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General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress Spotted in Canoga Park

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 / 5 Comments
[Update September 26, 2017]: This vehicle sold sometime in 2016 by a German car collector which is also currently under restoration. Sad to see this go but also glad to see that a restoration is underway. You can see more here and here.

[Update February 5, 2013]: This vehicle was available for sale on Craigslist for $400,000.

[Original Post]:
Image courtesy El Rastreador de Noticias
Image courtesy Palm Springs Automobilist
Image courtesy Palm Springs Automobilist
Image courtesy Silodrome
Today, I am going to talk about the General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress which has nothing to do with San Fernando Valley history. However, this vehicle is an extremely rare piece of automotive history that happens to currently reside in the San Fernando Valley. Canoga Park to be exact. Here is some background info. 

From Wikipedia:
The GM Futurliners were a group of stylized buses designed in the 1940s by Harley Earl for General Motors. They were used in GM's Parade of Progress, which traveled the United States exhibiting new cars and technology. The Futurliners were used from 1940 to 1941 and again from 1953 to 1956. A total of 12 were built, and 9 were still known to exist as of 2007.
Of those remaining 9 (from Wikipedia):
Futurliner #11 sold for a record US$4,000,000 (plus premium) on Jan 21, 2006 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona. Too large to ship, it was driven to its new home in Chandler.
Futurliner #10 is believed to be the most accurately restored of the Futurliners.
As of summer 2008 Futurliner #8 was delivered to its new Swedish owner Nicklas Jonsson who plans to restore it over a 10-year period. It's the first and only Futurliner in Europe.
Of the other six known surviving Futurliners, one is used as a motorhome (this is in Canoga Park) and two in advertising. One is in Maine and is currently being restored. It is owned by Tom Learned and is powered by a GM V-8 with an Allison automatic transmission. The others are generally beyond restorable condition.
According to the Futurliner website, #9 (images shown below) is owned and restored by Bob Valdez currently sitting in Canoga Park. This Futurliner was converted into a motorhome and was possibly featured (dont quote me on this) in the movie Firepower (1993), a documentary titled Homes on the Road, The RV Story, and on HGTV, The Gallery - RV Restoration according to this site:
This is Futurliner #9. As of 2008 it was up for sale. You can call Bob Valdez for more information but don't call just to ask about the price unless you got over a million plus dollars in your pocket. Bob has owned Futurliner #9 since 1984 and has made extensive modifications to both the exterior and interior. It's a highway cruiser and he has a lot of fun with it over the years.













All images above courtesy Autoblog.com
Image courtesy Bangshift.com 


Lastly, an original last sold for $4.1 million dollars at a Barret -Jackson auction in 2006 back when the economy was rosy and the sky was the limit. 

Today, the #9 Futurliner sits in a Canoga Park Motorhome RV park exposed to the elements, all alone, with very little use. But available for the right buyer near a $1 million. There are only a handful of these Futurliners in existence in the world and pridefully, one remains in the SFV's backyard thanks to Bob Valdez. 




Sources:

Celebrity Real Estate: Justin Bieber Makes Offer on Former Nicole Murphy Mansion in Calabasas

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 / 1 Comment
[Update May 16, 2014]: One small tidbit I missed on Justin Bieber's original Calabasas home purchase was that he also purchased the vacant land next door for $2.35 million on June 8, 2012.  When Bieber sold this home to Khloe Kardashian, he also sold the land next door for $2.775 million to a non-celebrity which was revealed by TMZ on March 13, 2014.

[Update May 28, 2012]: The property records show that this property was purchased by Justin Bieber for $6.5 million on April 6, 2012 which could imply that it was an all cash purchase as this transaction closed rather quickly and quietly. Earlier, I reported that the sale price was $6 million but was in fact $6.5 million which means that the sellers netted a gain of close to a million before expenses and taxes which is one heck of a gain after one with this terrible housing market.

[Update April 10, 2012]: According to TMZ, Justin Bieber has in fact purchased the former Nicole Murphy home in Calabasas for $6 million. It appears that at the time of this writing, the home is under escrow as TMZ states that Bieber will get the keys by the end of June. The previous owners purchased this home from Nicole Murphy for $5,515,000 on April 28, 2011. Based on Justin Bieber's purchase price, the previous owners will be earning a $485,000 profit before taxes, commissions, fees, etc. Not bad for one year. 

[Original Post]:



Images courtesy Hurwitz James Company
Hot off the presses from the always hilarious Your Mama at The Realestalker comes word of Justin Bieber's offer of a Calabasas mansion formerly owned by Nicole Murphy

TMZ is reporting that the offer has not been accepted as the seller wanted $7 million and Bieber was only offering $1.5 million less. Sounds like this might fall through. I wont waste your time on this until it becomes official. You can view the property here.

The Kardashians Fake Home in Studio City is Available Again

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[Update January 29, 2014]: Kaley Cuoco purchased Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom's Tarzana mansion for closing to asking price in January 2014, you can read more details here. Meanwhile, Kourtney Kardashian sold her Calabasas home and purchased the Calabasas home of Keyshawn Johnson also in January 2014 discussed here

[Original Post]:

11947 Iredell Street
Currently available for $6,495,000, this Studio City home has 7 Beds/8 Baths on 7,043 sqft. It is the fake home of the Kardashians/Jenners for the E! reality TV show which is only used to film the front facade to appear as the real home of the Kardashians/Jenner in Hidden Hills.  

According to the listing:
This one-of-a-kind elegance estate is ideal for the Italian Renaissance art lover. Inspired by the Medici castle in Florence, Palazzo di Sono, offers a perfect blend of modern features and craftsmanship unlike any other home in Fryman Estates. Enter through the large iron gates and drive up the long driveway to find an 1800 year old fountain greets you as you enter the home. Set back far off the street, Palazzo di Sono sits atop a knoll boasting over 7,000 sq ft of living space with 7 bd, 8 ba, an HD/THX home theater with a 12' drop down screen, a 2,000 bottle wine cellar, complete outdoor Viking kitchen, fully private salt-water pool with waterfall and three outdoor loggias. Five Bedari 24K gold and crystal chandeliers, custom made silk window coverings, sconces from the Paris Opera House, and fresco ceilings are just a few features that truly make this home a masterpiece in itself. Too many details to mention, this home represents the utmost in elegance and sophistication! 
Also, according to a blog post by The Agency which holds this listing:
Palazzo di Sono, the grand Italian estate at 11947 Iredell in Fryman Canyon Estates, is accustomed to being in the spotlight. The elegant residence poised atop a private knoll in the exclusive Studio City neighborhood has appeared in episodes of HBO’s True Blood, and it is featured regularly on E!’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians as the home of the Jenners. Most recently, Palazzo di Sono garnered attention in the April 2012 issue of Ventura Blvd in an in-depth profile piece titled “Hidden Treasure.”
Noting the home’s stature as “a celebrity in its own right,” the article highlights Palazzo di Sono’s extensive renovation inspired by the Medici palace in Florence and its perfect blend of modern features, sophistication and craftsmanship.
The joy and love of art imbues every surface, every viewpoint and every furnishing: fine wood details, hand-painted ceilings by artist Giorgio Tuscani and hand-crafted moldings—all inspired by the Palazzo in Florence.
Below are images from Palazzo di Sono a.k.a. fake home of the Kardashians/Jenner (Images courtesy The Agency)
Above images courtesy The Agency
And in case you wondering, the real home of the Kardashians/Jenner in Hidden Hills is displayed below (Image courtesy Google Maps):

Images courtesy Google Maps
The previous home of the Kardashian/Jenner family that was used for the original filming of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" was also in Hidden Hills which was a 3 bed/5 Bath home on 3,966 sqft on a total lot size of 1.12 acres built in 1964. This home was sold for $2.8 million on April 4, 2011 with the Kardashian family taking a $50,000 loss from their original purchase price of $2,850,000 on August 1, 2006. 

Image courtesy Google Maps
And Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom call Tarzana home which they purchased on December 18, 2009 for $3,950,000. The home measures 7 Beds/8 Baths on 8,347 sqft on a total lot size of 0.75 acres built in 2003. 




Images courtesy Prudential California Realty
Lastly, Kourtney Kardashian lived in Calabasas in a home she purchased for $829,000 on July 28, 2006 and sold on July 1, 2010 for $700,000 taking a $129,000 loss. The home measures 3 Beds/2.5 Baths on 2,245 sqft on a total lot size of 6,516 sqft built in 1987.




Images courtesy Prudential California Realty

Gerard Colcord Longridge Estate on the Market in Sherman Oaks for First Time in 43 Years

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[Update May 16, 2012]: This home sold for $2.6 million which was $149,000 less than original asking price and was closed in roughly 2 months.

[Original Post]:
4006 Longridge Avenue
Currently in a pending status is a rare listing of a Longridge Estate home designed by Gerard Colcord in Sherman Oaks in 1939. This home is offered at $2,749,000.

According to the listing:
First time on the market in 43 years, is this wonderful 1939 Country French home designed by renowned architect Gerard Colcord. This special property is located in the prestigious Longridge Estates and boasts gated entry, liv. rm w/ frpl, frml din, eat-in-kit, 5 bed, 6 bth, den. Flat prk-like grnds, pl, and full guesthouse. Great opportunity to make this your own. 
There have been a number of mid century modern homes of architectural significance on the market recently. Its kinda odd. Dont know why owners are selling these rare properties all at the same time especially in the San Fernando Valley. Maybe its related to the fallout of the housing bubble. But you have the following: 
  1. Waxman House in Studio City.
  2. Goodwin House in Studio City.
  3. Romick House in Encino.
  4. Krisel House in Van Nuys. 
  5. Eichler House in Granada Hills. 
Below are pics of the Colcord house. (Images Courtesy Coldwell Banker)