Celebrity Home Designs: celebrity homes

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Celeb R.E.: Selena Gomez Quietly Purchases Calabasas Home

Image courtesy Bing Maps

According to gossip juggernaut, TMZ, Selena Gomez of Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place fame and also being the boyfriend of Justin Bieber for a short period of time has just purchased a Calabasas mansion which was first reported on March 29, 2014.

Based on the picture revealed at TMZ, the home measures 5 Beds/6 Baths on 7,229 sqft on a total lot size of 3.15 acres built in 2004. The home is in a gated community literally next door to Hidden Hills. The shape of the lot is rather unique which looks like a long inverted boot that stretches from the Hidden Hills fences to to the entrance of the gated community. Another interesting feature of the lot is the open land next door with a driveway leading to nothing that looks like it was once being prepped for development so maybe there is future development potential for Gomez.

This home was last purchased on August 16, 2004 as a new home for $2,920,000 and according to TMZ was sold to Selena Gomez for $3 million even though the property records do not reflect any transaction at the time of writing this blog so we will keep a look out to confirm TMZ's story who are typically accurate in their reporting. The home was previously owned by a financial type who goes by the name of Scott Kotick who was one of the founders of The Alliant Company.

Shortly after TMZ published their story, a Gomez stalker wasted no time visiting Gomez's new home and knocked on the front door attempting to see Gomez which didnt work out. So the stalker broke into the guest home until he was caught by the sheriff's deputies. So that must be a record for celebrity trespassing and I guess it doesnt matter if you live in a gated community.

Images courtesy Prudential California Realty

Prior to the newly acquired Calabasas home, Gomez was living in a Tarzana ranch home measuring 5 Beds/5 Baths on 4,650 sqft on a total lot size of close to 1 acre built in 1956. Gomez purchased this home for $2.9 million on August 2012 supposedly from Jonah Hill who flipped the home after acquiring it on July 14, 2011 for $2,175,000. However, a quick review of the property records does not show any transactions taking place after 2011 so its possible that Jonah Hill never owned this home and it was originally purchased by Gomez. Something tells me this home will be popping up on the market in the near future. On a side note for architectural buffs, this home is located across from the Dr. A.E. Abdun-Nur Residence designed by Paul Williams. You can read more about that home here and here.

Image courtesy Coldwell Banker

Prior to the Tarzana home, Gomez was living in an Encino rental (shown above) that was sold for $3.5 million on December 21, 2012 and was known as the Lazy Creek Ranch. You can read more about that home here.

Is it a coincidence that Gomez moved to Calabasas after Bieber sold his Calabasas mansion to Khloe Kardashian and moved to Atlanta?

You can view more SFV Celeb R.E. here.

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Unknown Calabasas, celebrity homes, Encino, Selena Gomez, Tarzana

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

FAIRFIELD POND THE HAMPTONS - $220 MILLION - Most Expensive Homes in the World

#4 FAIRFIELD POND THE HAMPTONS - $220 MILLION

Fairfield Pond is the Hamptons home of junk bond billionaire Ira Rennert. Rennert used his $6 billion net worth to build his 63 acre compound, featuring over 100,000 square feet of buildings, a basketball court, bowling alley, squash courts, tennis courts, 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms.

FAIRFIELD POND HAMPTONS PICTURES, FAIRFIELD POND HAMPTONS PHOTOS, CELEBRITY HOMES,

Fairfield Pond Hamptons pictured from above.

Fairfield Pond Hamptons.

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Unknown celebrity homes, FAIRFIELD POND HAMPTONS PHOTOS, FAIRFIELD POND HAMPTONS PICTURES

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

ONE HYDE PARK PENTHOUSE - $225 MILLION - Most Expensive Homes in the World

#3 ONE HYDE PARK PENTHOUSE - $225 MILLION

Would you pay $225 million for an apartment? One with six bedrooms? The buyer is still a secret but this purchase was the most expensive in England's history.

ONE HYDE PARK PICTURES, CELEBRITY HOMES, MOST EXPENSIVE HOMES,

This apartment covers two floors and features bullet proof windows, a panic room and panoramic views of The Serpentine.

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Unknown celebrity homes, MOST EXPENSIVE HOMES, ONE HYDE PARK PICTURES

Sunday, March 16, 2014

THE PINNACLE MONTANA - $155 MILLION - Most Expensive Homes in the World

#7 THE PINNACLE MONTANA - $155 MILLION

The Pinnacle is a $155 million ski lodge and residence owned by Edra and Time Blixseth. The Blixseths own the Yellowstone Club which is a ski resort that only billionaires belong to. The house has 10 bedrooms, every floor is heated...including the driveway.

THE PINNACLE MONTANA, MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES,CELEBRITY HOMES,

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Unknown celebrity homes, MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES, The Pinnacle Montana

Saturday, March 15, 2014

ELENA FRANCHUK'S VICTORIAN VILLA - $161 MILLION - Most Expensive Homes in the World

#6 ELENA FRANCHUK'S VICTORIAN VILLA - $161 MILLION

Originally a girls prep school, Elena Franchuk's upgraded the property in 2006 to the Victorian Villa.

VICTORIAN VILLA PICTURES, MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES,CELEBRITY HOMES

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Unknown celebrity homes, MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES, VICTORIAN VILLA PICTURES

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

BTTF# 21: Andy Devine's Gravel Flats Ranch in Van Nuys

Image courtesy The Museum of the San Feranando Valley

Welcome aboard the Delorean!

Marty McFly here to take you on a journey to the former Andy Devine Ranch known as Gravel Flats at 6947 Kester Avenue Van Nuys. The Delorean has the required plutonium plus some random garbage in the Mr. Fusion reactor ready for this trip. The time circuits are set to sometime in the 1930s (actual date unknown) and the flux capacitor is......fluxxing. The engine is running (not stalled this time) so we need to hurry. Hang on, as the ride can be a little bumpy as we travel back in time.

Above images courtesy The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

Andy Devine was an American character actor and comic cowboy sidekick known for his distinctive raspy voice, the result of a childhood vocal cord injury when he tripped with a curtain rod in his mouth. He appeared in hundreds of films with his most notable role in the 1939 classic Stagecoach directed by John Ford (a former Reseda resident). Devine later would appear in two early television series as "Jingles" the sidekick in The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok and then as the leader in Andy's Gang. Devine would go on to become a world famous film and television actor spanning close to 5 decades. His last role was in 1977's The Mouse and His Child which he provided the voice for "Euterpe."

So after a days work in Hollywood, Devine would return to his ranch home in Van Nuys known as Gravel Flats which was built sometime in the 1930s. Devine commissioned famed architect L.G. Scherer to build his home who also designed Ernest Borgnine's Beverly Hills estate that was recently acquired by actor Jason Bateman in February 2013. It is believed that Devine chose Van Nuys to be reminiscent of his native Arizona which was surrounded by miles of open country which if you can imagine,Van Nuys was mostly empty in the early 1930s. Many other celebrities including Edward Everett Horton, Josef Von Sternberg, James Cagney, Lucille Ball, Jackie Oakie, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Taylor, and Zeppo Marx to name a few were building ranch homes in the SFV to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city (you can also read an LA Times article about former stars homes).

The images below taken on August 29, 1939 on a moving truck depict the 1930's colonial era ranch home on a small single lane Kester street. In 1938, Devine was requested to be the honorary mayor of Van Nuys which he held that title until his departure of Van Nuys in 1958 to Newport Beach due to suburbanization.

Across the street from his home was a public pool called Crystal Plunge built by Cornwell's on June 1, 1923 that was wildly popular during the scorching summer heats according to the Daily News and the LA Times. Another story surfaced that Devine built Crystal Plunge for his children and teammates from the Van Nuys High School swimming team to practice swimming since there was no pool at Van Nuys High. These stories are conflicting so I am not sure of the true history other than maybe Devine acquired ownership of Crystal Plunge but wasnt the original developer.

Image courtesy Pinterest by Flattop N Lollipop Hipes

And now its time to fire up the Delorean and go back to the future to 1952, 1972, and 1980 using favorite site historicaerials.com. The area highlighted in red below shows the Devine ranch to the left and the Crystal Plunge pool on the right. As can be seen in the surrounding areas, development was starting to take place as GIs were looking to settle down after WWII.

By 1972 as shown in the image below, both Devine's ranch and Crystal plunge were gone. Devine would later pass away at the age of 71 due to leukemia in 1977 in Orange, CA. Devine always had a fondness for the SFV and I am sure he was hurting inside when his ranch was demolished. According to an LA Times article published on May 8, 1997, titled For this Actor, Gravel Flats Was Devine by Michael P. Lucas, "He kept a fond spot in his heart for the Valley. He often half-joked that after he sold Gravel Flats to apartment developers he could retire any time, without a worry about starving."

The 1980 image below shows complete development with no land available nearby.

And now its time to fire up the Delorean and go back to the future to the present setting where not much has changed since the 1970s where apartments are common on Kester compared to the old ranch days of the 30's and 40's.

The former Andy Devine ranch is located on the left with Crystal Plunge on the right. Image courtesy Google Maps

The site of the former Andy Devine ranch.

The site of the former Crystal Plunge pool.

As a bonus, Andy Devine's son, Dennis would become an apartment and condo developer in the 1980s in the San Fernando Valley as explained in an LA Times article published on February 10, 1985 by Ruth Ryon, Actor's Son Has Devine Flair With His Homes: Affordable North Valley Condos Are Builder's First Solo Project. I wonder how Andy felt about his son developing the last remaining parcels of the SFV which Andy seemed to appreciate for its vast emptiness and country feel.

You can view more SFV history and Back To The Future series here.

Sources:

The Movieland Directory - Andy Devine

Wikipedia - Andy Devine

IMDB - Andy Devine

1939 Magazine Article posted at The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

The Ernest Borgnine Estate Listed for First Time in 60 Years by Curbed LA (in reference to L.G. Scherer)

For this Actor, Gravel Flats Was Devine by LA Times article

Actor's Son Has Devine Flair With His Homes: Affordable North Valley Condos Are Builder's First Solo Project by LA Times article

Stories, Glories of Stars Are Reflected in Former Valley Homes by LA Times article

The Great Andy Devine by The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

1923 - 1924: Busy At Work and At Play by LA Daily News article (in reference to Crystal Plunge)

Wikimapia - Crystal Plunge

Crystal Plunge Image - Pinterest by Flattop N Lollipop Hipes

Old Timers Reminisce as Van Nuys Turns 75 by LA Times article (in reference to Crystal Plunge)

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Unknown Andy Devine, Back To The Future Series, celebrity homes, Ranch, Van Nuys

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

$190 Million Greenwich Estate: The Most Expensive House In America

$190 Million Greenwich Estate: The Most Expensive House In America

Did you just sell your social network toYahoo for $1.1 billion? Or maybe you are the anonymous 26 year old single mom who is rumored to have recently won $228 million in the single largest Powerball jackpot of all time. Either way, if you happen looking for an upgraded home that better fits your newly-found obscene wealth, we may have the perfect property for you. Last Friday, an estate in the ultra-exclusive Greenwich, Connecticut, hit the market. Big deal right? That must happen all the time, what's so special about this house? This particular 15,000 square foot mansion sits on 50 acres of pristine waterfront property and can be yours for the low low price of $190 million. That's enough to make it the most expensive house in America.

Most Expensive House In America

What exactly does a house need to have in order to cost $190 million and subsequently be named most expensive house in America? Let's start with the basics. Also known as Copper Beech Farm, the current owner is a businessman named John Rudey who purchased the house in a private transaction from a family friend in the 1980s. Prior to Mr. Rudey, the estate was owned by one of Andrew Carnegie's US Steel co-founders. Rudey made his fortune in the timber business as the Chairman of the US Timberlands Services Company and the CEO of the Inland Fiber Group. Who knew there was still so much money in trees?

This fantastic property features a 15,000 square Victorian mansion that dates back to 1898. It also has a 7,000 square foot basement area in case you need to store… everything. The driveway of this property alone is 1800 feet long. As we mentioned earlier, the mansion sits on 50 acre property that is mostly open fields and forest. If you buy this house, you will be able to enjoy multiple grass tennis courts, sprawling gardens, two greenhouses, a private apple orchard and a 75 foot heated pool with hot tub that overlooks the Long Island Sound. The property nestled on 4000 feet of water views and private beaches.

One word of caution: Even though you will already be spending $190 million, be prepared to pony up a few million more for upgrades. Believe it or not, many of the rooms still do not have central air and instead rely on regular old window units in warmer months. Also, the kitchen is actually located in the basement near the staff quarters. You will probably want to add a modern kitchen on the same floor as the main living area. On the bright side, if you don't mind neighbors there is a potential option to split the estate and sell off parcels for new mansions. That will probably make your accountant happy, but you might have to say goodbye to Sunday naked pool parties.

So what do you think? If you had the coin, would you drop $190 million to own the most expensive house in America? Here are some more photos of the property:

$190 Million Greenwich Estate: