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Celebrity Real Estate: Annette Funicello's Fire Destroyed Home in Encino Sold

Monday, October 31, 2011 / No Comments
On October 13, 2011, the fine folks at L.A. Times Hot Property reported on the sale of the fire damaged home of Annette Funicello, one of the original "Mouseketeers", in Encino for $714,500. Way back on March 10, 2011, Funicello's home at 16102 Sandy Lane was engulfed in flames in the early morning hours with Funicello, her husband, and their nurse living in the home when the flames erupted. Consequently, they all suffered from smoke inhalation but were later reported to be in good condition. Additionally, Funicello has been suffering from multiple sclerosis since 1992 so trying to get out of a burning home in a wheelchair must have been no easy feat. Good thing, they have a live-in nurse. This fire caused extensive damage to the home which later became inhabitable which forced Funicello to sell it as a tear down. This home went to the auction steps and sold for $714,500 on September 1, 2011. 

The home is located in the exclusive Royal Oaks neighborhood of Encino. The property sits on 0.31 acres with 4 Beds/3 Baths on 3,376sqft built in 1963. The property records indicate the home is owned by a trust.   According to the Adoring Annnette Fan Site, Funicello first purchased the home with her first husband in 1965 and raised their three children there.

In addition to this home, the fabulous Movielanddirectory.com site shows another Encino home linked to   Annette at 16926 Adlon Road (near the Encino reservoir) which I believe is the home she was raised in as the property records show her father, Joseph Funicello, as the owner who sold the home on November 23, 1988 for $500,000.

Its not known where Funicello and her husband moved onto but I am guessing a rental in the Encino area which appears to be her preferred choice for living as she lived in another home in Encino in the 80's or to a home in Bakersfield according to the interviewer in the Encino Patch Video below (2nd video). But this is purely speculation so dont quote me. I am not sure who purchased the former Funicello property but its possible that a flipper purchased which means this home will come back on the market probably rebuilt as another boring McMansion Tuscan home type in about 4 - 6 months.

[Update April 8, 2013]: Random note here but on February 23, 2012, a state tax lien was filed against this property claiming Annette Funicello owed $29,132.22 for tax years 2006 and 2008. The lien was released from the state on July 13, 2012. I am surprised she owed so much in taxes which is a testament to her dedication and hard work for all those years in show business especially as her health worsened. She truly sacrificed a lot and endured a lot of pain and suffering from multiple sclerosis. The disease had attacked her nervous system which took away her ability to walk in 2004, ability to speak in 2009, and recently required round the clock care. She had been out of the public eye for 15 years for a reason. Her courage and determination to fight the battle were truly inspiring. Our condolences and best wishes to Annette Funicello and family after passing away today at the age of 70.

You can view a news clip below from KTLA5.

Celebrity Real Estate: Former Home of Wheel of Fortune Host Pat Sajak For Sale In Glendale

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[Update November 22, 2011]: This home sold on November 21, 2011 for $705,000 which was $6,000 more than asking price wiht the transaction completed slightly over one month.

[Original Post]:
The fine folks at L.A. Times Hot Property informed the public back on October 11, 2011 of Pat Sajak's former home being listed on the market for $699,000. The craftsman style house contains 4 Beds/2.5 Baths situated on 2,388 sqft on a plot of land slighlty bigger than a quarter acre. The property records indicate that the home has 3 Beds/1 Baths on 2,184 sqft on a lot size of 6,879 which was built in 1911. This is an extremely old home and probably needs updating which I will talk about shortly.

According to the listing, this home was owned by Pat Sajak and his first wife, the infamous host of the Wheel of Fortune TV game show which is the longest-running syndicated game show in U.S. television history, that info might come in handy at the next cocktail mixer or at the water cooler. While reviewing the property records, I discovered that Pat's last name is really Sajdak which is how it appears on the property records. However, the only name listed is Pat's first wife, Sherrill Sajdak and I wasnt able to determine the original purchase price and date. This is purely speculation but it appears that this was Pat's first home that he probably purchased with his first wife back in the early 80's. The annual property taxes on this place is ridiculously low at $1,670.71 for 2010 wich suggests this home was purchased probably in the sub $170k range which had to be in the 80's compared to today's asking price of $699k. As I mentioned earlier, Pat's name is not on the property records as the current owner so I am guessing he gave up this property as part of the divorce with his first wife. 

Sherrill sold the property as part of a multi-property sale according to Redfin for $425,000 on Nov 09, 2010 to a flipper which she may or may not have been living in since it appears that the home became outdated and in need of repair. So the flipper upgraded the home in its entirety and added another bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, and some square footage to the property which has not been updated yet in the property records. Another reason to support the fact that this might be one of Sajak's first home is that the property is fairly modest (by celebrity standards) and borders Herbert Hoover High School (although the street is blocked for entrance by a fence) which would seem unfit for a celebrity especially an unknown, up and coming celebrity like Sajak in the 80's 

At the time of writing this post, the property was in a pending status so somebody thought this was a good deal. I am not sure where the former Mrs. Sajak is moving to or currently resides. Mr. Sajak continues to live in his long time residence in Encino which he purchased for $1,895,000 back in June 1988 which is a rather large property at almost 4 acres. 

GhostBusters 2 Quote About San Fernando Valley

Saturday, October 29, 2011 / No Comments
Probably one of my favorite quotes to ever reference the San Fernando Valley in a movie. Its about 3 minutes into the video. 

"You know, I have met some dumb blondes in my life, but you take the taco, pal! Only a Carpathian would come back to life now and choose New York! Tasty pick, bonehead! If you had brain one in that huge melon on top of your neck, you would be living the sweet life out in Southern California's beautiful San Fernando Valley!" (Peter Venkman played by Bill Murray in Ghostbusters II)

Stories Heard Round The Web.....

Friday, October 28, 2011 / No Comments
Courtesy Hannah K. Lee of New York Times
Here are a collection of articles relating to the San Fernando Valley published in the past week that might be of interest:

Home Is Where the Jamba Juice Is.....Encino's History and Learning to Sort of Accept "the Valley's Miracle Mile".....somewhat interesting article by former Encino resident living in NYC. I say somewhat interesting because this author is "totally clueless" and unappreciative of  Encino history.[New York Times]

How Chatsworth Helped Launch The Saw Halloween Movie Franchise....Saw movies were screened at Chatsworth's Winnetka 21 theaters[Chatsworth Patch].

In the '60s, Halloween Rocked......Halloween in 60's Encino as remembered by Hal Lifson[Encino Patch]

The Sherman Theater: Where Grownup Tastes Ruled.....Remember the Sherman Theater? Hal Lifson recounts his times visiting the iconic theater[Sherman Oaks Patch]

Densification: OMG: San Fernando Valley Wants Some Transit, Density......More traffic, density, and taller buildings coming to the SFV?[LA Curbed]

John Carroll Ranch in Granada Hills........anyone remember the John Carroll Ranch in Granada Hills on Chatsworth street, great pics[MSFV]

Fences and Hedges: Shia LeBeouf Fighting for Neighbors' Oversized Fence.....only in the Valley[LA Curbed]

Sprawling Out: 5,499 New Housing Units Coming Soon to Middle of Nowhere.....although not in the SFV, expansion plans for new housing development in Newhall Ranch which will impact SFV residents with more traffic on freeways, jobs, housing, etc. [LA Curbed]

City Seeks Federal TIGER Funding for L.A. River Bikeway......possible bikeway coming to L.A. River which starts at Canoga Park[L.A. Creek Freak]



10 Famous People Who Flourished After Being Laid Off......Walt Disney included who has roots in the SFV[Online Degrees Hub]

10 Celebs Who Are Real Estate Moguls.......Will Smith included who has homes in the SFV[Online Certificate Programs]

Celebrity Real Estate: Former Jane Fonda House Now Owned by Ethan Suplee For Sale in Studio City

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 / No Comments
[Update January 2, 2013]: This home sold for $1.6 million on January 2, 2013 which took approximately 15 months to close. The sales price represents a loss of $400,000 to Ethan Suplee who first purchased in 2006 for $2 million. Additionally, the home was first listed at $2,295,000 representing a massive reduction of $695,000. I thought the housing market was making a comeback. 

[Original Post]:
Back on October 6, 2011, the always hilarious Your Mama at the Realestalker discussed the latest listing of Ethan Suplee, a devoted Scientologist who rose to fame in the films Mall Rats, American History X, and the TV show My Name Is Earl, has listed his home in the Studio City area for $2,295,000.  

This heavily wooded house sits on less than an acre with 7 Beds/3 Baths on 3,787 sqft. Main features of the home include multiple family rooms, 2 wood burning fireplaces, hardwood floors, custom stonework, detached guest house, gym, pool, and outside bathroom. 

Suplee and his wife Brandwynee "Brandy" Lewis purchased their home in 2006 for $2 million from Richard S Kline. There have also been reports that Jane Fonda used to live in this home. According to Your Mama at the Realestalker:
Actress/activist/fitness freak Jane Fonda is said to have occupied the woodsy lodge-like residence in the early 1970s back when she was making headlines and enemies with her vehement and vocal opposition to the Vietnam War. Property records show the kooky Laurel Canyon crib was acquired in 1973 by game show director and producer Richard S. Kline (The Joker's Wild, Joker! Joker! Joker!, Win, Lose or Draw)–not to be confused with the actor Richard Kline of Three's Company fame–who paid just $77,500 for the tree-shaded property. That's right children, seventy-seven thousand clams. Can anyone remember those real estate days?

Mister Kline–who, according to The Movieland Directory, raised more than a dozen children in the house–owned the property until early 2006 when records show the game show maker sold the nearly one acre gated mini-estate estate for $2,000,000 to Mister Suplee and his wife Brandwynne "Brandy" Lewis, sister of actress/rocker babe Juliette Lewis.
So I double checked The Movieland Directory website and below is the listing for Jane Fonda and Richard Kline

So its seem plausible that Jane Fonda lived in this home unless there are other "redwood lodge-looking" houses on the 11000 block of Canton Drive in Studio City.

One more thing about the current asking price on this property. Its currently being offered for $295,000 more than the original purchase price at the top of the housing market in 2006. This is the very top of the ever exploding housing market. So to sell at a gain not including expenses in these challenging times would be a gift. 

Celebrity Real Estate: Randall Zisk and Brooke Langton Calling it Quits in Sherman Oaks

Thursday, October 20, 2011 / No Comments
[Update: January 13, 2012]: This home sold for $2,100,000 on January 12, 2012 after originally being listed back on March 06, 2010 for $2,749,000.

[Original Post]:


Hot off the pressess (on September 30, 2011) from Lauren Beale at L.A. Times Hot Property comes word that director/producer Randall Zisk and actress wife Brooke Langton have listed their Sherman Oaks pad for $2,375,000 which at the time of this writing is already under contract. 

Randall Zisk was an executive producer and director for the medical drama, Off the Map, as well as the TV show Monk from 2003 - 2009.  Zisk has also directed Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (also produced), Grey's Anatomy, Weeds, Desperate Housewives, House, Prison Break, Without a Trace, American Dreams, NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, and Felicity. Brooke Langton is primarily known for playing Samantha Reilly on the original Melrose Place as well as playing recurring roles on Life and Friday Night Lights.

Now back to the property, the Zisk/Langton home measures 4,474 sqft on 1.29 acres with 5 Beds/3.5 Baths built in 1941. According to the listing, the home is "one of the 10 largest estate lots in all of Longridge Estates........A 1941 "Old Hollywood" style traditional by Leonard A. Jones, A.I.A." The home also features a chef's gourmet kitchen, Art Deco Den with Ship-Lap Paneling & Wet-Bar, large formal dining room with Wainscoting, fully detached guest house screening room, salt water pool, 2 car garage, covered open dining breezeway, over 15 fruit trees, and security system. Lastly, all the colors you could desire are contained in this home. 

So lets examine the property records which indicate that Zisk/Langton purchased this property not too long ago in June 2008 for $2,600,000 from Benedict Coulter, more on him later, right before the economy exploded to the downside which is rather unfortunate timing. As you recall from the listing price above, the property is currently offered at $2,375,000 which is under contract with a good possibility that the home actually sells for less in today's troubled housing market. Based on the current asking price, Zisk/Langton will be absorbing a minimum $225,000 loss not including real estate commissions and fees, any renovation costs, taxes, carrying costs, etc associated with living in this home. Thats a lot of dough by any standards. However, in relative terms, the loss represents about a 10% loss which is minor compared to what the rest of America is currently experiencing with 30 - 50 % equity loss so it could have been worse.  

So who is Benedict Coulter? His name might be unknown but his work has probably convinced you to watch the latest movie release without him even confronting you. Coulter is president of Trailer Park, Inc, which is a movie trailer post production studio and advertising agency based in Hollywood. You probably have seen his work creating movie trailers in classics like Jurassic Park, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Fatal Attraction, Moulin Rouge, JFK, War of the Worlds, Walk the Line and X-Men. You can view his work at his website, http://benedictcoulter.com/Trailers/Welcome.html. I must warn you that this site is addictive as you will be dragged into watching several movie trailers from a myriad of movie classics from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s and essentially rekindling your past.  The L.A. Times also ran an article on Coulter on July 20, 2008 which was coincidentally right after he sold this home titled, Driving Force Behind Movie Trailers by Josh Friedman. 

One interesting tidbit from this article was a reference to Reseda's Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club in Reseda which I never heard of. So I did some google research and discovered that this club was located on 18415 Sherman Way and was a huge club venue for 80's pop stars such as U2, Culture Club, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and many others during the 80's when it reached is climatic fame. The L.A. Times published an article on June 10, 1999 titled, Time Warp: 80's Rock On at Reseda Country Club by Bill Locey. So after initally writing about Zisk/Langton and then Coulter, I have somehow been inspired to do a BTTF post on the Reseda Country Club. So many rock and roll legends descending into Reseda. This is unheard of and unreal. I almost dont believe it. I mean its Reseda with all due respect but its not Hollywood or even Studio City. So anyways, keep a lookout for that BTTF post. But back to what I was saying from from the article by Friedman on Coulter: 
He (Coulter) moved to Los Angeles from Paris in 1976 to play guitar with a blues band called KGB. Coulter got one gig with Chuck Berry at the old Wolf Y Rissmiller's Country Club in Reseda but realized "there were better guitar players than me at the farmers market."
Now that I got on a huge tangent where I supposed to be talking about this celebrity property, let me get back to Coulter's past in this property which was what I was originally trying to accomplish. Coulter purchased this property in May 2001 for $1,225,000 and initially tried to offload in October 2007 for $3,750,000 before finally settling for $2,600,000 after Coulter received a reality check of the then current market conditions and the coming real estate destruction in 2008, 2009, and also today. 

For more celebrity real estate, check out the SFValleyblog "pseudo database" at Celebrity R.E.  

Celebrity Real Estate: Leighton Meester Calls Encino Home

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 / No Comments
Back on September 28, 2011, the always hilarious Your Mama at the Realestalker  discussed the purchase of a Encino Ranch home by a celebrity actress named Leighton Meester. Some digging around the internet revealed that Miss Meester is an American actress and singer who gained her fame portraying "Blair Waldorf" in the CW television series, Gossip Girl in addition to several other performances in TV, film, and music, She even had a part on Entourage which is a big favorite of the SFValleyblog crew. Now that we have put a face to this mysterious buyer, lets talk about the property.

This home measures 2,847sqft on approximately 0.6 acres with 4 Beds/4.25 Baths and built in 1948 (thats a really old house) located in the Royal Oaks area of Encino. The property features all the latest updates including stainless steel appliances with granite counters, smoked glass breakfast bar, glass tiled fireplace, large walk-in closet, luxurious bath with soaking tub, steam shower, a built in barbecue, black bottom pool (which appears to be elevated from the house on higher grounds), pool bar, dual changing rooms for the pool, maids/guest suite, and an alarm system. 

Meester paid $1,457,500 on June 08,2011 which was last sold in April 2002 for $844,000. Property records state that home was purchased under a trust.  The SFValleyblog welcomes Meester to the SFV and hopes she enjoys what is known in some circles as the "Beverly Hills of the SFV."

Stories Heard Round The Web........

Monday, October 17, 2011 / No Comments
Chase Bank in Northridge courtesy of Los Angeles Daily News
Here are a collection of article relating to the San Fernando Valley published in the last couple of weeks that might be of interest:

From Pit to Park......development plans for Sun Valley's Strathern Pit into the Strathern Wetlands Park. [Zev Yaroslavsky]

Nirvana Doc in The Nuys........There will be a documentary created by Foo Fighter Dave Grohl about the Sound City Studios where Nirvana recorded Nevermind in addition to other notable artists. [The Nuys]

Bob Hope's Former House - A Trick-or-Treating Mecca......Dedicated in part to the recent passing of the late Bob Hope's wife, Dolores. [IAMNOTASTALKER]

Orange Line Station to Be a Work of Art......the expanded Orange Bus Line into Chatsworth will feature public art. [Chatsworth Patch]

New Apartment Complex in The Nuys......another new apartment building on the site of the Old Kings University which used to be the site of the Northridge Hospital extension. [The Nuys]

New Face On Valley Plaza.......looks like the Valley Plaza mall in NoHo will be redeveloped. [CurbedLA]

Miracle on Elmer Street........a rebuilt street in Sun Valley using moder landscaping and technology courtesy of Tree People. [Here In Van Nuys]

CicLAvia Founders Take OVer L.A., Consider San Fernando Valley Route for Bicycle Event.....[LADN]

Valley Recalls Visit By Civil Rights Leader.....MLK's visit to Woodland Hills in 1961.[LADN]

The Art of Home Savings in San Fernando Valley Mosaics, Sculptures.....a review of various banks in the Valley with decorative entrances and lobbies. [LADN]

Alsorelated to Home Savings, check out this website....http://adamarenson.com/homesavingsbankart/

Celebrity Real Estate: Jonah Hill Settles Down in Tarzana

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[November 15, 2015]: Selena Gomez listed her Calabasas home for sale for $4,495,000 on November 13, 2015.

[Update May 7, 2014]: Selena Gomez listed her Tarzana home for $3,495,000 on May 1, 2014

[Update April 2, 2014]: This home was purchased by Selena Gomez in August 2012 which was discussed here. And in March 2014, Gomez purchased a Calabasas home discussed here. Previous to the Tarzana home, Gomez was living in an Encino home discussed here

[Original Post]:
Back on September 29, 2011, the always hilarious Your Mama at the Real Estalker revealed the purchase of a Tarzana home by funnyman Jonah Hill from SuperBad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. Mr. Hill quietly purchased this property back on July 14, 2011 for $2,175,000 near Tampa and Ventura. 

This home conists of 5 Beds/5.5 Baths on 4,650sqft that sits on almost one acre of land. The property features tennis court, pool/spa, BBQ bar/island, formal living and dining rooms, chef's kitchen, walk in butler's pantry, master retreat with his/her's closets, steam shower, spa tub, and built in sound system. 

It appears that Mr. Hill is buying this property as a second home as he currently owns a home in the Laurel Canyon area that was purchased for $1,865,000 not too long ago in May 2010. Not sure what his plans are for the Tarzana home, maybe a vacation spot to get away from the glamour and glitz of Hollywood. 

A background note on this property, the home has obviously been remodeled and upgraded since its original build date of 1956 by the seller. According to the price history, it has been listed on and off again since 2008.On Redfin, the last offering prices are $2,900,000 in June 2010 and $2,399,000 in December 2010.  Zillow shows a last listing of $3,499,000 back in March 2011. It was last sold in 2006 for $2,050,000 to an interior designer who earns a living flipping properties such as this one. The reason for all the random prices changes may be attributed to a lawsuit over loan payments involving the designer and this house back in March 2011. Whatever the end result of that lawsuit, Mr. Hill is now a resident of the SF Valley. Even though Mr. Hill paid above the 2006 bubble peak price, it may have been without all the upgrades to the house. So this could have been a good deal for Mr. Hill and a significant loss for the interior designer. This is just guessing as I have no insight into the financial matters of both parties nor am I an expert on real estate valuations. 

Celebrity Real Estate: Hillary Duff Hopes To Finally Sell Mansion in Toluca Lake

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 / No Comments
[Update August 27, 2012]: According to property records, this home finally sold on July 18, 2012 for $4,651,500 representing a decent gain of $1,151,500 not including expenses such as taxes, upkeep, commissions, etc. This home was originally on the market back in September 2010 for $7 million which has taken close to two years and multiple big reductions in order to sell. I am sure that the Hillary Duff clan are relieved to have this property off their books. 

[Original Post]:

Back in September 2010 before the SFValleyblog was blogging about Celebrity Real Estate, the hilarious Your Mama at the Realestalker discussed the listing of the massive mansion of the Hilary Duff clan with an offering price of $7,000,000. There were no takers and the home was taken off the market only to appear again on September 12, 2011 with a big reduction down to $6,250,000. Mrs. Duff  is currently facing some hurdles in offloading her property in the past year. Keep in mind this home is currently the second most expensive property on the market in Toluca Lake behind an ever grander and more expensive $8,200,000 mansion.

For those that arent knee deep in the celebrity real estate circle, Hilary Duff purchased another mansion in June 2010 with her hockey professional husband Mike Comrie in Beverly Hills for $3,850,000 which was also revealed by Your Mama at the Realestalker. It appears she no longer lives in this home and has fully moved onto her BH mansion but this is just a guess.

According to the online listing, the property in Toluca Lake boasts 5 Beds/6Baths on 9,277 sqft (property records state 8,827sqft) on 0.45 acres. The property was originally built in 1951 but appears to have definitely been remodeled with a gourment kitchen consisting of all the high end appliances, billiard room, pool and spa with adjoining outdoor living room, and a refined master suite with dual baths. The property is listed under a trust which was purchased back in 2004 for $3.5 million.

So Mrs. Duff is trying to make an easy double of her original investment (not factoring in all sorts of expenses for this property) in what are rather unprecedented economic times. Keep in mind that the rest of the common people's property values are somewhere levitating between 2002 and 2004 levels. So to sell a property at double the price level of 2004 is truly amazing but that is the way of the high end. This assumes that this house was the same in 2004 with no major upgrades since then. If so, then that obviously changes the valuation. So we wish Mrs. Duff good luck with trying to sell her property. She has already had it on the market for over a year and with major price deductions. Additionally, she has competition with other celebrities like Jason Priestly not to mention the many other celebrities selling their pads in the San Fernando Valley.

On a completely separate note, a review of the property records reveal a list of prior celebs that have owned this property. Assuming my research is correct, back in 1994, Adelaide Gail Zappa purchased this property in 1994 for $950,000 which as I mentioned earlier, not sure of the same renovations to this property existed at that time. You may recognize the Zappa name from the iconic and legendary Frank Zappa whose fame rose in 1982 with what can be quoted as the "San Fernando Valley Anthem", Valley Girls, which was originally written to be a novelty song of Valspeak to make fun of how Valley Girls spoke (and still continues somewhat today). This was his best selling single ever and was nominated for a Grammy. Much to his own success, Zappa never played the song live because he was irritated that he was known for his "novelty songs" rather than his music creating abilities with the album that accompanied this song containing many other challenging songs that were novelty. Frank and Adelaide who goes by Gail met in 1966 at the Whiskey a Go Go bar and married one year later in 1967. Frank passed away in 1993 with Gail now managing his assets under the Zappa Family Trust which also includes this property according to the property records.

Gail eventually sold this property on May 10, 2002 for $1,440,000 to producer Nile Niami who in turn sold the property to Hilary Duff for $3.5 million giving Niami close to double her investment not including expenses. So who is willing to give Duff a double of her investment? Any celebrities ready to live in Bob Hope land at the highly inflated value of $6 million or so?

BTTF# 10: The Piano Shaped Pool in Sherman Oaks by the Great Liberace

Thursday, October 6, 2011 / No Comments


SFValleyblog Liberace Postcard #1
Welcome aboard the Delorean! Marty McFly here to take you on a journey to the hip and affluent community of Sherman Oaks. The Delorean has the required plutonium plus some random garbage in the Mr. Fusion reactor ready for this trip. The time circuits are set to sometime in the 50's (actual date unknown) and the flux capacitor is.........fluxxing. The engine is running (not stalled this time) so we need to hurry. Hang on, as the ride can be a little bumpy as we travel back in time to 15405 Valley Vista Blvd Sherman Oaks CA 91403. This address was the location for one of Liberace's (real name is Wladziu Valentino Liberace) home with the famous piano shaped pool.


From the L.A. Public Library Photo collection:
Photograph caption dated June 9, 1954 reads, "Pianist Liberace stands on the 'keys' of his piano shaped swimming pool at his Sherman Oaks home. He loves pianos. Has 'em all sizes around his home and yard, just as a token of appreciation. The instrument is giving him an estimated earning of one million dollars this year." 
Courtesy of L.A. Public Library Photo Collection: Hollywood Citizen News/Valley Times Collection 
The blog, IAMNOTASTALKER, provided a great post on the Liberace home that bears repeating here:
Liberace himself designed the L-shaped house, which, of course, was decorated with a piano motif throughout, in 1953 and he and his mother, Francis, moved in that very same year.  As his fame grew, fans would reportedly hop the fence into his backyard to catch a glimpse of the entertainer at home and the property was eventually deemed far too accessible for a man who was, at the time, the highest-paid entertainer in the entire world.  Liberace moved out of the 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 3,907-square foot home sometime in or around 1958 and migrated to the Palm Springs area, while Francis stayed behind.  
Back in 1957, an unfortunate event occurred at this location as described in an LA Times article published on July 19, Mother of Liberace Beaten By Two Men. This tragic event demonstrates that violence existed towards celebrities back then. As you can tell by the postcard images below, the house was easily accessible from the street which is odd that Liberace with the magnitude of his fame would live in such an unprotected environment. (Also, when you think about it, this home looks rather simple, small, and bland for Liberace's stature). Granted this was back in the 50's and there wasnt TMZ and other paparazzi  invading every celebrity to make a quick buck, still celebrities needed security or face a potential attack. On a somewhat unrelated note, on the day of the attack, Liberace gave a deposition in a $25 million dollar libel lawsuit against Confidential magazine for a recent cover article suggesting that Liberace was gay. Rumors floated that the attacks were conducted because of the lawsuit although this was never proven and the offenders were never found. So maybe the Valley isnt that bad after all when someone blatantly attacks another celebrity.

Other random Valley history, Liberace's brothers, George and Rudy, lived in Encino and Van Nuys respectively. I guess the Liberace family had a special connection with the Valley. I wonder where they lived exactly. Anyone have clues?

Below are my Liberace postcard collections showing slight variations over the years. Dont know the exact date of each postcard picture taken. 
SFValleyblog Liberace Postcard #2
SFValleyblog Liberace Postcard #3

SFValleyblog Liberace Postcard #4
SFValleyblog Liberace Postcard #5
 
 Liberace eventually sold this location in less than a year because of the incident with his mother in 1958 to seek safer grounds. The home was purchased by another actor, Spencer Carlyle for $80,000. 
Courtesy Liberace Deserves A Stamp Blog
One last thing, below is a picture of Liberace decorating his home for the Christmas holidays which was known to cause traffic jams and upset his neighbors.
Courtesy Bob's Liberace.com
So lets hop back into the Delorean and go Back To The Future to the present. Whats really surprising here is that the home remains almost identical as when Liberace built it more than 50 years ago including the piano shaped pool as you can see in the images below. A running theme of the BTTF series has been the demolition of once great former sites turned into shopping malls, apartment buildings, or empty land sitting vacant. So this comes with great relief to know that the former home of Liberace with the infamous piano shaped pool still exists more than 50 years since its inception.

One other thing to note about this property is its location. Its on the corner of Valley Vista Blvd and Sherman Oaks Ave which is not too far from Sepulveda Blvd, Ventura Blvd, and the 405 Freeway. So its location is rather odd for a celebrity because its very near to a major intersection of the Valley and also the busiest freeway in the nation (however the freeway was built in 1964 after Liberace built his home so I am sure he wouldnt have moved there if the freeway existed back then). As a matter of fact, for those that travel North on Sepulveda coming from the Westside to reach Ventura can take a shortcut through Fiume Walk onto Sherman Oaks, and then onto Sherman Oaks circle (another unique location where 6 homes border each other in a roundabout) to reach Ventura Blvd. I have taken this route many times and must admit that I never realized that Liberace's home was a part of that shortcut (see picture below). 

Also another random tidbit, Ryan Stiles of Whose Line Is It Anyway's Fame? used to be a former owner of this property which he purchased in 1997 for $525,000 and then selling for double his initial purchase price on March 2004 for  $1,210,000.





You can view other sites of historical significance documented in the Back To The Future Series.

Sources:


Encino Patch, Liberace's Onetime Home a Local Landmark by Hal Lifson on August 18, 2011

Los Angeles Times, Mother of Liberace Beaten by Two Men on July 19, 1957

Los Angeles Times, Lee to Sue Scandal Mag  for $20 Million on May 8, 1957

A Little About Ryan by 6'6" Pile of Stile!!  (Ryan Stiles)

Bob's Liberace (for Christmas photo)


Blockshopper - Property Records - 15404 Valley Vista Boulevard

Wikimapia - Liberace Former Home

Wikipedia - Liberace