Thursday, June 4, 2009

UPDATE: Randolph Duke

Last December, Randolph Duke–dress designer to celebrity ladees and other rich females–listed his Xten Architecture designed dernier cri-ish domicile on Los Angeles' Fareholm Drive with a muscular asking price of $8,250,000.

The listing quickly vanished and we heard (but can not confirm) that the exuberantly decorated 3 bedroom and 3.5 bathroom residence was being leased out for big bucks. Well children, the crisp and pointy pad which Your Mama thinks must be one of the queerest cribs in all of LaLa Land is back on the market and with a major mark down to $6,500,000.

Even though Miz Duke slashed an astronomical million and three quarter clams off the asking price, we're quite sure some of the children will say it is still a remarkably optimistic number for the neighborhood...which happens to be the same neck of the hills where that annoying Kanye West lives in a minimal and art filled paean to his own over-sized ego.

We shall see.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

It vanished off the mls quickly but it has constantly been listed on the Sothebys website & Brett Lawyers website up until about a week ago ... It's a stunning house [minus Dukes furniture!] but the location kinda sucks.

Anonymous said...

"the location kinda sucks."

Is it too far to the East?

Anonymous said...

^

No, I love Outpost, The Oaks, Los Feliz etc which are all further east ... I just don't think this part of the Hollywood Hills is nice & this street in particular is one of the ugliest streets in the hills

Anonymous said...

Liked him in "Trading Places"

Anonymous said...

The neighbrhood could be described as up and coming at best, and he was at the head of the curve. The views are great, but it to far east to be in prime Hollywood Hills and to far west to be part of the nicer areas to the east like Los Feliz / The Oaks, etc. Had the real estate market not crashed this area probably would be one of the next develping areas because of the amazing views and availablity of lots / cheap houses to tear down or renovated, but now with the crash this house becomes the nicest house on the worst block by FAR. The neighborhood houses are literally all $1-2 million with this one grogeous house plopped in the middle.

Awseome house, a lil too gay in decor but the house itself could be masculine with the right decor. Just such a shame on the location, but for the person who doens't mind the neighborhood is could be a score bc if this house was in the Bird Streets / Sunset Plaza / Beverly Hills it would be millions more.

That said, given the nature of the market and value of the land... the house is still overpriced. Building in LA is such a long process but you could really build a house a lot alot cheaper right now than buying many of these homes.

:{} avg joe said...

zillow says this home is worth 8.5 MM

but they are asking 3.9MM

http://guests.themls.com/profile_page.cfm?mls=09-372797&tab=search&p=11&t=1

sign of things to come ?

and zillow needs to knock off 50% of their estimates, they are way way off base now, don't you think ?

Anonymous said...

7:43, I think it's you that wouldn't be missed. Take a chill pill, dear.

lil' gay boy said...

"...a lil too gay in decor but the house itself could be masculine..."

Excuse me?

What has one got to do with the other?

Rich said...

For lil'gay boy...To be really, really masculine this house needs a couple of la-z boy recliners and one 'o them couches with the holder for your beer built right in.

Anonymous said...

7:43

If foreclosures sell for "less than market value" then why wouldn't the seller have sold it at market value before getting booted?

Market value is market value regardless of who is selling.

lil' gay boy said...

"...a couple of la-z boy recliners and one 'o them couches with the holder for your beer built right in."

Oooo, now you're talkin'; a real manly man sorta house...!

Sir Harold said...

don't worry anon 525

anon 557 is so stupid, he or she cannot believe that you would ask such a intelligent question, so when one is at a loss all they can say is "dipshit"

all I can say is, the owner did not sell it because he or she was greedy, simple, and greed can cause one to go blind until the "true owner" is at the door kicking out the fraudulent owner

It amazes me on how many fraudulent developers popped all over the place, took 20% of their developer loans and bought homes like this one and tried to flip them, you will see more of these come to market very soon

I say that when the prices get back to 2001 listings it may be time to buy again

Sir Harold said...

One of the true problems here is the IRS, they want their money and if you take out a billion in loans, the IRS immediately expects you to pay them at least 10MM the first year, 2nd year and so on,that 20% (used to buy lavish estates) was to be used to pay the IRS, I guess many of these developers thought the IRS would go away ? or ask for the money in 10 years ?

Anonymous said...

Not true, try and take one out for over a 100 million and see if they audit you,

stay off the freeway little one or you will get squashed

Anonymous said...

go psycho off somewhere else anon 941 aka joe

Anonymous said...

9:13

"Your" should be "You're".

Who's the dumb one?

GED...The preferred education for realtors!

Anonymous said...

actually it should be

ur dmb

that is the new nglish

si ?

Anonymous said...

and the former profession of most realtors is that of hookers, strippers and housewives, see that lady selling real estate in vegas for 5 cents on the dollar ? former stripper that is for sure

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:19
"the nicest house on the worst block by FAR. The neighborhood houses are literally all $1-2 million with this one grogeous house plopped in the middle."

Why did Duke, Kanye West and Beverly d'Angelo choose to live on this street? It's a bit strange...

Anonymous said...

First of all, Beverly D'Angelo live sin Woodrow Wilson, which is quite a bit north of this.

And Kanye's place isn't anything special.

Anonymous said...

Oh, thanks. I thought D'Angelo lived at 8017 Fareholm Drive...

Unknown said...

Beverly D'Angelo sold that house some years ago. It was TIRED and worn out. The neighborhood is NOT a prime location.

Anonymous said...

This house is beautiful. If it was in a "prime" location say the bird streets or sunset plaza it would be $2m more. you pay for what you get. think it will sell closer to $5m just bc of the location, but the pedigree of being the AIA winner is big deal.

the "gay" in this house really is just the mirrors and furnishings... this could be an amazing house with a better decor.

Anonymous said...

Randolph Duke's empire is in trouble. He waaaaaaaaay overspent on this house and then the economy crashed. He has now been forced to pimp out this white elephant for grade-C movie shoots, photo shoots, and skin care product parties. Even YOU can have the house for a day if the price is right.

The home is now occupied by the location pimps who drive a Rolls Royce, leave so much garbage outside that the ground cover out front is teeming with rats, and they steal the garbage cans of neighbors so they can stuff them with all the wine bottles that they can't fit into their own cans.

The only thing we neighbors miss is seeing his middle aged gay gut hanging out of his shirts zipped down to his navel as he pranced around the neighborhood. What do you think about this fashion queen now?