Wednesday, March 4, 2009

UPDATE: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

After many fits and starts and an uber-extensive search through every $15,000,000+ property in the Platinum Triangle that exhausted and tried the patience of real estate agents and real estate gossips alike, it's looking more and more like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner may finally bite the big real estate bullet.

Last week, after a rather revealing memo from Betty Blathersalot and another even more enlightening chit-chat with well konnected Karl Katoutofthebag, Your Mama floated a rather vague discussion about Bennifer (or whatever they're gossip glossy moniker is) setting their notoriously fickle sights on a $20,000,000+ property that had been languishing on the market for an ice age. Since it now appears more specific information is leaking out about their real estate doings, Your Mama figures we don't need to keep our big trap shut on the details anymore.

According to Your Mama's been spilling sources, the preggers pair have been negotiating to buy super-producer Brian Grazer and wifey Gigi Levangie-Grazer's sprawling estate in The Riviera section of Pacific Palisades, CA which was last listed at a whopping $24,500,000.

The 3+ acre, flag lot property provides a gated and tree-lined paparazzi proof driveway, a sprawling 8,798 square foot single story Cliff May designed main house with 5 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, 4 fireplaces, and what listing information called, "the best projection room in L.A."

In addition to the multi-winged main house, the self-contained compound also includes a separate building with an office, art studio, gym and two bathrooms as well as a guest house, hidden underneath the back yard lawn. Yes children, underneath. The underground space includes two suites for guests or staff, 3 bathrooms, a billiard room, craft room and long views towards the Pacific Ocean. Additional this and thats include a half-court basketball court, a bank of solar panels, an amoeba shaped swimming pool, massive flat lawn areas perfect for gin fueled croquet tournaments, several outdoor terraces for entertaining and, natch, a seriously state of the art security system that Your Mama imagines will zap any foolish intruder with a million volts of electricity before letting them step foot on the property.

Now then, let's all cross our fingers and toes this deal goes through because, quite frankly, we're a little tired about talking about these two.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anymore pics? Apparently this place is absolutely stunning - I'm surprised it's been on the market for so many years ... WEA have the listing but the pics are password protected *sigh*

Anonymous said...

http://www.efg19.com/realtor/stephen_shapiro/index.htm

There is no link to a tour, but the tour that starts automatically on the home page is for this house.

Its an amazing house, can't believe how long it stayed on the market.

Anonymous said...

I thought Brian Grazer and Gigi Levangie-Grazer were divorced--or did I just dream that? The house is amazing, but still seems expensive in this crazy economy. I hope Ben and Jen buy it just so we don't have to hear about them anymore!

Anonymous said...

Apparently the Glazers have been willing to sit it out and wait for just the right buyer...much like Bennifer have been willing to sit it out until they found just the right property.

Anonymous said...

It's certainly a stunning property...but who thought up the basketball hoop placement. Any shot that bounces over, or is overshot, will go right into the ravine!

Of course, if you have $24mm to spend on a house, I'm sure you have some extra balls!

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:36
LOL. That was the first thought I had when I saw that picture. I wondered how many balls were lost.

Anonymous said...

Nah, the basketballs tend to get flat before they disappear, that's why there's always like 10 on the court. It's an amazing - and comfortable - property, but kind of too big and creepy at night because of all the glass and doors around the house.

The screening room is really nicely set up, and the wine cellar is right outside the door. The rest of the underground area though, ehh.

The Grazers aren't divorced yet. They aren't selling due to the divorce or needing cash, but because neither wants to live in it.

Anonymous said...

Nah, the basketballs tend to get flat before they disappear, that's why there's always like 10 on the court. It's an amazing - and comfortable - property, but kind of too big and creepy at night because of all the glass and doors around the house.

The screening room is really nicely set up, and the wine cellar is right outside the door. The rest of the underground area though, ehh.

The Grazers aren't divorced yet. They aren't selling due to the divorce or needing cash, but because neither wants to live in it.

Anonymous said...

Just looking at photos of the high maintenance property exhausts me.

Anonymous said...

I like it.

Sort of a interesting compartmentalized house design.

Price is a little high compared to the other houses in the area, but this is a property price. It is one of the biggest lots in the area.

Lot of room for the kids. Does it come with the trampoline on the lawn?

The bad thing is some of it is on a steep hill and it in a very horsy area. Nice view of horse corrals, pens, and arenas if you like Mr. Ed.

http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/37626/view/?service=1

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1700-San-Remo-Dr-Pacific-Palisades-CA-90272/65242426_zpid/

Anonymous said...

Looks likely ... The listing for this property was on WEA's website yesterday - today it's been taken down

Anonymous said...

I love the sycamore trees in the parking area. They scream old time Southern California estate.

And the interior is warm and liveable. The kitchen, house light fixtures, wood work, and molding are just class AAA GREAT.

But the polished driveway looks like it could get a little slippery when wet. Put on your boat shoes in the rain.

lil' gay boy said...

Fuck the Genuflects, or whatever we're call them this week.

But I have ALWAYS loved this Cliff May gem –––– and if they dare desecrate it, they WILL pay.

Anon 9:59, I wouldn't be too concerned with the creep factor; it looks like there's plenty of neighbors at a comfortably discreet distance to hear any blood curdling screams in the night.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the couple's hunt to acquire a private, family friendly property has finally paid off. I love everything about it except the cost, not that I have serious reservations about the land, views, and other desirable factors combined justifying a premium asking price. I'm just not at all convinced that this is the time to be newly investing serious dollars in real estate regardless of circumstances, and the more expensive the more caution applies.

This beautiful home and it's rooms have the potential to positively ooze ambience and warmth, as I'm sure they will after Jenufleck put their personal decorating stamp on the place, (your All Time Best uni-name Mama). Quite alot of landscaping to maintain, but gotta love the property. Thanks to 8:20 and 10:49 for the links.

And many thanks to Mama for another multi-installment real estate saga/adventure. Satisfactory, happy endings like this kind of make it all worth it :)

Anonymous said...

I too thought the Grazers were already dunzo in divorce court. I stand corrected. Gigi is a smart, tough cookie.

Not my kind of house, but I do like the pool and I LOVE Pacific Palisades.

Anonymous said...

Love conquers all.

For the Grazer's it's real estate sales conquers all!

The Affleck's will break up a marriage made in escrow.

Anonymous said...

My dream Hollywood home would be more the old world type home ...lots of mouldings, a neighborhood with closer neighbors.
This looks too contemporary and too secluded.

Village said...

I like it. Especially the ocean view. A lovely home, and easy to fence off the pool, important with little ones.

Anonymous said...

Nice house, overpriced like all California houses, but nice nonetheless.

Anonymous said...

Great house. By the way, the art laying up against the studio walls are Brian Grazer originals. He has an interesting take on the female anatomy.

Anonymous said...

I thought this house was listed at $17.5. With the amount of asset deflation going on, you'd be an idiot to buy this house unless you got a steep discount. Under Obama, there aren't going to be a lot of executives pulling in $100s of millions a year to drive up the prices on these houses... palisades high end, NYC, hamptons has yet to collapse. good luck to all. and who knows what the grazers are up to? didn't she recently buy a house in "gillette regent"?

Anonymous said...

interesting house, looks like there is another level under the back patio in addition to whats under the yard.
thats alot of house & property.

K said...

"I wondered how many balls were lost."

I think only the ones attached to Brian, when Gigi wrote her novel The Starter Wife, a fictionalized account of the breakup of their marriage. Hilarious book.

Anonymous said...

The neighborhood has the most expensive Private Patol in L.A.....

Anonymous said...

Amazing the money that two middling actors have to spend on residential real estate. Makes one suspect the profession is vastly overcompensated. Let us hope the depression hits these people too, but I fear it may not.

Anonymous said...

Is that Nadya Suleman or Average Joe at 6:12pm?

Anonymous said...

The preggers pair is no longer preggers. She had another girl(Seraphina Rose) a month or two ago.

Anonymous said...

Based on these pics along...Oh no, Afflecks. Where are the money shots cuz surely this isn't it?