Celebrity Real Estate: The Inside Scoop with L.A. Times Reporter Lauren Beale

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Updated on December 30th, 2021

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Lauren Beale
Lauren Beale

Redfin is teaming up with the luxury real estate experts over at the Los Angeles Times to give you a closer look at the opulent lifestyles of the rich and famous. Lauren Beale and Neal Leitereg report for the widely read Hot Property section at the Times, a section dedicated to the “best of” when it comes to the most coveted real estate eye candy, whether owned by a star or designed by a starchitect. We are publishing a series of Q&As with Lauren and Neal, digging deeper into the exclusive world of the super wealthy.

Last Q&A, Neal dished out insider information on some of L.A.’s most lavish properties. This time, Lauren gives Redfin the inside scoop on everything celebrity real estate, from a presidential find to the hottest celebrity hoods, ending with one unbelievable home feature found in a Playboy model’s manse. Take a look!

What do you think is the most interesting celebrity real estate story of 2014 thus far, and why?

By far the most intriguing story of 2014 for this beat was trying to parse out fact from fiction when rumors started that the Obamas might be moving to Rancho Mirage. The president loves golf, and there’s plenty of that, plus the first lady’s friend and interior designer Michael Smith lives there. Because other U.S. presidents have lived in the area, it has been proven that the location can work for a former first family but the Obamas have to be cognizant of schools for their daughter too.

Rumored to be the home the First Family was looking to buy

The home in question was purchased under a trust, and no I don’t peg them as the buyers now that the sale has closed. Rancho Mirage has a more second home vibe to me. After the White House, I would think they might stay closer to D.C. or return to Chicago, where they own a home.

I did tour a home once in Rolling Hills, California, that I think is made for a world leader, called Hacienda de la Paz. It is set among single-story homes behind white fences but it goes down five stories on the hillside lot, has generators, geo-thermal heating and cooling – really a defensible fortress or a spot to weather a nuclear winter. The community is gated and there are great public and private school options. The problem is the palatial price: $53 million.

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What are the top locations and neighborhoods that are favored by celebrities, and why?

Traditionally the Bird Streets area of Hollywood Hills has been identified as the favored location of young/hip Hollywood types. There are a lot of awesome contemporary homes with great city views. Flippers keep a steady supply of turn-key houses on the market.

Holmby Hills/Bel-Air is full of old money multimillionaires and billionaires. Even with the stream of tour buses there’s a sense of privacy behind the tall hedges and walls of the large estates.

Studio City is a hot bed of celebrity real estate activity and particularly popular with musicians, who often look for or put in their own in-house studios. Proximity to work attracts actors.

Los Feliz has its share of big screen stars yet it seems to remain somewhat under the radar. That alone is an attraction for a celebrity.

You have been covering celebrity real estate for a while now. Is there any one trend that you have consistently seen in the homes of celebrities over the years?

A consistent trend … is that a trick question? Every year, what was enough in the past is now inadequate. Celebrities want ultra-luxurious appointments, better security and more privacy.

Bathrooms now have the double sinks, the stand-alone tub and huge separate showers. The master bedroom suite may have his and her bathrooms. I toured a $45 million spec home in Holmby Hills that had both toilets and bidets in every bathroom.

Closets have morphed into dressing rooms and showrooms as well as storage. They really are individual rooms off the master bedroom with seating, mirrors and compartmentalized spaces for shoes, handbags and jewelry.

As far as home styles, the newly built multimillion dollar homes coming on the market are overwhelmingly contemporary.  Slick, sleek and ready to go is what is selling. Among resale homes midcentury modern seems to strike a chord with luxury homebuyers too – particularly if the houses have been tastefully updated. The big problem with older homes seems to  the storage. Buyers today simply have more stuff.

One feature I thought would become passé with the growth of wine drinking and the wine room/cellar gaining popularity is the home bar. Who wants to sit on a stool and try to converse with a person two seats down? But in fact I’ve seen homes with more than one bar inside, a breakfast bar in the kitchen and another on the patio or near the pool.

If anything has stayed the same over the years, it’s concerns about security and privacy. That’s why we often see one celebrity selling to another. If the site and home are securable, and the geography or landscape keeps out prying eyes, that’s a huge plus for someone in the public eye.

Most people think celebrities live incredibly luxurious lifestyles. Are there any celebrities that you have come across that live in more humble abodes that would surprise most people?

It’s hard to say because sometimes the real estate they own is an investment property or an in-town residence. Their home base could be in another part of the country. Country singer Dolly Parton, for example, owns some modest real estate in California but then she hails from Tennessee. Actor Ed Asner sold his longtime home in Studio City this year for about $1.3 million – that’s not a huge price for the area. What surprised me wasn’t so much that the home was modest but that it oozed charm and looked like a place “real people” would live. If a house could be a bear hug, this one was.

What is the most outrageous or interesting home feature you have ever seen in a celebrity home in all the years you have covered this beat?

About five years ago, actress and Playboy model Bridget Marquardt bought a home in Sherman Oaks. In the soaring entry hall she installed a swing trapeze and a lyra, or aerial hoop. That’s how she stayed in shape.

About Lauren
Lauren Beale is the Hot Property columnist for the Los Angeles Times covering the celebrity real estate beat for the Business section. A veteran of The Times, she was the real estate editor from 2000 to 2008.

Note: This is the second in a series of posts in collaboration with the Hot Property blog from the L.A. Times. Check back for more!

If you are represented by an agent, this is not a solicitation of your business. This article is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional advice from a medical provider, licensed attorney, financial advisor, or tax professional. Consumers should independently verify any agency or service mentioned will meet their needs. Learn more about our Editorial Guidelines here.
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Alanna Finn

Alanna is the celebrity real estate expert at Redfin and oversees the Fun & Fabulous content for the Redfin Real-Time blog. Before coming to Redfin, Alanna was a local TV news producer and dabbled in the world of reality TV production. Her dream home would be a duplex in NYC with a balcony, washer/dryer and a dishwasher. Redfin is a full-service real estate brokerage that uses modern technology to make clients smarter and faster. For more information about working with a Redfin real estate agent to buy or sell a home, visit our Why Redfin page.

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