Luxe Living

Actress Amy Smart has bounced from one Beverly Hills home to the next. The ‘Shameless’ star sold her longtime two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, home in November 2011 for $1.12 million, and now, she’s upgraded to a $2.5 million, three-bedroom, four-bath estate just 1.5 miles away.

The model turned actress purchased this new property about six months after her September 2011 wedding to HGTV’s Carter Oosterhouse. No matter where the famously eco-friendly couple planned to settle down, it was almost a given they’d have exquisite digs. Since 2008, her handyman hubby has hosted two HGTV shows – ‘Red Hot & Green‘ and ‘Carter Can‘ — so it’s no surprise they now have their own HGTV hall-of-fame-worthy dream home, with continuous additions stemming from weekend DIY projects!

Located in the coveted 90210, this single-story, three-bedroom, four-bath, gated ranch is 4,126 square feet. Surrounded by a large, landlocked 16-acre parcel, a private oasis is created — perfect for its celebrity owners. The home boasts high pitched beamed ceilings and bright, open, and spacious rooms with either dark wood, tile, or carpet flooring. All rooms feature recessed ceiling lighting, walk-in closets, and en suite baths; the master bath is even fully equipped with a gorgeous separate tub and shower. Additional features include updated wood burning fireplaces made of stone, a grand-sized media/playroom, and a large grassy yard with free form swimming pool and waterfall.

Images via Househunt.com.

Kim Kardashian has sold her Beverly Hills Bachelorette pad! According to property records, Kim has very quietly transferred ownership of the five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom, 4,000 square-foot gated estate to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed price. The property was never on the open market and was quietly shopped to prospective buyers. The new owner is shielded by an unknown LLC and full details of the transaction are not yet available.

This very house was the location of Kim’s engagement to (hopefully) soon-to-be ex-husband Kris Humphries. Kim also called police to this home when a stranger showed up at her front gate with luggage in January 2012, saying he intended to stay with the reality star. After that incident, Kim publicly stated that she needed to move for her own safety.

Fast forward a few months, and Kim has moved on to a new life with Kanye West, and the duo is expecting their first child this summer. To prepare for baby, they bought an elaborate, $11 million-dollar Bel Air estate for their growing family. With a new man, a new house and a new baby on the way, Kim’s ready to close the door on her old life – and old home.

In-demand actor Jason Bateman and his wife, Amanda Anka, have just purchased the estate of the late, great actor Ernest Borgnine, who passed away in July 2012. According to property records, Bateman and Anka closed the deal on January 23, 2013, and paid $3,000,000 for the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate. Bateman is back in the news lately, annoucing the resurrection of hit TV show “Arrested Development,” in which he plays Michael Bluth. With his career continuing on the up-and-up, Bateman and his wife needed a new place to call home, and there was no better choice for the duo than the secluded estate of a Hollywood icon.

Located on a rarely-traveled cul-de-sac in the Beverly Hills Post Office, the estate sits perched on a knoll above Mulholland Drive. The private home is only accessible via a gated driveway, which ends at a large motor-courtyard. This ‘Country English’ compound was held by Borgnine for nearly 60 years, making it a rare purchase for Bateman and Anka. While the decor is dated, the home has incredible potential.

The formal entry hall, with its grand, sweeping staircase, welcomes visitors to the entertaining and public rooms. In addition to the spacious living and family rooms, which each open to the beckoning pool and patio areas, there is a paneled library, office, den, formal dining room, breakfast room, and kitchen. One wing upstairs is occupied by the master suite — comprised of dual baths and dressing rooms, a private sitting room, and a grand balcony. The other wing is home to two bedrooms, a ‘Jack and Jill’ bath, and an upstairs lounge/study area.

In total, the Batemans will enjoy 6,148 square feet of living space; the property also includes a generous, self-contained one-bedroom guesthouse with living room and kitchen. Topping it all of are the sweeping views of city lights and nearby mountains, visible from anywhere on the estate.

Images via MLS.

Love him or hate him – there’s no in between – Barry Bonds is one of the biggest sports characters of the last two decades. Rocketing to superstardom in Pittsburgh and helping make a forlorn franchise a regular in the playoffs while winning his first league MVP award, Bonds made it clear he had all the tools to become one of the greats. He took his talents back to Northern California in 1993, where he was born and raised, to play for the San Francisco Giants and resurrected that franchise while winning 6 additional MVP awards (4 in a row at one point), leading the team to the World Series in 2002, and cementing his place in baseball history. Of course, this was before the BALCO scandal and perjury investigation which has cast a shadow over Bonds’ mountain of accomplishments to the chagrin of some and the delight of others. So where does a sultan of swat live?

What can possibly be a large enough space for a larger than life character such as Bonds? Well, how about a 17,100 square foot palace of a home in Beverly Hills?

Word on the street is that Barry is putting his expansive, fully furnished property on the market for a cool $25 million. So what does the home of a baseball superstar offer? Well to start, 7 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and a two-story guest house, all situated on a manicured property modeled after a fine Italian Villa, from the olive tree-lined private drive to the Tuscan-style architecture.

The features of the home, like Barry’s 73 home runs in a single season, boggle the mind. With high ceilings up to 30 feet high throughout the grand living and family rooms and special details such as Italian floors and hand-painted murals, it’s a dazzling home. The gourmet kitchen (of course, this is a Tuscan-style home right?), feeds into a roomy dining room that is perfect for entertaining.

Should we stop there? Well, Barry didn’t stop playing until he was 43 and still a dominating hitter, so we’ll keep going. The rest of the home includes a walnut-paneled office and custom home movie theater with seating for 12. If you’re feeling tense the home also features a full service spa, including steam room, jacuzzi and body therapy rooms.

It wouldn’t be California living without some outdoor fun and this home delivers. There’s a full outdoor kitchen with pizza oven and wet bar, manicured lawn, swimming pool, cabana, and multi-use sport court.

In short, this home should be in the hall of fame. Maybe Barry too?

Check out the full listing from The Agency here.

TV star Eriq La Salle is selling his stunning Beverly Hills hilltop estate for $7,950,000, according to property records and some sleuthing by The Real Estalker.

La Salle’s main claim to Hollywood fame comes via his long-running role as Dr. Peter Benton on the hospital drama ER. He played that role from 1994 to 2002—an eternity in television years. Since ER ended, we’ve seen less of La Salle, but he has popped up here and there in supporting roles on 24, How to Make It in America, A Gifted Man, and Blackout.

His long TV career has banked him some serious bucks, but interestingly enough, property records show La Salle purchased this here property on October 21, 1988 for $1,700,000–long before those big ER checks started rolling in. Listing information shows that the estate was extensively remodeled in 2006, right around the time La Salle was a true, bona fide TV star. Now that his career is slightly less spry than it was a decade ago, he’s likely looking to make a nice profit on this home and downsize.

The for-sale “Tuscan Villa” has panoramic skyline views that stretch from the ocean to Downtown L.A. The exquisite four-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom property features incredible 180-degree views, a pool, spa, and full guest house.  Oversized entry doors open to voluminous open living spaces, highlighted by dramatic wood beamed ceilings, a copper fireplace, formal dining room, gourmet chef’s eat-in kitchen, temperature controlled wine cellar, weight room, impressive wood paneled office, and floor-to-ceiling retractable walls of glass that create a seamless indoor/outdoor entertainer’s paradise. A Moroccan-inspired master suite takes up the entire top floor and includes a spa-like bathroom and adjacent lounging area. A 400-square-foot, private rooftop deck–with outdoor shower and hot tub–completes this remarkable property.

Her Madgesty is selling her castle in Beverly Hills! Madonna, the Queen of Pop, has officially and publicly listed her Beverly  Hills estate for $22.5 million, as first reported by The Real Estalker. This posh pad had long been rumored to be a “pocket listing”–not officially on the MLS, but still for sale–for $28 million, but since the price wasn’t in ‘Vogue’ with buyers, Madonna was forced to try the public market at a lower price.

While we only have a single image to gawk at so far–this one showing the home’s  ‘Borderline’–we do know Madonna’s property starts with a 500-foot, gated, tree-lined drive that leads to an acre and a quarter of lushly landscaped grounds, offering total privacy for residents to express themselves. The recently remodeled house has all the finest details and amenities: nine bedrooms, two living/reception rooms, a two-story dining room, junior dining room, large kitchen with breakfast room/den, and a full size screening room and theater. As if that weren’t enough space to ‘Cherish,’ the property also has two offices, assistants offices, a gym, staff rooms, two guest houses, a north/south tennis court, and a resort-size pool. No detail was overlooked and no expense spared in maintaining the house meticulously. It’s clear, by taking one look at her home, that Madonna is a ‘Material Girl.’

According to property records, Madge bought the house in June 2003 from actress Sela Ward for $12,000,000.

Madonna is no property ‘Virgin,’ as she also has her longtime New York City property on the market for $23 million.

With three properties already on the market, Kelsey Grammer is throwing a fourth into the mix by officially listing the home he recently purchased for new wife Kayte. In April 2012, Kelsey and his fourth wife purchased this six-bedroom Beverly Hills mansion for $6,500,000. It recently went up for rent for $30k a month, and now, it’s officially for sale for  $7,250,000!

Here’s the backstory: Kelsey originally bought the estate for new wife Kayte and their baby Faith as a home base when they relocated from New York City permanently in 2012. Shortly after the move to the West Coast, Kelsey’s show “Boss” got canceled, leaving him to re-evaluate his finances. Rather than stay in the new home, Kelsey decided to move the family into the OTHER house he owns in Beverly Hills that’s currently on the market for $16 million. Ex-wife Camille is pissed about the move, because she’s legally a co-owner and has been paying her half of the carrying costs on the home, which clock in around $40,000 a month. With Kelsey’s new family living in the house, it’s going to be even harder to offload, costing Camille even more money–she even went as far as requesting an injunction from a judge to bar the move! The motion was denied, and Kelsey’s now back in the higher-priced home, new family in tow.

It seems like the war between these two former spouses will never end.

Kelsey himself admitted that he has to move back into the higher-priced home he previously shared with Camille because, without income from his TV show, he’s strapped for cash and can’t afford to carry two Beverly Hills mortgages. Hopefully this latest home to hit the market will sell for a profit, and he’ll be back in the money again.

Grammer has other homes for sale in Malibu, Beaver Creek, and Beverly Hills–all three of which he owned with his ex-wife Camille–that must be sold as a part of the pair’s divorce settlement agreement. The faster they’re scooped up, the sooner these two new lovebirds can officially move on with their lives.

In case you missed some of the hubbub, but today is 12/12/12, and supposedly the last repeating date of our lifetimes – depending on how long you live, of course. On a slow celebrity news day we decided it was a good time to show off one of the most fabulous 12+ bedroom 12+ bathroom homes you will ever see, whatever your lifespan is.

Known as Chateau D’OR, this home is located in exclusive Bel Air above Los Angeles. Once you get past the two gated entries and the landscaped grounds you come upon the 22,900 square foot home, located on 1.7 acres of prime real estate. With a grand total of 15 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms there’s plenty of room for a big family, fabulous parties, or both.

Ornate, hand crafted details fill the home as you make your way through the huge dining room that seems fit for Louis the XV. Guests then enter a sitting room that featuring a two-story mantle in front of a massive fireplace. The posh interior continues on to the luxurious royal master bedroom suite and the remaining bedrooms.

The property includes several additional buildings including a 6-bedroom guesthouse, and a separate structure with professional fitness center, pavilion and of course a koi pond.  It doesn’t get more luxe than this.

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.