For decades, Pacific Palisades has been considered one of LA’s most desirable neighborhoods. The nature-filled Westside community features countless scenic hikes, ocean breezes, lavish estates and beautiful Will Rogers State Park. And let’s not forget its close proximity to Malibu and Santa Monica.
Many people hear “Palisades” and imagine the real estate is well beyond their financial reach. But that’s simply not true — even monetary mortals can afford a fancy home in the nabe (er, so long as you’re a regular folk who has banked a few million). Yes, kids, you really can find brand-new Palisades luxury homes for less than 5 million smackers! For now, at least.
Take today’s property. Last sold for $2,441,500, the existing home was quickly demolished to make way for what y’all might term a “contemporary Traditional” new build. Developed by JJP Construction and Shelter Homes LA — these are the same folks who did up a $6 million Studio City pad recently purchased by DJ Alesso — the new residence swiftly sold for $4,425,000. That’s $30k more than the asking price but still a relative bargain by Pac Pal standards.
The new owner is a blind trust front for Tom Wellington, a bigshot talent agent at William Morris Endeavor (WME). 40-year-old Mr. Wellington has been at Endeavor for well over a decade, and he’s long specialized in repping TV writers. His clients include Jonah Nolan and Matt Nix — just to name a couple.
In 2013, Mr. Wellington scored a big promotion — he’s now listed as a WME Partner, which basically means he’s way more important now. And the paychecks are much fatter, of course.
Naturally Yolanda has no idea what Mr. Wellington rakes in on an annual basis. Nor do we have an inkling about his approximate net worth. But a recent report estimates that talent agency partners command $400,000 to $700,000 per year. And given that Endeavor is generally considered LA’s most prominent talent agency, we expect Mr. Wellington’s earnings are on the higher end of that range.
On the personal front, Mr. Wellington originally hails from Washington DC. He is married and has a young daughter, so it ain’t a big surprise that the growing Wellington clan has purchased bigger, more family-friendly new digs. Let’s take a look.
The 4,000-square-foot structure has a two-tone grey/honey-colored wood facade that flaunts a vague “modern barn” vibe, the kinda style thing ever so trendy these days.
A paltry 0.15-acre lot size definitely won’t win any size awards, but it’s typical for the tightly-packed Bluffs region of the Palisades. Because the property is long and narrow, the house Is likewise, well, long and narrow — a good thing if you fancy lengthy hallways and such.
The front door opens directly into the living room, which opens to the formal dining area. Beyond that, a herringbone-patterned hallway leads past the staircase and a glassy wine closet to the chic kitchen. Yolanda rather loves the black-and-white color scheme and gold accents, so sue us.
Conveniently adjacent to the kitchen is the fireplace-equipped family room, which opens via Fleetwood pocket doors to an al fresco dining area on the terrace.
The spacious (but not humongous) home sports 5 beds and 5.5 baths. The master goes for a neutral color scheme and impresses with its private balcony overlooking the backyard, its bathroom with dual vanities and soaking tub, and a large walk-in closet.
If Yolanda is allowed to make one complaint, let it be this: for almost 4.5 million bucks, we want a damn swimming pool. Mr. Wellington’s new backyard has no cement pond (and not much space to install one, either) which would be a deal-breaker in our book.
But if y’all can live without the pool and content yourself with a firepit and grassy lawn — as the Wellingtons obviously can — more power to ya. And hey, the beach is only a five-minute drive away.
This luxurious new home is conveniently situated just two blocks south of Sunset Boulevard and a mere half-mile from the trendy (and revitalized) downtown Palisades Village, with its plethora of shopping and dining options. While there don’t appear to be any big celebs on Mr. Wellington’s new street, the property is only a quick jog away from both veteran actor Anthony Hopkins’ new $6.6 million mansion and pro chef Giada de Laurentiis’s fancy $6.9 million spread.
Listing agent: Dennis Chernov, Keller Williams
Tom Wellington’s agent: Marie Peterson, Coldwell Banker