Notorious Spelling Estate Known As 'The Manor' On The Market Yet Again

Depending on your point of view, it is either one of the grandest or one of the tackiest mansions in Los Angeles. But no matter what your thoughts about the home itself are, there is no doubt that The Manor, the 56,500-square-foot behemoth (about 1,500 square feet bigger than the White House) with 14 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms in Holmby Hills, has provided the real estate world in Los Angeles plenty of drama since it was built in 1991. The home is back in the spotlight this week as its current owner, 25 year-old British heiress Petra Ecclestone (who bought the home in 2011 for $85 million), is showing the house privately at an asking price of $150 million.

Built for super-producer Aaron Spelling and his wife Candy, the house became a source of amusement for Angelenos as it became famous for its THREE gift wrapping rooms, doll museum, and guest rooms bigger than most 2 bedroom apartments. At the time of its construction, the project spawned a controversy over its massive size and ostentatious architecture, with the L.A. Times asking, "What's bigger than a football field, smaller than Hearst Castle, has a bowling alley and an entire floor of closets, and is making some people very annoyed? Aaron and Candy Spelling's mansion in Holmby Hills". It is worth mentioning here that the property also contains 16 carports.

Aaron Spelling died in 2006, and two years later Candy listed the 123-room (!) home for $150 million but had no takers at that price. It finally sold to Eccleson (who now goes by her married name, Petra Stunt) in 2011. She completely overhauled the house, bringing in dark velvet, crystals, a custom coat of arms created by her decorator, and a Marc Quinn sculpture of twin Pamela Andersons in bikinis. There is also a nightclub in the basement, a giant fish tank filled with rare puffer fish, and a spa with a massage parlor, three hair stations, and two mani-pedi chairs (in the room that used to house Spelling's infamous doll collection). So, it seems, Petra has her own "unique" design and decorating tastes as well. 

Curbed LA reports that Petra may be willing to negotiate as long as the price stays above the $102 million price that Fleur De Lys, the L.A. mansion that set the record for highest home sale ever in Los Angeles county, sold for in March.

L.A.'s Quirky Victorian Village

If you blink while passing you'll miss it, but just before the Avenue 43 exit on the Arroyo Seco Parkway amidst the working-class homes and small businesses of Montecito Heights sits a small,  picturesque Victorian village. A restored collection of nineteenth-century houses, a huge Carpenter Gothic church, a red trolley car and a shingled yellow train depot make up the Heritage Square Museum, a "living history museum" that has been quietly working to preserve L.A.'s Victorian architectural history. More impressive is that they have been doing so without the assistance of big donors or crowds for more than 40 years.

Established in 1969 by the Cultural Heritage Board, The Heritage Square Museum was a response to the rapidly increasing demolition of Los Angeles's historic landmarks and neighborhoods. The five-member panel was given the authority to designate Historic-Cultural Monuments in the city of Los Angeles and it was among the first of its kind in the country, predating New York's Landmarks Preservation Law by three years. Most of the buildings sprung up during the first L.A. land boom of the 1880s, and some of these structures stood nearly alone in neighborhoods like Bunker Hill (which had been razed to make way for modern developments). Others no longer fit in with their neighborhoods, like the train depot that sat condemned behind a furniture store in Palms. Over the past four decades, Heritage Square Museum has acquired and begun the restoration on eight historically significant buildings along acres of period appropriate landscaped grounds.

As the pictures below show, the village is fascinating glimpse into the past. A perfect example is the beautifully restored Hale House, built in 1887 at the base of Mount Washington by real estate developer George Morgan. The multi-colored, turreted, upper-middle class house  is a mixture of the Queen Anne and Eastlake styles of architecture and definitely lives up to what the L.A. Times called "'picturesque eclectic" from the "age of exuberance". Another standout is the 1876 William Hayes Perry residence (also known as Mount Pleasant House), considered by many to be the first proper "mansion" built in Los Angeles. 

Perhaps the oddest building is the 1893 Longfellow-Hastings Octagon House, one of the two examples of this strange, fad architecture left in the state. Conceived in the 1840s by amateur architect and scientific quack , Orson S. Fowler, the octagon house plan enjoyed a brief heyday in the East and Midwest in the years before the Civil War. These eight-sided houses, featuring flat roofs and wraparound verandas and were believed to be healthful and cost efficient, letting in more natural light and cheaper to construct and heat. Their popularity had died out by the 1860's so the end-of-century construction date of the one in Heritage Village is an anomaly. 

The Drought Is Making Small Space Gardening More Popular In SoCal

While most Angelenos are not experiencing the devastating effects of the longest drought in California history that many in the Central and Northern regions are, we still need to be as water-wise as possible. I have seen a definite change in the way people have reconfigured their grass lawns by removing turf and planting native California vegetation and drought-resistant plants. Some have created more patio space or used rocks, tile and other materials to get creative. And a big trend now seems to be home owners or condo dwellers with limited outdoor space creating imaginative and beautiful small garden spaces.

If you are looking to create a productive fruit and vegetable garden, there seem to be an unlimited amount of resources on the internet that provide "how-to" ideas, pictures, garden show schedules, budgeting tips, etc. Some of the best that I have found are the Lowe's Southern California Gardening site, the Learn2Grow site and this Sunset Magazine link. Even with limited space you can grow everything from tomatoes and lettuce to carrots and celery to sugar peas and Swiss chard. Plot out a 100 square foot area (even if it’s along a fence, wall, walk or driveway), pick a spot that gets plenty of Winter sun but also a good amount of Summer shade and plan to have a mix of organic soil and fertilizer at least 6 inches thick.  Besides being a great way to have healthy, super fresh fruits and vegetables, small gardens are great way to save money since with just $10 you can buy several packages of seed.

If you are looking for more of a decorative garden to show off your creative skills, this Los Angeles Times link has some inventive suggestions. There is such a great variety of native California plants that require little water that even a small garden can offer endless arrangements and designs. Incorporating rock gardens into the landscape of smaller yards is a big trend now and this Houzz link offers some ideas for that approach. This Decoist link offers ways to make your balcony feel like a garden space if you don't have a yard at all, and the California Native Plant Society gives tips for patio gardens on this link. 

Most of all, whether for growing food or just for show, a well maintained, interesting small space garden can make for a great hobby as well as adding value to your residence. A few diverse examples are shown below.

Some Good Mid-Year News About The 2014 California Housing Market

A mid-year survey by the California Association of Realtors shows there are plenty of reasons to feel good about the housing market heading into the second half of the year. According to the survey, buyer optimism regarding home prices continues to improve, with the vast majority of buyers (81 percent) believing that home prices will rise in five years and 60 percent believing that prices will rise in one year. Higher down payments are still the norm in this market, with buyers putting an average of 28 percent down on their purchases.

In a sign of recent market competitiveness, more than nine in 10 buyers (91 percent) made one or more other offers, with an average of 3.6 offers in 2014, up from three offers in 2013. Additionally, buyers viewed a median of 20 homes in 2014, up from 10 last year. Not all the news is great, however. Given the limited supply of homes available for sale, fewer buyers were satisfied with their home purchase than last year. Only about half of the buyers were satisfied with their purchase in 2014, down from two-thirds (66 percent) in 2013. Roughly half (46 percent) felt "settled" with their their home purchase in 2014, up from 34 percent.

Loan officers and real estate agents should be pleased with the survey's findings that nearly all surveyed buyers (88 percent) still used a real estate agent in the first part of 2014 (though down slightly from 91 percent in 2013). More than nine in 10 buyers (92 percent) obtained a fixed-rate loan, a 23 percent increase from 2009, when only 69 percent obtained a fixed-rate loan, reflecting low rates and the desire for certainty as the market gets back to basics.

The survey also asked questions about social media and found that mobile technology and the Internet continued to be important tools in the home-buying process, with 91 percent saying they used a mobile device to access the Internet during the course of their home purchase. Buyers used their mobile devices to look for comparable home prices (78 percent), search for homes (45 percent), and take photos of neighborhoods, homes, and amenities (43 percent). Conversely, with the increased use of social media, fewer buyers “Googled” their agent (50 percent in 2014, down from 68 percent in 2013), turning to agents’ Facebook pages instead, and nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of those who used an agent found their agent online, compared to only 38 percent who found their agent online in 2003.

Lots Of Buzz About "The Sounds Of Laurel Canyon" Exhibit At The GRAMMY Museum

One of the things that I love to do is show properties up in the Hollywood Hills. The area is home to some of the most amazing architecture and breathtaking scenery on the West Coast, with views that stretch from downtown LA out to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. But the real allure for many is the history of this exclusive neighborhood where every street is named after a bird such as Oriole, Blue Jay Way, Nightingale, Robin, or Thrasher. Some of the greatest actors, writers, artists and musicians of the last 100 years have lived and created their world-renowned works there and, from now through November, the GRAMMY Museum Downtown is celebrating the Hill's Laurel Canyon scene of the 60's and 70's with its California Dreamin’: The Sounds of Laurel Canyon, 1965 - 1977.

Most people probably think of Laurel Canyon these days as a shortcut from Hollywood to the Valley, but in the mid-1960s to 1970s, the area was home to some of the greatest musicians of the rock era, including Joni Mitchell, Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, and members of The Mamas & The Papas, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Musicians flocked to Laurel Canyon because of its idyllic setting, as well as the cheap rent and proximity to Sunset Strip clubs such as the Whisky A Go Go, The Roxy and The Troubadour. The GRAMMY exhibit captures the sights and sounds of the canyon and its narrow, serpentine streets that were home to the creation of some major rock and roll history.

The California Dreamin' exhibit looks so interesting because it documents one of the more overlooked periods in American music history. At the the same time the Laurel Canyon scene was thriving, the Folk scene in New York City and the Psychedelic scene in San Francisco were getting most of the attention. This exhibit shows just how influential (and, in many ways, even more important) what was coming out of the Hollywood Hills truly was. By emphasizing that country-rock was basically invented there, singer/songwriters like James Browne, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt wrote songs that are classic of the 70's there, and showing that since the emergence of the core Laurel Canyon musicians Los Angeles has been the music capital of the world, the exhibit really drives home the importance of that special time and place.

So, this is definitely on my "to do" list and if anybody has been to see the exhibit I would love to hear your thoughts. And, since I am sure some of the people reading this must have some great stories of their own about the Hollywood Hills, or L.A. as a whole, music scene from that period, I would love to hear those as well!

Tiny Homes Having Their Big Moment

I've been reading more and more about the Tiny House Movement this year and I thought I would post about it to see how many of you know what a BIG thing it is (sorry, pun intended). While living in a tiny house (the typical small or tiny house is around 100-500 square feet) is most likely never going to catch on with mainstream America, you'd be surprised just how many people can make a comfortable, stylish and practical home out of minimal space (even here in Los Angeles). There is even a show called Tiny House Nation premiering on multiple cable networks, including the History Channel and A&E, on Wednesday. And Charlotte, North Carolina was the spot for the first ever Tiny Home Conference back in April.

The story behind the most recent rise of the tiny house movement is an interesting one. The modern call for simple living in small spaces seems to have been jump started by Sarah Susanka, an English-born American-based architect, who published The Not So Big House in 1998 and is credited for originating the "Not So Big" philosophy of residential architecture, which aims to "build better, not bigger." Hurricane Katrina gave the movement another push when various architects sought to find a housing solution for the hundreds of thousands of homes that were destroyed in that disaster. Katrina Cottages sprang from that horrible mess and were a permanent alternative to the temporary, and unsuitable, FEMA trailers installed after the disaster. Averaging around 308 sq. feet, thousands were sold at Lowe's stores across America up through 2011, and are now available online.

Of course, the recession and skyrocketing home prices are a major reason the movement is gaining so much traction, but a lot of it also has to do with factors such as reducing our environmental footprint on the Earth, easy home upkeep, more freedom to use our finances for other things and a move towards a simpler lifestyle. And now that it is becoming a somewhat trendy concept, you can bet the hipsters and artists have been coming up with some interesting small home concepts. Even some quite wealthy folks are getting on board and Forbes online even published an article about some tricked out tiny homes, some worth over a million dollars.

The creativity involved in the design and decorating of the homes I've researched online is amazing. Scroll down for some more pics of a variety of different stylish and eye-catching tiny homes.

Young Optimism Drives Housing Market

With the housing market stabilizing at a slow and steady pace, one thing remains fairly constant — optimism about being a home owner among young renters who expect to become home buyers in the near-to somewhat near-future remains high. Though we continue to ecperience a steady stream of buyers and not yet enough inventory, the housing market is definitely still bouncing back — especially if you ask members of the Millennial generation (those born between the early 1980's and the late 1990's).

In a recent study this past Spring by the National Association of Realtors, 87 percent of buyers age 33 and younger considered their home purchase a good financial investment. Survey participants cited their aspirations and long-term stability as factors in their optimism for the market. What is heartening about this positive energy is that, even with the market frictions they came of age in, the study found that the largest group of recent buyers were these Millennials (sometimes called Generation Y or Generation Next),  who comprised 31 percent of recent purchases. They were followed closely by Generation X (those born roughly between the mid 60's and early 80's) at 30 percent.

 I thought these were some other interesting stats:

• Millennials have the largest share of first-time buyers at 76%. The share of first-time buyers declines as age increases. Among the Silent Generation (people born during the Great Depression and World War II) only 2% of buyers are first-time buyers.

• Among all generations of home buyers the first step in the home buying process is looking online for properties for sale. Millennials are most likely among generations to also look online for information about the home buying process, while the Silent Generation is most likely to contact a real estate agent.

• More than half of Gen Y and Gen X buyers used a mobile device during their home search. Among those who did, 26% of Gen Y and 22% of Gen X found the home they ultimately purchased via a mobile device.

• Younger buyers were predominately referred to their agent through a friend, neighbor, or relative, while older buyers were more likely to use an agent again that they previously used to buy or sell a home.

• Overall 88% of recent buyers financed their home purchase. Nearly all (97%) of Millennial buyers financed compared to just 55% of Silent Generation buyers.

• Among the generations, Millennials (29%) are the largest group who are recent home sellers followed by both Older Boomers (22%) and Younger Boomers (21%).

• Younger sellers are more likely to use the same real estate agent or broker for their home purchase than older sellers, as they are typically moving closer to their previous residence.

Lots of Hubbub At The La Brea Tar Pits This Past Week

There has been a lot of action at the La Brea Tar Pits in the last week as scientific excavation resumes after 7 years, the long hidden Observation Pit reopens, and the $650 million transformation of the LACMA campus abutting the Tar Pits is redesigned to be more environmentally and aesthetically friendly to the world's densest collection of prehistoric fossils.

Regarding the LACMA revamp, Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has modified his grand plans to transform the museum campus by altering the shape of his building to stretch across bustling Wilshire Boulevard and away from the neighboring Tar Pits. Critics of the original design, which would replace four aging buildings, had raised environmental concerns that it would have cast a shadow over tar pits rich with Ice Age fossils. The new design incorporates a bridge over Wilshire where visitors inside the museum could walk over Wilshire Boulevard and glance down at an expanse of the road, while drivers in cars below could look up into the perimeter of the glass-walled museum. As before, the plan calls for the entire building to be perched about 30 feet above the ground on glass cylinders. Learn more here.

Back at the La Brea Tar Pits, the George C. Page Museum is debuting a host of improvements this Summer, chief of which is the reopening after several decades of the Observation Pit, the first fossil museum to open in Los Angeles and the only fossil museum in L.A. until the Page opened in 1977. The museum has also added a new Excavator Tour this week to explore L.A.'s Ice Age past, and the Woolly Mammoths, giant sloths and Saber-tooth tigers have been returned to their original places and positions of demise after years of restoration. 

The most exciting aspect of the reopening of the Observation Pit (which overlooks the pool of bubbling, naturally occurring asphalt called Pit 91) is that scientists and paleontologists are now back to work there after digging was halted in 2007 to focus on a trove of fossils unearthed during a nearby construction project named Project 23.  The public can once again look on as workers dig for prehistoric treasure to add to the five million fossils uncovered at the tar pits, of which almost a million came from Pit 91. Also, many of the museum’s excavators are still working on Project 23 and visitors can watch the Project 23 team from behind a fence.