‘Idol’ Creator Simon Fuller Selling His $35M ‘Iconic Gem’ in Bel Air

Amanda Edwards/WireImage; realtor.com

Pop music impresario Simon Fuller, the man behind “American Idol” and the global “Idol” franchise, is voting to sell his mansion in L.A.’s Bel Air neighborhood. After initially listing the home in October for $37.5 million, Fuller recently dropped the price to $35 million.

He and his wife, interior designer Natalie Swanston, purchased the 11,200-square-foot home in 2014 for $24 million.

The listing came after the couple made serious upgrades to the seven-bedroom mansion. The home was built in 1927 by architect Gordon Kaufmann (who also built Beverly Hills’ famous Greystone Manor) and updates were done with a careful eye toward preserving the home’s architectural heritage.

Described as an “iconic gem,” the home still maintains its original Georgian bones. However, instead of the red brick exterior it featured when Fuller bought it from billionaire David Murdock, the bricks are now painted a stately white. There are a few black accents dropped in around the home’s awnings, window panes, and front door.

Simon Fuller’s Bel Air estate

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The red bricks were painted white.

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The home’s interior is almost completely done up in au courant shades of black, white, and gray—with occasional pops of color in the furniture and accessories.

Living room

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Family room

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Kitchen

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One of the features truly setting this home apart is the turret. It houses a wood-paneled library with a fireplace on the ground floor, and a circular office, also with a fireplace, above it.

Wood-paneled library

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Office with fireplace

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Turret with round office and library

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According to the listing, the white-on-white master suite is a “world unto itself” with a large entrance vestibule, office, gym, dual baths, and gargantuan closet.

The grounds, which measure 1.6 acres, include a gated motor court, guesthouse, greenhouse, green lawns, and a pool and spa.

Fuller and Murdock are not the only prominent owners of this mansion, which was known for decades as the Fredricks residence. In the 1990s, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and his wife, actress Lori Loughlin (“Full House”), enjoyed the views of Los Angeles to the ocean from the house on a hill.

Fuller, 58, is one of the most successful pop music producers ever. In addition to his stint managing the Spice Girls, he’s managed Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and numerous other pop acts. In addition to the 150 versions of the “Idol” franchise airing around the world, he’s also the co-creator of “So You Think You Can Dance.”

He’s diversified and global when it comes to real estate, reportedly owning homes in England, France, and Uruguay.

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Houston Realtor's past expertise bolsters her real estate present - CultureMap Houston

Houston Realtor's past expertise bolsters her real estate present  CultureMap Houston

The luxury real estate market in Houston demands consummate counsel, exceptional connections, a laser-like focus, and above all, maximum discretion — s.

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Houston Realtor's past expertise bolsters her real estate present - CultureMap Houston

Houston Realtor's past expertise bolsters her real estate present  CultureMap Houston

The luxury real estate market in Houston demands consummate counsel, exceptional connections, a laser-like focus, and above all, maximum discretion — s.

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Former L.A. Mansion of Muhammad Ali on the Market for $17M

Paul Harris/Online USA, Inc.

A magnificent mansion in Los Angeles once owned by boxer Muhammad Ali is taking a swing at the market for $16.9 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Ali, who died in 2016 at the age of 74, lived there during his marriage to his third wife, psychologist Veronica Porché Ali. The couple bought the estate in 1979 and lived there until their divorce in 1986.

Built in 1916, the home last changed hands in 2001 for $2.5 million. If the sellers get close to the asking price—even considering any cash they’ve invested—they will walk away with a heavyweight profit.

You’ll definitely feel like a champion in this glorious Hancock Park home.

Muhammad Ali’s former home

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Staircase and stained-glass window

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Living room with built-in bookshelves

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Sunroom

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Parklike grounds

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Backyard with pool

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Set behind the private gates of Fremont Place, the 11,545-square-foot home sits on 1.6 acres of parklike grounds, and includes nine bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The large guesthouse contains an additional bedroom and full bath. 

Designed by architect John C. Austin, known for his work on the iconic Griffith Observatory, many original details remain, including Tiffany stained-glass windows, chandeliers, and stone fireplaces. The home has also undergone renovations over the years, according to the Real Deal.

Other standout features include a skylit sunroom, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and outdoor space that includes a pool. 

According to the Journal, during Ali’s time, many bold-faced names visited the Greatest at this residence, including Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, and Michael Jackson.

Ali, a professional athlete, activist, and superstar, is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. In 1967, he refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War, citing his religious beliefs, a controversial decision in that era. Along with his conscientious objector stance, he became a voice in the civil rights movement.

Stefani Stolper of Douglas Elliman holds the listing. 

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Fabulous Victorian ‘Beach House’ Is Nowhere Near the Beach?!

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Known as the Beach house, this classic Victorian on the market for $3.3 million in Escondido, CA, is nowhere near the beach.

Although this vintage gem is located in San Diego County, you will not hear the sound of waves crashing nearby. This Beach house sits pretty atop a knoll almost 15 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.

Built by Albert H. Beach (hence the home’s name!) in 1896, the classic home has plenty of charm, but proximity to sand is not one of them. The property’s half-acre grounds are green and expansive and include immaculately manicured hedges and gardens, stately palm trees, intimate conversation and dining areas, terraces, and sparkling water features.

There’s also a period-appropriate, Swiss-Victorian gazebo, assembled in the tongue-and-groove method, with nary a nail. And the lamp that hangs in the gazebo is notable—it once hung in the home of Wyatt Earp. The quaint structure is just crying out for a bride and groom to softly murmur “I do”—which should give you a hint of the ideal use for this property.

Classic Victorian in Escondido, CA

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Terrace with view of the grounds

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Swiss-Victorian gazebo

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Although it’s currently a private residence, listing agent Amy Ali of Compass believes the Beach house would be perfect as a bed-and-breakfast or a venue for events such as weddings, teas, or philanthropic activities. Located close to a Catholic university, it could easily serve as a chancellor’s residence, Ali adds.

Ali also notes the virtues of its lavish indoor features. Foremost among them is elaborate wallpaper extending to the ceiling. The hand-printed Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper—custom-designed for this home—took over six months to apply and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A previous owner spent millions of dollars and decades of his time restoring the estate to its original glory.

Original staircase

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Many of the home’s original features were renovated and restored, including the gas lamps that were converted to electricity.

Craftsmen spent months working on the home.

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The 3,300-square-foot home has four bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Every inch of this home has the mark of a craftsman—there are custom-made, hand-crafted wood doors, antique fixtures, and stained- and leaded-glass windows done to period perfection.

Sunroom

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Original door and hardware

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There are also expertly restored pieces of furniture that have been in the home since it was built, including sofas upholstered in red silk and custom-built bedroom sets. The price of the furniture is negotiable along with the purchase price for the home.

Parlor with original furniture

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Bedroom

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The home’s infrastructure, kitchen, and bathrooms have been seamlessly updated so they blend right in. The detached garage, now used for covered parking, a gym, and a “Martha Stewart–worthy laundry room,” according to Ali, is topped by solar panels that power the house.

Note the solar panels on the garage.

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Kitchen

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Bathroom with antiques

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The estate is on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Mills Act. It’s also been featured in San Diego Home and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Historic estate

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The home’s located within walking distance of downtown Escondido’s Grand Avenue, so residents can stroll to numerous fine restaurants, the Mingei Museum, and the nearby California Center for the Performing Arts.

The home itself is “like a museum inside,” says Ali. “The photos don’t do it justice. No expense was spared in the restoration.” She asserts that anyone who appreciates Victorian style would be right at home in this historic treasure.

The Victorian home sits atop a lush knoll.

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Home-Price Growth Continues to Slow

Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Home-price growth continued to ease off the accelerator in November, bolstering economists’ predictions that price growth could slow to be more in line with increases in incomes and inflation this year.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, rose 5.2% in the year ending in November, down from a 5.3% increase reported in October.

Price growth slowed considerably in the final months of last year compared to the beginning of the year when prices were growing more than 6%. Many economists expect it to slow even further this year, with price growing in line with inflation at around 2% or 3%. That could be welcome news for buyer who have been struggling with affordability as mortgage rates rose late last year.

“The pace of price increases are being dampened by declining sales of existing homes and weaker affordability,” said David Blitzer, managing director at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

The Case-Shiller 10-city index gained 4.3% over the year, down from 4.7% the prior month. The 20-city index dipped below 5%, gaining 4.7% compared to a year earlier.

Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected the 20-city index to grow 4.8%.

Las Vegas had the fastest home price growth in the country for the sixth straight month at 12%, followed by Phoenix, where prices grew 8.1%. Seattle returned to the top three after falling out last month, but still prices there grew just 6.3%— about half where growth was a year ago.

About a third of the 20 cities reported greater annual increases in October than November.

Home-price growth combined with rising mortgage rates has slowed sales in recent months. Existing home sales posted their largest annual decline in seven years in November and fell to their lowest level in more than three years in December.

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Pat Riley Reportedly Buys Florida Condo at Surf Club Four Seasons for $8.1M

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Miami Heat President Pat Riley has brought some heat to the real estate market. He and wife Christine purchased a unit in the Four Seasons Residences at the Surf Club in Surfside, FL, for $8.1 million, the Real Deal reported.

While no photos are available of the Rileys’ unit, the fifth-floor condo they purchased has four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and 3,948 square feet, according to the listing.

The Surf Club development, completed in 2017, was designed by architect Richard Meier and local architecture firm Kobi Karp. There are currently seven units in the development on the market, at prices ranging from $3.5 million to $18.5 million.

The Surf Club Four Seasons

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Marketing materials for the private residences showcase floor-to-ceiling glass walls, up to 20-foot-high ceilings, and custom indoor-outdoor transitions to terraces that range up to 18 feet in depth. Frameless glass balcony railings on the terrace offer unobstructed views of the Atlantic.

Finishes include travertine or wood flooring, Meier-designed master baths, and Boffi and Meier custom-designed kitchens with Corian counters, and Miele and Sub-Zero integrated appliances.

Some of the high-end units feature their own swimming pools, courtyards, and outdoor showers and kitchens.

The oceanfront project includes a 72-room hotel as well as two 12-story towers with 150 units, with upscale perks such as two pools, a gym, a health and wellness center, and a Thomas Keller restaurant.

The basketball executive joins an exclusive list of residents at the Miami Beach towers attached to the luxury hotel, including former Esquire publisher Alan Greenberg, real estate developer Richard Ruben, and Groupon founder Eric Lefkofsky. 

The site includes the restored original Surfside beach club that dates to 1930 and boasted such high-profile guests as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. 

Now, with Riley’s purchase, the condo can also boast the addition of the “Godfather.” Riley is the president of the Miami Heat, and is considered one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time. The 73-year-old served as head coach for five championship teams.

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