Crooner Josh Groban exits Malibu with an off-market home sale - Los Angeles Times
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Crooner Josh Groban exits Malibu with an off-market home sale

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You won’t find Josh Groban’s latest release in the iTunes store, or the Multiple Listing Service, for that matter. The singer-songwriter recently sold his Malibu home of more than a decade for $3.75 million in a deal finalized off-market.

Once listed for as much as $6.1 million, or offered for lease at $23,000 a month, the Tuscan-style house relisted in March for $4.695 million before being pulled from the market two months later. Records show that Groban bought the house in 2005 for $4.125 million.

Sitting on about 2 acres with mountain views, the 3,300-square-foot home is obscured from the street by mature trees. A lighted tennis court, a swimming pool with a raised spa, walking paths, lawns and various patios make up the grounds.

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The main house, built in 1978, includes a wine cellar, a gym, a music room/studio and a game room with a wet bar. A two-story entry hall opens to a formal living room with a decorative ceiling and a wood-paneled wall.

Including a separate, two-story guesthouse, there are six bedrooms and five bathrooms. The master suite has French doors that open to the grounds.

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Private keyed access to Little Dume was also conveyed in the sale.

Groban, 35, has hits that include “To Where You Are,†“February Song†and “I Believe.†He released his seventh studio album, “Stages,†last year.

Comic’s remodel is no joke

Comedian and actor Russell Peters has put his home on nearly half an acre in Studio City on the market for about $3 million.

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Peters bought the Mediterranean-style house seven years ago for $1.96 million and has apparently paid great attention to the finer details. Chrome accents, vibrant textiles and subdued hues give the 2004 house a polished and contemporary ambiance.

Of note, the living room features a dramatic wall fireplace that draws the eye with its floor-to-ceiling and stainless-steel hearth. The metalwork continues in the dining room area, where a wet bar features a tiled chrome backsplash.

In the kitchen, a tiled backsplash creates visual interest against white marble countertops. A theater room offers tiered seating for seven. There’s also a family room/gym and an elevator.

The master suite, dressed in navy-blue pinstripes, features a fireplace, a walk-in closet and a spa-like bath with a sauna. Including a guesthouse, there are six bedrooms and six bathrooms in nearly 5,900 square feet of living space.

Outdoors, steps lead up to a fenced swimming pool and spa. A circular motor court and a four-car enclosed garage sit off the entrance to the home.

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Neil Spanier and Scott Walker of Keller Williams Realty hold the listing, which was first reported by Variety. The exact list price is $2,999,999.

Peters, 45, has a number of comedy specials under his belt, including “Outsourced†and, most recently, “Notorious.†Among his film credits is “Source Code†(2011) and “Chef†(2014). He voiced the character Rocky the Rhino in “The Jungle Book†this year.

The Valley is his new home court

Professional basketball player Caron Butler has yet to find his next NBA home this off-season, but he has found a place to hoop it up. The two-time All-Star recently bought a home in Woodland Hills with a basketball half-court for $2.13 million.

Set behind gates in the Walnut Acres area, the two-story house is loaded with outdoor amenities. Besides the lighted sports court, there’s a putting green, a saltwater swimming pool and spa and a large covered pavilion complete with an outdoor dining area, bar and kitchen. A 900-square-foot guesthouse sits at the rear of the hedged and fenced grounds.

The main house, built in 1998 and recently renovated, has a contemporary look, with vaulted ceilings, wide-plank wood floors and dark-trimmed windows and doors. A formal living room features a white-hued wall fireplace.

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Also within the 5,700 square feet of interiors is a dining area, an updated chef’s kitchen, a breakfast nook, a library/den and a media room/home theater with a wet bar. The master suite has a large soaking tub and a steam shower for a total of five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

A motor court with parking for as many as 10 vehicles sits off the front of the home. There’s also a workshop in the three-car garage.

Suzan Kozman of Century 21 Troop Real Estate was the listing agent. Cynthia Moultrie of Keller Williams Realty represented the buyer.

Butler, 36, spent last season with the Sacramento Kings, appearing in 17 games. The 14-year NBA veteran had picked up his 2016-17 option with the team but was waived by the Kings this month.

The forward out of the University of Connecticut previously played for the Lakers in 2004-05 and the Clippers in 2011-13.

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Private paradise fetches tidy sum

It would appear that buyers lined up at the chance to own soap star Galen Gering’s Hollywood Hills home. The tree-topped property went from listed to sale closed in about a month and sold for $2.55 million — well over the “Days of Our Lives†actor’s asking price of $1.695 million.

The fenced and gated home, described as a “mystical Shangri-la,†centers on a 1920s Spanish Revival-style house with three bedrooms and four bathrooms. Various patios, a spa, an outdoor fireplace and an open-air meditation house, tall bamboo and tropical landscaping fill the lush setting.

The roughly 2,200-square-foot house retains its original vibe with such details as artful tile risers, arches and wrought-iron work. A formal living room features beamed ceilings and a fireplace, and the dining room is flanked by an arcade.

French doors open to a covered sitting area and steps leading down to a deck topped by a banyan tree. Views take in the city lights.

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Cari Field of ACME Real Estate represented both ends of the transaction.

Gering, 45, has appeared on “Days of Our Lives†as Rafe Hernandez since 2008. Prior to that, he starred on the soap “Passions†for nearly a decade.

He and his wife, model-actress Jenna Gering, bought the house in 2000 for about $755,000, records show.

An Old Hollywood mirage

A Rancho Mirage compound built for silver-screen actress Marion Davies is on the market for about $3.4 million.

Davies bought the property of about 3 acres in the 1950s from Hyatt Robert von Dehn, founder of Hyatt Hotels, and commissioned the sprawling tennis court estate. Following her passing in 1961, the property was bequeathed to her husband, actor Horace G. Brown, and eventually sold to Victor Jules Bergeron Jr., founder of Polynesian-themed restaurant chain Trader Vic’s.

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Reached by a winding drive, the pink-hued compound has a circular motor court, a swimming pool and a pond with a cascading waterfall. A fenced tennis court pavilion sits near the entrance to the home.

Including guest quarters, the property has nine bedrooms and 11 bathrooms in about 14,000 square feet of space in a single story. Large formal areas, built-ins, mirrored walls and a master suite with an atrium bathroom are among features of the main house.

Neal Leviton of Rodeo Realty and Bruce Busher of Keller Williams hold the listing. The exact list price is $3,399,999.

Davies’ professional life was overshadowed by her longtime relationship with married newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. The film actress, writer and producer starred in “Show People†(1928) and “Cain and Mabel†(1936). She died in 1961 at 64.

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Twitter: @NJLeitereg

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