Luxe Living

Bob Costas — the famous voice of of NBC Sports television since the early ’80s — has just purchased a mansion on the California coast for $4.7 million! According to public records, Bob and his wife closed on the property on October 9, 2012, and paid $4,700,000. The Newport stunner has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, and clocks in at 4,534 square feet.

The Costas’ sprawling new residence is situated on a 28,249-square-foot private corner lot within the exclusive guard-gated community of Crystal Cove. The gorgeous interiors of the home are complimented by the breathtaking grounds, complete with salt-water pool and spa, cabana with fireplace, pool house with kitchen, bocce ball court, expansive rear lawn, built-in BBQ, and well-manicured lawns surrounding brick patios. No detail has been overlooked inside the home either, with custom lighting fixtures throughout, gorgeous hardwood floors, crown moldings, and beautiful built-ins. The gourmet kitchen features dark stone countertops, crisp white cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances — including a Thermador range, SubZero refrigerator, and a wine fridge. Additional amenities include an upstairs bonus room, office, and a separate guest casita with living room, bedroom, and bath. And the sportscaster really scored with his new real estate acquisition since this distinctive home was offered fully furnished!

Costas has made his fortune over the years as the ongoing face of sports and has been the prime-time host of a record NINE Olympic games! He and his wife also own an $11 million condo in New York City and another home in Clayton, Missouri.

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!

Talk about some grand slam real estate! A-Rod, the New York Yankees’ third basemen with a sky-high $275M contract has just listed his big baller beachfront Miami mansion for $38M.

A-Rod, known to change his mind often in his personal life, has now decided to part ways with the slick and stunning waterfront Miami mansion he has only owned since 2010. He built and supervised the construction of the home (often seen on-site with his then-love Cameron Diaz), and eventually moved into the mansion in October 2011. Less than a year later, A-Rod found A-Realtor and listed the home for $38M.

Listed with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty in Miami, the high-priced waterfront bachelor pad has uninterrupted, panoramic views of the water and the Miami skyline.  Dubbed an “extraordinary new modern masterpiece,” the home sits on over an acre of lush grounds on one of the most prestigious streets in Miami Beach. Completely gated and walled for privacy, the mansion features an an expansive 275 feet of water frontage and 2 docks.

Over 20,000 square feet of chic and elegant spaces are completely surrounded by 12′ walls of impact glass. The home is finely detailed throughout with extensive use of coral rock, white oak floors, epe wood and marble. As if a well-to-do bachelor would do anything less, A-Rod had the home exquisitely decorated by renowned Edward Briggs design.

Perfect for Miami, the 9-bedroom, 13-bathroom home possesses Zen-like outdoor/indoor living spaces,  a gourmet open kitchen, spectacular home theater, covered terraces, vanishing edge heated pool, outdoor kitchen area and guest house. Inside the main residence, the master suite clocks in at 2,200 square feet and features an atrium, sitting area, his/hers baths and oversized closets.

An amazing separate gym with steam room and 3,000 square foot sports room with batting cages overlooks the bay. The house also comes complete with a commercial-sized elevator, full home generator, and 16 security cameras and surround sound system throughout.

 Mayi de la Vega holds the listing.

Ever wondered how MLB pro players live during their season’s spring training months? With baseball season swinging into full gear last week, we decided to check out the hottest spring training home in scorching Scottsdale, Arizona that former San Francisco Giant Pat Burrell is currently trying to offload.

Located just 22 miles from the San Francisco Giants’ spring training camp, this 6,931 square foot, 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom bachelor pad hit the market in early February, possibly confirming rumors of “Pat the Bat’s” recent retirement. Listed at $3.695 million, this estate is one of the swankiest MLB pads available in the area. The contemporary home features glass walls and an open design, allowing for stunning views of Estancia Golf Course. The first floor boasts a state-of-the art kitchen, grand living and dining room with fireplace, full bar, and private living quarters. An indoor fitness center and billiards room can also be found on the spacious first floor. An elevator and elegant winding staircase lead to the second floor theater and game room. The outside space features beautifully landscaped grounds with a patio leading to the pool and Jacuzzi.

 According to the listing, this contemporary masterpiece only housed Burrell for two months out of the year allowing the home to “look and show like new.” One can only imagine how many memories were created in those two short months. If only walls could talk!

Headshot photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America.

See more images of Matt Cain's San Francisco home »

Derek Lowe’s inconsistent tenure with the Atlanta Braves is over, and so is his time in a stately mansion in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, according to Curbed Atlanta. Prior to his October 2011 trade, Lowe was coming off what some called “the worst season of his 15-year career.” He lost a major-league high of 17 games and ended the season with an 8.75 ERA. Lowe was subsequently traded to Cleveland for minor league pitcher Chris Jones. The Braves paid Lowe $10M of the $15M left on the final year of his contract. Not too shabby for a sub-par performance.

Another contract Lowe is focused on finalizing is the one to sell his $3,495,000 Atlanta mansion. Not your typical sprawling jock mega-mansion in the ‘burbs, Lowe actually hung his (baseball) hat in a French country home designed by Stan Dixon that won the prestigious Shutze award. The estate boasts 5 bedrooms, 5 full and two partial bathrooms, and 12 foot ceilings. The large rooms have great flow and top-of-the-line finishes.

The finished basement has a large wine cellar, man cave/cigar room, entertainment room, plus a bedroom and full bathroom. The master suite is on the main floor, overlooking the pool and private, fenced backyard. An airy living room overlooks the pool and outdoor entertaining area that features a cabana. Lowe’s home also features an incredible kitchen with hidden pantry and a built-in banquet.

Retired MLB pitcher and former Seattle Mariner, Jeff Nelson, has put his custom built home up for sale in Carnation, Washington. Carnation is a suburb about 40 minutes East of Seattle. Listed for $2,000,000, Nelson’s custom built home sits on 3 acres and is 6,575 square-feet. It has 5 bedrooms, 4.75 baths, an outdoor pool, spa, sports court, work out room, play area, fire pit, private gated entry, woods and butterfly garden, and is located in the highly sought after community of Blakely Woods.

The home also has a 1,285 sq-ft Guest House that includes its own kitchen, great room and pool deck.

MLB pitcher Mike Hampton is hoping a buyer will step up to the plate and take his rocking Paradise Valley, Arizona home off his hands. First reported by the Business Insider, Hampton is hoping for a speedy sale of his 6-bedroom, 7-bathroom home. Listed  for a cool $4,000,000, the 9,000 square-foot home is the unique combination of chic and playful.

The home features a resort-like pool and water slide, batting cage, basketball court and the ultimate Man Cave that features a card table, full bar, state-of-the-art electronics, and sports memorabilia that appears to rival even the most serious collector. While Hampton spent his whole career in professional baseball, the jerseys on the walls suggest he’s quite the football buff.

The outdoor living area features big screen TVs and couches for relaxing in the warm Arizona heat. Other home amenities include a large office, wine cellar and indoor home gym.

When Hampton signed with Colorado Rockies in 2000, his $121,000,000 contract was the largest in sports history. Plagued with frequent injuries and disappointing seasons, Hampton is now retired.