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Celeb R.E.:The Estate of the Late Jenni Rivera Lists Secluded Encino Mansion

Friday, May 29, 2015 / No Comments
Rivera image courtesy Wikipedia/Horacio Cambeiro






Images courtesy The Herrera Group
Image courtesy Bing Maps
Fresh on the MLS is the former home of the late Jenni Rivera which hit the market on May 28, 2015 for $4.5 million tucked deep in the Encino hills in a small gated community. Rivera is an American singer, songwriter, actress, television producer, and entrepreneur that is recognized as the most important female figure and top selling selling female artist in the regional Mexican music genre. 


Rivera is a SoCal native born and raised in Long Beach and even graduated from Long Beach City College. Rivera was introduced to music along with her sister and four brothers by her father who created a record label, Cintas Acuario, in 1987. Rivera would later go on to start recording music in 1992 at the age of 23. In the beginning of her musical career she was told many times she would not make it in the industry including one instance where an LA radio programmer threw her CD in the trash right in her face. Through perseverance and hard work, Rivera started to gain more traction in the 2000s and started creating successful albums peaking in the top 10. She also produced a reality show for her oldest daughter, Chiquis, and appeared in a spin-off show, I Love Jenni, that featured the Encino home. 

Image courtesy Latina Youtube
As it seemed that Rivera was at the height of her career and nothing could go wrong, tragedy would strike on December 9, 2012 when a private plane she boarded after performing a concert at Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Mexico crashed hard while heading to Toluca, Mexico. The investigation report suspected that the plane crashed into a nose dive at speeds of up to 700 mph based on the wreckage discovered. You can view a small memorial outside the Encino home at the time of her death here

Like all successful artists who die at a young age, Rivera's popularity exploded internationally as sales of her album surged worldwide. By early 2013, Rivera had sold more than 20 million albums and received numerous awards including being recognized as Billboard's highest-ranked woman on the year-end Top Latin Artists chart of 2014 ranking at number 5. Her estate at the end of 2014 was valued at more than $300 million. She left behind 5 children including Chiquis who is following in mom's footsteps with the release of her debut album on June 2, 2015. At the time of Rivera's death, she had filed for divorce from MLB pitcher, Esteben Loaiza, which was not finalized prior to the death. Music runs deep in the family as mentioned before as Rivera's brother, Lupillo, is a Grammy award winning Regional Mexican artist. 

Moving onto the home which measures 7 Beds/8.25 Baths on 9,856 sqft on a total lot size of 3.89 acres (mostly hillside) built in 1999. One odd thing about this property is that it has two completely different addresses and I am not sure why. The listing description states:
Celebrity owned, custom built English Normandy influenced home sits on 3.89 acres in the beautiful area of Encino Hills. Built in 1999, it boasts a total of 7 bedrooms & 10 baths. Located behind private gates, this Estate is guaranteed to please. The impressive foyer greets your guests with a double marble staircase with custom wrought iron railings & soaring ceilings. The sunlight pours into the living area through the floor to ceiling windows & wrought iron French doors. The home also features a gourmet kitchen with Viking Appliances, Bar, Family Room, Dining Area, Private Office with custom built-ins & service area. A large Master Retreat with his & her showers & toilets, Jacuzzi tub, 2 fireplaces, huge custom walk-in closet, finished attic space & workout room. The exterior of the home features a hiking trail, stamped concrete, gunite pool/spa, waterfall, outdoor shower & restroom, outdoor speakers, balcony wrap & columns and an unobstructed view of the city. Perfect for entertaining guests! Other features of the home include marble floors, crown molding, venetian plaster, antiqued trim & casings, built in speakers & security system, granite slab counters, antiqued cabinets, tumbled travertine backsplash, designer vanities/fixtures & much more.
Rivera purchased the property on December 26, 2008 for $3.3 million which was originally listed for sale at $5.995 million on April 11, 2009, so good thing Rivera waited to buy. Loaiza was added sometime after the marriage in 2010 but transferred the property to Rivera on May 2, 2012 from the impending divorce which was roughly 6 months before her death. Based on the current asking price, the Rivera estate stands to make $1.2 million before any expenses. 

You can view more SFV Celeb R.E. here

As a bonus, below are additional locations of interest throughout SoCal starting with the family home in Long Beach (shown below). The house measures 4 Beds/2 Baths on 1,517 sqft on a total lot size of 10,450 sqft built in 1942. It was purchased in March 1977 for $35,000 and I believe this is where the Rivera family was raised. The property is now owned by Rivera's mother. 

Image courtesy Google Maps

Above images courtesy Google Maps
The original property boasted a much larger front yard (middle image above) with an additional 5,218 sqft of land. This land was subdivided and built into a new home in 2009 (third image above) that measures 3 Beds/2 Baths on 1,668 sqft which is currently owned by Rivera's father

Image courtesy Google Maps
Speaking of Rivera's father, he started the recording studio, Cintas Acuario (shown above), where Rivera first started and is still in operation. This property measures 3,498 sqft on a total lot size of 6,004 sqft built in 1948. The property was purchased by the Rivera's parents on August 19, 1993 for $189K. This property is now owned by Rivera's mother. The studio is located at 430 E Market St Long Beach. 

Image courtesy Google Maps
As the family became more successful, they moved into the more affluent Lakewood area. The home measures 3 Beds/4 Baths on 3,125 sqft on a total lot size of 0.27 acres built in 1960. The property was purchased on December 8, 1999 for $540K. This home is now owned by Rivera's mother. Check out the van in the driveway. Also, not shown is that Rivera's parents owned industrial properties in the South Park area of Los Angeles that was sold recently. 

Image courtesy Google Maps

Image courtesy Yelp
Lastly, Rivera starting a fashion boutique (shown above ) at 8544 Van Nuys Blvd Panorama City just prior to her death in 2013 which is still in operation today. 

As another bonus, below are pics from the time Rivera purchased the home.





Above images courtesy Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Northridge Estate Designed by Jack C. Spak Hits the Market

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 / No Comments
Images courtesy First Team Real Estate
8944 Enfield Ave
5 Beds/5 Baths on 4,999 sqft on a total lot size of 0.40 acres built in 1953. The home is located near the CSUN campus and in the coveted Sherwood Forest zip code. This home truly stands out embodying architectural elements of art deco and mid century modern design. The home is available for $1.25 million as of May 21, 2015. Last changed hands on August 19, 2002 for $790K. Prior to the 2002 sale, the home sold for 2001 for $265K, 1977 for $145K, and 1975 for $73K. 

According to the listing, the home is designed by the late architect Jack C. Spak which to be honest, I never heard of, which might be due to the fact that there is very little information about him out there. A quick search in google led me to an LA Times article published on September 4, 1987 discussing a new design for John Wayne Airport by Spak representing Irvine based Gensler & Associates. Today, Gensler is based in San Francisco and is the #1 architectural firm. Spak was based out of Long Beach and I couldnt find anything else regarding other homes he designed so this could be one of the very few available. Spak was born on December 4, 1933 and passed away on Ocotober 10, 1999 at the age of 65.  
Architectural Art. A stunning Estate by the Late Architect Jack C. Spak. Have you ever missed a once in a lifetime opportunity and still regret it to this day? Don't let this house be your next miss. There will never be another home like this built and there is only one in existence. Do you like art? Do you enjoy stunning architecture?. From the Triangle peaked ceilings to the Dual Romeo and Julie Balconies, this home has everything demanded by even the most critical buyers. Do you like one of a kind rare items? Something no one else has or can ever have? Dramatic Angles, and Artistic styling are found in this one of a kind home. Timeless styling and design will impress your friends and set you apart from the crowd. Take a moment to relax by the pool or sit and read a book in one of the two libraries this home has. Take the spiral staircase to the artists loft and enjoy the afternoon painting or Entertain guests in the massive great room. Home also has a free standing guest apartment and a free standing gym housing 4 flat screen TVs (approx. . 600 square feet total) Jack C Spak homes are extremely rare as the majority of his designs were larger scale such as designing the John Wayne Airport. Come view this magnificent home before its gone.
You can view more SFV Architecture and R.E. here.