Luxury Real Estate

Hot Property: At Nearly $4 Million, Vince Vaughn’s New Place Is ‘So Money’

(MCT)—Vince Vaughn has bought a house for $3.925 million in an area of Los Angeles one might not normally associate with actors — La Canada Flintridge. ...

Hot Property: Jessica Simpson Buys Osbourne Home

(MCT)—In a multimillion-dollar twist on celebrity musical chairs, singer-actress Jessica Simpson has bought Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne’s estate in Hidden Hills for $11.5 million, public records show.

Great Spaces: Home Fit for a Lion

Built by Paul Williams in 1941, this Hollywood estate was originally the home of Bert Lahr, also known as the Cowardly Lion from the 1939 hit movie musical “The Wizard of Oz.” The gated, private property, which consisted of 6,000 square feet

Hot Property: Cartoonist Exiting from the Frame

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed has listed his mountainside retreat in Santa Barbara for $4.95 million. The 25-acre ocean-view estate, which includes a single-level custom home,

Hot Property: Jason Bateman Gives Ernest Borgnine’s Estate a New Identity

(MCT)—Actor Jason Bateman and his wife, actress Amanda Anka, are dropping anchor in the Beverly Crest area with the purchase of the estate of Ernest Borgnine for $3 million.

Great Spaces: Freddy Kruger, Jennifer Love Hewitt and More

Tavern Island: Connecticut’s Secluded Sanctuary There is perhaps no greater space than one’s own private island retreat. Listed in October 2012 for $12.9 million by Doug Werner, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Darien, Conn., Tavern Island in Rowayton, Conn., is a dream. With a total lot of 3.5 acres (not including an additional 0.46 on the mainland), the main abode is a 1902, recently renovated Tudor-style home, clocking in at 6,116 square feet, six bedrooms, four baths, three half-baths, and endless ocean views from literally every room.

Luxury Portfolio International® Releases Luxury Lifestyle Magazine

Luxury Portfolio International® has released its latest issue of the Luxury Portfolio Magazine. The magazine is published twice a year by the luxury real estate network to showcase stunning homes

January Housing Update: Nothing Left to Buy in Silicon Valley?

Regional Spotlight-- Median home-sale price continues to grow by double-digits in the Bay Area of California, but with such a shortage of inventory and fewer new listings, there soon may be nothing left to buy. Year-over-year single family inventory continues its drop from January 2012 levels. Santa Clara County and San Mateo Counties were down more than 50 percent compared to the same month last year, for the second month in a row, with other counties falling only slightly less. Sales were mixed in January; San Mateo County was up 5 percent, Santa Cruz County remained flat, and Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey sales dipped moderately.

Great Spaces: Britney Spears, Leo, ‘Kimye’ and More

Britney Buys on Lake Sherwood We love when one celeb snags the living space of another. At the end of 2012, ’90s pop darling Britney Spears purchased the home of former professional hockey player Russ Courtnall and his actress of a wife, Paris Vaughan. The new home—built in 2010—sits on just under 1.5 acres in the Lake Sherwood area, a sweet spot in Ventura County, and overlooks the brilliant Lake Sherwood reservoir. Spears’ new Mediterranean style home features gorgeous limestone and oak floors, beamed ceilings, a temperature-controlled wine cellar and a home theater.

Luxury Sellers Hang Tough on Prices

Even though the time it takes to sell a luxury property has increased to as long as 260 days in Chicago, 287 in Miami and 197 nationally, overall, fewer sellers are cutting prices. Wintertime sluggishness has slowed luxury markets across the nation. Days on market have been increasing in nearly every major market tracked by the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, and inventories are at a seasonal low, down from 27,600 properties in June to 18,400 in January. Rather than falling with the end of the summer buying season, low inventories have placed upward pressure on prices, which have risen from a median of 1.11 million in September to 1.23 in January, according to ILHM data.

Great Spaces: Hilary Swank, Michael Strahan, and More

Hilary Lists Swanky Pad In between shooting her two newest films—“Mary & Martha” and “You’re Not You”—Hilary Swank has recently listed her L.A. home for just shy of $10 million. The super-luxe, three-story Mediterranean-style home, built in 1928, features six bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and swoon-worthy ocean views. Despite being located in the mild Pacific Palisades, the property includes six fireplaces, and the RIS staff has been dreaming about the dinner parties that may have been held in the massive dining room with seating for 20. Other classy amenities include a home theatre, wine cellar, gym and maid’s quarters.

Hot Property: Santa Monica Pair Change Script

Oscar award-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis and his wife, actress Deborah Rennard, have sold their home in Santa Monica for its asking price of $5.25 million. The East Coast-inspired traditional house sits on nearly a third of an acre of grounds with mature trees, lawn and formal gardens. The home features skylights, French doors that open to terraces and an outdoor kitchen, two fireplaces, five bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 5,690 square feet of living space.

Hot Property: Hockey Pro Russ Courtnall Passes Off to Britney Spears

(MCT)—Pop star and singing competition judge Britney Spears has bought the Thousand Oaks home of former professional hockey player Russ Courtnall and his wife, actress Paris Vaughan.

Hot Properties: Leo Lists Oceanfront Compound; Matthew Modine Buys in Venice

Leo’s Luxury Listing (MCT)—Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has put a Malibu investment property up for sale at $23 million.

Hot Property: Sharon Stone Sells Beverly Crest Compound for $6.575 Million

(MCT)—Actress Sharon Stone has sold a compound in the Beverly Crest, Los Angeles area for $6.575 million. The buyer is producer Lili Zanuck, widow of film producer Richard Zanuck. Surrounded by walls and gated, the Mediterranean-style estate sits on 5 acres with pathways, bridges, waterfalls, fruit trees, a meditation garden, a swimming pool and a tennis court with viewing pavilion.

Real Estate Hot Topics

Profit Center: Real Estate Tips, Training & Events

RISMedia Solutions

RISMedia on the Go

Today's Featured Listing