line Miele appliances.

      Completed in the 2010s, the Beverly West building includes just 35 luxury condos, all of which offer numerous communal amenities that include valet parking, 24/7 concierge, security guards, a sparkling pool, and a rooftop helipad. None of that comes cheap, however — monthly HOA dues for this particular penthouse top $8,000.

      Click here for more photos of The Weeknd’s just-sold penthouse. More

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      Diane Sawyer Is Asking $24 Million for Her Coastal New England Oasis

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      A sprawling seaside compound owned by veteran news anchor Diane Sawyer has popped up for sale in the coastal Massachusetts enclave of Martha’s Vineyard.

      Nestled amid windswept dunes directly overlooking water views from every vantage point, on two separate parcels of land tucked between Vineyard Sound and Lake Tashmoo, the estate known as “Chip Chop” just hit the market for $24 million, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

      Records show the TV broadcast journalist and her late film director husband Mike Nichols paid $5.3 million back in 1995 for the property, and subsequently embarked on an extensive restoration in collaboration with Tate Builders. Spanning 20 acres, the seaside spread is showcased by a nearly 5,000-square-foot main house boasting three bedrooms and numerous other structures, all with access to a combined mile of private shoreline.

      Originally designed in the late 1930s for noted stage actress Katharine Cornell by Neoclassical architect Eric Gugler—most known for his remodeling work on the West Wing of the White House during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration—the wood-shingled, New England-style main house was ultimately completed in the mid-1940s.

      Other buildings include a two-bedroom caretaker’s cottage and two modern beach cottages affectionately referred to as “The Shacks” because of the fishing shacks they replaced, plus two more detached guest bedroom suites known as the Pond and Ocean pavilions. There’s also a swimming pool and Har-Tru tennis court on the premises.

      According to WSJ, the 77-year-old anchor known for programs such as ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America and 20/20, is selling because the rhythms of summer have changed” as her family has grown, and “there is less free time for long visits to the island.”

      “Five grandchildren have run through the halls, learned to swim in the warm waters, gathered moss in the forest,” she said. “At Thanksgiving, both enormous fireplaces in the great room give off warmth and golden light. We have always felt so lucky to be together in this magic place.”

      The listing is held by Mark Jenkins of Wallace and Co. Sotheby’s International Realty.

      Click here for more photos of Diane Sawyer’s house. More

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      Rihanna’s First Ever California Home Sells for $15 Million

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      It’s no hopeless place, but yet another buyer has found love in Rihanna’s former Beverly Hills house. Occupied by the Barbadian superstar from 2009-2011, the boxy and very contemporary structure was the first Los Angeles residence she ever owned. In the 12 years since, the property has changed hands several more times.

      The most recent deal was inked just last month, when the house sold for $15 million to an entity linked to 35-year-old Jeremy Troxel, an attorney and founder of the Troxel Law firm. Over the past few years, Troxel Law has earned widespread recognition for filing numerous class action lawsuits against major companies such as Tylenol, Coinbase, Juul and Major League Baseball.

      While $15 million is certainly a large amount of money, it’s also a significant financial loss for the sellers, Canadian healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Sheldon Elman and his wife, Dr. Meryl Elman. The Elmans had acquired the former Rihanna estate for $16.8 million from John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, who owned the place from 2016-2021.

      Originally built in 1966 and located high in the mountains above Beverly Hills’ Coldwater Canyon, the house was completely rebuilt and expanded in the 2000s. During their ownership, Legend and Teigen also remodeled the estate, adding a unique patterned ceiling imported from Thailand, painting the exterior and interior walls, upgrading the bespoke kitchen and refinishing the wide-plank oak floors.

      A chunky double-sided fireplace bisects the spacious family and living rooms, while the upstairs primary suite — one of five bedrooms in the 8,500-square-foot house — flaunts a handmade brass fireplace and private balcony, plus what the listing calls a “glam room” and dual showroom closets. Outside, the dark-bottomed saltwater pool is heated and has spectacular canyon views. A vine-wrapped pergola additionally offers a built-in BBQ grill and wood-burning oven. Elsewhere on the property are a gym and movie theater.

      Rihanna, now a billionaire thanks to her Fenty cosmetics and fashion brand, currently maintains another home in Beverly Hills and two lavish condos in Century City’s The Century skyscraper, including one valued at $21 million. As for Troxel, he and partner Kristi Piacentile currently lease a luxury home in L.A.’s Beachwood Canyon neighborhood and own a second mansion in Scottsdale, Arizona. More

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      Jeff Bezos Pays Record Price for a Waterfront Estate on Miami Beach’s “Billionaire Bunker” Island

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      It looks like Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are getting another mega-rich neighbor in Florida. Jeff Bezos and his helicopter-flying fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, are reported by Bloomberg to be the secret buyers who shelled out $68 million for a waterfront estate on Miami Beach’s Indian Creek Island. The off-market deal was sealed in June, a couple of months after Bezos took delivery of his half-billion-dollar boat, Koru, and shortly after the couple got engaged.

      The transaction sets a new price record for the ultra-exclusive island enclave, which is commonly referred to as the “Billionaire Bunker” due to the unusual number of billionaires who own homes on the tiny island. The previous record of $49.9 million was set in 2019. 

      With fewer than three dozen waterfront homes surrounding a private 18-hole golf course, the island is only accessible via a single bridge or by boat. Security is paramount, and hence, the bridge entrance is heavily guarded, and a private security force patrols the island, on land and on water, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

      An aerial view of the 2.75-acre waterfront estate.

      Apple Maps

      The property was not officially on the market, but tax records and other resources indicate the single-story mansion was built in 1965 and expanded in 1985 to around 10,000 square feet, with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The two-parcel spread encompasses 2.75 acres and includes a long driveway that passes under a porte cochère at the front of the house, while a secondary driveway provides access to the garage. There’s also a waterside swimming pool. 

      Bezos is also reportedly interested in the neighboring estate, an even larger and more opulent 19,000-square-foot palace that last sold in 2014 for $28 million and is now on the market with a sky-high price of $85 million.

      Kushner and Trump are shacked up in a rented condo while they renovate the 8,500-square-foot Indian Creek Island home they bought in 2021 for $24 million, and last year, former Victoria Secret model Adriana Lima sold up for about $40 million to Colombian banker Jaime Gilinski, who now owns five contiguous properties on the island. Other folks who have staked their claim on the island include Julio Iglesias, Carl Icahn, Tom Brady, hedge funder Edward Lampert, retired Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, and car dealership mogul Norman Braman.

      Bezos, who has been renting Kenny G’s bluff-top Malibu compound for $600,000 a month while his $165 million Beverly Hills mansion undergoes renovations, maintains a vast cross-country portfolio that includes a sprawling compound in Seattle’s tech-tycoon-packed Medina neighborhood, several apartments in New York City, a couple of homes in Washington, D.C., and a 14-acre spread on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

      An aerial view of Miami Beach’s Indian Creek Island, aka the Billionaire Bunker.

      Apple Maps More

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      This Media Mogul’s Sprawling Hollywood Hills Estate Just Hit the Market for $60 Million

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      In early 1987, Mexican media tycoon Emilio Azcarraga Milmo paid $2.3 million for the famed Sunset Plaza Apartments building. Located in the lower Hollywood Hills just a short walk north of the Sunset Boulevard, the 1930s structure was designed by prominent architect Paul R. Williams and occupied through the decades by a litany of Tinseltown stars: Carole Lombard, Charles Farrell, Katharine Hepburn, Mitzi Gaynor and Bernadette Peters, to name a few.

      Months after acquiring the building, Milmo demolished it to build a lavish private estate that became his part-time residence. Designed by noted Mexican architect Tomas Cajiga, the hacienda-style compound was completed in 1990. Following Azcarraga Milmo’s 1997 death from pancreatic cancer, that estate was put up for sale at $16 million, though the ask was eventually slashed to $10 million. After the property did not sell, it eventually became a residence of Milmo’s son, billionaire Emilio Azcarraga Jean.

      Now offered at a whopping $60 million, indicative of how home values in the surrounding area have soared, the property is an anomaly in many ways. After all, 2.3 acres of usable land is an extremely rare find in the tightly-packed Hollywood Hills, particularly on a property so close to the Sunset Strip and West Hollywood. The estate’s gardens are also some of the most elaborate and manicured in the entire surrounding neighborhood, more akin to a palatial estate in Holmby Hills or Beverly Park.

      The estate includes an 11,000-square-foot main house, plus a separate guesthouse.

      Google

      The setting is also quirky. Though impressively private thanks to enormous hedge walls and mature trees, the house sits directly across the street from a large apartment complex, and it’s immediately next door to a spacious parking lot used by businesses on one of the Sunset Strip’s busiest blocks.

      Perhaps that’s why, despite the sky-high $60 million price tag, the place is being marketed as a development opportunity. According to the listing, which provides no interior photos of the residence, the estate is “an ideal canvas for visionary developers” and could be used to construct several new homes or multiple apartment buildings.

      But much like the loss of the Sunset Plaza Apartments, destruction of the Azcarraga Milmo estate would be a shame. Featuring appointments “suitable for royalty,” the Mexican Colonial-style property includes two dining rooms adorned with hand-cut stone and centuries-old wood beams, a chef’s kitchen, wine cellar and a library. Outside, stunningly sculpted grounds are decorated by the aforementioned lush gardens, grassy lawns and numerous fountains. There’s also a rectangular swimming pool abutted by a stone patio. And in addition to the 11,000-square-foot main house, the property includes a 2,000-square-foot guesthouse and off-street parking for more than 20 cars.

      Alejandro Aldrete and Mauricio Umansky of The Agency share the listing.

      Azcarraga Jean remains chairman of Televisa, Mexico’s largest television broadcasting company, though in 2018 he stepped away from the CEO role following two decades at the reins. The 55-year-old owns a number of other homes around the world; in 2016, he reduced the asking price of his 257-foot yacht from $144 million to $102 million. More

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      Welcome to Dirt’s New Home

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      Published on July 31, 2023

      Colin Miller

      Beginning from August, Dirt has a brand new home here on Robb Report’s real estate pages. The team that brought you Dirt.com and its newsletters will be contributing to Robb Report’s celebrity homes coverage, in addition to expanding its reporting on historic and extraordinary homes from around the world. So you can find all the expert analysis and breaking real-estate news from our sister publication here, from tomorrow. More