Real Estate Industry News

One down, one to go. A few months after listing their back-to-back homes in Hancock Park, Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman and actress Bridget Fonda have sold the larger of the two for $8.75 million.

The married couple offered the two properties up as a package deal for $14.6 million in October, and the smaller home, which Elfman and Fonda used as a guesthouse, is still up for grabs at $4.888 million.

The one they just sold is a century old. Elfman, a frequent Tim Burton collaborator whose credits include “Batman,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” bought the place two decades ago.

It sits on three-quarters of an acre in Fremont Place, a gated community filled with historic homes and architecturally dramatic mansions. This one spans two stories with colorful, custom spaces across 8,346 square feet.

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Concrete columns frame the wooden front door, and inside, a two-story entry with arched doorways and beamed ceilings is overlooked by a series of interior balconies. The most expansive space comes in the grand ballroom, which features massive murals and doubles as a movie theater.

There’s also a two-story living room with a stone fireplace, a lavish dining room under gold ceilings, a mint-green family room full of French windows and doors, a breakfast nook with checkered tile floors and a recording studio lined with velvet drapes.

Six bedrooms and eight bathrooms complete the floor plan, including a custom blue guest suite and primary suite with a spa bathroom. A sunroom and a series of second-story terraces overlook a leafy courtyard with a fountain, and the grounds also hold a gym, loggia, dining patio, swimming pool and spa.

Elfman, 67, has won a Grammy and two Emmys and received four Oscar nominations. After forming the new wave band Oingo Boingo, he moved on to film as a composer, and his credits also include “Spider-Man,” “Good Will Hunting” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

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Fonda, 56, received a Golden Globe nomination for the 1989 film “Scandal” and hit her acting stride in the ’90s, starring in “The Godfather: Part III,” “Single White Female,” “Point of No Return” and “Jackie Brown.”

Branden and Rayni Williams of the Beverly Hills Estates held the listing. Jill Galloway of Compass represented the buyer.

Showplace gets a lower price

New year, new price for NFL legend Tony Gonzalez and his wife, former “Beat Shazam” DJ October Gonzalez. The couple recently trimmed the price of their Beverly Hills mansion to $28 million — down from the $30 million they were originally asking.

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They paid $7.1 million for the property in 2016 and razed the 1950s traditional-style house immediately, erecting a Georgian-inspired manor in its place over the next four years. It was finished last winter, and they listed it for sale over the summer.

At 12,855 square feet, the showplace is nearly three times the size of the house it replaced. In addition to the two-story mansion, there’s a swimming pool with a spa, a pool house with a gym, a subterranean garage with room for eight cars and a lighted tennis court.

Offered fully furnished, the home kicks off with a dramatic 24-foot entry. Farther in, common spaces include a study with built-in cabinetry and a chef’s kitchen with a large marble island. Walls of glass line the living room and dining area, and the custom pub adds floor-to-ceiling wine storage and an eye-catching limestone fireplace. For those home-schooling during the pandemic, there’s also a full-size classroom.

The owner’s suite sits upstairs. One of seven bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, it extends to a massive balcony overlooking the patios and lawns in the backyard. The grounds cover about three-quarters of an acre.

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An Orange County native, Gonzalez was a standout at Huntington Beach High School before attending UC Berkeley, where he played football and basketball. During his prolific 17-year career in the NFL, the 44-year-old tight end played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, making 14 Pro Bowl teams and being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

Michelle Graci of Rodeo Realty Beverly Hills and Bob Hurwitz of Hurwitz James Co. hold the listing.

Lakers star makes a pass

Hours after Derek Fisher was named the new general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks in December, the Lakers legend wrapped up a home sale in Tarzana, selling his Mediterranean-style estate for $2.31 million.

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Fisher and his partner, Gloria Govan, were offering the San Fernando Valley spread for $2.35 million in November, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

The former point guard oversaw some extensive renovations during his stay, adding designer fixtures and an open-concept center-island kitchen. A wrought-iron staircase swirls around the two-story entry, kicking off a floor plan full of arched doorways and wide-plank wood floors.

The home holds five bedrooms, including a primary suite with a marble bathroom and balcony overlooking the backyard. At the far end of the half-acre property, a guesthouse adds a pair of bedrooms and bathrooms. The two residences combine for more than 6,500 square feet.

Between the two homes, a long, landscaped backyard adds multiple lawns, dining areas and a patio with a swimming pool. Out front, a gated motor court leads to three garages.

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Fisher spent the majority of his career with the Lakers, winning three consecutive titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal from 2000 to 2002 and rejoining the team in 2007 to win two more. The 46-year-old ranks second of all time in NBA career playoff games and remains the Sparks’ coach.

Govan owns and operates the Mexican restaurant chain Gorditos, which recently opened its second location in Van Nuys.

Jordan Cohen of RE/Max One held the listing. Vertice Williams of Compass represented the buyer.

Basketball vet buys house in his hometown

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Former Indiana Pacer Austin Croshere has a new home court in his hometown of Santa Monica. The veteran big man paid $4.6 million for a modern farmhouse near Crossroads School, where he played high school ball before a long career in the NBA.

Found a block from Brentwood Country Club, the house underwent a remodel this year that added French white oak floors and Italian tile across 3,652 square feet.

A leafy courtyard approaches the black-and-white exterior, and inside, the floor plan keeps things clean with crisp white walls across open-concept spaces. Vaulted ceilings top the dining room, and walls of glass line the living room. The eye-catching kitchen adds sleek gray Neolith countertops.

Elsewhere are four bedrooms and 4.25 bathrooms, including a primary suite with a steam shower, spa tub and porcelain tile balcony.

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The backyard had some work done as well; it tacks on a remodeled swimming pool and spa, a covered dining patio and a fire pit. Giant hedges privatize the space.

John and Sheryl Snyder of Compass held the listing. Loraine Silver, also with Compass, represented the buyer.

Croshere, 45, enjoyed a 12-year career in the NBA, spending most of his time with the Pacers alongside stints with the Mavericks, Warriors, Bucks and Spurs. The 12th pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, he helped lead Indiana to the NBA Finals in 2000, where it lost in six games to the Lakers.

Pitcher gets a buyer to swing

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Jon Garland, the veteran pitcher who spent time with the Angels and the Dodgers during his MLB career, sold his scenic Mediterranean-style home of 14 years for $2.18 million, records show.

The two-acre estate sits on a private cul-de-sac in Granada Hills, the San Fernando Valley neighborhood where Garland grew up and was named an All-American at John F. Kennedy High School before a baseball career that saw him win a World Series with the Chicago White Sox.

Perched on a hillside lot, the compound enjoys sweeping city, canyon and mountain views. In addition to the 6,764-square-foot home, there’s an 1,100-square-foot guesthouse that Garland added during his stay, as well as a resort-style backyard with an infinity-edge pool, swim-up bar, spa, waterfalls, fire pits, a putting green and dining gazebo.

Stone adorns the tan exterior, and inside, living spaces keep things simple with white walls and hardwood floors. A fireplace anchors the voluminous great room, and other highlights include a center-island kitchen and second-story bonus room.

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Upstairs, the owner’s suite tacks on two walk-in closets and a pair of private balconies, both of which take in views of the landscaped grounds dotted with olive trees. In total, there are seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Garland, 41, was drafted by the Cubs in 1997 and spent time with the Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Padres, Rockies and White Sox, with whom he won a World Series title and was named an all-star in 2005. During his 13-year career, he racked up 136 wins and 1,156 strikeouts.

Brandon Assanti of Rodeo Realty Beverly Hills held the listing. Carl Gambino and Katherine Gallivan of Compass represented the buyer.