Hot Property: Zac Efron eyes an exit in Los Feliz

Efron touched up the swimming pool and spa to take advantage of the panoramic views during his seven-year stay.
Efron touched up the swimming pool and spa to take advantage of the panoramic views during his seven-year stay. (Jeff Elson)

Fresh off his travels from the Netflix show “Down to Earth,” Zac Efron is taking care of some business back in L.A. The actor recently listed his perch in the hills of Los Feliz for $5.9 million.

A sale would cap a seven-year stay for Efron, who paid $4 million for the property in 2013. He made some changes during his time there, updating the swimming pool and spa with a waterfall to take advantage of the scenic setting, with views from downtown L.A. to the Pacific Ocean.

The contemporary compound sits at the end of a gated driveway in the Oaks, a coveted neighborhood up against the Hollywood Hills that’s home to celebrities and architectural landmarks such as Lloyd Wright’s Mayan Revival-style masterpiece the Samuel-Novarro House.

Efron’s place spans 5,644 square feet, with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a handful of Zen-inspired living spaces, each with sweeping views of the city below. A long, covered entry approaches the home. Inside, wood floors, accent walls and custom fireplaces give the common spaces character. A brick wall stretches behind a gold fountain in the sky-lit foyer, and the adjacent kitchen adds clerestories and oversize windows. Floating stairs descend to an indoor-outdoor game room.

The home, with three stories of decks and balconies, stretches laterally across its hillside lot. The spa is tucked into the dining patio, and its runoff water cascades to the swimming pool a story below. The property covers just under an acre.

Kathrin Nicholson of the Agency holds the listing.

A native of San Luis Obispo, Efron rose to fame through the “High School Musical” trilogy from 2006 to 2008. In the years since, the 33-year-old has starred in “17 Again,” “Neighbors,” “Dirty Grandpa,” “Baywatch” and the 2019 film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.”

A smooth handoff among celebrities

In the middle of football season, Houston Texans receiver Randall Cobb managed to make a pass in Tarzana, quietly selling his traditional-style home in an off-market deal for $5.05 million.

Records reveal that the buyers were 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey and his wife, model-actress Vanessa Lachey, who picked up the property through the same trust they used to buy an Encino home in 2016.

It was a short stay for Cobb; he paid $4.76 million for the 7,000-square-foot home two years ago, The Times previously reported.

The amenity-loaded home includes a movie theater, wine cellar, gym, billiards room, swimming pool and basketball court.
The amenity-loaded home includes a movie theater, wine cellar, gym, billiards room, swimming pool and basketball court. (NearMap)

Gated walls and hedges surround the house, which was built in 2014 and boasts Cape Cod style across two stories. Blue shutters adorn the white exterior. Inside, living spaces feature hardwood floors, coffered ceilings, paneled walls and pocketing doors.

Upstairs, the loft and primary suite — one of five bedrooms — extend to private terraces with views of the city. Other amenities include a billiards room, movie theater, gym and wine cellar.

There’s plenty of space out back as well, as covered patios adjoin a grassy lawn, outdoor kitchen, swimming pool and spa. At the edge of the property, steps descend to a full-size basketball court.

After a standout college career at Kentucky, Cobb was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. The 30-year-old made the Pro Bowl in 2014, and this April he signed a three-year deal with the Texans worth $27 million.

Nick and Vanessa Lachey married in 2011. The couple co-hosted Netflix’s “Love Is Blind.”

Former Clipper keeps buying L.A. homes

With all the Los Angeles real estate moves Blake Griffin is making, you’d think he was still a Clipper. The Detroit Pistons star bought his second Brentwood home this year right before the start of the NBA season, shelling out $5.87 million for a 1930s traditional.

If he wants to visit his other Brentwood home, all he’ll have to do is hop the fence out back. His new spot sits directly behind his other one, a modern farmhouse that he bought in the spring for $19.1 million. If he combines the two lots, the compound will exceed an acre.

His new place is the smaller of the two, covering about 5,900 square feet, with five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. A stone pathway winds through the frontyard, approaching a tan exterior marked by sets of shutters.

The living spaces could use an update, but highlights include a gym, wine cellar, kitchen with Brazilian granite and a billiards room with a massive stained-glass window. Upstairs, the primary suite features three closets.

Outside, the house wraps around a spacious stone terrace with an outdoor dining area and covered lounge with a fireplace. Down below, a backyard with tropical landscaping includes a swimming pool and spa.

A native of Oklahoma, Griffin became the national college player of the year with the Sooners before being drafted first overall by the Clippers in 2009. He rose to stardom soon after, winning NBA rookie of the year in 2011 and becoming a six-time all-star.

Jordana Leigh of Rodeo Realty Beverly Hills held the listing. F. Ron Smith and David Berg of the Smith & Berg Partners team at Compass represented Griffin.

Publishing royalty lands on the beach

It’s no Hearst Castle, but Anne Hearst’s new place is still pretty nice. The granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, along with her husband, novelist Jay McInerney, paid $10.72 million for a Malibu beach house, The Times has confirmed.

The oceanfront home hit the market over the summer for $11.95 million — the first time it was offered in more than 40 years. The purchase comes about a year after the publishing heiress’ home in the Hamptons was reportedly destroyed in a fire.

Built in 1930, the two-story home sits on one of Southern California’s most exclusive stretches of sand, Malibu Colony Beach, at one point the priciest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles County.

The listing identifies the house as a California bungalow. It takes full advantage of the coastal setting with a patio for entertaining that ascends to a raised wood deck overlooking the coastline. Inside, four bedrooms and four bathrooms are spread across 2,520 square feet.

Beamed ceilings top parquet floors in the common spaces. The living room boasts a brick fireplace. Other highlights include an open-concept dining area and galley-style kitchen lined with yellow tile.

Hearst is the daughter of former Hearst Chairman Randolph Apperson Hearst and the sister of Patty Hearst, who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in the 1970s.

McInerney has been writing novels since the ’80s, including “Story of My Life,” “Brightness Falls” and “Bright Lights, Big City,” which was adapted into a movie starring Michael J. Fox. The pair married in 2006.

Hilton & Hyland’s Chad Rogers held the listing. Rick Hilton, Barron N. Hilton and Chad Rogers, all with Hilton & Hyland, represented Hearst and McInerney.

Baseball vet swings for the fences

Major League Baseball veteran Asdrúbal Cabrera is hoping for a home run this offseason. After building a 9,300-square-foot mansion in Southwest Ranches, Fla., the slugger listed it for sale at $8.9 million.

The two-time all-star, who won a World Series title with the Washington Nationals in 2019, said in a statement he was selling the home to focus on a more equestrian lifestyle.

The brand-new home was designed by Miami-based architecture firm Choeff Levy Fischman, which has built modern showplaces for New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez and Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard.

Cabrera’s place covers two acres in the gated community of Landmark Ranch Estates. An 11-foot wooden door sets a dramatic tone. Inside, seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms are spread across two stories.

The sleek living spaces are marked by modern finishes, high-end appliances and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass. There’s an Italian-inspired kitchen, a bonus room with a wet bar and a living room with a multilevel LED chandelier.

The second-story owner’s suite, accessible by elevator or a floating wood staircase, opens to one of two decks that line the back of the home. Other amenities include a gym, wine cellar and movie theater.

Outside, a marble deck wraps around a swimming pool and spa. A sunken fire pit, basketball court and outdoor kitchen complete the property.

A native of Venezuela, Cabrera reached the big leagues in 2007. The 35-year-old switch-hitting slugger has played for the Cleveland Indians, Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers, cranking out 199 home runs and 827 RBIs. He is currently a free agent.

Giselle Bonetti of Coldwell Banker Realty holds the listing.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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