More stories

  • in

    Sylvester Stallone’s Equestrian Estate in California Hits the Market for $22.5 Million

    Sylvester Stallone has gone from embodying a heavyweight boxer to becoming a real-life house flipper. Luckily, his real-estate endeavors have been anything but rocky.  

    Earlier this year, the Academy Award–winning actor dropped $18 million on a roughly two-acre compound in the San Fernando Valley. That is, after he and his wife, Jennifer Flavin, sold their longtime Beverly Park estate to singer Adele. Now, Sly is unloading that same California dude ranch he bought back in March, but this time, it’s on the market with an even bigger price tag—a whopping $22.5 million. 

    The Hamptons-style residence, designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, is set at the end of an exceedingly private cul-de-sac inside the celeb-studded, guard-gated community of Hidden Hills. The property includes an amenity-packed main pad, a separate guest house and a large swimming pool with its own spa and cabana. If you’ve got a passion for horses like the Tulsa King star and equestrian enthusiast, there’s also a four-stall barn and a riding arena. Elsewhere, the grounds include an outdoor kitchen, a sprawling fruit orchard and vegetable gardens.  

    Built in 2015, the main house and guest dwelling total more than 10,000 square feet and offer four bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms altogether. A swanky media room and gym are a few of the interior highlights; consider the library and wine cellar to be added perks. Stalone’s stately abode also has an open-concept chef’s kitchen with granite countertops and a formal dining area. The spacious living room has been decked out with a fireplace, vaulted wood-beam ceilings and sliding glass doors.  

    Of course, the primary bedroom is as opulent as one would expect. There’s a sitting area, not one but two walk-in closets, a private balcony and an en suite bathroom with a soaking tub and a steam shower. The Hollywood icon is reportedly ditching his digs to spend more time in Florida where he has a property in Palm Beach. Or perhaps he’s just on the hunt for his next home improvement project.  

    Jordan Cohen of Re/Max One holds the listing.  

    Click here to see all the photos of Sylvester Stallone’s Hidden Hills home.  More

  • in

    Americans Are Flocking to Italian Wine Country to Buy Their Second Homes

    Having a second home sounds nice. Having a second home in one of Italy’s famed wine regions sounds even nicer.

    Many Americans would seem to agree with that statement. Those looking to buy second homes are flocking to Piedmont, the home of Barolo, according to The Wall Street Journal. Diletta Giorgolo Spinola, the head of residential sales at Italy Sotheby’s International Realty, estimates that the number of Americans asking about the area had jumped about 50 percent at her agency over the past two years alone.

    Along with its reputation in the wine world, Piedmont was instrumental in the creation of the slow-food movement, and it’s a major area for the hunting and buying of white truffles. That makes it an especially appealing area to buyers with a strong interest in food and drink.

    Some are even intrigued by the idea of having their own vineyard. Luca Stroppiana of Langhe Real Estate told the WSJ that vineyards are the new must-have for second-home buyers. He helped facilitate the sale of a $510,000 farmhouse with one to an American couple mainly living in Milan. “We like to drink wine,” said Bryony Bechtold, who bought the property with her husband. “And now we will learn all about the different grapes and how making wine works.”

    At Langhe Property, Americans are actually the No. 1 demographic, beating out the British. And an architect in the area told The Wall Street Journal that Americans are now the majority of her foreign customers. It doesn’t hurt that the US dollar is quite strong, and that the pandemic has allowed for flexibility as to where people can live and work.

    While enjoying the Italian countryside for a few weeks or months at a time does sound great, the Journal didn’t note how locals feel about the influx of out-of-towners. That’s been an issue in other international locales, like Mexico City, where residents became fed up with American tourists and remote workers earlier this year.

    Still, the possibility of animus isn’t turning off the Piedmont-curious. A couple from Kansas who have been visiting Italy for 50 years are gearing up to move the region next year—and even more home buyers seem likely to join them. More

  • in

    The Late Tom Petty’s $9.8 Million Malibu Mansion Comes With Its Own Recording Studio

     When Tom Petty wrote “I’m watching the water, watching the coast, suddenly I know, what I want the most,” the opening line of his song “Something Good Coming,” he was at his beach house in Malibu. Now, the late musician’s Southern California abode is ready to inspire someone new.

    Compass agent Chris Cortazzo, who originally sold the oceanfront compound to Petty as a vacation home back in 2010, has just put the property back on the market for $9.8 million. Sited on Escondido Beach, the 16,691-square-foot property comprises a two-bedroom main residence and a guest house that’s currently configured as a recording studio. It also comes with an oceanfront deck with steps that lead down to a 66-foot stretch of sand.  

    The guest house is set up as a recording studio.

    Mike Helfrich

    “When Tom first walked into the home, he just loved the essence and the spirit,” Cortazzo said in a press statement.

    The interior of Petty’s former pad is clad with wood—everything from the tall ceilings to the floors—which gives it the feel of a cozy cabin. The living quarters do incorporate the beachy surrounds, though, with walls of glass that look out to the water. There are also several outdoor spaces that embrace the seaside setting.

    “Tommy loved that the beach house was pretty much all original, built in 1950, with a cabin feel,” adds Petty’s wife Dana. “We spent a lot of time there with friends and family.”

    In the living room, you’ll find a large fireplace with a floor-to-ceiling brick chimney. It serves as a handsome divider between the lounge and the nearby kitchen. Elsewhere, the formal dining room has library shelving and a sliding glass door with access to that picturesque deck. “Tommy always had his recorder and guitar, as he was always writing and creating,” adds Dana. “I remember him writing so many songs there.”  

    The living room opens up to an oceanfront deck.

    Mike Helfrich

    Both of the main house’s bedrooms are located on the first floor. The primary suite is distinguished by a tiled fireplace, a spacious walk-in closet, a private beachfront balcony and a bathroom with a super large window for sea gazing. Downstairs on the lower level is a family room that can act as an office, recreational space or media center depending on your needs.

    As Petty famously wrote, “There’s somethin’ lucky about this place.” 

    Click here to see all the photos of Tom Petty’s Malibu beach house. More

  • in

    Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Just Dropped $70 Million on a Santa Barbara Compound

    Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi recently added yet another multimillion-dollar property to their real estate portfolio—and this time, it set a record. The couple’s newest California compound cost them a whopping $70 million, making it the most expensive deal in the history of Santa Barbara County. 

    DeGeneres and de Rossi’s side-by-side properties sit atop an oceanside bluff in Carpinteria and total about 10 acres. The two adjacent parcels are divided into a three-and-a-half-acre Tuscan-inspired farmhouse and a larger landscaped lot with open lawns and a small lake, reported Dirt. Together they dropped $41.7 million on the mansion and another $28.2 million on the mostly vacant land next door. The compound also includes its own private trail that leads to the beach down below.

    The opportunity to scoop these up comes from seller and retired hedge fund manager Bruce Kovner, who put his 22-acre oceanfront site on the market. Known as the Sanctuary at Loon Point, the property consists of two homes and three lots of land on Padaro Lane. DeGeneres and de Rossi now own one of those abodes, plus a parcel.  

    [embedded content]

    Their stone-clad estate has five bedrooms and eight bathrooms spread across three levels and an impressive 9,066 square feet. Given its Italian influence, there are stone archways, exposed wood-beam ceilings, marble detailing and mosaic tiling throughout. Of course, the pad also has custom copper gutters and bronze windows and doors that were imported from Italy, reported Architectural Digest. Outside, there are Renaissance-style statues and olive trees akin to what you’d see in Tuscany and the roof has been constructed from terracotta. 

    Elsewhere, the great room is outfitted with a massive antique marble fireplace, and nearby, the chef’s kitchen has been decked out with state-of-the-art appliances, dual butler pantries and a large center island. There’s also a wine cellar and a swanky movie theater with leather recliners on the first floor. Upstairs, the primary suite sports two walk-in closets and a private spa terrace that overlooks the grounds. Speaking of which, the compound comes with a marble and mosaic-tile swimming pool, an outdoor kitchen and raised garden beds. In terms of entertainment, we’re sure DeGeneres and de Rossi will put the extra spa, several fire pits and a few alfresco dining areas to good use.    More

  • in

    Trae Young’s New $20 Million LA Mansion Comes With a Safe Room and 800-Gallon Fish Tank

    An NFL all-pro has handed his home over to an NBA all-star.

    Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has bought the Los Angeles-area mansion built by the former Green Bay Packer great Clay Matthews, according to new reporting from The Wall Street Journal. Previously, the buyer had been unknown, but thanks to property records and people familiar with the deal, the Journal was able to find out that Young is the anonymous new homeowner.

    The living room

    Simon Berlyn

    The 14,000-square-foot Calabasas mansion was built by Matthews and his wife in the French Provincial style. The couple had initially planned for it to be their “forever home,” but they reconsidered their plans once Matthews was released by the Los Angeles Rams. Now Young gets to enjoy the (very plentiful) fruits of their labor.

    Along with its seven bedroom and all the usual accoutrements, the property has a host of amazing amenities. There’s a home theater, a wine cellar and a wood-paneled game room with a billiards table. On the more unusual side, a secret door in the library leads to a safe room and one of the walls features an 800-gallon saltwater aquarium (Matthews had originally wanted it to take up the whole wall, but he downsized at his wife’s request). A spokesperson for the listing told The Wall Street Journal in 2021, when the home was first listed, that the couple would consider parting with the fish along with the property. It wasn’t revealed whether Young had taken them up on the offer.

    The library, which houses an 800-gallon fish tank

    Simon Berlyn

    To full take advantage of LA weather, the outside of the house also includes some pretty incredible additions. Of course, given the athlete ownership, there’s a sports court, but there’s also a large pool, a goldfish pond, a rose garden, an orchard, a fire pit and a pergola. That gives you plenty of options for unwinding after a long workout or some time spent shooting hoops.

    The Matthewses purchased the land for the home for only $2.6 million in 2013. When they first listed the property, they were asking a cool $30 mil, but the price dropped a couple of times before Young bought it for $20 million. Given the fact that the baller currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks, it’s unclear whether this will be his forever home either. But it appears he has a new off-season abode.

    Click here to see all the images of 25314 Prado de la Felicidad. More

  • in

    Better Than a Hotel? You Can Now Buy Shares in Multiple Homes Around Europe to Travel in Comfort

    Mélie and Nico Dunod spent years helping clients acquire and renovate vacation homes throughout Europe. Traveling between France, Spain and Italy, they realized how limiting owning one home can be, especially with so many beautiful destinations to discover. This mindset inspired August Collection, a co-ownership model that allows you to own the equivalent of 1/21 of five homes in five different destinations in Europe.

    Founded in 2018, August was built on the idea that the average owner spends just 35 days in their vacation homes per year, and the home sits empty for roughly 11 months.

    Chamonix is a popular year-round destination for outdoor lovers.

    August

    “The more we assisted clients with finding their dream homes, we realized that owning a single holiday home outright in Europe was very limiting, wasteful and full of dichotomies,” says Mélie. “Similarly, no one wants to spend such significant amounts of money on a property they will use for only a few weeks a year, yet they want a home they will be proud of and that is at least as comfortable as their primary residence. We created a model where you own not one but multiple homes in Europe’s best locations, homes all renovated to the highest standards where every single detail is thought through, and for a fraction of the price of buying one home.”

    The homes are designed to exacting standards.

    August

    August has a variety of collections, including the Premium, Signature and Pied à Terre Collections, that offer varying home sizes and destinations for 1/21 ownership. There are also single-family homes with 1/8 ownership offerings. A new line is typically launched yearly; for example, buying into this year’s Premium Collection (the largest property option with four or five bedrooms) gives you access to abodes in the French Alps, French Riviera, Mallorca, Tuscany and the English Countryside for $630,000 (€600,000). The Signature Collection usually offers the same destinations for a smaller home at a lower price. There’s also the Pied à Terre Collection with residences in Cannes, Barcelona, Paris and Rome.  

    Unlike timeshares, you can sell your shares of the homes on the traditional real-estate market and transact its shares like you would any other home. If you want to sell, August can handle sourcing another buyer to purchase your piece of the pie. Also unlike a timeshare, you’ll have real title ownership with appreciation of value. Each home is 100 percent owned by you and your fellow landowners, not August; however the company will manage every aspect of the home, from maintenance to dealing with local taxes and laws to designing the new properties.

    A home in Barcelona.

    Pete Helme Photography

    August also has a point-based booking system that lets you equitably choose the weeks you’d like to spend in the homes. Bookings are released in three batches, with super-peak weeks being the first batch. You can plan a year in advance or book spontaneous trips if your points allow. While in the summer months, destinations such as the South of France are the most popular, August aims to combine buyers who might be interested in the homes at different times of the year. You can also purchase multiple shares in one collection—up to four—to increase the amount of time you’re spending in each location. There’s also a monthly fee that covers utilities and cleaning. 

    There are multiple collections to choose from.

    August

    The Dunods have more than 30 years of real estate and interior-design experience. When they purchase a home, each is planned to exacting standards with a high-end slant to ensure the best product offering. In terms of destinations, the duo choose locations based on proximity to international airports, year-round offerings and places that have strong and stable real-estate markets and luxury home offerings. 

    “When you rent, you need to plan in advance: How many bedrooms do I need, do I want to invite guests? This often leads to people holidaying less,” Mélie says. “With August, families have guaranteed homes that they want to go to, and the common feedback is people spend many more holidays together and the kids are eager to join.” More