We know everyone always loves reading about Beverly Park, so we just couldn’t resist straying from our usual tack and heading back up that hill once again. See those pearly gates in the distance, just above the clouds? Yes, mortals, that’s Beverly Park.
Although it has been quietly shopped around off-market for a decade or more, Beverly Park‘s Villa Firenze estate has now finally hit the MLS for the very first time. And with a $165 million thud. Blimey! Well, it is the largest and most lavish home in the enclave.
The current owners — more on them in a moment — custom-built the village-like compound in the late 1990s and raised their family on the premises, though they are now empty-nesters. Perhaps that is why they are beginning to get more serious about selling. Surely the upkeep costs on an estate of this magnitude must be terrifying, not that they can’t afford it.
If this house seems familiar — yes, we wrote about it a few months ago when it was still “pocket listed” off-market (with the same asking price). We’ll be more brief in our assessment here, but we will say that the property cost tens of millions to construct and was built with high-end everything. Naturally.
Located high in the mountains above Beverly Hills, Beverly Park is without a doubt the most expensive and exclusive guard-gated community in Los Angeles, a place where there are hundreds of gated communities scattered across the landscape. But Beverly Park is particularly notable for a few important reasons.
For one, residents here are very security-conscious. Paranoid, some folks might call it. Beverly Park is divided into two sections — Beverly Park North and Beverly Park South — and has three guard-gated entrances, one in the South and two in the North. All entrances are guarded 24/7. In addition, there are 24/7 security patrols who rove around the community. And each and every estate within the fortress-like enclave sits behind its own mechanized, camera-watched gate.
Moreover, many of the residents have their own private security teams who patrol. Of course, there are hundreds of security cameras littered throughout the community.
To put it simply — no matter where y’all are in the 250 acres of Beverly Park, there are probably a couple pairs of eyes watching and analyzing your every move. Candid camera, but with a billionaire twist. Feeling famous yet?
Speaking of fame, many of Beverly Park’s residents already have that in spades. The big B.P. is known for its Hollywood celebrities, and current residents include Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Eddie Murphy, Steve Harvey, Samuel L. Jackson, Magic Johnson, Sylvester Stallone, Rod Stewart, and Kimora Lee Simmons.
Lastly, Beverly Park is known for also attracting foreign businesspeople, many of them low-profile billionaires. Residents include folks from Indonesia, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, Lebanon, Dubai, Pakistan, and even little-known countries like Kazakhstan and Africa’s Côte d’Ivoire.
However, the current owners of Villa Firenze are neither Hollywood celebrities nor foreigners. They are American billionaires named Steve & Christine Hazy.
Born in Hungary but raised primarily in Los Angeles, the self-made Mr. Hazy grew up poor but went on to essentially create the aircraft leasing industry. Now in his early 70s, he remains a major figure in the business — he is CEO of Air Lease Corporation — and has a net worth of $4 billion, according to Forbes.
Mr. and Mrs. Hazy have four adult children — two sons and two daughters. Their youngest child is in her mid-20s, so it appears as though they may be rattlin’ around in their mammoth Beverly Park spread all alone, save for whatever domestic help they employ.
And for anyone who might be curious, the Hazy family are Mormons. In fact, Yolanda believes they may be the wealthiest LDS family in the whole wide world. But as usual, we digress.
Located in the more-desirable North section of the community, the Hazy estate towers above its neighbors and has views of the surrounding mountains. Built by LA-based mega-mansion specialist William Hablinski, a guy who designed several of the largest estates in Beverly Park, the compound was meant to invoke a traditional Italian village. There’s a 20,000-square-foot main residence, a 5,000-square-foot guest house, a pool house, and one or two other guest houses for a total living space of 28,660-square-feet.
Bizarrely, the listing first pegs the lot size here at 5.43-acres, but then later describes it as “over seven acres”. Neither figure is accurate, according to our research. The estate sits on a two-parcel property that spans a full 10 acres, and there is an additional 2.8-acre undeveloped lot next door (also owned by the Hazys) for a total of nearly 13 acres. All three parcels are included in the asking price.
There’s a very large swimming pool, a football field-sized grassy lawn, a tennis court, formal gardens, a motorcourt capable of accommodating 30+ cars, and at least three formal fountains on the premises. Mature 40-foot Canary palms and a paved walking/hiking trail surrounds the entire compound. And what’s more, the property is so large that it sits on its own private street
You know you’ve made it when you have your own private street, kids.
Fret not — should they sell this place, the Hazys won’t be living under a freeway overpass. As mentioned in our previous story they own two other Beverly Hills Post Office homes just outside the Beverly Park gates. Both pale in size comparison to Villa Firenze, but then again so does basically every other house around so that’s neither here nor there. They also own a ocean-view mega-mansion down in the Orange County coastal community of Dana Point.
Now let’s discuss the proverbial elephant in the room: that $165 million pricetag. Keep in mind, y’all, that no house in Southern California has ever sold for more than $110 million. Moreover, nothing in Beverly Park has ever sold for more than $40 million. That means Mr. and Mrs. Hazy are asking more than quadruple what any of their billionaire neighbors have paid, kids.
We certainly expect this place to set a new neighborhood record once it is sold, as it is admittedly the grandest estate in the ‘hood. But $165 million seems a very tall order to Yolanda. If the Hazys truly want to get serious about unloading this behemoth, they may need to adjust their expectations with a lower price point. Otherwise, we fear they may be sitting on this property for many more years to come.
Then again, what do we know? Perhaps there’s a spendthrift bazillionaire chomping at the bit to own the most extravagant mansion on the hill. But if not, the Hazys can probably afford to remain here for as long as they please.
Listing agents: Rick Hilton & Jeff Hyland, Hilton & Hyland