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A. Quincy Jones Mid Century Modern Home in Tarzana Hits The Market

Thursday, October 31, 2013 / No Comments
[Update January 22, 2014]: This home sold for $868,000 on December 20, 2013.

[Original Post]:
Images courtesy Coldwell Banker
4941 Calvin Avenue
4 Beds/2.5 Baths on 2,160 sqft on a total lot size of 0.33 acres built in 1961 by A. Quincy Jones in Tarzana currently available for $849,000. The home is owned by the late Jaroslav "Jerry" Gebr who is an accomplished artist, painter, sketch artist, and illustrator working for over 50 years starting with 20th Century Fox, followed by MGM Studios, and then Universal MCA Film/Television Studios working up until 2008 with his last credit on 24: Redemption. Gebr's extensive resume can be viewed at IMDB along with some of his personal works at his website. Additionally, you can view some of his paintings in the listing below. It appears that Gebr possibly owned this home since it was first built and consequently commissioned Jones to design the home so can it be called the "Gebr Residence?" Gebr passed away on February 7, 2013 at the age of 87 where he had stated that "I think I left enough good work." You can view his obituary here

Moving on to A. Quincy Jones who was a Los Angeles based architect and educator known for innovative buildings in the modernist style and for urban planning that pioneered the use of greenbelts and green design. He has designed numerous homes and buildings including another similar residence in Tarzana in 1961, the Eichler development in Granada Hills in 1964, the 1961 Case Study House # 24 in Chatsworth (unbuilt), and Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood in 1951. 

The listing description states:
Welcome to an A. Quincy Jones architectural beauty. Contemporary in design w/ open spaces & large windows to capture the essence of nature. Located south of Ventura in the hills of Tarzana on a sweeping corner w/ mature & majestic trees. A lovely planted courtyard greets you at the entry & you are welcomed to high floor to ceiling windows all in a very inviting & spacious floor plan. A fireplace wall separates the dining room & living room, whose sweeping window takes in the swimming pool & large patio area overlooking wonderful views of the San Fernando Valley. The 4 bedrooms are located in a separate wing & include an en suite master w/ walk-in closet. Easy access to a powder room is located near the den/family room area. The well-appointed kitchen is conveniently located in the center of the home w/ walls that stop short of the ceiling--a design element that adds light & contributes to better air circulation. The kitchen also provides easy access to the dining, family and living room as well as access to the pool & patio area for easy entertaining. This wonderful home is a special retreat & a work of art to be cherished for years to come. There are very few opportunities to own a well known architect's creation. This is one of them. .make it your own.
You can view more SFV Architecture and Real Estate here.































Celeb R.E.: Mexican DJ "El Piolin" Eddie Sotelo Re-Lists Calabasas Mansion Rented by Rapper Tyga

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 / No Comments
[Update May 11, 2014]: This home sold for $6.7 million on April 18, 2014. 

[Original Post]:



Images courtesy Pinnacle Estate Properties
Back on the MLS after a one year hiatus is the home of Mexican DJ Eddie Sotelo who goes by the moniker "El Piolin" which translates to Tweety Bird that was given to Sotelo as a child. Sotelo has suffered from some negative publicity lately for an alleged sexual harassment with his producer and other staffers which has resulted in the cancellation of his radio show Piolin por lat Manana on Univision's KSCA La Nueva 101.9 FM. But just like any other radio DJ who gets canceled, Sotelo immediately returned to the airwaves via SiriusXM which makes me wonder how many of his fans switched over to XM and purchased subscriptions.

This home was first listed back on March 12, 2012 for $7,450,000 and lo and behold it is now re-listed at $7,275,000 representing a $175,000 difference. The home measures 7 Beds/8 Baths on 9,279 sqft on a total lot size of 0.96 acres built in 2005 which Sotelo purchased fro $5,850,000 on May 31, 2006 at the peak of the last housing bubble which is irrelevant now because this home is asking well above that mark. 

For some reason, the listing agent failed to take any decent pictures and blurry one on top of that using either a damaged camera or a really old camera that needs replacing. However, for your viewing pleasure, you can view pictures from the last listing here when I first talked about this listing. Additionally, you can also read about Sotelo's other homes. 

And one other random tidbit, it appears that rapper Tyga was recently renting this property according to a TMZ post. So numerous questions came to mind. Does Tyga still live in the home and hence the reason for the lack of interior pictures? Where does Sotelo currently live? And is Sotelo selling due to 1) financial troubles with the loss of his job, 2) Tyga left and the house remains vacant and therefore Sotelo doesnt want to deal with tenants again, or 3) does Sotelo just wants to make a quick buck? Inquiring minds want to know. Sorry for being so damn noisy, just love celebrity real estate.

The listing description states:
PROUDLY PRESENTING AN EXQUISITE MASTERPIECE, CUSTOM BUILT, UNIQUELY DESIGNED "MANSION" NESTLED IN THE PRESTIGIOUS DOUBLE GATED COMMUNITY "THE ESTATES" WITHIN "THE OAKS OF CALABASAS", SITUATED MERELY ON A PRIVATE ONE ACRE FLAT LOT. STEP INTO AN INVITING 30 FOOT GRAND FORMAL FOYER LOOKING UP A DETAILED DOMED CEILING, PLENTIFUL OF NATURAL LIGHT, OPEN, USEFUL, FLOWING FLOOR PLAN, UNCOMPROMISING LUXURY LIVING, PROFESSIONAL CHEFS KITCHEN, STATE OF THE ART SS APPLIANCES, FINE WALL FINISHES, HAND PAINTED MURALS, CUSTOM HANDTOOLED, CARVED, CABINETRY, FINE FINISHES IMPORTED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, PAMPER YOURSELF WITHIN THE SPA ATMOSPHERED MASTER BATHROOM ADJACENT TO THE GENEROUS MASTERSUITE, ALL EN-SUITE BEDROOMS, CENTRAL EQUIPPED SOUND SYSTEM WITH CRESTRON CONTROLLED KEY PADS FOR EACH AREA, AND SECTOR OF THE MANSION, HOME THEATRE, OFFICE, GREAT ROOM, GYM. STEP OUT TO PARADISE!! A BREATHTAKING RESORT AT YOUR BACKYARD, AN ENTERTAINERS DREAM WHERE YOU WILL INDULGE IN THE WATERFALLS OF THIS ROCK FORMATTED ENORMOUS SPARKLING POOL, SPA, SLIDE, TENNIS & SPORTS COURT, OUTDOOR KITCHEN WITH STATE OF THE ART VIKING APPLIANCES, CABANA, FIREPLACE, FIREPIT, MATURE CANARY DATE PALM TREES, EXOTIC VEGETATION, LUSH LANDSCAPING THROUGHOUT THESE WELL MANICURED GROUNDS.
Pictures from TMZ.com when Tyga rented the home which match the listing pictures shown in this post and here.



Images courtesy TMZ.com
The Calabasas area is home to many celebrities, athletes, and famous execs as discussed in this blog listed below:
  1. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett rumors of pocket listing of Calabasas compound for $42 million in August 2013.
  2. Marla Maples of Donald Trump fame sold Calabasas home for $2.2 million in July 2013. 
  3. David Hasselhoff moves from Encino to Calabasas paying $1.95 million on May 15, 2013. 
  4. Former NBA star, Mitch Richmond, listed his mansion for sale on April 29, 2013 for $9,495,000.
  5. Former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson listed his mansion for sale on December 3, 2012 for $10,500,000.
  6. The late Eazy-E's wife, Tomica Woods-Wright, home was recently foreclosed on May 11, 2012 and later sold for $2 million on November 27, 2012. 
  7. Justin Bieber recently purchased the former Nicole Murphy (Eddie's ex) on April 6, 2012 for $6.5 million. 
  8. El Piolin (Tweety Bird) Eddie Sotelo's listing of his mansion for the just reduced price of $6.8 million
  9. The former Britney Spears rental was sold for $5.4 million on October 19, 2012.
  10. Baseball great Eric Davis home was sold as a short sale on May 4, 2012 for $1.8 million.
  11. Joey Lawrence purchased on December 13, 2011 for $1,442,500.
  12. NBA star Bryon Russell's home was foreclosed and later sold for $1,560,000.
  13. Nearby neighbors include Katherine Jackson and the rest of the family, Travis Barker,  James Wilson's massive ranchCandi Milo (former), Joel Diamond, and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine to name a few.  
You can view more SFV celebrity real estate here.

The Strimling Residence by Ray Kappe in Encino Is Available As A Pocket Listing

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17269 Oak View Drive
4 Beds/4 Baths on 4,018 sqft on a total lot size of 0.80 acres built in 1964 by Ray Kappe in Encino just south of the Encino reservoir. This house is currently being offered as a pocket listing meaning its not available on the MLS and with no current asking price. This home was last purchased on September 21, 2010 for $1,580,000 so my guess is that the current owners probably want something around $2 million and possibly more. So take out some bets on this one. 

Ray Kappe was born in 1927 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He 1972, he left the Department of Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona to start the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) with a group of faculty and students. He has designed many mid-century modern homes in the Southern California with a good number in the SFV area. You can view his complete list of accomplishments at favorite architecture site Triangle Modernist Houses and LA Curbed.

Other Ray Kappe homes featured on this site include Fredonia Apartment #9 in Studio City which recently sold for $453,000 on March 4, 2013. 

A crowd favorite on the Dwell on Design Home Tour, 2013, this meticulously restored mid-century modern post and beam residence is a testament to the creative genius of Ray Kappe, FAIA, founder of SCI-Arc. Obscured from the street, a long, gated drive leads to a shady glade of trees surrounding a large, private motor court. Inside, dramatic cantilevered rooms, floor to ceiling windows and doors, and an atrium built around a sycamore tree create a sense of living in an exquisite and expansive tree house. Thoughtful renovations remain true to the original design and architecture, creating a timeless homage to one of the most celebrated architects of our time. Completed in 1964, characteristics of this 4 bedroom, 4 bath home influenced the design of Kappe’s own extraordinary home. The main level includes a step-down living room with fireplace, dining, kitchen, master suite and two additional bedrooms and baths. Downstairs an additional entertaining area with fireplace, bedroom and bath open to decks, patio, pool and lush grounds. In this exceptional offering, art and architecture, nature and village all intersect masterfully. This property is not on the MLS. Architect: Ray Kappe, FAIA.
You can view more SFV Architecture and Real Estate here.




























Images courtesy Deasy/Penner & Partners