Luxe Living

Vince Vaughn, comedic actor and everyone’s favorite “Wedding Crasher” is settling down a bit more these days. On the heels of the news that he and wife Kyla Weber are expecting baby #2, the Chicago native has just scooped up a 5 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 5,563 square foot home in La Cañada Flintridge on April 25, 2013 for $3,925,000.

The Vaughn’s new estate sits behind gates on an approximately 3/4 acre lot. Very, very traditional up first glance, the Colonial-style home combines classic design with fine craftsmanship. The large gourmet kitchen is fully equipped and each of the five large bedrooms comes complete with their own bath. The home also has a library, family Room, formal dining room and living room. The park-like grounds include sweeping lawns, swimming pool and sport court – perfect for their growing family!

Before you know it, summer will be here! And if you’re looking for a new home in Malibu before summer arrives, then you must meet Chris Cortazzo, the #1 agent for Malibu, California, nationally and internationally for Coldwell Banker.  Since 2000, Chris has sold more than $1.5 billion in real estate, establishing him as Malibu’s #1 agent for the past decade.

Chris has changed the face of real estate in Malibu, and is in a league of his own. He credits his success to hard work, extensive networking, having integrity, and putting his client’s interest first. He makes deals happen, always trying to be a part of the solution; facing challenges head on, and focusing on the positive.

Chris was born and raised in Malibu; He grew up on Point Dume, where he currently resides. Chris is passionate about surfing, collecting art, travelling, and keeping close to his family. He consistently gives back to his community, donating to over 40 charities per year. He’s been on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu since 2007, and is chairperson for several local annual fundraising events.

Quite the career! Let’s get to know Chris Cortazzo a little bit better!

How did you get your start in real estate?

Getting one of the most expensive houses in Malibu as my first listing and the  top agent at the time asking the client ‘why would you give it to a nobody.’

What sale or career milestone are you most proud of?

Buying my first home which was next door to my parents, who are my best friends.

What is your dream home location?

Anywhere in Malibu.

What kind of car do you drive?

Range Rover.

iPhone, Android or BlackBerry?

iPhone

What site/app do you check first when you wake up?

Trulia, of course!

What was the last book you read?

“Proof of Heaven,” by Eben Alexander

Name your favorite guilty pleasure.

Popcorn, popcorn and more popcorn.

What’s one thing someone would never guess just by looking at you?

Passion, for my family, friends, work, animals and life.

Let’s check out some of Chris Cortazzo’s current for-sale listings!

• $54,000,000 - 26848 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA
• $28,500,000 – 6970 Wildlife Road, Malibu, CA
• $22,500,000 – 22446 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA
• $22,500,000 – 26900 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA
• $15,995,000 – 29000 Cliffside Drive, Malibu, CA

Eccentric actor Joaquin Phoenix has purchased his next door neighbor’s home on March 29, 2013 for $1,390,700, as indicated by property records. The 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2,511 square-foot home sits directly next to his existing property on top of the Hollywood Hills at Mulholland and Laurel Canyon. His existing home was purchased on November 7, 2006 for $4,835,000.

Phoenix’s longtime property is rather ordinary by Hollywood standards, and can been seen extensively in scenes from Phoenix’s “mock-umentary,” “I’m Still Here,” in which he famously duped his peers and the public into thinking he was quitting acting to become a famous rapper.

No telling why he needs his next door neighbors digs too, but perhaps it’s because he’s following the trend among celebrities of creating a compound comprised of multiple high-priced properties.

As it stands, Phoenix’s new addition to his Los Angeles property portfolio is a “a very special charmer re-done to perfection.” The gated property features a living and dining room that open to peaceful, beautifully landscaped grassy yard with custom outdoor fireplace and stone waterfall. An eat-in kitchen with huge center island and high-end appliances opens to a family room and additional large patio with canyon and city views. The Master suite has built-ins, a huge closet and re-done bath. Also included on the property is a bonus room with new bath and its own entrance, which would make a perfect office, gym or maids quarters.

Images via the MLS.

The gravel-voiced tough guy, Nick Nolte, has decided to sell half of his massive Malibu, California compound for a cool $8,250,000. Known in later years for his very public run-ins with the law, the Oklahoma native has been acting and making movies for years, including powerful performances in classics such as Cape Fear, a harrowing thriller and 48 Hours with Eddie Murphy, not to mention his recently released, Gangster Squad, which features Nolte as the Chief of the LAPD.

Although he famously spoke out against the sky-high salaries of actors, Nolte has certainly gotten paid over the years – enough to own a huge property in the exclusive community of Malibu.

His estate is wooded and extremely private, comprising two acres in the stunning Bonsall Canyon. The home is over 6,000 square feet and includes 4 bedrooms and a number of high-end finishes throughout, including stone and carved wood, as well as Italian marble floors and and Mahogany French doors.

The living area has towering, 19-foot vaulted ceilings and skylights and leads into a spacious den.

The large master suite includes multiple fireplaces, a sitting room, and office, as well as commanding views of the property. Outside you will find a tennis court, as well as a pool and spa, perfect for soaking up the Malibu sunshine.

Whether you’re a grizzled acting veteran or not, this property has it all.

Glee starlet Naya Rivera is flipping her home in Beverly Hills, asking $2.1 million for a home she paid $1.475 million for on April 4, 2012. If she gets her full asking price, Naya is set to make $625,000 for less than a year’s ownership, minus what she paid to remodel this stunner. This kind of return isn’t common in every market, but in this celebrity-infested Beverly Hills neighborhood, buyers will pay big bucks for the 90210 zip code.

Rivera is making her house flip a family affair – she’s employed her mother Yolanda Rivera as the listing agent on the home, which hit the market in mid-March and already has “sale pending” sign hanging out front. Nice work, mom!

Rivera’s almost-sold home is on a cul de sac and has been remodeled. It features 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and is a spacious 3,300 square feet.  The home includes a formal living area and dining room overlooking the courtyard and pool. The library includes a wet bar with its own kegerator! The master suite includes dual walk-in closets and a built-in sauna and steam room. The backyard includes a completely remodeled salt water pool, jacuzzi and fire pit.

Rivera is decamping to a 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, 4,186 square foot East Coast traditional estate in Los Feliz that property records show she purchased on April 15, 2013 for $2,600,000.

Daisy Fuentes, the Cuban-American model, television host and budding fashion mogul, has just purchased a beachfront Malibu home for $5,750,000. According to property records, Fuentes purchased the beachfront estate on April 12, 2013 for $5,750,000. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 3,836 square feet.

The newly-built oceanfront home sits on over fifty feet of sandy Las Flores Beach. Inside and out, there is a perfect blend of design and function created by world-renowned designer Michael Lee. Fuentes’ new home comes complete with the finest amenities, from French hand carved limestone fireplaces to gorgeous Mahogany doors and windows, coral stone decks to French oak flooring. Perfect for a fashionista like Fuentes, the home radiates style and grace throughout the open, flowing floor plan.

Already in love with her new home, Fuentes posted a picture of herself on Facebook on the beachfront deck last week!

Aside from her brand new Malibu beach abode, Fuentes owns a house in the Hollywood Hills that she purchased on September 1, 2005 for $4,500,000. According to sources, Fuentes sells about $300 million worth of goods, including hair care, fragrances, clothing, sunglasses, and accessories at Kohl’s department stores each year. With an empire like that, it’s no surprise she’s building a luxury real estate portfolio!

Lauren Conrad has the look of a budding LA real estate mogul as TMZ is reporting she has just purchased her largest property yet, a $3.7 million gem of a home in the exclusive Brentwood neighborhood. LC is best known as playing herself on MTV’s iconic, although short-lived show, “Laguna Beach,” after which she moved onto entirely new levels of drama, hooking-up, and general shenanigans on “The Hills.”

LC’s real estate resume is starting to get pretty long these days as she has parlayed her early reality TV star fame into ventures as a fashion designer and author.

She sold the famous ‘Hills’ home for a loss in September of 2011, leaving not only the home but her friendships with surgically-enhanced Heidi Montag and Audrina Patridge behind.

LC went on to purchase a $1.3 million condo in the exclusive 90210 ZIP code in Beverly Hills. Although the original pictures of the place looked frumpy, one can assume that she put her own personal touch to spruce up the large, multi-story penthouse. She still owns this condo and also owns a four bedroom home in Laguna Beach.

Now Lauren is moving on to bigger and better things. Brentwood is one of the more exclusive areas in a city that is full of exclusive areas. Her newly-remodeled, two-story home is on a quiet street and includes six-bedrooms and five-bathrooms in a massive 4,303 square foot floor plan.

The traditional style home was built in 1959 and features a chef’s kitchen, a master suite, and dark hardwood floors, as well as multiple fireplaces and a massive patio, basketball court and yard for soaking up the LA sunshine.

Images via MLS.

At 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18 1906, one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of the United States took place as the San Andreas fault spasm-ed and generated a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that eventually destroyed 80% of San Francisco.

But the proud city rebuilt itself.

And one of the homes that rose from the ashes of the Great San Francisco Earthquake was a grand home on Broadway Street in the exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood, overlooking San Francisco Bay.

Now that home, on the 107th anniversary of the earthquake, has become the most expensive home ever purchased in the history of the City By the Bay, clocking in at a cool $35 million, on a block now known as billionaire’s row.

The four-story home features six bedrooms, five bathrooms and two half bathrooms, all within the massive, 11,000 square foot mansion. “Starchitect” Fredrick H. Meyer designed and built the magnificent home in 1922.

It seems fitting that this significant home would be purchased by Trevor and Alexis Traina, with Trevor having been born and raised as part of San Francisco society. Since then, his work as a technology entrepreneur undoubtedly will help with upkeep on the fabulous home.

Whether you are entertaining guests in the elegant dining room overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, selecting a fine wine in the 3,000 bottle wine cellar, soaking in the sun on one of several balconies, or hopping into the pool for a quick dip, you can’t find a more luxe experience in San Francisco, especially on a day that honors the spirit of its residents.

Zack Greinke‘s golden arm is making headlines yet again. This time, it’s not for landing the starting pitcher a massive $147 million six-year contract with the LA Dodgers. It’s also not for being the culprit behind last week’s Dodger vs. Padre fight- one of MLB’s biggest brawls this year which landed him on the disabled list for eight weeks with a broken collarbone.

Instead, Greinke’s arm is on the spotlight again for signing off on a snazzy piece of West Coast real estate – a $4.6 million dollar, newly constructed Studio City compound. The Florida-born right-hander can now watch that dramatic bench-clearing fiasco on repeat in the comfort of his fabulous new California haven while recovering from his “war” wound.

Surrounded by the famed LA communities of the Hollywood Hills, Beverly Crest, and Sherman Oaks, Studio City is a happening Southern California neighborhood with an average for-sale asking price of around $1.3 million. With LA’s  inventory and new construction numbers relatively low, this 2012 newly constructed, seven-bedroom, 10 bath retreat comes as a breath of fresh air. With California craftsmanship seen throughout, the gated, two-structure compound delivers a cabin-like aura with unique architecture, an open outdoor floor plan, a wrap around porch, and sleek hardwood floors.

Located at the foot of a hill, the beautifully landscaped grounds made up of trees and shrubs give the property plenty of privacy. A fire pit, water fall, walking bridge, spa and two-tiered pool also add to the tranquil ambiance creating a uniquely peaceful LA sanctuary.

Images via MLS.

Christina Aguilera has purchased another Beverly Hills mansion in the exclusive guard-gated Mulholland Estates community. According to TMZ, who broke the news yesterday, the 11,000-square-foot estate was reportedly purchased from multi-billionaire and global private equity mogul Tom Gores for an even $10 million.  Previously, the home was leased for $20,000 a month by Adrienne Maloof of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Located on a double lot in the Mulholland Estates community, this six-bedroom, eight-bathroom Mediterranean mansion features custom, high-quality finishes and fixtures throughout. The master suite upstairs features a fireplace, two walk-in closets, a private office, a large terrace with fireplace, and a spa-like bathroom lined in marble with a steam shower and tub. Five additional en suites include a large family room with built-in cabinetry.

The first floor of the home offers an even larger family room with exposed wood beam ceiling, formal dining room, wood paneled library, and screening room. The gourmet kitchen includes top-of-the-line appliances, a walk-in pantry with refrigerator and breakfast area, and a large center island. The enclosed loggia features wood paneled ceilings, hand painted details, fireplace, and arched glass doors that open to the lush yard. To take in the warm California sun and entertain, the home’s outdoor space includes a saltwater pool and spa, bathhouse, gazebo, and built-in BBQ.

But what of X’tina’s current home (you know, the 10,000-square-foot estate that she and former hubby Jordon Bratman bought from the Prince of Darkness and his wife AKA Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne)? A little birdie told Yo Mama of The Real Estalker that the home is currently in escrow.