Yolanda thought we’d do something a wee bit different today. We realize that we pay the Westside of LA entirely too much attention up in this here blog. It’s not okay that we neglect other areas, other areas like the wilderness that is the San Fernando Valley.
Yeah, the only time we chat about the Valley is to occasionally toss a snarky comment its way now and again. Come on, the Valley is hot! It needs all the shade we can give — get it?!
But that’s unfair. There are many expensive neighborhoods out there. Who knows why, but there are! Probably the most prestigious (and pricey) of all of them is Hidden Hills, which sits way out in the boondocks, dangerously close to Ventura County. But it sports the Kardashians and mega-mansions that routinely sell for over 10 million bucks, so there’s that. Hidden Hills is best known for its proliferation of celebrity residents, particularly those from the music and professional sports industries.
So this week we’re gonna atone for our neglect — Yolanda will try to write about a Hidden Hills house every day of this week! It’s gonna be tough, but we are down to grin and bear it for y’all.
Last summer, a humongous white elephant of a Hidden Hills mansion finally transferred for $7,400,000 after an eternity on the market. When we say an eternity, Yolanda means it. This place was on the market essentially non-stop since September 2006! That’s a full 10 years, kiddies.
Come to think of it, Yolanda doesn’t know of any other house that was for sale quite as long as this place. Just recall: 10 years ago, George W. Bush was still our president, True Religion jeans were still in style, and Paris Hilton was still famous.
Oooh! Ouch. Did we say that out loud?
As they say in real estate — every ass has a saddle. Eventually, a mysterious corporate entity came and paid the aforementioned $7.4 million. Records show that this LLC leads down a dead-end road, to a legal address in Missouri (?!) of all places.
So who could the buyer be? It took Yolanda eons to figure it out, but finally we know. It’s a 6’10” (or 6’9″, depending on where you look) Ferrari-driving guy named Paul George.
If you’re reading this and you just stumbled across this here blog, you probably already know who Mr. George is. But as the regulars all know, Yolanda is a bit ignorant when it comes to the world of professional sports. So we had no idea, but it turns out he’s a much-decorated and very popular (5.4 million Instagram followers and counting!) pro basketball player who has spent most of his career playing for the Indiana Pacers but currently makes his professional home with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mr. George originally hails from Southern California — the Antelope Valley, to be precise. So that could explain why he’s eager to set down some roots out here.
The 15,973-square-foot colossus was built in 1989 and contains a total of 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. While we love the mature sycamore trees and rolling lawns in the front yard, Yolanda is not fond of the building itself, which has a pitched roof and an arched entryway that looks a bit too much like a suburban house of worship or a small town’s city hall than a luxurious Hidden Hills mega-mansion.
Like a good 80s mullet, the house drops down party-style to two full floors out back. There’s a full-size basketball court and plenty of room for entertaining, although the actual yard seems a bit smaller than one might imagine for 1.44 acres. Blame that on the enormous proportions of the house itself.
“Grandly scaled” would be how Yolanda would describe the interior spaces. The centerpiece of the home, naturally, is the airplane hangar-like 4,000-square-foot great room with its walls of glass, acres of book-matched limestone flooring, and views out over the neighboring hills of Calabasas.
Other spaces include a brand-new kitchen that still manages to look somewhat dated (maybe it’s those hideous bar stools) and an adjoining formal dining room with a table that can easily seat 12.
All the usual suburban mcmansion creature comforts can be found in this place: a game room/lounge, a wood-paneled library, and a home theater.
Out back there views galore and shade from the hot San Fernando Valley sun under the covered loggias. Naturally — in addition to the basketball court and pool — there’s an outdoor kitchen and even a wooden kid’s playhouse that may or may not be built-in. In any case, we’re sure Mr. George will appreciate this feature — he and his ex-stripper baby mama Daniela Rajic have one toddler-age daughter and another child on the way. Mazel tov!
Our Mr. George’s new Hidden Hills mansion sits in the “Ashley Ridge” section of Hidden Hills — long the most-coveted area in town — and as such he’s got a whole slew of very rich (and in some cases very famous!) new neighbors. Right next door, for instance, is an enormous estate that was acquired by baseball legend Vin Scully back in 2009 for a whopping $12,400,000.
Also in the “Ashley Ridge” section are the mansions of comedians Russell Peters and Howie Mandel, Nickelodeon emperor Dan Schneider, auto dealership magnate Howard Keyes (Keyes on Van Nuys!), and record producer Rodney Jerkins aka Darkchild.
Now then — tomorrow Yolanda will show y’all another Hidden Hills mansion that more accurately represents what today’s luxury homebuyers are looking for. But for now, we digress.
Listing agents: Marc & Rory Shevin, Berkshire Hathaway HomeService
Paul George’s agent: Geoffrey D. Gasway