Southern California’s mansion market starts 2021 off big – Los Angeles Times

Southern Californias real estate market has been historically hot this year. Whether its a 700-square-foot bungalow or 10,000-square-foot mansion, a shortage of housing stock has caused bidding wars in every corner of the market.

The first six months of 2021 saw the ultra-rich buying and selling luxury homes at a brisk pace across the region with celebrities, media moguls and business magnates all getting in on the action. Nine estates closed for north of $30 million, which is one more compared with the same stretch last year. Here are the top sales this year.

1. Barron Hiltons Bel-Air estate $61.5 million

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The two-story home. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The living room. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The family room. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The parquet floors. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The sweeping staircase. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The formal dining room. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The fireplace. (Hilton & Hyland)

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A bedroom. (Hilton & Hyland)

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A bathroom. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The dining patio. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The deck. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The covered patio. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The manicured lawn. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The Zodiac pool. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The pool house. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The sunken tennis court. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The fountain. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The motor court. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The entry. (Hilton & Hyland)

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Aerial view of the estate. (Hilton & Hyland)

While brand new spec mansions flood the market with promises of glitz, glamour and gadgets, Barron Hiltons Bel-Air estate showed that homes with history are still prized in the modern market. The hotel mogul lived in the storied mansion for more than half a century until his death in 2019, and in May, it traded hands for $61.5 million.

The Georgian-style showplace was built in 1936 by architect-to-the-stars Paul R. Williams, whose other clients included Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. He designed this one for Jay Paley, a businessman and film producer from the famed Paley family, which founded CBS.

It spans 15,000 square feet with 13 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms and grand public spaces complete with antique chandeliers, paneled walls and ornate fireplaces. The biggest highlight comes out back, where a famous Moderne-inspired pool depicts the 12 signs of the Zodiac with blue, gold and yellow tiles.

2. Eli Broads Malibu beach house $51.65 million

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The Richard Meier-designed house evokes the architects other works with its white aluminum panels and expanses of glass. (Simon Berlyn)

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The property comprises two parcels with more than 100 feet of beach frontage. (Simon Berlyn)

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The rear of the house. (Simon Berlyn)

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Walls of windows bring in ocean views. (Simon Berlyn)

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Ocean-facing decking extends the living space outdoors. (Simon Berlyn)

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The master bedroom opens to a balcony. (Simon Berlyn)

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Pocketing doors open to a side patio. (Simon Berlyn)

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A guest house sits across from the main residence. (Simon Berlyn)

If Hiltons house represents the L.A. of old, a relic of Hollywoods illustrious past, Eli Broads futuristic beach house showcases how architecture has evolved in the 21st century.

Erected in 2002 by Richard Meier, the sleek, curvaceous abode resembles a spaceship as much as a place to live. Its wrapped in white aluminum panels and frosted glass, a design palette that recalls one of Meiers other iconic works the Getty Center a few miles away in Brentwood.

Broad commissioned the home in the late 1990s and owned it until his death earlier this year. Hed been trying to get it off his hands for the last two years, originally listing it for $75 million before it finally sold for $51.65 million two months after he died.

3. Villa Firenze $51 million

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The Italian-inspired mansion. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The entry. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The living spaces. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The living room. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The dining room. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The backyard. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The pool. (Hilton & Hyland)

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The motor court. (Hilton & Hyland)

Beverly Park saw perhaps the years most bittersweet sale so far. When this Italian-inspired mansion called Villa Firenze sold at auction for $51 million, it became the priciest home to ever be auctioned off. But the final sum was more than $100 million shy of the original price tag of $165 million.

It was sold by Hungarian billionaire Steven Udvar-Hazy, the executive chairman of Air Lease Corp. who made his fortune in the airplane leasing industry. He bought the three-parcel property in 1993, and architect William Hablinski finished the mega-mansion five years later.

Spanning 10 acres, the gated estate offers a world of its own. Theres a lush courtyard under 40-foot palm trees, resort-style pool, tennis court, pool house and guesthouse. At the center of it all sits a 28,000-square-foot home filled with floors of marble, brick and stone.

4. Shane Smiths Pacific Palisades retreat $48.67 million

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The Mediterranean-style home. (Cris Nolasco)

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The family room. (Cris Nolasco)

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The kitchen. (Jacob Burghart)

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The living room. (Jacob Burghart)

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The foyer. (Jacob Burghart)

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The den. (Jacob Burghart)

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Southern California's mansion market starts 2021 off big - Los Angeles Times