Luxe Living

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.

Russell Simmon’s high-priced NYC penthouse has hip hopped back onto the market. According to the fine folks at Curbed, Simmons has re-listed the place for $11M. This particular penthouse has a storied past on the real estate market. It originally made an appearance with an $11M price tag and almost sold to none other than fellow hip hop impresario Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs, but the deal fell through right after 9/11. When Simmons failed to sell to Diddy, the price fell to $8.2M. Without a buyer in sight, Simmons pulled the listing and presumably continued to live in the killer pad. 10 years and some extensive remodels later, the penthouse is back on the market for…$11M. The very same asking price as a decade ago.

Simmon’s penthouse is dubbed the ‘Lady Liberty Penthouse.’ This Financial District duplex penthouse condo has 7,175 square feet of interior space and approximately 3,500 square feet of exterior space, making it the ultimate downtown residence. A private landing leads you to phenomenal entertaining areas, living room, dining room, screening room, huge chef’s kitchen with breakfast room, library w/gas fireplace, 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths and a powder room. Throughout, 12 foot ceilings create a sense of volume.

In addition, there is a staff room with full bath, laundry room, closets galore – and that is just the lower level. Four exposures, barrel vaulted ceilings and handsome oak strip floors add to the uniqueness of Simmon’s property. The grand circular and architectural staircase takes you to the upper level which houses the sun flooded grand master suite, two huge setback terraces, a very cozy den, a kitchenette and much more.

The new owners of Pia Zadora’s longtime estate have placed the palatial Pacific Palisades home on the market for a whopping $26,000,000. According to public records, Zadora quietly sold the home to ABR Capital LLC in 2011 for slightly less than $5,000,000. Zadora was originally asking for $10,000,000 when she last put the home on the market in 2010.

It’s a massive price increase that we felt was worth some investigating. Photos of the property in 2010, indicate a large home dominated by custom wood finish and a large outdoor area, that seems relatively uninspired.

The new owners must be aiming for a super high-end ‘flip,’ as the home is now completely revamped. Today, interested buyers are greeted with a stunning, 13,585 square foot modern-looking home, ideally located with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Featuring 8 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, this home is built for comfort and for entertaining, and also features two guest houses.

The new owners and their guests will seldom have to leave this exclusive estate due to a variety of features on the property, including a grand living room, a formal dining room with room for 20, 2 offices, playroom, game room, wine tasting room, sports court and gym.

But the excitement isn’t all indoors. Glass walls disappear to seamlessly connect comfortable outdoor living and dining areas with the interior of the house. Throw in the salt water infinity pool and you start to get a sense of the considerable effort that was put into renovating the home.

Ginger Glass of Coldwell Banker holds the listing.

Update: We previously reported that Pia Zadora was the current seller of this home. After taking a closer look at property records, we discovered that she quietly sold this home in 2011 for just under $5 million. The new owners are the ones looking to mint some serious cash on this high-end ‘flip.’ We regret the error.