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

    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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    Extreme Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt Sells His L.A. House for Nearly $4 Million

    Four months after Nuno Bettencourt hoisted his longtime residence atop the Beachwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles on the market for just under $4 million, the veteran Portuguese-American musician has officially handed the keys over to a new owner.

    Records show the 57-year-old lead guitarist of the iconic Boston rock band Extreme—who also regularly tours with pop superstar Rihanna—has sold the contemporary spread to a non-famous buyer for $3.7 million. Though that’s around $200,000 less than Bettencourt originally wanted, it’s still a healthy $1.6 million more than he paid for the place a little over a decade ago, back in spring 2013.

    Resting amid a hillside parcel spanning roughly one-third of an acre, and fronted by a trio of glassy side-by-side garage bays, the multi-level gray stucco structure was built in the early 1990s and has since been updated. Inside, five bedrooms and six baths are spread across a little more than 5,500 square feet of open-plan living space accented with rustic hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, skylights and an elevator, as well as picturesque views of the Downtown L.A. skyline, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Sign, Lake Hollywood and Pacific Ocean beyond.

    The soaring living room is spotlighted by a seated wet bar.

    Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

    Highlights include a double-height living room sporting a wood-encased fireplace, seated wet bar and sliding glass doors spilling outside. There’s also an office space, a cozy den and formal dining room, plus a gourmet kitchen furnished with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook.

    Elsewhere is a primary bedroom adorned with a sitting area, private balcony, walk-in closet and dressing area, along with a stylish bath that has a soaking tub, separate shower and sauna; and topping it all off are the show-stealing grounds, which host an upper deck holding a pool and spa flanked by a sundeck and an open-air cabana. A guesthouse that previously served as a recording studio can also be found on the premises.

    Some of the most breathtaking scenery in Los Angeles is available from an upper-level pool deck.

    Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

    Extreme achieved its greatest success with the 1990 album Pornograffitti, which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and went on to earn a double-platinum certification. The album featured the hit singles Hole Hearted and More than Words, the latter of which remains one of the most popular rock songs of all time with more than a half-billion streams and upwards of 633 million YouTube views.

    The group recently released its first studio album since 2008; Six was recorded at Bettencourt’s home studio and landed at No. 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, with 12,500 copies sold during the first week.

    Cindy Lorimer and Peter Lorimer of PLG Estates repped both sides of the deal.

    Click here for more photos of Nuno Bettencourt’s Hollywood Hills house.

    Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios More

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    Kirsten Dunst’s Former Manhattan Penthouse Hits the Market for $7 Million

    Two years after she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in The Power of the Dog, Kirsten Dunst is making her long-awaited return to the silver screen in the upcoming A24 action thriller Civil War. And just like that, the actress’s former New York City penthouse is back on the market. 

    Asking just shy of $7 million, the industrial-chic apartment at 533 Canal Street is perched on top of a pre-war co-op in lower Manhattan’s Hudson Square neighborhood. The Hollywood star, whose proverbial big break was the 1994 horror film Interview with the Vampire, splashed out a cool $3 million for the eighth-floor aerie back in 2007, The New York Post first reported. She sold up in 2018 for a profitable $4.4 million, and the apartment later had a brief stint as a $12,500-per-month rental.

    Kirsten Dunst’s former New York City penthouse is for sale.

    Travis Mark for Corcoran

    Dunst’s former home features oversized arched windows, soaring 11-foot ceilings, wide-plank hardwood flooring, and tons of exposed brick, and, according to the listing, which is held by Laura Weinkam of Corcoran, the two-bedroom, two-bath apartment recently underwent a top-to-bottom renovation.

    Among the abode’s newer features is an open chef’s kitchen equipped with state-of-the-art appliances, glossy marble countertops, and custom blue cabinets. Other highlights include the primary suite, which has been totally redone and sports a custom-designed wardrobe that leads to a windowed walk-in closet. There’s also an ensuite bathroom, kitted out with a free-standing, vintage soaking tub, a separate shower stall, custom mosaic tiled floors, and a towel warmer.

    The secondary bedroom, separated from the living room by sliding glass and brass panels, is currently configured as a library, but guests can still be accommodated with a Murphy bed that’s cleverly tucked within a wall of built-ins. Nearby is the second bathroom.

    The apartment has been renovated and features new wood flooring and custom cabinetry.

    Travis Mark for Corcoran

    The boutique building, which was originally built in 1911, has a history as the former venue for the infamous Canal Zone party of 1978. Conceptualized by Stan Peskett, Michael Holman, and Fab 5 Freddy, the shindig was held at Peskett’s 5,000-square-foot loft and was attended by the late Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was an unknown graffiti artist at the time.

    In the years since, the co-op, also known by its alternate address of 477 Washington Street, has attracted a fair share of other well-known celebrities. Most notably, it hosted former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe and director Gus Van Sant. Ex-brothers-in-law Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix were also reported to have shared an apartment in the building, which sold in 2020 for $3.1 million.  

    Click here to see all the photos of 477 Washington Street, 8W. 

    Travis Mark for Corcoran

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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    Actress Nancy Kulp’s Former Los Angeles Home Hits the Market for $2 Million

    Fresh on the market and overlooking the San Fernando Valley is the former Los Angeles home of the late actress and comedian Nancy Kulp, best remembered for her role as Jane Hathaway in the CBS sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. 

    Listed for just shy of $2 million, the Studio City residence was originally built back in 1946 and has been given an extensive overhaul in the years since. According to the listing, which is held by broker Yana Barenek of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, the single-story abode features three bedrooms and two bathrooms in a modest 1,436 square feet of living space. It also comes with permits for a casita, or a flexible space that can be used as an office or even a yoga studio.

    The living room is adorned with wood-beamed vaulted ceiling and a whitewashed brick fireplace.

    Mark Salazar/Modern View Media

    Nestled on Laurelwood Drive, Kulp’s former pad is positioned behind gates on a roughly 13,895-square-foot lot at the end of a long, semi-private driveway. In fact, it’s right next door to the former home of Kurt Russell (The Thing, Escape From New York) and down the block from where Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Barry) once lived. The exterior of the property is dotted with mature trees for extra privacy. Plus, there’s a pathway flanked by waterfalls on both sides leading up to the entry.

    “The residence feels like a secluded, peaceful sanctuary in the heart of the city,” notes the listing. Inside, the revamped spread comprises vaulted beam ceilings, hardwood floors, whitewashed walls, tons of natural stone, and glass windows and doors galore to amplify the mountain views. The kitchen is decked out with designer fixtures, custom white cabinets, and top-of-the-line appliances. There’s also an adjacent family room with a large fireplace, a six-person dining room, and a lavish primary suite with access to an outdoor deck.  

    A sprawling deck has sweeping views of the mountains over the San Fernando Valley.

    Mark Salazar/Modern View Media

    The grounds have also been transformed and now include a huge, sun-splashed deck with a pergola for shade, a garden with automated irrigation, an EV charging port, and off-street parking for up to five cars.

    Kulp, who died in 1991 at the age of 69 after battling cancer, got her start on My Three Sons in 1962. In 1967, she nabbed an Emmy nomination for her role as Mr. Drysdale’s secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway, and appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies for nine seasons until the show was canceled in 1971.  

    Click here to see all the photos of Nancy Kulp’s former L.A. home. 

    Mark Salazar/Modern View Media

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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    Retired NFL Star Derrick Johnson Puts His Lone Star State Home on the Market for $4 Million

    Former Texas Longhorn and Kansas City Chief linebacker Derrick Johnson—known to his many fans simply as “DJ”—has officially hoisted his swanky estate in Austin’s exclusive Spanish Oaks gated community up for sale.

    The founder and president of the Defend the Dream Foundation, which serves low-income and inner-city youth, acquired the modern residence back in 2018. Now, six years later, the place has returned to the market with a nearly $4 million ask.

    Custom-built by Olson Defendorf in 2015, and designed by Geschke Group Architecture, the creamy stucco and brick structure features five bedrooms and five bathrooms in a little more than 5,400 square feet of multi-level living space boasting an office wing, a gym, movie theater and bar-equipped game room. Other posh amenities can be found amid the landscaped grounds, which span just over 1.5 acres and host a two-level swimming pool with a waterpark-quality slide, fire-pit, children’s playhouse and picturesque views of the surrounding Hill Country terrain.

    A covered al fresco entertaining area off the lower level overlooks a waterslide-equipped swimming pool.

    JP Morales/Compass

    Once inside, highlights include a spacious great room spotlighted by a living area adorned with a linear fireplace flanked by built-in shelving and a wall of glass doors spilling out to a covered al fresco entertaining terrace holding a built-in barbecue station with a Big Green Egg. An adjacent dining area connects to the gourmet kitchen, which is furnished with quartz countertops, an expansive eat-in island and top-tier stainless appliances.

    Elsewhere is a sumptuous master retreat flaunting a walk-in closet, as well as a spa-inspired bath outfitted with dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower; and rounding it all out is a motorcourt and attached garages with room for up to three vehicles, along with access to Spanish Oaks facilities ranging from a private golf club with a top-ranked, 18-hole course to a fully stocked fish camp.

    Glass-and-wood double front doors open into a great room showcased by a fireside living room.

    JP Morales/Compass

    Now retired, Johnson was originally selected as the 15th pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he earned four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro picks and Pro Bowl Defensive MVP during his 13-season tenure. The 41-year-old Waco, Texas, native then played for the Oakland Raiders for a short time before signing a one-day ceremonial contract to retire with the Chiefs in 2019 as the franchise’s all-time leading tackler. The former Nagurski and Butkus award winner also recently became the 25th Longhorn inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2023.

    The listing is held by Michelle Jones and Todd Grossman of Compass.

    Click here for more photos of Derrick Johnson’s Texas house.

    JP Morales/Compass More

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    The Once High-Flying Founder of Bird Scooters Sold His L.A. Mansion at an $11 Million Loss

    Travis VanderZanden has finally flown the very fancy coop—but he may also have flown a bit too close to the sun. Records show that after three years on and off the market, the controversial and once high-flying tech entrepreneur’s residential albatross in Bel Air has finally sold to a non-famous buyer for just $10.8 million—nearly $11 million less than the $21.7 million he paid comedian Trevor Noah for the contemporary house about 3.5 years ago.

    It’s probably not surprising that VanderZanden would be very motivated to unload his snazzy mansion. A former Lyft COO and Uber vice president, VanderZanden is the founder and former CEO of Bird, the once-popular and nationwide electric scooter-rental service that was valued at $2.5 billion during its 2019 heyday. By 2020, Bird had been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic; in December 2023, the company declared bankruptcy.

    But despite the huge amount of money it cost him, it remains unclear if VanderZanden ever actually lived in the Bel Air house. He bought the hilltop mansion in August 2020, paying $21.7 million. For much of the next six months, the place was undergoing renovations. But in April 2021, VanderZanden somewhat abruptly moved to Miami and his L.A. house was back up for grabs, listed at an optimistic $25 million. By early 2023, the property’s asking price had sunk to $18.9 million.

    Previously owned by Trevor Noah, the glassy house was vacant for much of VanderZanden’s 3.5 years of ownership.

    Sited atop a 1-acre promontory overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club golf greens, the spec-built house was completed in 2019 and first sold for $20.5 million to Noah that same year. Inside, the two levels of sun-drenched interiors span a total of about 10,000 square feet, with six bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms. Highlights include a stone wet bar showcasing a 500-gallon saltwater aquarium, a cigar room, a den with a marble fireplace, a movie theater and separate quarters for a live-in housekeeper or other staff member.

    A stylish catering kitchen is outfitted with a pair of marble islands, plus high-end Miele appliances, custom cabinetry and climate-controlled wine storage for up to 250 bottles. Upstairs, a 2,200-square-foot master retreat flaunts a bar, sitting room, dual showroom closets and marble baths, and an 800-square-foot balcony with dazzling views of the ocean and city lights.

    The family room sports walls of pocketing Fleetwood glass doors that disappear, allowing for easy access to an al fresco dining patio. Beyond, the mostly flat backyard hosts a sprawling lawn and 62-foot infinity pool with a transparent edge that seemingly hovers over the city far below. Topping it all off are a state-of-the-art Control4 home automation system, and fully automated Lutron shades for playing it cool. More

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    A Fashion Designer Seeks to Sew Up a $6 Million Deal for a 19th-Century Townhouse in Brooklyn

    Darryl Kerrigan, more familiarly known to the sartorially inclined as Daryl K, helped to define the lower Manhattan fashion scene during much of the 1990s with her effortless, rock-and-roll-inspired looks and signature stretch leather leggings that she first hawked from a tiny shop on East Sixth Street and then, until 2012, from a larger Bond Street boutique. 

    Like droves of downtown hipsters in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kerrigan and her partner Paul Leonard, both born and raised in Ireland, decamped their “unfancy East Village loft” and moved to Brooklyn, where records show Kerrigan acquired a 19th-century townhouse in the Boerum Hill neighborhood in 2000. The townhouse is now on the market for $6 million, down from the $6.5 million that was initially asked for. Terry Naini and Emila Sultan of Brown Harris Stevens hold the listing.

    The State Street townhouse is fronted by a classic raised-stoop entrance.

    Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens

    The handsome brick townhouse, part of the State Street Houses National Register Historic District, dates to the late 1800s and stands four stories atop a full basement with an embellished metal cornice and a classic raised-stoop entrance. Easily used as a single-family home, the property is zoned as a two-family residence, with a garden-level apartment below a spacious three-bedroom and two-and-a-half-bath triplex. (The upper-level triplex was available for rent last year, first at $22,500 per month and then later at $18,500 per month.)

    The upper three floors feature tons of period details, including the original staircase, crown moldings, and wood floors, with parquet throughout the parlor floor and wide planks on the upper levels. There are six vintage marble mantels, two of which can be wood burning. The classic raised-stoop entrance leads to a lengthy foyer, a 25-foot-long living room, and an eat-in kitchen.

    There are three bedrooms, plus a small study with a bay window; the primary suite occupies the entire top floor and stretches more than 42 feet end to end with numerous closets and a vintage-style updated bathroom. 

    The eat-in kitchen features original parquet flooring and a view into the rear garden.

    Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens

    The garden-level apartment can be accessed from within the triplex unit but can also operate as an independent two-bedroom and one-bath rental or guest apartment with a private outside entrance, an open-plan great room and kitchen, and French doors to a 40-foot-deep garden.

    Kerrigan moved to New York in the mid-1980s and soon began designing costumes for Jim Jarmusch’s films, including “My Cousin Vinny,” starring Marisa Tomei. Though she closed her boutique back in 2012, she has collaborated with mainstream brands like Urban Outfitters, Calvin Klein, and Madewell. She also continues to sell her own designs through her Daryl K website.

    Click here for more photos of 324 State Street.

    Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens More

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    Clippers Star Kawhi Leonard Faces a Loss on His Downtown L.A. Penthouse

    After four years of ownership, Kawhi Leonard has decided to hoist his Downtown Los Angeles penthouse back on the market. And the two-time NBA champ apparently wants to get rid of the seasonal outpost pretty bad—per Realtor.com, he’s priced the swanky pad at $6.5 million, or around $200,000 less than he originally paid.

    Purchased by Leonard for a little over $6.7 million back in winter 2019, the same year the All-Star forward signed with the Clippers, the unit lies on the 43rd floor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live, just steps from the Crypto.com Arena. Since the Gensler-designed structure first opened its doors in 2010, the exclusive building has housed celebs the likes of former Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, Lakers guard Lonzo Ball and filmmaker Jason Blum, just to name a few.

    As for Leonard’s part-time dwelling, the place features three bedrooms and four baths in almost 4,300 square feet of “impeccably designed” living space adorned with a mix of hardwood and carpeted floors, two custom fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass offering picturesque city lights views. There also are magnetic, wall-mounted iPads for controlling the window treatments, as well as Crestron and Lutron home-automation systems.

    A vestibule flows into a spacious living area displaying one of the aforementioned fireplaces, built-in shelving and plenty of room for a pool table, and an adjacent kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying dining area. There’s also a chic master retreat boasting a luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and steam shower.

    Topping it all off are plenty of building amenities courtesy of a substantial $5,880 monthly HOA charge, including a dedicated concierge, heated rooftop pool, spa, fitness center, valet parking and 24-hour hotel room service. Two parking spots also come with Leonard’s penthouse.

    Lest his fans be worried, it doesn’t look as if Leonard is planning to leave L.A. anytime soon—especially since he signed a massive three-year, $152.4 million contract extension in January. According to Yardbarker, it more likely stems from the fact that the Clippers are planning a move into the Inglewood-based Intuit Dome for the 2024-25 season. On the real estate front, the 32-year-old Moreno Valley native also still maintains a hilltop mansion in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood that he purchased for $17.1 million about three years ago. More