Hot Property: Dearly departed

Oct. 31, 2015 3 AM PT

It's Halloween, so we’re are treating you to some haunts of note and the homes of some late greats.

Death and divorce are major reasons for a home sale, as are job transfers. Rising stars move up, and empty-nesters downsize. It all contributes to some pretty interesting reading.

– Lauren Beale and Neal Leitereg

Hallowed ground

The harbor view penthouse that was owned by the late techno-thriller novelist Tom Clancy is for sale in Baltimore at $12 million. The 11,959-square-foot condominium was created by combining four units at the Ritz-Carlton Residences.

“The Hunt for Red October" author wrote 17 bestsellers. Here's hoping his white-on-white living space is another hot commodity.

The 12,000-square-foot penthouse, once home to late author Tom Clancy, is among the most expensive listings in Baltimore. (Homevisit | Inset: Associated Press)

Two thumbs up

The weekend getaway of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert is on the market in Harbert, Mich., for $4 million.

Set on 1.2 lakefront acres, the English Tudor-style home centers on a family room/screening room. The Chicago Sun-Times columnist no doubt watched many a movie at this lakeside retreat.

The weekend home of the late Roger Ebert and his wife, Chaz, in Harbert, Mich., has lake views. (VHT Studios / Realtor.com | Business Wire)

Not a handout

The 45-year residence of the late poet-songwriter-singer Rod McKuen sold in the Beverly Hills area for $12.9 million.

At the heart of the Mediterranean-style mansion is a large record room with a 1970s-era recording studio. If walls could talk, these would no doubt be reciting poetry.

The Beverly Hills area residence was the home of the late singer-poet-songwriter Rod McKuen for 45 years. (Redfin.com | Getty Images)

His longtime possession

The home of the late actor and comedian Jack Carter is for sale in Beverly Hills at $5.995 million. The classic Spanish-style home, built in 1926, retains its graceful original details.

Carter, who hosted the early TV variety show “Cavalcade of Stars,” bought the six-bedroom place in 1977 for $80,000.

The Beverly Hills home of the late actor and comedian Jack Carter has come on the market for the first time in 40 years.

The Beverly Hills home of the late Jack Carter has come on the market for the first time in 40 years. (PJ McMullan / Shooting LA)

Pedigreed property

A storied estate known to many as the longtime home of actress Eva Gabor recently came on the market in Holmby Hills for $16.95 million.

No one-hit wonder, the Paul Williams-designed Southern Colonial on more than an acre has had a long line of celebrity owners besides Gabor, who died in 1995. Among them are actors Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow, Audrey Hepburn and David Nevin.

The onetime home of actress Eva Gabor was designed by architect-to-the-stars Paul Williams. (Adrian Van Anz)

Comedy special

Calle Villa Sorriso, the Napa estate of late actor and comedian Robin Williams, is now listed for $22.9 million following a price chop of nearly 25%.

The 640-acre spread, centering on a limestone-covered mansion with five bedrooms and 10 bathrooms in 20,000 square feet, came on the market early last year for $29.9 million. A swimming pool, a tennis court, a spring-fed pond and 18 acres of vineyards, hiking and horse riding trails make up the scenic grounds.

The asking price of the Napa estate of the late comic Robin Williams has been reduced by $3 million.

The asking price of the Napa estate of the late Robin Williams has been reduced by $3 million. (Jacob Elliott | Ken Hively)

Night fright

The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards was renting this Laurel Canyon house when it burned to the ground one night. The tale is recounted in "Keith Richards: The Unauthorised Biography" by Victor Bockris.

Now listed for sale at $3.695 million, the rebuilt English Tudor is reached by way of a driveway bridge over a creek on the half-acre wooded lot. This sounds like a great stop on a trick-or-treat route.

The English Tudor-style house has close to 4,000 square feet of living space.

The English Tudor-style estate, in the Laurel Canyon area, is listed at $3.695 million. (Charmaine David)

Behind the cobwebs

Ten years ago hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and his then-wife, fashion designer Kimora Lee, bought a Sunset Strip-area home for close to $5.3 million as their West Coast residence. At the time, they made their East Coast home in New Jersey.

Twenty year ago, actress Faye Dunaway had her Beverly Hills-area home on the market at just under $2 million. The Oscar and Emmy winner had leased the house to actor Val Kilmer, then moved back in before putting the nearly 5,000-square-foot Traditional up for sale.

We recount that series of events to share the original tongue-in-cheek headline with a play on her name: “She’s Done Away With Rent Check.”

Thirty years ago, L.A. Raiders defensive end Lyle Alzado bought a house in Palos Verdes Estates, near that of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana. The divorced Alzado moved from Manhattan Beach and paid close to the asking price of $1.85 million for the 8,000-square-foot home with a tennis court and swimming pool.

What we’re reading

— L.A.’s not the only major metropolis with a fast-paced real estate market. Washington, D.C., homes are being snatched up so quickly a fifth of the homes for sale in the region are being sold in five days or less and the median time on the market is 12 days. “Buyers don’t have the luxury of time,” reports the Washington Business Journal.

— And just in time for Halloween, the Wall Street Journal explores "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and how many there are across the nation. In all, the survey found 2,376 Elm streets.

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Newsletter: Hot Property: Dearly departed