la times: denise richards' hidden hills home on the market for $4.25 million

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latimes.com/features/la-hm-hotprop16-2008aug16,0,7373323.story

latimes.comHOT PROPERTY

Hot Property: Denise Richards' Hidden Hills home on themarket for $4.25 millionHot Property

By Ann Brenoff

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 16, 2008

Maybe it's because neighbors didn't exactly roll outthe welcome wagon when she began filming her newreality TV show at home, or maybe it's because, asshe says, she wants to be closer to her kids' school.Whatever the reason, expect the moving van to pull upto Denise Richards' place in Hidden Hills soon. Yup,we likely won't have this Bond girl to kick aroundanymore.

Richards has listed at $4.25 million the house shebought last summer. For you bean counters, that'sabout $100,000 less than she paid for it. Eh, bupkis.

This poster girl for the tabloids -- who hosts "DeniseRichards: It's Complicated" from her home -- much tothe chagrin of ex-husband Charlie Sheen -- isn't saying where she's going. Who can blame her? Thewoman sneezes and "E!" is there with a tissue.

Her traditional-style 5,600-square-foot house looks to be right out of New England. It has fivebedrooms, including a master retreat with a sitting area. There are hardwood and rustic stone floorsand a foyer with a sweeping staircase. The gourmet kitchen has imported tiles, stainless-steelappliances and Carrara marble. The home sits on about an acre in this guard-gated community. Thereis a Pebble Tec pool and spa.

But my favorite photo of the house on its website, hiddenhillstraditionalestate.com, shows one ofRichards' dogs lounging comfortably on an oversized white chair. Neither the dog nor the couch is for

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sale with the house, so why mention it here? Because Richards is known to be quite the animal lover-- another sore point with her Hidden Hills neighbors, some of whom believe one can have too manycanine companions.

Dana Olmes of Ewing & Associates, Sotheby's International Realty, Calabasas, has the listing.

The view from Morton's perch

My answer to those who would argue that Los Angeles has no mavens of culture is Peter Morton, theco-founder of the first Hard Rock Cafe and creator of those ubiquitous T-shirts.

Morton -- whose papa, Arnie, was the founder of the restaurant Morton's -- wheels and deals inhigh-end property no matter the economic climate. He just listed a house in Beverly Hills that he'sowned for about two years for $22.5 million.

What makes this property unique among the eight-digit listings is that it will be shown only on cleardays, according to the MLS/CLAW. The listing says the "extraordinary" view is from downtown tothe ocean. Apparently, they don't really want you looking in the direction of the house, which is beingsold for "land value."

The listing offers few details about the property and notes there will be no inspections of the house.This suggests "tear-down city" to those who read realty tea leaves. The two-story house, on 4 acres,was built in 1940, and we personally hate to see the old destroyed for the new. But the basics are:seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms in about 8,000 square feet.

The property has a sterling Hollywood ownership lineage as well. It once belonged to actress MarloThomas, who sold it to media mogul David Geffen, who flipped it over to radio tycoon Norm Pattiz,who then sold it to Morton for $18.5 million in 2006. The only one missing may be Elvis.

Morton's (the restaurant) was the subject of Julia Phillips' 1991 book, "You'll Never Eat Lunch in ThisTown Again" -- the premise being that your ability to get a good table there was a barometer of yourrelative importance in Hollywood.

$4.1 million? Mamma mia!

Chances are, unless you've been living in a cave for the last few decades, Gary Goetzman's work hasinfiltrated your life.

The Emmy winner ("Band of Brothers") also has produced "Mamma Mia!" (2008), "Charlie Wilson'sWar" (2007), "The Ant Bully" (2006), "The Polar Express" (2004), "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"(2002) and one of the scariest movies ever made, "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). And plentymore.

Goetzman and his wife, Leslie, just bought a home in Sherman Oaks for $4.1 million -- close to itsJune listing price of $4,295,000.


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The property is situated at the top of a long, private driveway and has steal-your-breath-away views. Itis a gated estate, built in 1954, and was recently redesigned by the seller, the Independent DesignGroup Los Angeles.

The one-story home is a blend of traditional and contemporary and has a fully integrated audiosystem, closed-circuit security, an in-home theater with a 14-foot screen, a full Viking kitchen andcustom wood flooring. There is a pool, a fire pit and a four-car garage. The home has five bedroomsand seven bathrooms in 6,226 square feet.

Goetzman, 55, is co-founder of the Playtone Co. with Tom Hanks -- and many of his best works haveinvolved the actor-director-producer. There was "Band of Brothers" in 2001 (which could have goneon forever and I wouldn't have tired of watching) and "Philadelphia" in 1993 (which, since I'mdonning a critic's hat here, should be mandatory viewing in every high school, right up there withreading "The Catcher in the Rye").

Harriet Cameron of Prudential California Realty, Sherman Oaks, was the listing agent. AndreaKorchek of Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty, Sherman Oaks, represented theGoetzmans.

The 411 on 311 singer's listing

One of the singers for 311 -- an alternative rock band that sees itself as the next Grateful Deadbecause of its cult-like following -- has listed his Los Feliz house for sale at $2,195,000.

The band 311, which hails from Omaha, spent most of the summer crisscrossing the country withSnoop Dogg on a tour that ends in Hawaii today. I dusted off my earplugs in case they decided tomake a stop in Los Angeles.

Singer Doug "SA" Martinez, 38, hopes to sell his 3,145-square-foot Spanish colonial. The house,built in 1927, has four bedrooms and five bathrooms. A detached pool house doubles as a guesthousefor visitors and groupies. The kitchen includes stainless-steel appliances.

There is a 300-gallon saltwater aquarium, a brick circular driveway, two fireplaces, a saltwater pooland two custom-tiled balconies, one off the master suite. A custom-made Tennessee oak-covered patiohas a dead-on view of the Griffith Observatory. The house features hardwood floors throughout, newcopper piping and mahogany crown molding.

Martinez says he hopes to move to Santa Barbara. But he is leaving Los Feliz with a heavy heart.

"When the band first moved out to Los Angeles," he said, "I would drive to a vinyl record shoplocated in Los Feliz and always took the boulevard. Every time I drove down the street, my attentionwas averted to the Spanish colonials along the south side. Years later, when I was in the market for ahome, my jaw about dropped to the floor when, lo and behold, my absolute favorite was up for sale."


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He added, "I have so many memories of this house. I've written so many songs in this house and havefelt nothing but love for it from Day 1. . . . Although many musicians and artists have been throughour doors over the years, the real star and center of attention has always been our home."

Martinez's nickname is partially a play on the Mexican Spanish slang term for "buddy." It also mayrefer to an out-of-body experience SA had in college, with the letters an acronym for "spookyapparition" stemming from that experience. (We did mention that Grateful Dead comparison, right?)

Sandra Miller of Prestigious Westside Properties Inc. in Santa Monica has the listing.

[email protected]

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times


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la times: denise richards' hidden hills home on the market for $4.25 million

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