Luxe Living

Los Angeles basketball legend Elgin Baylor is selling his longtime Beverly Hills mansion for $4,250,000. According to public records, the Hall of Famer purchased this home on March 25, 1992 for $1,445,248. It has 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms and clocks in at 8,114 square feet. Baylor has been a longtime Los Angeles resident. He played 13 seasons as a forward for the Lakers and then to the other Los Angeles hoops team – the Clippers – where he spent 22 seasons as General Manager. He was relieved of his duties shortly before the 2008-2009 season. In February 2009, Baylor filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against the Clippers, team owner Donald Sterling, team president Andy Roeser, and the NBA. He alleged that he was underpaid during his tenure with the team and then fired because of his age and race. His claim was later rejected in court.

Since his retirement from basketball, Baylor has maintained a low profile and likely spent a great deal of time in his beautiful home. Now for sale, the estate is perfectly positioned for maximum views of the City of Angels.  The 8,114 square foot estate rests comfortably on a private road, just steps away from Trousdale Estates. The home features 6 bedrooms, all with their own private bathroom. The home has a 1,600 square foot grand room that could also double as a home theater/game room. Multiple decks and every single room offers straight shot views of downtown Los Angeles. High ceilings, hardwood floors and a gourmet kitchen are just some of the amenities of Baylor’s beautiful home. 

NFL great Jerry Rice has recently re-listed his massive 14,000 square-foot Atherton, CA home for a reduced price of $10.5 million. According to property records, Rice first purchased the land in 2001 for just $2.1 million. After building on the property, he listed it for sale in 2007 for $22 million, then once again in July of this year for $13.88 million. After a few million in price cuts, this state-of-the-art mansion is tackling the real estate market yet again, seeking a new owner – preferably a tech savvy candidate that would take advantage of all its bells and whistles.

Located in California’s Bay Area, this estate is a tech mogul’s dream come true. Made for a champion, the seven-bedroom, eight full, and three partial bath estate comes with a built-in elevator to access its three-levels, a seven-car-garage, and $2 million dollars worth of installed electronics, including a cutting edge security system and exquisite home theater. Sitting in one of the priciest zip codes in Silicon Valley, this estate is a tech hub within a tech hub. Fully equipped with automated smartphone capabilities, residents have the capability to remotely control various appliances and security via mobile, from anywhere in the world. After tearing down the original home in 2001, and building this “smart home” masterpiece, it seems Rice was looking to add tremendous property value. It’s no doubt he clearly went all….the….way.

Versace limestone floors, an aquarium, gym, sauna, and Swarovski crystal accents glam up the property, offering stunning elegance throughout. To appeal to the inner chef in us all, the over-the-top gourmet kitchen includes the latest stainless appliances, a deep fryer, steamer, and pizza oven. The spectacular exterior grounds offer a large entertainment area with a massive pool, Jacuzzi tub,  outdoor built-in barbecue, gazebo with built-in heat lamps, and large grass area.

San Francisco Giants World Series Champion Barry Zito is looking for another big win – this time in the real estate game. The San Francisco Giants pitcher who famously signed a $126 million-dollar contract is looking for a buyer for his stunning Kentfield, CA Mediterranean mansion. Just across the San Francisco bay, Zito’s home is asking $11,450,000. Perhaps the allure of owning the home of a two-time World Series champion will be enough to clinch a buyer for this amazing estate.

When the home first hit the market in June of 2012, Zito’s publicist Kathy Jacobson told the Huffington Post that the motive for the move was a shorter commute. “Barry loves Marin and the house; he was married there…but with the drive over the bridge all the way across town to the ballpark, it was just too much, especially with a new marriage.”

No telling where the star pitcher and his new wife Amber Seyer will head next, but we do know that they’re leaving behind a champion-worthy estate. Called “Villa Della Pace,” Zito’s for-sale home is sited on over 2 acres of hillside directly overlooking Phoenix Lake. The gorgeous, rare home features a new, spectacular guest house and both the main home and the guest house enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of acres of coastal hills and park lands.The property is surrounded by stone terraces, lawns and gardens as well as an outdoor fireplace, barbeque, fountain, spa, and spectacular swimming pool. Thanks to teak Nano doors, which allow the home’s glass walls to open, indoor-outdoor flow is maximized.

Situated on a private lot with two iron gates, this estate features 4 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, an enormous combination kitchen/family room. The large master suite, which opens to the back yard and spa, is on the main level and features an imported limestone fireplace. The master bath is accented with beautiful granite countertops and an extra-large custom stone shower, double sinks, and a gracious walk-in closet. The main level also comes with an office – the perfect place for Zito to consider all the ways to spend that nine-figure paycheck.

Marilyn Rich of Pacific Union real estate holds the listing.

As part of one of the biggest trades in baseball history, the Los Angeles Dodgers closed a huge nine-player swap with the Boston Red Sox earlier this fall, acquiring Boston’s star left fielder Carl Crawford. Crawford, a former four-time All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays, hit a solid .282 with Boston during his early 2012 season before being hit with news of the trade and shipped off to LA  mid-season.

For the past few months the left-hander has been on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery, a very common baseball injury. He has also been busy becoming acquainted with a completely new team, new city and new home due to another common occurrence in the professional baseball world: a sudden cross-country trade. Fast-forward to the MLB’s playoff-month of October and the Los Angeles Dodgers are out of the running, now switching gears to prep for a new 2013 season. Crawford too is now ready to officially start over in California as it is confirmed he has listed his Wellesley, Massachusetts mansion for an asking price of $2.99 million.

This 7,426 square-foot estate has New England-style charm on the exterior and a contemporary, luxury design on the interior. Custom built just a year ago in 2011, the home sits on a privately gated cul-de-sac in historic Wellesley, Massachusetts, an expensive suburb of Boston that features high-priced properties with an average listing price of $1.6 million. The ultra-private living quarters offer five bedrooms, six baths and a three car garage. The estate’s interior is professionally designed with warm, nude color schemes gracing the walls and flooring, while splashes of bright greens, reds and browns on the furnishings accentuate the space and add some spicy personality to each room. But beautiful interior décor will not go to waste – according to the listing, buyers may purchase completely furnished!

Other ultra-luxe amenities include: a home theater, game room, an in-house barber shop, three fireplaces, an enormous master suite, and last but definitely not least, an extra large exercise room with batting cage. Like other athlete and celeb properties, this estate does not disappoint!

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has recently closed on a $3.6 million dollar waterfront Bay Area property located in Richmond, California, sources say. Lynch, a Bay Area native, attended high school in Oakland, CA and college at Cal Berkeley where he was an essential asset to the Cal Bears football program. While at Cal Berkeley Lynch set the school’s record for most 100-yard rushing games and was a strong candidate in the running for the famous Heisman Trophy.

According to sources, the 7,000 square-foot-home includes five bedrooms and five and a half baths with extraordinary panoramic views of the beautiful San Francisco Bay. With a custom built 58-foot boat dock, Lynch can “ghost ride” his boat to and from Richmond and San Francisco and go “beast mode” with his water toys on the Bay Area waters, a.k.a., his new backyard. The property is contemporary in style and offers additional luxe amenities including a wine cellar, theater room and elevator.

Lynch not only scored big with his recent real estate purchase, but earlier this year landed another huge contract deal with the Seattle Seahawks, extending his contract until 2016 and earning him a total of up to $31 million. Number 24 is making big moves on and off the field.

Ray Allen, formerly a megastar on the Boston Celtics, has migrated south to the warmer climate of Miami and started shooting hoops for the Heat. A new team and a new city means one thing for Allen – he must sell the baller-worthy Massachusetts mansion he and his family used to call home. According to Curbed, the semi-empty home has just hit the market with a price tag of $5.2 million.

This swank Wellesley mansion was the Allen residence since he joined the Celtics in 2007. And just like the 6’5 hoops star, the home is large! It clocks in at 11,093 square feet. In all that square footage, you’ll find nine bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms and four stories of stunning house on 1.44 acres.

The home features a wood-paneled library, a 12-seater home theater, a statement foyer with curved walls and a beautiful staircase. The gated property also features impressive grounds and a six-car garage with 10 space carport.

For once in his career, Derek Jeter is sliding away from home. His longtime New York City home, to be exact. Just this week, Jeter sold his 88th-floor penthouse to Brazilian business man Claudio Ferro for $15.5 million, as first reported by the New York Post.

Jeter bought the penthouse pad at Trump Tower directly from Donald Trump himself for $12.72 million in 2001. After almost a decade in the penthouse, he listed the East Side apartment for $20 million in 2010. No buyer stepped up to the plate and Jeter made the call to take it off the market. In April, the bonafide bachelor pad was back with a lower asking price – $17.95 million. Jeter didn’t get his full asking price for the home, but it was in no way a botched play. Jeter’s final sales price was still a cool $3 million more than what he paid for it.

So now the home is being traded to Ferro, and he’s getting an all-star abode! The 88th floor penthouse is set high amidst the tallest residential building on the eastside, the Trump World Tower. The location offers un-paralleled views of the Manhattan skyline and this particular penthouse has a bird’s eye view of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Bank of America building, One World Trade and other key landmarked buildings framed by the Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Verrazano Bridges and the East & Hudson Rivers – the picturesque views are unsurpassed. Complimenting the views – Jeter’s former penthouse features 16 foot floor-to-ceiling windows, 4 bedrooms, 5.5 baths with 77 feet in length of grand entertaining space encompassing the living room, billiards room and formal dining room. A Creston system controls the lighting, audio, video and privacy shades with one touch of a button. Adding warmth and texture to the apartment is a wood burning fireplace, ultra-suede wallpaper, slate mantle and hardwood flooring.

Word on the street is that Jeter hasn’t yet put down more of his millions on a new place. He’s been staying under the radar and hopping from hotel-to-hotel until he finds another bachelor pad. But don’t worry about him not having a place to call home. He still owns this sprawling estate in Florida.

NFL star Michael Strahan is making moves in the real estate game. According to The Los Angeles Times, he has recently purchased a 1-acre Bel-Air estate for $7.9 million. Along with his new digs, the FOX NFL analyst and former NFL Super Bowl champ also has a new gig: co-hosting with Kelly Ripa on “LIVE! With Kelly and Michael.”

While he has his new home and TV-hosting job locked and loaded, there’s been word of him “letting go” of a few other personal and real estate relationships. According to a few media outlets, Strahan reportedly broke off his three-year engagement to his ”Vh1 Exes” reality star fiance Nicole Murphy after discovering an “inappropriate” text exchange with R&B artist London Yalor. He is also currently parting ways with a 2,560 square-foot, three-bedroom, three and a half bath Hermosa Beach, CA townhome for $1.8 million. Despite multiple news headlines, we can only confirm one of these breakups as true -the couple has been seen on Twitter laughing at break-up/cheating rumors and confirming they’re still going strong.

Strahan’s new Los Angeles home is quite far from his new New York City-based TV-hosting gig, however based on The Los Angeles Times’ description of the home, it sounds like a perfect place to relax during a warm October Indian Summer night in LA. Built in 1926, the five-bedroom, six and a half bath estate features Mediterranean influences throughout with  courtyard entry, glass walls, theater and bar. Additionally the 1-acre home includes a gym, sauna, detached guesthouse and swimming pool.

Images via MLS.

Pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek has just flip-kicked another pricey property onto the market! Just last month, Drydek took a wild ride down the real estate half pipe, first putting a stunning $2.4M Apollo Drive home on the market and then purchasing a new Los Angeles spread for $2.5M.

Perhaps multiple high-priced Los Angeles properties are too much for one guy to have, because now Dyrdek is selling his home on North Knoll drive for $1.249M. Dyrdek purchased the home on June 3, 2005 for $1,400,000 and then turned it into the main stage for his hilarious reality TV show Rob & Big.  If Dydek can’t get offers over his asking price on this property, it’s likely he’ll lose a little bit of dough.

This Los Angeles home with a reality TV pedigree is a spacious 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath mid-century home with expansive floor-to-ceiling walls of glass, overlooking a stunning city view. This modern Lake Hollywood-neighborhood home offers many features including a private sparkling sun drenched pool area leading into open area living space with 15 foot vaulted ceilings. The kitchen has been upgraded and includes a center island, granite counters, stainless steel appliances and cherry wood cabinets. In the open living room, you’ll find dramatic high ceilings and a two-story smoke stack fireplace. Sliding glass doors from every room throughout the house open to large balconies with stunning views. The second and third bedrooms and laundry area are found on a separate level, perfect for guest quarters, office area or kids rooms. A bonus lower-level-room is perfect for a recreation room, media room, separate den area…or a reality TV production crew.

Laura Kellam of Prudential holds the listing.

Images via the MLS.

On July 2nd, NBA All Star Joe Johnson was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, after spending 7 quality seasons in Atlanta with the Hawks. Now he’s putting his palatial Atlanta area home on the market and going all-in on becoming part of Brooklyn’s first NBA basketball franchise. And who can blame him? Maybe it was the thought of Jay-Z being the minority owner? Or the idea of creating a new basketball super power right in the backyard of the New York Knicks? Either way the $90 million of mad scrilla left on the next 4 years of his contract certainly makes moving an easy decision from a financial standpoint.

So what is Joe leaving behind? Well the Hawks might not be in good shape, but his expansive home sure is a gem. Settled on over an acre of land the European-style home is 13,822 square feet and features 8 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms and welcomes visitors to the home with a dramatic 2 story foyer and cathedral ceiling. The kitchen alone includes a breakfast room, large granite-topped island and a walk-in pantry. Other spaces throughout the house include computer, media, recreation, family and living rooms, as well as a library, den, gym and wet bar for entertaining. And after all that you can settle into a large dining room with room for more than 12 people, wood floors and expansive 10 foot ceiling.

The amaziness that is Joe Johnson‘s former home isn’t limited to indoors. Once you head into the back yard you will encounter myriad additional features that solidify this home’s status as a luxury retreat. Walk onto the deck and notice the carefully tended garden, baller-status grill, hot tub, spa and built-in pool including pool house. And if you want to work up a sweat before hitting the pool you can hit the ball around on the private tennis court.

Maybe he’s crazy for selling this place, but you have to wonder where a man used to this lifestyle will settle once he arrives in the Big Apple. Perhaps he wants to pick up Derek Jeter’s old pad for a cool $17.95 million? With his average pre-tax salary in the $1.7 million per month range, a host of New York rental opportunities become very affordable. For $45,000 per month Johnson could choose this massive, lower-Manhattan flat, or perhaps he wants to be close to the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn? If so, he’ll find rentals to be exceedingly less expensive, like this 2 bedroom apartment that is just minutes from his “office” at the arena and will set him back a paltry in comparison, $5,500 per month.

One thing we know for certain, Johnson will be playing on an exciting team come 2012, and likely living in style.

Credit to estately.com for home images.