Puck Picks Up Pritzker Villa in Bel Air

SELLER: Anthony "Tony" and Jeanne Pritzker
BUYER: Wolfgang Puck and Gelila Assefa Puck
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $14,000,000
SIZE: 12,289 square feet, 8 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: In late 2011 or early 2012—we're not exactly sure—multi-billionaire private equity tycoon and Hyatt Hotels heir Anthony "Tony" Pritzker and his wife, Jeanne, moved with their half dozen progeny to a freshly finished and very contemporary, boutique hotel-sized mega-mansion prominently sited on a high promontory above the hoity-toity Holmby Hills 'hood n L.A.'s Bel Air area.*

The Pritzker family didn't have far to schlep their stuff since their old house happens to be on an abutting property just below their new house. During construction, a dirt path zig-zagged down in to the ravine behind the old house and up the hillside below the new one. They could have, iffin they'd been so inclined, hauled all their personal belongings from the old to the new house by burro.

No longer in need of their old mansion, in May 2012 Mister and Missus Pritzker pushed their old house—a 1930s Mediterranean villa dubbed Villa les Violettes—on the market with an in-hindsight much too rosy asking price of $21,990,000. Your Mama turned up digital evidence that suggests the asking price was lowered in slivered amounts an astonishing 18 times before the property was taken off the market in March 2013 and quickly re-listed with an asking price of $16,495,000.

Finally, according to both Our Fairy Godmother in Bel Air and Peter Propertyseller, along came sixty-something year old Austrian-born celebrity chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck and his stunningly beautiful (and much younger) third wife, Ethiopian-born high-end handbag designer and philanthropist Gelila Assefa Puck** who forked over, as per property records, $14,000,000 for walled and gated estate.

We have no idea how much Mister and Missus Pritzker spent on upkeep, upgrades and carrying costs, of course, but even though the fourteen million clam sale price is almost eight million less than they originally wanted it's still a decent if not exactly spectacular return on their investment since records show they acquired the property in August 2001 for $9,500,00.

Listing details show the mansion was originally built in 1938 on an up-sloping 1.24 acre parcel at the tail end of a long, snaking driveway that opens up to a motor court the size of a 7-11 parking lot where, right in the middle, each of the Pritzkers pressed their hand prints in concrete around an inset tile compass (or clock or whatever it is). At it's tallest, the house stands two stories atop a three-bay five-car garage and encompasses 12,289 square feet with a total of eight bedrooms and eleven bathrooms.

This Pritzker cum Puck mansion is certainly not for the glutially undeveloped as it's a long, wide and butt-bustingly grand flight of steps from the motor court to the double front doors that open into a lime-stone-floored foyer that cuts all the way through the house and opens through glass doors to the backyard entertainment and recreation areas. The ballroom-sized formal living room has intricately inlaid parquet flooring, elegant fifteen-foot ceilings, and a fireplace mantelpiece that's likely an imported antique and probably cost as much as a Mercedes but, none-the-less, looks to Your Mama—quite frankly—far too insubstantial for a room of this magnitude. A double-height library with wrought iron-railed second level book storage gallery also connects through glass doors to the backyard and a somewhat petite-looking formal dining room has chatoyant silver paint (or maybe silver leaf) on the walls.

A lengthy, limestone galleria—and we're talking limestone on the floor and the walls, children—links the public rooms and the main stair hall with it's sweeping circular staircase to a large and less formal den where a deep, window-lined bay holds a breakfast table and wood-framed glass doors allow for direct access to a loggia that runs along the rear of the residence and overlooks the swimming pool.

The adjacent center island kitchen is certainly spacious and well-equipped with high-grade commercial-style appliances and slab marble counter tops but—if we may say so—it looks a bit worse for the wear and more like the domain of a hired chef than a cozy, family-oriented kitchen. That's probably neither here nor there, however, since Your Mama would bet both our long-bodied bitches, Linda and Beverly, that the kitchen (and service areas) will get a soup-to-nuts overhaul that conforms to the exact specifications of Mister Puck.

Even less formal and more family and kid friendly are a billiard lounge over the garage (with awning-shaded Juliet balcony) and a series of rooms in the garage-level basement that includes a rather make-shift-looking screening room with large screen projection system and an expansive (and rather brown) family room with built-in bar and—inexplicably—two different types of paver tiles that collide in the most decoratively unholy fashion right in the center of the room where it can't be missed by anyone but the blind. Anyhoo...

In addition to the six or seven en suite guest/family bedrooms there's a superstar-sized second floor master suite comprised of sitting room (with fireplace) and bedroom (with two Juliet balconies from which one can see the hulking roof of the Pritzker's new mega-mansion). A mirrored boudoir for the lady of the house leads to extensive closets and dual bathrooms, hers in white with green marble accents and his with more masculine chocolate brown marble accents.

The vine-encrusted rear façade gives way to a 3,500-ish square foot terrace that spans the full width of the house, wraps around three sides of the swimming pool and spa and extends away from the house towards the ravine that runs along the rear of the property.

The multi-winged manse is ringed by a handful of of loggias and (sometimes awning-shaded) patios. The one of the den and kitchen end of the house has a fountain and, back up on the second floor, a second-floor loggia lounge over-looks the motor court and is outfitted with a marble mantel fireplace plus ceiling-mounted heaters and a sturdy-looking stone balustrade topped by a series of stone arches held up by spiral, carved stone (or maybe cast concrete) columns. At the front of the property, where it's fencing enclosure is a bit too visible from the gated driveway entrance, a sunken, lighted and chain link fence-enclosed tennis court is overlooked by a shady viewing pavilion.

As far as we know, Mister and Missus Puck will move to their big new digs in Bel Air from a walled, gated, high-hedged and comparatively modest 4,725 square foot Spanish-style home in The Flats of Beverly Hills, near the West Hollywood border, that property records and other online resources show Mister Puck picked up in June 2003 for $3,675,000.

And, for the curious, in addition to their titanic new house, the Pritzkers maintain a multi-residence compound in the Topanga (CA), in the rugged mountains above Malibu, part of which they only recently acquired, in June (2013) for $2.7 million, from Emmy-winning reality television pioneer Johnathan Murray, producer of everything from The Real World to The Simple Life to Keeping Up with the Kardashians to Project Runway.

*An early 2012 article about the increasing proliferation of newly built mega-mansions in the Wall Street Journal describes the Pritzker's glassy new mansion as having "a two-level basement with amenities including a game room, bowling alley, bar and media library. Above ground, there's a gym with changing rooms, his-and-hers offices, an arts-and-crafts room and a hairdressing area. Other buildings on the property, including a detached recreation room and a guest house, bring the total square footage of the compound to just over 53,000 square feet." Another article from March 2012 states that the Pritzker's new pad "offers panoramic views from downtown to the Santa Monica Bay and has a hefty 72 kilowatts of solar power, geothermal cooling, and state-of-the-art energy-efficient lighting and climate control."

**It's not clear to Your Mama if Missus Puck still designs high-end handbags (or custom couture gowns or anything else) but her so-called Paris Collection of hand bags, which made its debut in 2006, were hand-crafted in South Africa with exotic hides like springbok, ostrich and crocodile. 

listing photos: Everett Fenton Gidley for Westside Estate Agency

The Beckhams Sell in the Country and Make Offer in the City

The latest celebrity real estate reports out of the U.K. say that after several years of trying David and Victoria Beckham have finally up and sold Rowneybury House—a.k.a. Beckingham Palace, their country estate in Hertfordshire in an off-market dear for for £12 million. (That's $19,207,300 at today's rates, according to Your Mama's trusty currency conversion contraption.)

Your Mama has no specific intel on the matter but the reported sale price allegedly includes not just the Georgian style pile and manicured grounds but several luxury cars—including a Ferrari and two Jaguars—as well as Domaine Saint-Vincent, their little-used holiday home in the south of France valued at around £2.6 million ($4,161,590).

The (now retired) footballer—that's a soccer player to all us Americanos—and the pop star turned fashion designer purchased the estate in late 1999 for about £2.5 million ($4,161,590).* Over the years, they added, among other amenities and luxuries, a helipad, a recording studio, fitness facility, a 52-foot long marble-floored garden pavilion, a lighted tennis court, and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

So the scuttlebutt goes, the comely couple desire a more cosmopolitan urban life and have already made an offer on a four-story and £45 million mansion in West London where they hope celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay will design the kitchen and designer Kelly Hoppen will do up the day-core.**

Mister and Missus Beckham, according to various reports, plan to educate their four children in the U.K. but spend holidays in the United States where they continue to own a gated estate in Beverly Hills that they scooped up back in mid-2007 for $18,200,000.

*Some reports put the property at 12 acres, others at 17 acres, and still more at 22 acres. 

**Call Your Mama a real estate cynic—and we've been called worse—but something seems amiss here. We know that Mister and Missus Beckham are wealthy by any standard. They are, to be sure, sick rich. Indeed, the folks at Forbes estimated in 2012 that the couple earned over $50 million between May 2011 and May 2012. But, seriously people, are they really rolling in so much clover they can afford a £45 million house? That's more than 72 million U.S. dollars, a vast amount of money to spend on a house that will surely require millions in customizing renovations and as ass load of dinero every year just to staff and maintain.

photo: Pacific Coast News

Roman Abramovich Buyin' Big at Berwind Mansion

BUYERS: Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova
LOCATION: New York City, NY
PRICE: $72,000,000 (last list)
SIZE: 8 bedrooms and 8 full and 5 half bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: First came word via the property gossip gal at the New York Post that Russian bazillionaire Roman Abramovich and his art-minded heiress lady-mate and baby momma, Dasha Zhukova, are in contract to acquire three of the five apartments at the so-called Berwind Mansion, a French Renaissance edifice from the Gilded Age that presides over the busy but plum corner of New York City's Fifth Avenue and East 64th Street.

Amid much publicity and hullaballoo, the three units—a duplex maisonette (above), a triplex (below), and a simplex penthouse—were first hoisted on the open market, as a group, in May 2012 with an asking price of $72,000,000. They were taken off the market in January 2013 but, obviously, they remained for sale and the New York Post says the Abramovich-Zhukova deal is going down in the $75 million range.

Listing details don't indicate how many square feet the three units encompass but, based on our rudimentary and entirely unscientific calculations, Your Mama figures they weigh in as a group with about 13,000 square feet with total of eight bedrooms and eight full and five half bathrooms.*

All three units—which amount to a 72% ownership of the co-operative building—are currently owned by the Monaco-based family of the late (and wicked rich) commercial real estate developer Howard Ronson who, among other endeavors, built a dozen or so skyscrapers in Manhattan. Mister Ronson and his family acquired the non-contiguous units, according to our research, in four separate transactions between June 2005 and February 2008 that totaled almost $34,000,000. That's right, puppies, the three units are not contiguous. The rear duplex maisonette and the triplex (on floors 2-4) do abut but the sixth floor simplex penthouse (below) is separated from the triplex by a the fifth floor. But, have no real estate fear, butter beans, because...

...quick on the heels of The Post's mouth watering real estate news came the even more delicious property dish from the fine folks at New York Observer that jet-setting Russians are not only in contract to buy the three Ronson-owned apartments but they also plan acquire the remaining two units in building. The couple have reportedly reached an agreement to acquire the fifth floor simplex for an unknown amount from an as-yet unidentified lady who spends most of her time in South America and they are still in talks with 80-ish year old Cuba-born fashion designer turned licensing powerhouse Adolfo (Sardina) to sell the Fifth Avenue-facing duplex maisonette he's owned and occupied since 1987 when he bought it from renown sexologist Shere Hite.

The Berwind Mansion, with its two-story rusticated limestone base, bowed façade, polished granite columns and wedding cake-fancy cornice, was designed by the relatively unknown architect Nathan Clark Mellen and built in the mid-1890s for coal tycoon Edward J. Berwind. Mister Berwind hired the esteemed French decorating firm of Jules Allard et Fils to do up the interiors and they did them up, children, in a gilt-trimmed and ostentatiously ornate manner that comfortably befits a Gilded Age robber baron or a modern day multi-billionaire.

The house was sold in the 1940s by Mister Berwind's sister—the last person to occupy the premises as a single family residence—for about $300,000 to the Institute of Aeronautical Studies who sold it on to the American Heart Association. The building was returned to residential use in the early 1980s when it was cut up into nine apartments that were eventually, thanks to the Ronsons, consolidated in to just five.

Disco legend Donna Summer (allegedly) lived for a time in an elegant suite of rooms on the main floor and, in 2002, former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani (allegedly) declined to purchase the modern-minded penthouse—so the story goes—because it lacks a separate formal dining room. Long before she shelled out $32 million for her triple-wide townhouse on East 82nd Street, Madonna had a look-see at one of the palatial apartments and—so the story goes—laid on the floor for 15 minutes staring at the gilt-trimmed ceiling. (Her Madgesty decided against purchasing the unit as there's no direct access to a garage.)

In addition to the aforementioned sexologist Shere Hite, previous owners at The Berwind include hotel developer Stephen Brighenti, who owned the rear duplex maisonette—the one with the 4,0000 bottle wine cellar and private grotto garden that was sold to Mister Ronson in late 2006 for $4.7 million. Computer scientist Joel Birnbaum owned the baroquely ornamented parlor floor spread that Madonna (allegedly) peeped and sold it to Mister Ronson in early 2007 for $8,500,000. Property developer T. Richard Butera owned the penthouse, with its high-gloss wood floors, wrap-around wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, and private, park-view terrace until it was sold in early 2008 for $11 million to the family of the (by then deceased) Mister Ronson. (The penthouse also has exclusive access to a kitchenette-equipped private terrace with over-the-tree-tops park view.)

Howard Ronson's first purchase at The Berwind was in June 2005 when, in a single transaction, he paid $9,750,000 for two apartments on the third and fourth floors. The units were later combined with the parlor floor to create the existing triplex with interiors designed by the late Paris-based high-society interior designer Alberto Pinto. Listing photos show the sumptuously done apartment retains much of its extravagant architectural garnishing as well as a sleek, 33-plus foot long Euro-style galley kitchen on the parlor floor, all new bathrooms and roomy walk-in closets and dressing rooms, and a much more contemporarily decorated 700-ish square foot family room/media lounge that overlooks the park from the fourth floor.

Before the Ronson clan put the three units up for sale they leased them out at premium prices. In September 2009 the penthouse was put out for lease at $30,000 per month (and again in the fall of 2010 for $35,000 per month) and in March 2010 the rear duplex maisonette—the one with the private grotto garden—went up for grabs at $14,000 per month. They were each quickly rented to an unknown tenant at an unknown price for an unknown period of time.

Mister Abramovich's beig buy in New York City is hardly much of a surprise given that his trophy property purchasing ways are legendary amongst property gossips around the globe. In addition to a couple of ship-sized boats, several jets plus a custom-converted Boeing 767, and a slew of blue-chip artworks—think Freud and Bacon, the lavish living father of seven owns, by his own tally, more than a dozen homes. They include: A 70-acre waterfront compound on St. Barts that cost him almost $90 million; A sea-side villa in Cap d'Antibes near Cannes—the so-called Chateau de la Cröe—that was once home to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, later owned by Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos, and cost him around £30 million; Two substantial ranch-estates near Aspen, CO, including the 200-ish Wildcat Ridge that cost him almost $37 million; Several substantial residences in London including an approximately $145 million manse in the guard-gated and heavily secured Kensington Palace Gardens enclave; And, finally, four homes in Russia including a large estate in Moscow on which sits—so the story goes—the former home of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

*The six-floor (plus basement) building has approximately 30 feet of Fifth Avenue frontage and stretches a bit more than 100 feet along East 64th Street. A few quick and rudimentary calculations on Your Mama's bejeweled abacus based on the measurements shown on the floor plans shows that's roughly2,600 square feet per floor and approximately 18,000 square feet over all. The duplex maisonette and the simplex penthouse each have two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms and the triplex has four bedrooms and four full and three half bathrooms.

listing photos and floor plans: Stribling and Corcoran

Matthew Wilder Lists Malibu Estate

SELLER: Matthew Wilder and Tamara Dunn
LOCATION: Malibu, CA
PRICE: $6,850,000
SIZE: 1,980 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: As far as this property gossip is concerned there's no better time to go to the beach than early October, after the summer crowds have traded their bathing suits for scarves and before the moody and damp coastal winter really sets in. Last night, in a dreamy seaside state of mind, Your Mama stayed up late with a (third) gin & tonic and took a slow wander through a few newly listed properties in the bare-footed and boho but hideously expensive ocean-side community of Malibu (CA). It wasn't long before we came across a fetching multi-acre mini-compound recently put on the open market for $6,850,000 and owned, as per property records, by singer/songwriters Matthew Wilder and Tamara Dunn.*

In the late 1970s and early '80s Mister Wilder (née Weiner) sung back up for legendary ladies like Rickie Lee Jones and Bette Midler and in 1983 he rocketed to one-hit-wonder fame with the Reggae-inspired synth-pop hit Break My Stride, a catchy and upbeat ditty that remains in rotation on many retro-themed radio stations. (Here he is, children, back in the day on Solid Gold, kinky-haired, mustachioed, and all decked out in a layered, Flashdance-y sweatshirt situation and skin-tight leather pants.) 

His career as a recording artist quickly ebbed but Mister Wilder, who (still) sports creative facial hair configurations and corkscrew curled locks, eventually secured a solid and (presumably) lucrative foothold in the music industry as a song writer and music producer for a variety of movies and television programs including Dawson's Creek, and Pretty Woman as well as a slew of Disney productions like The Lizzie Maguire Movie. In 1995 he produced No Doubt's diamond-, gold- and platinum-certified third album, Tragic Kingdom, and over the years wrote and/or produced tracks and records for a slew of young pop stars who include Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, and Miley Cyrus...in her pre-twerking Hannah Montana days. In the late 1990s Mister Wilder wrote and produced the score to the Disney animated feature Mulan, an effort that earned him Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award nominations.

As far as our brief and unscientific research can tell, Tamara Dunn is most often identified on the internets as a songwriter. We did find evidence she co-penned—with Mister Wilder—the 2009 Billy Ray Cyrus song Back to Tennesee but otherwise Your Mama dug up up little specific professional information.

Anyways, Mister Wilder and Miz Dunn own two separate but contiguous parcels that were purchased from the same seller in two separate transactions in October 2004. The larger, 7.39-acre property—the one that's for sale for $6,850,000—cost them $2,375,000. The smaller, 4.57 acre spread next door was purchased for $1.2 million and remains unimproved open space. Online marketing materials show it's available for separate purchase at $1,250,000.

A long gated driveway passes over a rugged, river rock-lined stream bed and cuts sinuously through a manicured swathe of rolling lawn before it makes a sweeping rise to a motor court at the front of the partly stone-faced board and batten-sided ranch-style residence that listing information shows has three bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,980 square feet. For the record, we think the house seems much larger than two thousand square feet but 1,980 is what the listing says and what do we know anyways, right? Digital marketing materials show that in addition to the fully updated and upgraded 1950's era ranch house, the compound-like property has a concrete pool-side structure, a professional recording studio, and, situated for optimal privacy near the head of the driveway, a self-contained guest house.

The front of the house wraps around three sides of an otherwise walled and gated red brick entry courtyard where a giant carved stone bust of Buddha** that sits in a shallow water-filled trough is but a hint of many, many, many statues and figurines of Buddhist and Hindu deities, not to mention a mountain of New Age-y crystals and geodes, to be found throughout the house and grounds. Clearly Mister Wilder and Miz Dunn feel the need to attract a lot of spiritual energy to their residential surroundings. Be that as it may...

Steel-framed glass front doors open from the courtyard in to a unusually roomy entrance gallery with polished concrete floors under foot and an exposed wood ceiling pierced by a couple of sky lights over head and, on the back wall, a raised and slightly off-center white brick fireplace filled with candles. Narrow doorways on either side of the fireplace connect to a combination living and dining room with (downright yummy) wide-plank reclaimed oak floors and crisp white paint on the walls and the vaulted exposed wood beam ceiling. A white brick fireplace anchors the living room area while three walls of floor-to-ceiling steel-framed glass windows and doors surround the dining area in an undeniably dramatic fashion and open out to a large deck that over looks over the backyard towards the house dotted canyon.

A sliding, steel-framed glass door separates the living/dining room from a large kitchen where, at one end, in front of a wall of windows, there's a cozy lounge and at the other end an expensively equipped kitchen with a double-sided six-stool snack counter integrated in to the center island. The top-quality appliances, the eagle eyed amongst us will have already noted, include a glass-doored walk-in chiller very similar if not identical to the one The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Yolanda Foster has in her kitchen.

Listing photographs indicate there are two den-type rooms, one a loungey, window-lined yet still dark and brooding room just off the living/dining room and the other a lighter-brighter one off the entrance gallery with polished concrete floors, a vaulted ceiling, a third white brick fireplace (this one surmounted by one of the many flat-screen televisions to be be found throughout), and an attached bathroom.

There are two guest/family bedrooms, both with direct outdoor access, and a sizable master suite with a spacious sitting area and a wall-mounted television with integrated speaker system. The attached master bathroom is a spare but luxuriously earthy spa-like space with a egg-shaped soaking tub, a super-sized open shower area and a cantilevered vanity crafted from a thick and rugged slab of wood.

A multi-purpose deck that runs the full width of the house has, at one end, a rough-hewn but high style picnic-type table, some uncomfortable looking stools and a fire pit in the middle, and, at the far end, a comfy-looking collection cushioned sofas and lounges.

Surrounding the rigorously rectilinear swimming pool and inset spa are several sunbathing terraces and a pergola-shaded outdoor living room with linear built-in fire pit. Other structures sprinkled about the years near the pool include a enclosed garden—enclosed to keep the deer and critters out, an open-air pavilion, and a barn-like pool house/party lounge with steel-framed glass windows and doors, rugged concrete walls, and a vaulted exposed wood beam ceiling.

Some of Mister Wilder and Miz Dunn's nearest neighbors include German radio and television host Thomas Gottschalk and a handful of Tinseltown power players like three-time Emmy-winning writer/producer Richard Appel, sick rich, philanthropic and terminally ill nine-time Emmy-winning comedy writer/producer Sam Simon,*** and Emmy-winning television super-producer Marcy Carsey who also owns a much more fabulous ocean-front spread nearby on the bluffs above Escondido Beach. At the tail end of the road, tucked into a rugged but verdant canyon is the by-appointment-only Ramirez Canyon Park, the 22.5-acre former compound of long-time Malibu resident Barbra Streisand who donated the property in 1993 to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.****

*To be honest, we're not really sure if Miz Dunn and Mister Wilder are married and/or if they have any children, together and/or with other people, and, to be even more honest, we're not really sure those details are particularly important in today's celebrity (-related) real estate tale.

**Identification of religious iconography really isn't a strong suit for Your Mama so we really can't say for sure if the giant carved stone bust in the courtyard is Buddha or—as it very well may be—some other eastern deity. 

***Sam Simon, a regular on Howard Stern's radio program, was one of the original creators of the ground-breaking, award-winning, and money-minting animated series The Simpsons. He left in 1993 over creative differences with co-creators Matt Groening and James Brooks but, lucky for him, retains an executive producer title and an income that he himself told the Stanford alumni magazine in 2009 amounts to "tens of millions" of dollar per year. 

****(In 2011 Governor Jerry Brown suggested the state sell the property to help close a gaping budget gap but, as far as we know, no real action has been taken to unload the property.)

listing photos: Coldwell Banker

Olympic Freestyler Ian Thorpe Lists Laurel Canyon Cottage

SELLER: Ian Thorpe
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $999,000
SIZE: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: An unexpected communique from a veteran Tinseltown chronicler directed Your Mama's celebrity real estate attention to a recently listed hillside cottage in L.A.'s rock-n-roll history infused Laurel Canyon listed for $999,000 and billed in digital marketing materials as having been built in 1961 by an unnamed "successful actor" and later "inhabited" by John Lennon who—so the scuttlebutt goes—may have written some of "the world's most beloved songs" whilst in residence. Marketing materials go on to proudly reveal that the tree house-like abode was—is, actuallly—most recently owned by "a celebrated Olympic athlete with multiple golds to his name."

Well, children, Your Mama freely confesses that we don't the least clue who the successful actor was—or is since maybe he's still alive—and we really have no idea if Mister Lennon ever occupied the premises. We do know, as per public property records, the current owner is five-time Olympic gold medal-winning freestyle swimmer Ian Thorpe who picked up the property in May 2006 for $879,000.

In addition to his five Olympic gold medals, the six-foot-five Aussie also has three silver medals and one bronze. He also broke nearly two dozen world records and took home eleven gold, one silver, and one bronze World Championship medals. He was the shit in the swimming pool to be sure. Since officially (but not permanently) hanging up his Speedo in 2006, Mister Thorpe, among many other sponsorship relationships, developed a line of unisex jewelry, launched an eponymous underwear brand, wrote a cook book (Cook For Your Life, 2011) and penned a memoir (This Is Me, 2012).

Current listing information shows the Thorpedo's house, set high on a steep, sylvan hillside in a shady ravine, has 2-3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms in an unspecified amount of square footage that the L.A. County Tax Man puts at a compact 960 square feet, a figure that may or may not be accurate to the true square footage of the house.

The kitchen is, clearly, woefully dated and a bit, uhm, bachelor with its twelve dollar range and the bathroom situation is unpleasant to the point requiring a nerve pill to settle our decorative nerves; Not only can Your Mama not imagine how a person can bathe or shower surrounded by flesh colored tile, it's entirely beyond our comprehension that someone thought it a pursuable notion to convert a Victorian buffet in to a bathroom vanity. The half bathroom isn't much better due to it's silvery, faux-glam tropical pattern wall paper that's a little like putting a disco ball in an ice fishing shanty.

Although the stained glass accents here and there are totally in keeping with the groovy 1960s and '70s authenticity of the original residence, they're simply too hippy-dippy for this property gossip's window aesthetics. Ditto with the shoji screens that slide back and forth over the windows and sliding glass doors in the master bedroom. No thank you, ma'am.

Otherwise, believe it or not, we sort of appreciate the rustic simplicity of the place—the heavily distressed wood floors are of particular interest—and, despite the PETA-unfriendly furnishings, we get a not entirely unwelcome feeling of sexed up comfort from the louche masculinity of the living room day-core that includes a leather sling chair next to the fireplace, a patchwork leather rug, and slightly bulbous caramel colored leather sofa. A full wall of glass peers out on a covered veranda from which there appears to be a limited but charming canyon view.

Boozy types and/or those with vertigo might not care for the bridge and stairs access to the roof and view terraces but Your Mama sees great possibility here. First thing we'd do is replace the horrid lattice wall with something a little less pedestrian—like say, a patchwork fence of reclaimed wood pieces that apes the patchwork of the leather rug in the living room—and screen in that covered section and build in a humble plywood mattress platform to create sleeping porch because—truth be told—Your Mama much prefers to slumber in the open air than in an enclosed room.

Who knows where Mister Thorpe is headed next? Perhaps back to Sydney? Perhaps to greener, or at least less bohemian pastures? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

listing photos: Brock Real Estate

Celebrating Dad - Find The Perfect Products To Help Nurture Their Role

Soccer games, ballet lessons, play dates, business meetings, homemade lunches, carpools and birthday parties. Today's woman often feels she needs to bring home a paycheck, run a household and be the perfect mother. No wonder we're called super-moms - not to mention stressed out, overworked, exhausted and overwhelmed.
Fortunately, we are not in this alone. Today's dad is more involved than ever before and he is definitely shouldering his part of the responsibilities. With so many women going back to work outside the home and starting home-based businesses, dads have really had more of an opportunity to step it up and share the family roles while mom helps to ease the financial burden. And it is no different with stay-at-home moms because being with children all day while taking care of a house and trying to have some personal time can overwhelm even the toughest woman, so help is still needed and perhaps even more so, by dad in this situation.
Despite how well dads are doing these days at contributing to the awesome responsibility of parenting, sometimes they still feel lost in their role at home. At work they thrive. They know what to do, how to do it and they receive financial compensation for their labor. At home however, they may have to be reminded of when the kids eat, what time baseball practices and tap classes are, and what new discipline strategies mom has implemented. It can feel awkward, challenging and frustrating at times.
Thank goodness we live in a society that understands this dilemma and strives to provide families with creative solutions. From feeding time reminders and self-swaddling blankets to catch-all bags created with dads in mind, there is something out there for every dad who feels he needs an edge on parenting.
Awkward Adjustment
The newborn stage is an especially awkward time for dads because mom has spent nearly ten months with her child living inside of her and she is pretty much the sole provider of comfort and feeding when the bundle of joy is born. This leaves dad to wonder how he can bond with the baby and what he can do to contribute. One way dads have been successful at bonding with their newborns is through sharing feedings. And there are products out there, like the bottle that is shaped like a mother's breast, that allow dads to share in the joy of feeding their baby while allowing mom to rest easy knowing that her child will not experience nipple confusion or become gassy from a bottle.
Another way dads can bond with their newborns is through comfort. This is sometimes intimidating for them because it seems moms are pre-programmed with the ability to soothe, while it is often a learned art for dad. There are several products that can help comfort baby and ease them into sweet slumber, such as easy swaddling blankets and stuffed animals that attach to the crib and make soothing noises.
Brave Daddy
As your baby starts to get a little older, dad may feel brave enough to go on an outing alone with him or her, perhaps in an effort to give you a break. This is a confidence builder for him and a sanity saver for you. And it may only take one failed attempt to discourage him from trying it again, so make sure he's loaded with all the right products to ensure success on his outing and future breaks for you. One thing he is sure to need is a diaper bag outfitted with all the diapers, wipes, bottles and binkies he could possibly need, but do you really think he wants to be seen carrying that hip satin Chinese print shoulder bag/backpack you use? If so, think again. Dads are simple and practical, which is why companies have started making daddy diaper bags that come in a variety of dad-approved colors and keep their hands free to chase after babies on the go.
Shared Experiences
You and your husband have no doubt shared the duty of changing diapers, so why not continue to do that when you enter into the realm of potty training? This way you are a team and your child knows you both mean business. It also ensures that if you need to run an errand or be away from the child while your husband watches him or her, he will know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it with regard to potty training your child. In the spirit of dads loving to make everything fun with their kids, equip him with fun aids such as PottieStickers. They are portable, consistent and rewarding, making dad's involvement in this process that much easier. And if you want to reduce frustration from not being able to readily find all the potty training tools and supplies you are using, provide your child with an organized potty seat like the one from Boon. These genius little seats organize all your potty training supplies, make cleaning up a breeze and most of them convert to step stools so you and your husband can remember to enforce the necessary habit of hand washing after going potty. If you want your husband to partner with you on this sometimes challenging journey, be prepared with the right equipment and make it fun and enjoyable.
Dads Just Wanna Have Fun
Dad does a lot to help out around the house and with the kids, but there is more to parenting than just being responsible and doing what's best for your children. It has to be fun! Playing is an element that cannot be overlooked because it is all too important to the learning and development of little ones, not to mention an excellent way for dad to bond with his children as they grow older. Dress up used to be thought of as something only little girls did. But there are some great products out there that make it cool for both girls and boys to play pretend, and in turn, play together with dad, such as capes for boys that can be personalized with their initial and classic tutus for the little princesses in your house. This kind of play will inspire your boys to be imaginary superheroes and will definitely bring out the little kid in your husband. Then there is the classic tutu that will take your little princess to a far away kingdom where Daddy is her knight in shining armor, ready to rescue the damsel in distress. And whether dad is pretending to soar through the air with your little superhero or slaying dragons to save the princess, the perfect setting for their adventures is under a homemade tent or one from Lucy and Michael. So keep the camcorder on hand for those spur-of-the-moment dress-up sessions because these are memories they will all be fond of in years to come.
Dads deserve to be celebrated for how they provide for their families, come home to relieve mom, and create lifelong memories with their children as often as possible. They are not perfect but they are invaluable. As moms, we have the ability to equip the fathers of our children with all the right tools to help them feel more comfortable in their role as daddy, from newborn to graduating senior. All it takes is a little creativity, forethought and caring. So, whatever stage of parenting you are in, consider what it will take to get your husband more involved on all levels and then be proactive in helping him get there. You never know; he might just surprise you.

Heather Ledeboer is the owner of Mom 4 Life, a website that offers 100% mom made and invented products.

Buying Real Estate - House Hunting Tips And Ideas

Moving is often regarded as one of the most stressful events in a persons life. And that may be true, but the process of house hunting need not be very stressful that all. If you approach house hunting in a logical and organized way, the process usually goes much smoother and easier. So here are some house hunting tips and ideas for you to consider.
The very first consideration to be made when you're planning a move is the location or general area to which you're going. Try to get to know as much as you possibly can about it in advance. If you either have a family or are planning one in the future, get to know the schools in the area and try to move into a school district that has a good reputation for education. Consider also how close and convenient your home would be to shopping centers, medical facilities and so on. And don't forget about your job. How much time would it take for you to commute to your work from that location or area?
If you know someone in law enforcement, you can often find out a lot about the crime rate in a particular area by just asking them. Sometimes they can steer you away from certain parts of the area that tend to have more problems.
It's also a good idea to just drive through the general area and get a good feel for the kind of houses that are available there. Quite often, you can tell a lot about the quality of the householders by just taking a good look at the condition of their homes and properties from the outside.
Now that you have a good idea of the location that you prefer, it's time to start seriously thinking about what kind of home will work best for you. Here is where taking a little time to sit down and write out your needs and wants can help you focus in like a laser on the house that will fit you best. Make a list of all the important features including how many bedrooms you need, what size garage, how much square footage should be in the home, whether or not you will need a fenced in yard, and so on.
Before even starting to look for your dream home, now is the time to line up your financing arrangements. Shop around and find a lending institution that will give you your best mortgage deal. By getting pre-qualified for a home loan, you will be able to know exactly how much house you can afford, and will be in a better position to put in an offer when you find it.
Now it is time to actually get out and go find the home of your dreams. Expect that your house hunting adventure will take quite a bit of time, and don't try to rush it or get impatient in the process. Here is where having a good real estate agent to represent you can be a big help. So ask around among your family and friends, and most likely you will get some good suggestions on reliable, trustworthy real estate agents that have good reputations.
As you arrange to visit various homes or open houses, another good idea is to take along with you a notepad and make careful notes about the important details of each home that you visit to help you recall the information later on. This is very important as you will no doubt visit quite a few homes in your house hunting endeavor, and they can get very confusing unless you have a way to keep it all straight.
By following this procedure, you can bring some organization and order to a process that can easily become very haphazard and difficult. But if you use the suggestions provided above, they can most likely help you find the home you want quickly and easily.