Although we typically prefer those ’60s TV shows — Mission: Impossible, The Avengers, M.A.S.H. — Yolanda is not just an ignorant old fogey. We like some select stuff from today, too! One of the cornball new(er) shows we like is the How I Met Your Mother, which is cute and sappy and mildly funny in the best way. So when faced with an opportunity to discuss one of the actors’ properties, we naturally couldn’t resist.
The house — multi-family residence is a better term, actually — we are blabbin’ about today was sold by none other than Cobie Smulders.
For those of y’all wondering who Ms. Smulders is, how dare you! She is a very famous lady. Jacoba Francisca Maria Smulders, better known as Cobie, originally hails from British Columbia. She’s bounced around Hollywood for many years and has had several significant roles. These include a recurring part on the long-ago show The L Word and starring in The Avengers (the Marvel film franchise, not the fabulous Diana Rigg ’60s spy show that we adore).
But Ms. Smulders is probably best-known for her long-running role as Robin Scherbatsky on the tremendously-popular HIMYM. That plum job lasted a full decade and made her a very rich woman (if she wasn’t one already). Oh, and she’s also a cancer survivor.
Although Ms. Smulders has owned a modest Culver City house since 2006, she and her husband — comedian Taran Killam — and two young daughters actually live primarily on the East Coast, specifically New York City. We’ll discuss her home out there a little later.
Back in 2009, before she tied the knot with Mr. Killam, Ms. Smulders invested $991,000 of her cash into a three-unit income property in the super-trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of LA. It is Yolanda’s understanding that she never occupied any of these units, she merely rented them out to paying tenants. Listing information states that the property is “professionally managed”.
We’re not exactly sure why she would sell — we doubt she’s hurting for cash — but apparently Ms. Smulders is tired of being a landlady or something because she just dumped the property for $1,425,000 to a guy named Demetri Martin.
Our Mr. Martin is a Yale grad and stand-up comic who is a regular contributor to The Daily Show. He even once had his own variety show on Comedy Central, although that seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird. He has also sold scripts to both DreamWorks and Columbia Pictures.
Since 2012, Mr. Martin and his wife Rachael Beame have resided in an architecturally significant home in the upper reaches of Bel Air. The house was designed by arguably underrated architect and lies just a stone’s throw (get it? get it?) from the Stone Canyon Reservoir.
One more thing, Mr. Martin. Hunny, you know that Yolanda loves ya, but won’t you cut that mop off your head? Pretty please?
Our delicate toupee sensibilities certainly do not approve of Mr. Martin’s rather unfortunate mushroom hairstyle, but you can’t have it all — right? But let’s quit digressing on hair-brained tangents and take a look at his new income-generating property in Los Feliz.
Although described in listing materials as a “triplex”, Yolanda typically thinks of a triplex as being one building divided into three units. Are we wrong?
Anyway, that’s not the case here. This property actually consists of two structures, both two stories and the larger of which is split into two equal-sized two-story units. The smaller, structure has a different address and is a standalone unit with its own two car garage. We’d guess that the rent on the third unit is substantially more, being that this is car-centric LA and all.
The corner lot property is gated and hedged from all sides for privacy. A gravel outdoor area leads down a walkway and gravel front yard to the larger of the two structures.
We’re not sure which unit this is, but we think they are all fairly similar. This one’s got hardwood floors and a lovely sitting room/library with real books and a TV rather oddly — if conveniently — stuck on a shelf in the bookcase.
The front door opens directly to a small dining table. The kitchen looks in need of a refresh, and we especially dislike that big black fridge that that adds a jarring, sour note to the space. But all that is easily rectified.
The entire property appears well-maintained and charming. A quirky backyard spot has a trellis and a couple small outdoor tables. The property is located in the Los Feliz Village cranny of the neighborhood, so tenants always have the option to grab some fresh produce from a neighborhood market and juice up out on the patio.
Ms. Smulders, she has moved to New York City, where in January 2012 she and Mr. Killam forked out $2,000,000 for a three-bed, three-bath condo at the trendy, eco-friendly, and celeb-popular Riverhouse building in Battery Park. Some of her famous neighbors include Leo DiCaprio and Tyra Banks. As of yet, there’s no word on how — and if — she met them, though. Har har.
Ms. Smulders’ agent: Andrew Rhoda, Compass
Mr. Martin’s agent: Brian Capossela, Cap Equity Realty