Hot Property newsletter: Matches made in escrow

Home sales numbers may be off normal for the time of year, but some celebrity sellers are hitting the bull’s-eye. Among those planting “sold� signs out front recently were a couple of actors. Still aiming for buyers are a box-office action star and a lead guitarist.

Our Home of the Week is a 10,319-square-foot contemporary in Hollywood Hills. The modern showplace features a zero-edge swimming pool, so be careful where you step. A rooftop deck, a wine bar and walls of glass complete the $11.5-million package.

Once you’re done reading about these deals, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can find Hot Property stories and updates throughout the week.

— Neal Leitereg, Jack Flemming and Lauren Beale

The place is a knockout

It’s been a rocky road for Sylvester Stallone in La Quinta, and we’re not talking ice cream.

The box-office giant just listed his desert digs for $3.35 million, $849,000 less than his asking price five years ago. The Oscar-nominated actor bought the property a decade ago for $4.5 million.

The stylish villa, set in a golf course community, has nearly 5,000 square feet of living space containing four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Highlights include a wine room, a two-story living room under dramatic wood beams and a dining room that opens to a terrace. Palm trees line a fountain-fed pool and spa.

An actor, director and screenwriter, Stallone is known for his title role in the “Rocky� films as well as the “Rambo� and “The Expendables� franchises. The 73-year-old reprised his Rocky Balboa character in “Creed� and “Creed II.�

Will he fret about a sale?

KISS lead guitarist Tommy Thayer has put his home in Lake Sherwood on the market for $2.75 million.

The custom Mediterranean villa, built in 2005, has been remodeled and upgraded since he purchased the place in 2008.

The multilevel house is surrounded by six patios, including one with an outdoor fireplace. The 4,497 square feet of living space feature a center-island kitchen, a family room, five fireplaces, four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Thayer, 59, gained fame as frontman for the glam metal band Black ’n Blue in the 1980s. He joined KISS as lead guitarist in 2002 and co-wrote 10 songs for the band’s 2012 album, “Monster.�

Onto another part … of town

The pandemic real estate market was no problem for actress Elizabeth Banks and her husband, producer Max Handelman. The pair sold their Studio City compound for $2.255 million roughly two months after listing it.

The one-third-acre estate contains four structures: a 1940s Midcentury home, a studio, a detached media lounge and a pool house. They combine for a total of 3,230 square feet, with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

A dining patio, a swimming pool and lawn fill out the yard.

Banks, 46, starred in “Wet Hot American Summer,� “Seabiscuit� and “Man on a Ledge� before more prominent roles in the “Hunger Games� and “Pitch Perfect� franchises. She directed 2019’s “Charlie’s Angels� and co-starred in the Hulu miniseries “Mrs. America.�

He moves on after facelift

Actor Jackson Hurst of “Drop Dead Diva� and “Sharp Objects� has sold his remodeled home in Valley Village for $1.86 million. That’s $475,000 more than he paid for it back in 2016.

Hurst added a wood garage door and touched up the 3,304 square feet of living space with fresh paint, farmhouse lighting and wide-plank oak floors during his ownership. There are five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

A chic patio with a custom grill, a covered patio and a spa fed by a waterfall occupy the backyard.

Hurst, 41, starred in “Drop Dead Diva� from 2009 to 2014. His more recent credits include “Castle,� “Grey’s Anatomy� and “NCIS: Los Angeles,� in addition to his role as Kirk Lacey in “Sharp Objects.�

Their magical kingdom

A Palm Springs residence once home to Walt Disney and wife Lillian has sold for the asking price of $1.095 million.

Referred to in the listing as “Walt Disney’s Technicolor Dream House,� the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home was originally built for the animator and his wife in 1962. It remained in the Disney family until 2015, when it sold for $650,000.

Entered through red-painted double doors, the 2,443-square-foot house features bright splashes of color and decorations that pay homage to its original owner. Sliding glass doors take in views of the community golf course. The backyard is outfitted with a swimming pool, a raised spa, lawn and a covered patio.

Disney, who died in 1966 at age 65, was an entrepreneur, animator and producer who in the 1920s created Disney Bros. Studio with his brother Roy and, three decades later, opened Disneyland in Anaheim.

Dusting off the archives

Ten years ago, reality show star and motorcycle manufacturer Jesse James, the estranged husband of Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock, listed his Orange County home of eight years for $6.75 million. James bought the property newly remodeled in 2002 for $3.6 million. He and Bullock lived in the home after their 2005 wedding. The pair separated following reports that James had been unfaithful, a fact he acknowledged on “Nightline� with a simple “yep.�

Twenty years ago, actress, comedian and TV host Roseanne and her husband at the time, former bodyguard Ben Thomas, purchased a home on the Palos Verdes Peninsula for $6.5 million. The couple had put their Beverly Hills-area home on the market earlier at slightly more than $8.9 million. They also owned a home at Lake Arrowhead.

Thirty years ago, actress Priscilla Presley put her Montecito home on the market at $2.6 million. She bought the wooded 2-acre property in 1981, eight years after she divorced rock ‘n’ roll king Elvis and four years after he died.

What we’re reading

Remember those $1 houses for sale in Italy? This CNN follow-up includes a tale about how one Miami artist has been able to weather the pandemic with the help and kindness of his new Italian neighbors.

People have begun pondering how homes may change in a post-COVID world, and Architectural Digest checked in with some designers on the topic. Look for more clearly defined living spaces, improved home offices and more serious home gyms.