Santa Barbara is set against the Santa Ynez Mountains and home to many film stars; it’s a place where properties can go for more than $100 million by multiple accounts. The property is located on a private road in a luxury estate in Montecito, where every house in the neighbourhood is designed for privacy, with long driveways and large gates.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have gone exceptionally grand with their California starter house, purchasing a $14.65 million estate in the heart of posh Montecito, the seaside Santa Barbara County enclave that is famously home to a slew of Hollywood heavyweights.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ names do not appear on grant deeds related to the property — records show the estate quietly sold in mid-June to a mysterious trust with a deliberately opaque name, though the trust happens to share a mailing address with the offices of Meghan Markle’s longtime Hollywood business manager.
Public documents also reveal the buyers secured a $9.5 million mortgage to acquire the 7.4-acre compound, which is securely tucked away on a private, gated street. Despite the unquestionably hefty pricetag, it could be argued Meghan and Harry scored the property at a discount of sorts ;
The seller, low-profile Russian businessman Sergey Grishin, acquired the estate in 2009 for $25.3 million and had attempted to sell it many times over the past decade before finally accepting a $10 million-plus financial loss.
Built in 2003, the Mediterranean-style main house includes a trove of beige and off-white decor, plus a library, gym, separate wet and dry saunas, an elevator, arcade, game room and home theater. There’s also a detached guesthouse with two bedrooms and bathrooms; altogether, the estate boasts nearly 19,000 square feet of living space with a total of 9 bedrooms and a whopping 16 bathrooms.
Dated listings note that the property additionally offers a “tea house,” a “children’s cottage,” and exceptionally beautiful manicured grounds that boast tiered rose gardens, century-old olive trees, and tall Italian cypress trees that likely cost a small fortune to maintain.
A full-size tennis court, lap-lane swimming pool, and a notably elaborate built-in children’s playset are among the numerous other outdoor amenities.
Meghan and Harry, who first moved stateside in early 2020, previously resided in a fortified compound owned by Tyler Perry, whom they met through mutual friend Oprah Winfrey.
Montecito may be located a full two hours northwest of downtown L.A. by car, but celebrities have flocked to the area in recent years — the neighborhood’s laid-back and mostly paparazzi-free atmosphere provides a welcome retreat from the hectic hustle of Hollywood and its surrounding environs.
Current area residents include Gwyneth Paltrow, Ellen DeGeneres, Ariana Grande, and — perhaps most famously — Oprah Winfrey herself, whose nearly 70-acre “Promised Land” compound qualifies as one of Southern California’s most lavish estates.
https://variety.com/2020/
Santa Barbara in California
22 則留言:
Last year, the Obamas sold their summer home on the island for $15 million. They are no strangers to the island and spend seven summers there while Barack was President.The sprawling property, otherwise known as Chilmark House;
The Edgartown main residence is just shy of 6,900 square feet. It has 7 bedrooms, so Sasha and Malia have a place to crash, along with several of their friends. It has the obligatory pool, an outdoor fireplace, a chef's kitchen, vaulted ceilings and 2 guest wings. It has incredible views, especially while soaking in the second-floor balcony Jacuzzi.The beachfront is private and comes with a boathouse.
Their new home is on the edge of Edgartown Great Pond, with views of the Atlantic Ocean.
It features predominantly white interiors but is surrounded by emerald-green lawns.
Michelle and Barack will have a lot of space to relax, as the master bedroom opens up to a sundeck.While their daughters will have plenty of room to enjoy long summer breaks there.Malia, 21, is currently studying at Harvard University, while Sasha, 18, has just Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C.
The Martha Vineyard’s Times reports the Obamas bought the 29-acre property on Edgartown’s Great Pond from Celtics lead owner Wyc Grousbeck for $11.75 million.
Oprah Winfrey's $90 Million in Montecito Mansion:
Take A Look Inside Oprah Winfrey's Mammoth $90 Million Montecito Mansion_38
The house then belonged to Robert Veloz, an aeronautical equipment manufacturing giant, and it was not up for sale. Still, that could not stop Oprah getting her dream house. She offered Robert an eye-popping $52 million, which at the time was one of the biggest sales of a private home in the entire country.
She initially intended to name the house Tara II because it reminded her of Gone With The Wind, but her friend Bob Greene felt that Tara couldn't hold a candle to this incredible property. After seeking inspiration from the Bible, Bob finally dubbed the palatial place the "Promised Land,” which instantly resonated with Oprah.
Designers Andrew Walker and David Simmons were the masterminds behind much of the mansion's interior decoration.
Bouquets of fresh flowers grace the shelves above the fireplace and fill the room with their delicate fragrance. The furniture and decoration has obviously been meticulously color-coded, leaving the room filled with soft lilac and lavender tones.
The Duke of Sussex was reportedly seen leaving his £11million California mansion on Saturday night in a black Cadillac Escalade to board an early-hours flight from LA, and disembarking a BA plane in chinos, a jacket and black face mask at the west London airport around 10 hours later at 1.15pm GMT on Sunday.
Harry was met by security off the plane and put into a black Range Rover, before he was reportedly driven to Kensington Palace.
The Sun has claimed he is quarantining at the Christopher Wren-designed Nottingham Cottage, where Harry proposed to Meghan Markle in 2017. It is just a few yards from the apartment where his brother William lives with his family.
The Sunday Times has claimed that he will stay at Frogmore Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle, so he can be close to his grandmother.
After Megxit, Frogmore was handed to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, who had their first child in February, but they are understood to split their time between the cottage and Kensington Palace.
Harry can leave quarantine after five days rather than 10 if he provides a negative test under the Government's Test to Release scheme.
However, he will be allowed to attend Philip's funeral regardless, as official guidelines state those coming in from abroad can leave isolation 'on compassionate grounds'.
Martha’s Vineyard has apparently upped its presidential pedigree. Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have purchased a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home in Edgartown, Massachusetts, according to reports. The price for the 29-acre estate was $11.75 million, public records show.
The property was purchased by a trust represented by attorney Ronald Rappaport, a partner at Reynolds, Rappaport, Kaplan and Hackney, according to records made available Wednesday. The trust is reportedly tied to the Obamas, but Mansion Global could not confirm the connection.
Beverly Ridge Estates
Tyler Perry’s eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom Tuscan-style villa on the top of a hill in the exclusive Beverly Ridge; LA.
The estate is located near Mulholland Estates, where celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Charlie Sheen and DJ Khaled call home.
The Tuscan-style villa is tucked away in the Beverly Ridge Estates gated community;
'Beverly Ridge has its own guarded gate and Tyler's property has a gate of its own which is watched by their security team.
'Beverly Ridge is an excellent place to keep out of view. The neighbors are mostly old money and mega rich business types rather than show business gossips.
'It goes without saying that the location is stunning - just one of the most beautiful and desirable areas in LA.'
‘The Chateau’
The Sussexes new palatial mansion known as ‘The Chateau’ has nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. Built in 2003, the 14,563-square-foot home sits on 5.4 acres with manicured hedges bordering the estate’s stone-pillared entry gates. According to property listings, the mansion took nearly five years to build. Inside the young family can enjoy the library, office, spa with separate dry and wet sauna, gym, complete with stripper pole, game room, arcade, theater, wine cellar and a five-car garage. There is also a two-bedroom, two-bath guest house, located on the grounds. It is reserved for Meghan’s mother Doria, who is currently acting as one-year-old Archie’s nanny.
One could say Harry and Meghan got a great deal on their sprawling Montecito mansion. The seller, believed to be Russian tycoon Sergey Grishin, spent more $25M for the property back in 2009. He originally listed the home for up to $34M.
Why Harry and Meghan Chose Montecito
Montecito (Spanish for little mount) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, located east of the City of Santa Barbara. There are many reasons the rich and famous choose to live here, not the least of which is the fact that the town is one of the safest and most family-friendly communities in the world. Montecito homes are secluded from view by tall hedges and other lush landscaping at the end of gated driveways, adding to the safety factor.
“The community of Montecito itself is nature-like with its abundance of majestic, mature trees and lush public and private landscaping. Its location, nestled against the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, provides convenient access to numerous hiking trails. There are private equestrian boarding and riding facilities nearby as well, and pristine beaches are mere minutes away.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The couple recently purchased a $14.7M home in the star-studded enclave of Montecito. Often referred to as “Beverly Hills North,” Montecito is a beautiful sanctuary sandwiched between the rugged peaks of the Santa Ynez mountains and the sea, perfect for superstars
https://montecito-estate.com/celebrity-living-in-santa-barbara/
READ: Celebrity Living in Santa Barbara
View Park-Windsor Hills
View Park-Windsor Hills is one of the wealthiest primarily African American areas in the US, and like the rest of LA is used to celebrity. The singer Ray Charles and the film-maker Charles Burnett grew up here. When Barack Obama visits friends, the motorcade barely registers comment.
The median price of a View Park home is $771,000 and the area was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Rich people on this street, everything fancy,” said Juan-Jose Alonzo, 42, a gardener who was landscaping a garden.
Markle grew up with a black mother, Doria Ragland, a clinical therapist turned yoga instructor, and a white father, Thomas Markle, a lighting director who worked on the TV show Married with Children.
She attended Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse, a private primary which also taught Elizabeth Taylor and Judy Garland, and later the all-girls Catholic Immaculate Heart high school.
Markle was briefly married to a film producer, Trevor Engelson, and appeared in CSI 90210, Without A Trace and Castle before landing her role in Suits, which prompted her to relocate to Toronto.
Not quite Hollywood royalty, but for former neighbours it was enough to match a British prince and any amount of pomp at a ceremony next spring likely to be conducted by Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury. If anything, some felt it was the royal family that had lucked out in getting to exhibit a modern, enlightened sensibility.
“For us as African Americans we’re excited to see this happen. If anybody is going to step out and do something different, marry a mixed-race woman, it’s Prince Harry. He’s his mother’s child. He doesn’t have bias,” said Kelli Beard, 49, a university teaching professor out walking her Rhodesian Ridgeback.
“All the neighbours were texting this morning – ‘Have your heard the news’,” said Beard. “I think we feel sorry for Doria – she’ll probably get bombarded.”
She often met Markle’s mother while she walked her own dogs. “Very sweet, very nice, a regular woman.”
Dei Thomas, 39, an entrepreneur, laughed at the notion of the prince’s bride being “hood” but wondered about the response in the UK. “How will the Brits handle this?”
Some shrugged off the engagement as an abstraction. “Nope, didn’t hear,” said Wes, 52, who pushed a shopping trolley filled with recyclables through the neighbourhood. “Not being mean, but it doesn’t fit my interests.”
Markle’s mother lived in the green-painted house across the street – a two-bedroom Spanish colonial style bungalow with a front yard of succulents and cacti – and the street was filling with photographers and camera crews, injecting some drama into early morning suburbia;
5127 Angeles Vista Boulv, View Park-Windsor Hills, CA 90043-1730 is the current address for Doria;
source: Guardian emailing
Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills is not zoned for commercial amenities, townhomes or apartments in the town itself," Ms. Bogard-Tanigami said.
"But it has a very close connection to the town of Los Altos, which has a selection of refined restaurants and casual cafés, including Mediterranean spot Urfa Bistro and Japanese yakitori eatery Sumika," she said. "Los Altos also offers unique, locally owned shops and boutiques as well as seasonal events like the Thursday’s farmer’s market, Art in the Park, and holiday Festival of Lights Parade. It’s a charming community with a very noncommercial small-town feel."
(Los Altos is a very high-end area, as well, with Zillow estimating that the median home price is $2.8 million.)
There are two private schools within the town, Peninsula Waldorf School (early childhood through high school) and the Pinewood School (elementary school through high school). The area public schools are also some of the most highly sought-after, and Foothills College, is one of the top-ranked community colleges in the state.
Who lives there?
Expect neighbors to be a who’s-who of the tech industry. "There are a large number of founders of Silicon Valley technology companies with young families, and high-level executives," Ms. Bogard-Tanigami said.
Mr. Iverson concurred and noted that, "Because of the entry price, most buyers now are either tech executives or overseas investors, primarily from China. Los Altos Hills residents range from people who moved there years ago in search of horse property or a quieter lifestyle, to tech titans and more recently, international moguls."
Notable residents
Ms. Bogard-Tanigami mentioned that high-net worth residents looking to retain anonymity purchase their homes in an LLC in an effort to maintain privacy.
However, it’s difficult not to name drop. "Google founder Sergey Brin lives there, and Russian billionaire and tech investor Yuri Milner made news a few years ago by paying $100 million for a home on La Paloma Drive," Mr. Iverson said.
Actress Adrienne Barbeau, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, real estate developer and former Oakland Athletics owner Stephen Schott also currently reside in Los Altos Hills.
Past residents include former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner and Hewlett-Packard co-founder David Packard.
Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills is certainly having its moment. "The market for Los Altos Hills homes is very strong especially for those with a close-to-downtown Los Altos location or with San Francisco Bay views," Ms. Bogard-Tanigami said.
There is no lack of interest, especially for younger families. "As the current generation of tech entrepreneurs and executives ages and start families, many are moving from Palo Alto, Los Altos and Mountain View to Los Altos Hills in search of more space and privacy, while still having reasonable commutes to Apple and Google," Mr. Iverson said. "This has heated up the market, especially for ‘tear downs,’ as many millennial buyers want to build custom, green homes."
He added that this has increased demand for homes in the $3 million to $8 million range in Los Altos Hills, and prices have consistently increased over the last few years.
"The homes that are well located on mostly flat or buildable lots are selling quickly," Mr. Iverson said. "Properties with freeway noise, steep slopes with narrow roads or a steep driveway take longer to move."
Rosedale
Rosedale is one the priciest districts to live in Toronto. Developed in the Victorian era for long-time Ontario families, it’s an affluent and desirable neighborhood favored by Canada’s elite.
Houses in the district cost on average between C$900 and C$1,000 per square foot (US$676 to $753), according to Richard Silver.
Janet Lindsay of Chestnut Park Real Estate, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, gives a higher estimate. "Houses cost between C$3 million and C$10 million (US$2.3 million and $7.5 million)," she said. "You need at least C$3 million (US$2.3 million) to buy a home, though most homes cost around the C$5 million mark (US$3.8 million)."
More:Toronto’s Healthy Luxury Real Estate Market Predicted to Carry Over to 2017
Housing stock
Rosedale is known for its beautiful period houses. It has many historic redbrick mansions, which date from the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the 1920s and 1930s.
The district is mostly made up of single-family homes, a mix of detached and semi-detached properties. There are few condo buildings on Dale Street, which were built circa 1949.
Large detached houses typically have four or five bedrooms, and an attic room and basement, which are often converted into family rooms or gyms, according to Mr. Silver, who has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years.
Chestnut Park and Yonge Street are among the most desirable streets, because they offer close proximity to the Yonge Street subway station, which connects to the city’s financial district.
Roxborough Drive, which snakes through the middle of the district, and Binscarth Road, have some of the area’s loveliest houses, according to Mr. Silver.
What makes it unique
With its stately broad trees that create leafy avenues, wealth of green spaces and heritage-listed brick mansions with manicured front lawns, it’s not hard to see why Rosedale is considered such a fashionable address.
The convenience of its location also makes it a desirable spot. It is 10 minutes from Yonge Street’s subway station.
But the biggest attraction is the schools, according to Mr. Silver.
"Rosedale has and is close to sought-after independent and state schools," he said. "It’s what draws families to the area and brings people together."
He added: "Rosedale is like any other neighborhood but the homes are bigger and more expensive. And it is accessible to everything that the city has to offer, from art galleries and theaters to posh shops."
In addition to the area’s big trees and parks, there is a forested ravine–one of many in the city–that runs through the southern end of the neighborhood. It includes trails that are part of the Beltline Trail, a nine kilometer linear park with a creek running through it, which is home to diverse wildlife, plants and trees.
Don Valley Bricks Works, a former quarry and industrial site, is now a park that’s popular with runners. It has three ponds, a meadow and small forest, along with an off-leash dog park and hiking and biking trails.
Source: www.mansionglobal.com
Luxury amenities of Rosedale
Residents don’t have to venture outside their neighborhood for a good meal. Highlights include Sorrel, an elegant restaurant/bar with a French Mediterranean menu, which was named one of 100 Best Restaurants in Canada based on OpenTable diner reviews last year;
Terroni is a fashionable eatery with a laid-back vibe, which serves southern Italian food including pizzas, and has a rooftop terrace. Avant Gout is a supper club that offers elegant French and North African dishes.
"Mink Mile," an upscale shopping area in Yorkville, is about a 20-minute walk away. But the area does have a range of interesting and useful shops. They include Summerhill Market, a gourmet food shop on Summerhill Avenue, and Harvest Wagon, a longstanding greengrocer on Yonge Street.
Mooredale is a thriving community center that offers "close-to-home social, recreational and extracurricular activities for the local children," according to its website. It has a heated pool, soccer club and Rosedale Tennis Club, as well as Mooredale Preschool, which serves children from 18 months to six years.
There are also many well-regarded schools within easy reach. They include The York School, a co-ed independent school; Upper Canada College, a private school for boys; and the Bishop Strachan School, an Anglican day and boarding schools for girls.
Who lives there?
Rosedale’s mansions house some of the city’s richest residents. These include politicians, hockey players, film stars and producers along with people working in the banking and publishing industries. Doctors and lawyers also call the neighborhood home.
It has a very established professional community and the average age is around 50, according to agents.
Mr. Silver notes that there are more international buyers moving into the area. "The largest group is from mainland China," he said. "They are drawn to the area’s schools and its proximity to the University of Toronto."
Ms. Lindsay said that new developments on the outskirts of the city remain the most popular with expats from the Chinese community. "There are not huge numbers coming into the area, but they are starting to realize that Rosedale is a prestigious district," she added.
Fr: mansiongloba
World-Renowned Architect I.M. Pei’s New York Townhouse is On Sale for $8 Million
The late Pritzker Prize winner purchased the property from Laura “Polly” Delano, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cousin.
The New York City townhouse where late Chinese architect I.M. Pei, and his wife, Eileen, resided is now on sale for $8 million. Pei, who is credited for landmarks like The Louvre Pyramid and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, acquired the four-story property more than 45 years ago from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cousin, Laura “Polly” Delano.
Located at 11 Sutton Place, the townhouse features a striking spiral staircase and a geometric skylight—both designed by Pei—as well as glass walls with views of the private park and the East River. It includes four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, four working fireplaces, a library, a formal dining space with a private garden, and much more. Christie's International Real Estate is handling the sale of the property. Additionally, the company will oversee the sale of the impressive Post-War and Contemporary Art that Pei and his wife collected over the years. The sales will be held in New York, Hong Kong, and Paris.
Although Pei passed away in May at the age of 102, his work will remain relevant for years to come. Pei's one-of-a-kind structures can be seen around the world, from the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. His mastery of architecture and understanding of how culture, history, and art inform design are worthy of respect.
By Monique Valeris
Oct 23, 2019
Hidden Hills
Kylie Jenner lives on Hidden Ridge Road, while Kris Jenner lives only 1.8 miles away on Eldorado Meadow Road. Kim & Kanye’s home is on Long Valley Road and under construction.
CELEBRITY
Lachlan Murdoch Sets L.A. Record by Paying $150 Million for a Château-Style Mansion
Once listed for $350 million, the Bel-Air estate of late media tycoon A. Jerrold Perenchio is the second priciest home ever to have traded in the U.S.Lachlan Murdoch, media executive and son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has paid roughly $150 million for Chartwell, a Bel-Air estate, according to people familiar with the deal.
Lachlan Murdoch is co-chairman of News Corp, which owns Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal. He didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
When it listed in 2017 for $350 million, the château-style home was the most expensive in the country. While this deal falls short of that, it still sets a record for a home in the Los Angeles area. It is also the second most expensive residential sale ever recorded in the country, according to data from appraiser Jonathan Miller.
Sitting on more than 10 acres, Chartwell was designed by architect Sumner Spaulding in the 1930s as a French Neoclassical-style mansion, according to the listing. The exterior of the 25,000-square-foot house was used as the Clampett residence in the television show "The Beverly Hillbillies."
The seller was the estate of the late media billionaire A. Jerrold Perenchio, who was the chairman and chief executive of Univision.
The seller was the estate of the late media billionaire A. Jerrold Perenchio, according to people familiar with the deal. He died in 2017 at age 86.
Mr. Perenchio was the chairman and chief executive of Univision; he led the group that purchased it in 1992, then sold it to a group of investors for $12 billion in 2006. He famously promoted the 1971 championship fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
Jonathan Alcorn
Chartwell Mansion
the mansion was reported to have been sold to Lachlan Murdoch for about $150 million, which was the highest sale price for any house in California history;
The Chartwell Mansion is a Chateauesque mansion in Bel-Air, California. Built in 1933 and best known for its role as the Clampett family home in the 1960s television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies.
The house was designed by Sumner Spaulding in 1933 in the style of a French chateau.
Chartwell Mansion is located on 750 Bel Air Road in 1988, after it was bought by Jerry Perenchio from the family of Arnold Kirkeby. This gate has since been closed and the entry moved to 875 Nimes Road;
Waterfront Massachusetts mansion where Ghislaine Maxwell lived
Waterfront Massachusetts mansion where Ghislaine Maxwell lived with
her tech CEO lover Scott Borgerson before her arrest - where neighbors tried to 'ostracize' her into leaving when they learned of Epstein connection - is set to hit the market at $7.295M.
The Phippen-Smith house, valued at $7.295 million, in Manchester-by-the Sea, Massachusetts, is rumored to be going up for sale.
The well-hidden waterfront mansion is currently owned by Ghislaine Maxwell’s estranged husband Scott Borgerson, 45•The couple, who secretly wed in 2016, spent time living together at the home for a short period prior to Maxwell’s arrest in July 2020.
The 5,584-square-foot single family home has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms
•It was last sold for $2,450,000 to Borgerson on Jun 30, 2016; he spent more than $2million on renovations and restoration.
A well-hidden waterfront mansion in Massachusetts where Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted sex trafficker and longtime confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, lived before her arrest is set to hit the market for $7.295 million.
The all-white clapboard home, known as the Phippen-Smith house, is off the Atlantic coast by Manchester-by-the Sea - 30 miles north of Boston.
The couple, who secretly wed in 2016, spent time living together there for a short period of time prior to Maxwell’s arrest in July 2020 at one of her many other luxurious properties in New Hampshire.
The 5,584-square-foot single family home has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It was last sold for $2,450,000 on June 30, 2016, according to real-estate company Redfin.
Borgerson's house was part of a 40-acre estate called Sharksmouth and had been sold a quarter of a century earlier to a couple named Devereux and Jilda Barker.
In February 2019, neighbors learned the quiet, well-dressed socialite in their midst had been accused of procuring young girls for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
'They were absolutely appalled to learn who they were allowing to have the run of their property,' one resident exclusively told DailyMail.com at the time.
Neighbors tried to harass and 'ostracize' Maxwell into leaving, and make her and Borgerson 'feel they weren't welcome on Sharksmouth or in Manchester.'
Montecito - the seaside Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara is set against the Santa Ynez Mountains and home to many film stars; it’s a place where properties can go for more than $100 million by multiple accounts. The property is located on a private road in a luxury estate in Montecito, where every house in the neighbourhood is designed for privacy, with long driveways and large gates.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have gone exceptionally grand with their California starter house, purchasing a $14.65 million estate in the heart of posh Montecito, the seaside Santa Barbara County enclave that is famously home to a slew of Hollywood heavyweights.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ names do not appear on grant deeds related to the property — records show the estate quietly sold in mid-June to a mysterious trust with a deliberately opaque name, though the trust happens to share a mailing address with the offices of Meghan Markle’s longtime Hollywood business manager.
Public documents also reveal the buyers secured a $9.5 million mortgage to acquire the 7.4-acre compound, which is securely tucked away on a private, gated street. Despite the unquestionably hefty pricetag, it could be argued Meghan and Harry scored the property at a discount of sorts ;
The seller, low-profile Russian businessman Sergey Grishin, acquired the estate in 2009 for $25.3 million and had attempted to sell it many times over the past decade before finally accepting a $10 million-plus financial loss.
Built in 2003, the Mediterranean-style main house includes a trove of beige and off-white decor, plus a library, gym, separate wet and dry saunas, an elevator, arcade, game room and home theater. There’s also a detached guesthouse with two bedrooms and bathrooms; altogether, the estate boasts nearly 19,000 square feet of living space with a total of 9 bedrooms and a whopping 16 bathrooms.
Dated listings note that the property additionally offers a “tea house,” a “children’s cottage,” and exceptionally beautiful manicured grounds that boast tiered rose gardens, century-old olive trees, and tall Italian cypress trees that likely cost a small fortune to maintain.
A full-size tennis court, lap-lane swimming pool, and a notably elaborate built-in children’s playset are among the numerous other outdoor amenities.
Meghan and Harry, who first moved stateside in early 2020, previously resided in a fortified compound owned by Tyler Perry, whom they met through mutual friend Oprah Winfrey.
Montecito may be located a full two hours northwest of downtown L.A. by car, but celebrities have flocked to the area in recent years — the neighborhood’s laid-back and mostly paparazzi-free atmosphere provides a welcome retreat from the hectic hustle of Hollywood and its surrounding environs.
Current area residents include Gwyneth Paltrow, Ellen DeGeneres, Ariana Grande, and — perhaps most famously — Oprah Winfrey herself, whose nearly 70-acre “Promised Land” compound qualifies as one of Southern California’s most lavish estates.
https://variety.com/2020/
The palatial residence, set in 10 acres, was originally put on the market in May 2014 for $36million
Jack Nicholson’s house
Nicholson’s longtime, 3,303-square-foot house at 12850 Mulholland Drive (built in 1957), which he has owned since July 10, 1969 and which sits on a 0.53-acre (23,000-square-foot) lot (PIN # 4386-003-009)
https://www.mulholland-drive.net/studies/mulhollanddrive.htm
Stars living on Mulholland Drive
6432: MADONNA
"Castillo del Lago"
Madonna's former home "Castillo del Lago"
Mulholland Highway (at Canyon Lake Drive): Madonna's former home, the "Castillo del Lago," where (on May 29, 1995) a deranged stalker scaled the wall of the estate and was shot three times in a struggle with an armed guard employed by Madonna. The stalker was later convicted and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Earlier, another stalker had been arrested at the same Madonna estate and sentenced to a year in jail. Both men claimed to be Madonna's husband. Back in the 1930's, this terra cotta & yellow-striped house in the Hollywood Hills (just below the Hollywood sign), was an infamous gambling casino run by mobster Bugsy Siegel.
The castle was bought by Simon Fuller in 2004.
6980: ADAM KESHER
7430: ARSENIO HALL (Pyramid Place, off Mulholland)
7680: MOLLY RINGWALD
9621: CHUCK CONNORS, DAN DURYEA
12721: JOHN LENNON
12850: JACK NICHOLSON, ROMAN POLANSKI
in the Hollywood Hills: actor Jack Nicholson's house, where director Roman Polanski ("Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby") allegedly bedded a 13-year-old girl, resulting in Polanski's 1977 trial, conviction, and subsequent self-exile in Europe. (Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, and their unborn child had been murdered by the Manson gang in 1969.)
12900: MARLON BRANDO
in the Hollywood Hills: actor Marlon Brando's house, where his son, Christian Brando, shot and killed his half-sister's lover, Dag Drollet, in May of 1990. (Christian claimed the shooting was accidental, and occurred during a fight allegedly sparked because Cheyenne said Drollet was beating her) He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. His half-sister, Cheyenne, committed suicide in Tahiti in 1995. After his release from prison in January of 1996, Christian returned home to his father's estate.
13030: IDA LUPINO, JOAN FONTAINE
13511: DEMI MOORE, BRUCE WILLIS
13671: WARREN BEATTY & ANNETTE BENING.
13741: MARY TYLER MOORE
14111: VANNA WHITE
14372: The Fast and The Furious: the circular Hollywood house with the pool, where Paul's cop buddies have set up a temporary police HQ (and which they mention is "the house Eddie Fisher built for Elizabeth Taylor"), is probably atop the Hollywood Hills, between Bel-Air and Sherman Oaks.
Lee Kuan Yew’s Daughter Sells Bungalow to Hotpot Billionaire
Hotpot chain Haidilao co-founder Shi Yonghong has reportedly purchased a bungalow from the daughter of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Haidilao co-founder Shi Yonghong purchased a so-called good class bungalow (GCB) in Cluny Hill from Dr. Lee Wei Ling – Lee Kuan Yew’s daughter – for S$50 million ($35.5 million), according to a «Strait Times» report.
The bungalow sits on land with a total size of 18,255 square feet and is expected to undergo further redeployment.
According to documents, the bungalow's legal transfer of ownership to Shi took place on September 6.
Haidilao Bungalows
Interestingly, Shi’s new bungalow is located in the same neighborhood as the bungalow of Zhang Yong – chairman and follow co-founder of Haidilao. In 2020, Zhang’s wife and another Haidilao co-founder Shu Ping also opened a family office in Singapore.
According to Forbes, Shi and his family ranked 87th on the list of China's richest with a net worth of $4.1 billion.
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