Eva Longoria Takes Major Loss on the Old Tom Cruise Compound
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Although L.A.’s high-end real estate market has been essentially halted by coronavirus-induced chaos, the deals have not stopped happening altogether. After more than 2.5 years of trying, television actor turned producer Eva Longoria has finally managed to unload her massive Hollywood Hills compound. Situated atop a nearly sheer cliff and tucked behind massive gates, the sprawling complex looms directly over a hairpin curve on world-famous Mulholland Drive.
Unfortunately for Longoria, the sale didn’t translate into a financial profit. The $8.25 million transfer price rang in far below the whopping $11.4 million the “Desperate Housewives” alum originally paid in 2015, and represents a nearly $3.2 million loss on the property — all before taxes, realtor fees and extreme maintenance costs for a compound that spans nearly three acres of land.
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Though it’s not yet clear who the discount buyer is, the property is located smack-dab in the middle of an area known for being densely populated by celebrities, and some of the nearest neighbors include Chris Evans, Justin Timberlake and Drew Carey.
And the now-former Longoria estate has a pedigreed ownership heritage of its own. Back in the mid-aughts, it was famously acquired by Tom Cruise, though it’s believed the “Mission: Impossible” star never utilized the place as his primary residence; rather, unsubstantiated rumors say the heavily-fortified estate functioned as some sort of Scientology retreat.
Per the listing, the property is reminiscent of an old-world country estate in Tuscany. The main residence is a European-style villa with wide-plank hardwood floors, three bedroom suites, Venetian plaster walls and a chef’s kitchen with an impressive array of designer appliances, while the nearby guesthouse has another four bedrooms and another impressively upgraded kitchen.
The estate’s grounds impress and offer numerous terraces for alfresco dining or large-scale entertaining, a lagoon-style swimming pool crossed over by a wooden footbridge, a greenhouse and meandering stone pathways that criss-cross the entire property. Commanding hilltop views take in a wide swathe of the L.A. basin, from the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel mountains.
Also included with the sale were approved plans for a major remodel of the entire estate. Designed by architect Mark Rios of the acclaimed Rios Clementi Hale Studios, the renderings show a more modernized version of the existing compound, with an expanded main house and new pool complex.
Longoria, now married to Mexican media mogul José Bastón and a new mother, has moved on from the Hollywood Hills to the nearby 90210. Back in 2017, she paid $13.5 million for a snazzy new mansion set privately behind a long, gated driveway, high in the mountains above Beverly Hills.
Josh Altman of Douglas Elliman and Eddie Fallah of the Lux Group jointly held the listing; Peter Lorimer of PLG Estates repped the buyer.
Launch Gallery: Inside Eva Longoria's Hollywood Hills Compound
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