Actress, author and entrepreneur Suzanne Somers and her husband Alan Hamel have listed their one-of-a-kind, 72-acre hillside retreat in Palm Springs, California.
The couple, who have owned this expansive mountainside compound since the late 1970s, are listing it at $9.5 million and have selected Ron Parks of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty and Scott Lyle of Douglas Elliman Real Estate to co-list the one-of-a-kind property.
“Alan and I have finally decided to let go of our compound,” says Somers. “It’s been our private paradise; our L.A. getaway for so many years; our kids grew up here. We love entertaining on the grounds; our friends fly in from all over for a surprising south of France experience in Palm Springs. We’re changing things up a bit now and have purchased a Steve Chase-designed mid-century modern home on the other side of town. We don’t need 70-plus acres anymore; time for a new journey.”
Scattered across the main courtyard area are five buildings with 7,200 square feet of private living space, including five fully appointed bedroom suites (one of which is The Rock House by iconic architect Albert Frey), a pool house, a two-bedroom caretaker quarters, and an outdoor amphitheater carved into the mountain that seats 50 and has a dance floor that doubles as a yoga and meditation area, and offers a pool, spa, hiking trails and natural waterfall that spills down the hillside.
The compound is reachable by a private funicular, on foot or by golf cart via a private road. In the late ’70s, Somers and Hamel moved to the property as a weekend retreat; it was a safe haven, very private and an escape from their public life in L.A. Eventually, it became their permanent residence.
There have only been three owners in 100 years including the Hamels. “That says it all about this unique mountainside compound,” adds Somers.
Photos courtesy of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty.
Heart-throb actor of screen and television Rob Lowe and his wife Sheryl listed their estate in Montecito, California for $47 million in July, and are still awaiting a lucky buyer.
Located in a star-studded neighborhood, whoever buys this home will be living among some of the world’s biggest stars, including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Montecito is a much-favored retreat from the hectic world of TV and film, located 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, Montecito boasts spectacular hillside views, nearby whale watching and beautiful weather.
Reminiscent of the country estates in Charlottesville, Virginia where he was born, Rob Lowe and his wife recreated a classic East Coast-style estate, a stand-out from the typical Mediterranean architecture of the area, on the market at $47 million. On a little over three acres, the main house of the estate was designed by architect Don Nulty, built in 2009, and is 10,000 square feet.
Included on the grounds are the two-bedroom guest house, one-bedroom pool house with staff quarters and outdoor kitchen, pool and spa, tennis court with observation areas and lushly landscaped lawns, large enough for team sports with mature trees and a vegetable garden. There are two outside fireplaces and terraces for relaxing or entertaining, a water serenade from fountains, and a koi pond. From most any location, one can enjoy sunsets over the Pacific.
Inside the main house are 20 rooms: a huge family kitchen, separate catering kitchen, eight bedrooms, eleven baths, office, library-music room with bar, family room, various conversation rooms and nooks, movie theater, a well-equipped gym and expansive wine cellar.
Now 54, Lowe had a busy career in both film and television, yet is still lighting up the screens. At age 19, he starred in the hit movie “The Outsiders. Binge-watch him today in “The West Wing” reruns.
Photos courtesy of TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
Actor Eddie Albert’s historic home is on the market for the first time in nearly 50 years, being offered at $19.5 million.
Abert was known to millions as Oliver Wendell Douglas on the vintage hit TV series Green Acres (1965), The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and Petticoat Junction (1963).
He earned 2 Oscar nominations for his performances in Roman Holiday (1953) and The Heartbreak Kid (1972). He was also well known for his portrayal in many other films including The Switch, in which he co-starred with Robert Wagner and Sharon Gless.
Albert’s former home is currently owned by highly recognized landscape designer and philanthropist Jay Griffith. Majestically situated on a 33,000 square feet of stunning landscape, this pristine hacienda offers sweeping views of the mountains and the sea. Set back from the street, the gated and elevated setting affords a world of privacy. The beautiful lawn surrounds the pool and several outdoor pavilions.
The house itself, lovingly maintained in all its vintage glory, is virtually unchanged from the time it was built in 1933. It is complete with a 2-story entry, gorgeous living room with an oversized fireplace, vintage pub room, period fixtures and tile, and much more.
The property is co-listed by Fran Flanagan of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland.
Photos courtesy of Luke Gibson
Traditional Los Angeles Holmby Hills legendary gated estate once belonging to Audrey Hepburn, Eva Gabor and other top movie stars is now for sale, priced at $13.995 million.
Since the 1920s after Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford built their Pickfair Mansion in the new town of Beverly Hills, many of Hollywood’s top stars chose the area for their trophy homes. One home on Delfern Drive attracted more than its fair share of celebrity owners including Audrey Hepburn and Eva Gabor.
Located in the celebrity-infused neighborhood of Holmby Hills, the 7,000-square-foot traditional mansion is accessed through a gated entrance down a paved drive to the motor court. The private compound includes over an acre of lawns, tennis court, swimming pool, terraces, a 700-square-foot guesthouse with kitchen and a detached 1,000-square-foot staff quarters/office with living, dining, kitchen, one bedroom and two baths. The main house, originally built in 1938 and designed by popular architect Paul Williams, includes a grand foyer with focal curved stairwell, formal living room with fireplace and dedicated library nook, dining room, family room, kitchen, breakfast room and two staff bedrooms on the first floor. Upstairs are four bedrooms, including the master suite, totalling six bedrooms and four baths. Some rooms have glass walls overlooking mature gardens.
Not surprisingly, the house also had a strong attraction to other stars of the era who lived there including David Niven and later, Mia Farrow…
To read the full story, head to www.toptenrealestatedeals.com
Photos courtesy of Adrian Anz
Legendary television writer Norman Lear and wife Lyn are selling their long time Brentwood estate, priced at $39.95 million.
Norman and Lyn Lear have now put their 8.29-acre Brentwood, California estate on the market. Perched on a promontory, it takes in bird’s eye views of the Pacific Ocean, the city of Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Mountains and the Will Rogers State Park. Located just north of Sunset Boulevard, the grounds contain the 14,000-square-foot main house, a guesthouse, executive staff and security offices, a gym, 35-car show garage, tennis court with shaded viewing area, a keyhole-shaped swimming pool, lush mature gardens and terraces that open seamlessly from the interior of the house with a full outdoor kitchen…
Read the full story at toptenrealestatedeals.com
Photos courtesy of Jim Bartsch
Marilyn Monroe’s beloved home is currently on the market for $6.9 million, according to toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is the only home that Monroe invested in on her own, which is located on a very private gated half acre.
The 2,624-square-foot house is tucked into green lawns and surrounded by mature landscaping. Built in 1929, it still retains all the beautiful architectural details that made it feel like home to Marilyn. Details include four bedrooms, three baths, cathedral ceilings with wood beams, a fireplace in the living room with Mexican tile surround, casement windows, arched doorways, Saltillo tile floors, a citrus orchard and her famous kidney-shaped swimming pool.
Before passing away in 1962 from a barbiturate overdose, Marilyn told Life Magazine that she didn’t want them to take pictures of the inside of her house because it was important to her to keep it private. She wanted to use the guest house for friends who may be down on their luck and who needed a peaceful place to recover. Monroe originally purchased the house for $75,000 partially furnished, with mortgage payments $320 a month. The home was recently sold in 2010 for $3.85 million.
Outside the home is a tree shaded brick patio overlooking the pool and the original guest house. A poignant arrangement of tiles at the front door proclaims “Cursum Perficio.” Translated, it means “My Journey is Over,” causing many to believe it was an omen for Monroe’s fate. Lisa Optican of Mercer Vine holds the listing for the estate.
As the only home Monroe purchased in her own name, she chose a charming and very private hacienda-style home at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Hollywood’s Brentwood community. She purchased it in the early 1960s after her divorces from New York Yankees star Joe DiMaggio and Pulitzer Prize winning writer Arthur Miller.
Photos courtesy of Lisa Optican/Mercer Vine.
The Connecticut home where Katharine Hepburn spent her summers is now on the market for $11.8 million and the beach house next door at $5.88 million. Properties are listed separately but can be purchased together to make a large family enclave, as reported by toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Hepburn’s lived in this longtime home for seven years until her death at the age of 96 in 2003. The original home was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938 and rebuilt by Katharine. The rebuild was further completely renovated in 2005 by New York builder Frank Sciame. Separately for sale is a three-bedroom beach house next door built in 2015, previously offered at $6,880,000, now listed for $5,880,000.
Originally listed for $14,800,000, the home consists of 15 nautical-inspired rooms in 8,368 square feet, is white, sunny and spacious with six bedrooms and eight baths and good views out of every window. There are seven fireplaces to keep it cozy and expansive porches and verandas to take in the views.
The Hepburn estate, with views of the home’s dock, private beach, protective jetties and the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse, is located in the Old Saybrook borough of Fenwick, a community of 83 homes established in the 1600s where the Long Island Sound meets the Connecticut River. A nine-hole, links-style golf course and tennis courts are available to residents of the community. Across from the entrance are three acres of conservation land with a large pond.
The properties are two hours by car from Manhattan and Boston, adjacent to more than three acres of open space that was donated to a land trust by the estate of Katharine Hepburn. Approval rights to construct a private dock on the Long Island Sound are also included with the purchase. The listing agent is Colette Harron of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
Photo credit to William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.