More stories

  • in

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

    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

  • in

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

    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

  • in

    Now’s Your Chance to Scoop Up a Kitty Litter Heiress’s California Estate for $88 Million

    Following her husband’s death in 1996, Betty Jo Stephens went on to make a name for herself in the Santa Barbara community that she had shared with her spouse of 61 years. As CEO of Excel Mineral—taking over for her businessman and scientist partner John Stephens, who was widely known for creating the Jonny Cat litter brand—she was a regular fixture in the local political and philanthropic circles, regularly hosting luminaries the likes of President Jimmy Carter and Texas Gov. Ann Richards at her hilltop home in the affluent Hope Ranch enclave. Now, almost six years after Betty passed away at age 86, her longtime dwelling has popped up on the market for the first time in over five decades, asking a substantial $88 million.

    Per The Wall Street Journal, the Stephenses originally purchased two contiguous parcels overlooking the ocean in 1957 and built a house on the site around four years later. They subsequently picked up a third lot right across the street In the 1970s, and then went on to assemble a family compound with access to a private beach.

    Currently owned by the couple’s daughter Joi Stephens—who was raised in the house and is affectionately referred to as a “kitty-litter heiress who lives in the crown jewel of Santa Barbara”—the property is being marketed by Sam Palmer and Blair Chang of The Agency as “a vast canvas for the creation of an unparalleled estate, allowing for a grand 20,000-square-foot main house and two 7,500-square-foot guesthouses.”

    Betty Jo Stephens visits with former President Jimmy Carter.

    Courtesy of Joi Stephens

    Tucked away behind a gated driveway, amid 11 acres of land offering up sweeping ocean, canyon and mountain views, the existing home on the site is fronted by a koi pond, spacious motorcourt and two-car garage, and features four bedrooms and five baths in 7,500 square feet of living space that was last updated in the early 2000s.

    In addition to a living room anchored by a two-way fireplace and French doors spilling out to a terrace, other highlights include a chandelier-topped dining room, an open-plan kitchen, office space and ocean-facing master suite resting beneath a vaulted wood-beam ceiling. Outdoors, the private and grassy grounds are spotlighted by amenities ranging from an observation deck, to a pool and spa nestled alongside an open-air cabana. The equestrian-zoned property also is an ideal spot for horses and a stable, per the listing.

    WSJ reported that although Stephens has received multiple offers to buy the estate, she and her auctioneer husband Frank Kominski have been splitting their time between Hope Ranch, Palm Beach, Fla., and Boston. The couple has now decided to move because Kaminski Auctions is expanding to South Florida and they have been spending most of their time on the East Coast.

    Click here for more photos of the Stephens house.

    Christopher Amitrano/CS8 Photo More

  • in

    A Mining Billionaire Quietly Dropped $47 Million on an Oceanfront Santa Barbara Mansion

    Although the secretive deal actually went down last September, it’s only now come to light that billionaire Ivanhoe Mines magnate Robert Friedland and his longtime wife Darlene have very quietly paid a hair under $47 million for an oceanfront estate in the seaside California town of Carpinteria. The deal was far and away the biggest residential real estate transaction recorded in Santa Barbara County in 2023.

    The home’s lucky sellers were Darren Entwistle, the controversial and longtime CEO of Canadian telecommunications giant Telus, and his wife Fiona. The Entwistles had placed the house on the market in the summer of 2022, asking a whopping $55 million, but delisted the property several months later. The $47 million transfer was inked off-market. The Canada-based couple originally acquired the estate in 2012 as a vacation home, paying $17 million.

    The $47 million deal for the 2-acre estate represents one of the largest sums ever paid for a Carpinteria home.

    Google Earth

    Originally designed in the early 1990s by noted architect Robert L. Earl, the East Coast-inspired residence was extensively renovated by architect Andy Neumann and original builder Paul Franz in 2012. The six-bedroom, eight-bath main house features nearly 10,000 square feet of living space. Additional structures include an 800-square-foot guesthouse with one bedroom and a full bath, plus a garage building with room for three cars, plus a gym with an infrared sauna.

    Hidden away behind a long gated driveway flanked by manicured lawns dotted with reflecting ponds, on an almost 2-acre blufftop parcel sited just west of Loon Point, the white-shingled and gable-roof main house is shaded by magnolia trees and fronted by a cobblestone motorcourt. Inside, ornate interiors are studded with coffered ceilings, rich hardwood floors, Murano glass light fixtures and numerous sets of French doors that spill out to the gardens.

    Other highlights include a double-height foyer anchored by a dazzling chandelier and curvy wrought-iron staircase, formal living and dining rooms, and a mahogany-paneled office with a fireplace surrounded by a jade green marble mantle. A cozy family room connects to an all-white gourmet kitchen outfitted with marble slab countertops, an eat-in island and high-end stainless appliances, as well as an accompanying butler’s pantry and breakfast nook.

    Upstairs, the plush master retreat rests beneath an eye-catching recessed ceiling, and offers a fireside sitting area, covered balcony, and dual baths and walk-in closets. Five additional ensuite bedrooms are scattered throughout the house, including one with a private games room. Elsewhere are a wine cellar and an additional private office.

    The posh amenities continue outdoors, where the exquisitely manicured and picturesque Sydney Baumgartner-landscaped grounds host several areas ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. An added bonus: direct beach access and a viewing platform accessible via a private stone pathway.

    It’s also worth noting that the property is located on the most prestigious street in Carpinteria, where other neighboring homes are owned by the likes of Kevin Costner, Kourtney Kardashian, George Lucas, and Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.

    The Friedlands own many other homes, including two side-by-side estates in prime Beverly Hills that they purchased for $26 million in 2021. In late 2020, they paid $16 million for Zsa Zsa Gabor’s longtime Bel Air mansion, which the couple has since demolished.

    Locksley Hall in California’s Belvedere neighborhood, which Robert Friedlend sold in 2015 for a record $47.5 million to former Facebook executive Matt Cohler.

    Google Earth

    But nice as all those properties are, they rather pale in comparison to the Friedlands’ former home up in Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area. In 2015, that historic hilltop property — known as Locksley Hall — was sold for a record-breaking $47.5 million to venture capitalist Matt Cohler, one of Facebook’s first five employees and an early investor in Instagram.

    Internationally, the Friedlands also continue to maintain a dramatic blufftop villa in Phuket, Thailand, that has no fewer than three infinity pools, though their main residence remains a luxury flat in Singapore. More

  • in

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

    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

  • in

    A Prominent Attorney Is Seeking $33 Million for This Historic Montecito Gem

    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.

    Jim Bartsch More

  • in

    This Cozy Montecito Cottage Once Owned by Larry David Can Be Yours for $7.5 Million

    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.

    Blake Bronstad Photography More

  • in

    The One That Got Away: Inside Katy Perry’s Fight Over a $15 Million Montecito Estate

    In October 2020, Katy Perry paid $14.2 million for a hillside estate in Montecito, the seaside enclave that has long been considered one of California‘s poshest neighborhoods. The purchase was widely reported, and the pop star and her fiancée Orlando Bloom promptly made the 9-acre compound their main residence.

    What went unreported at the time was that Perry’s scenic new estate was not the property she had really wanted to buy. Back in July 2020, court records now show, and following an extensive house hunt, the “California Gurl” entered into an agreement to pay $15 million for a different Montecito estate, this one significantly smaller but also much closer to Montecito’s trendy downtown area than the other. But what initially seemed a clear-cut transaction has since devolved into a messy three years of legal wrangling and lurid allegations.

    Perry paid $14.2 million for this Montecito tennis court estate in late 2020, but it wasn’t the house she really wanted.

    Google Earth

    In 2020, amid the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, wealthy residents from Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major cities fled to peaceful Montecito, sending real estate prices skyrocketing. In May 2020, Dallas-based entrepreneur Carl Westcott — the founder of 1-800-Flowers — paid $11.3 million for a 2.5-acre property sitting just a few doors away from Oprah Winfrey’s storied “Promised Land” complex.

    Within a month of his purchase, Westcott had already hired an agent to court potential buyers who wanted to buy his new home. One of them was Maria Shriver, who offered $13 million for the nearly 10,000 square foot house, which sports eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. Facing competition, California’s former First Lady subsequently upped her offer to $13.5 million. But Shriver was ultimately outbid by Perry, who ponied up the $15 million now in dispute. On July 14, 2020, Westcott signed the agreement to sell the house for $3.7 million more than he had paid less than two months prior.

    Almost immediately, Westcott appears to have had second thoughts about the deal. On July 22, 2020, according to a deposition, the 84-year-old contacted his real estate agent and asked about cancelling the contract, citing capital gains taxes and his girlfriend’s reluctance to move again. Two days later, an attorney hired by Perry’s business manager contacted Westcott, informing him that Perry and Bloom still wanted to buy the house and reminding him of his contractual obligation to complete the sale.

    The Montecito house at the center of the multimillion-dollar legal war has formal gardens, a guesthouse and sits on 2.5 acres of land.

    Google Earth

    In August 2020, Westcott sued Perry’s business manager, claiming through his attorneys that the real estate contract should be voided because “the combination of age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered [Westcott] of unsound mind.”

    Perry promptly countersued Westcott for millions in damages and has scoffed at his claims, noting that “[Westcott] was competent when he hired an experienced real estate broker, vetted the brokerage commission rate, arranged showings of the property, entertained multiple offers, sought alternative houses, and ultimately negotiated a highly lucrative sale.”

    For now, the Montecito estate’s property title remains in Westcott’s name, though the high-maintenance estate has reportedly been left vacant as the three-plus-year legal battle unfolded. In any case, a judicial decision on the matter could finally be reached as soon as November; the two sides are currently battling it out in a Los Angeles courtroom.

    And for whatever reason, this is not the first time Perry has faced a dispute with elderly people over pricey real estate. Back in 2014, Perry was involved in another legal tussle with several nuns after the local Archdiocese accepted her $14.5 million offer for a 22,000-square-foot convent in Los Angeles, which the singer intended to convert into a single-family home. Perry won that battle after years of wrangling, but ultimately lost interest in the property and declined to complete her purchase. More