Thursday, November 29, 2012

Katherine Heigl Wants a New House

SELLER: Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE:$2,659,000
SIZE: 3,690 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Usually when a listing surfaces on the open market that announces that it's owned by an unnamed celebrity we usually find out the celebrity sits pretty far down Tinseltown's totem pole of fame. That, howevuh, ain't the case with a recently renovated 1920s center hall Colonial style residence in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles that popped up on the open market yesterday with an asking price of $2,659,000 and is owned by Emmy-winning hospital drama and rom-com actress Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) and her country music singing hubby Josh Kelley.

Property records and reports from the time of their purchase reveal the Miz Heigl and Mister Kelley—who recently adopted their second daughter—picked up the walled and gated residence for $2,550,000 in September 2007.

Your Mama happens to know the couple did a major overhaul of the property and, at it's current price—just $109,000 more than they paid—they're looking at a net loss of at least a couple hundred thousand when the renovation expenses, carrying costs and real estate fees are factored in. C'est la vie in the world of house-hopping celebrities who don't seem to blink or bat an fake eyelash at tossing a quarter million clams—or more—down the real estate drain every time they get sick of their house.

Anyhoodles poodles, current listing information, besides calling it "reminiscent of Architectural Digest" and "Celeb-owned," reveals the four bedroom and 3.5 bath traditional has 3,690 square feet with high ceilings, dark wood floors throughout and heavy duty crown moldings and a lot of vintage light fixtures.

The center stair hall—where the stairs are fitted with an awful but probably necessary baby fence—opens on the left through French doors to a glammed up formal living room where there's a fireplace, a lavender velvet sofa, an antique-looking library in the center of the room filled with objet and other tchotchke and two sets of French doors that provide a view of the lattice-lined driveway and the garbage bins.

The back of the central entry hall connects to the less formal and more private open-plan family area at the rear of the residence that includes a spacious center island kitchen that mixes a little bit of modern with a little bit of traditional. There are white Shaker style cabinetry and white subway tile back splashes, gray slab granite—or possibly concrete—counter tops, the usual collection of high grade stainless steel appliances and a stainless steel farmhouse-style sink, lots of multi-paned windows and a Sputnik-style chandelier hung over the center island work space and snack counter.

Thick columns hold aloft what seems to be an architecturally unnecessary archway that divides the kitchen from the breakfast room area. More columns and another seemingly unnecessary archway divides the breakfast room from the family room where there's a white leather sectional sofa that makes Your Mama feel squeamish in our belly, lots of built-in faux-distressed cabinetry and side-lit French doors to connect to a slender grillin' and chillin' deck that runs along the back of the house and over looks the fully landscaped backyard.

The second floor master bedroom has a fireplace, a Baroque, blood red tufted headboard straight out of Auntie Mame's manse, a walk-in closet and a sun-splashed corner bathroom with tumbled stone floors, marble topped vanity with double sinks, white tile accents, a separate soaking tub and an only partially glass-enclosed shower stall that we sorta think might have benefited from being fully enclosed.

A narrow, gated driveway runs up along one side of the house to a tree-shaded flagstone dining terrace with stacked stone outdoor fireplace. A detached two car garage at the very back of the property appears to have been converted to some sort of living space or at least it looks like it's not set up for parking cars anymore. A tall fence and lush plantings separate the driveway/dining terrace from the main part of the high-hedged backyard where there's a wee patch of grass, a sizable spa and smallish swimming pool.

Miz Heigl also owns a second house in the Los Feliz area that was purchased in September 2007 for $2,000,000 and the four bedroom and four bathroom abode is occupied—so we've been told but can not confirm—by Miz Heigl's ever-present mother. The Heigl-Kelleys also maintain a rural and semi-remote spread in a swank gated enclave just outside of Park City, UT that they appear to have purchased sometime in 2011.

Last year, in October 2011, after a long and bumby ride on the bucking bronco of real estate Miz Heigl finally unloaded a 3 bedroom and 2.5 bathroom residence—also in Los Feliz—for $965,000. That's all well and good except that property records show she paid $1,500,000 for the place in May 2006. That's a staggering, $535,000 loss, according to Your Mama's bejeweled abacus, not counting improvements, carrying costs and real estate fees.

See, we told you that some well-compensated celebs—and others with significant cash flow—are so emotionally invested in getting rid of a house they own they are, on a whim or otherwise, willing and able to take a hard hit to their deep pockets. Must be nice, right?

listing photos: Keller Williams Realty / Los Feliz

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh mama dearest when I pictured Katherine this is exactly what I thought her house would look like... lovely, charming, sweet.. but darlings the pool area needs some help this is far from resort quality. Kisses!

Anonymous said...

Since most celebs title their houses in Trust and LLCs, the net loss is a Deductable tax expense, and a capital loss & the renovation cost are operating expenses especially if considered Investment property. Since she probably at a 34 to 49% tax bracket it will be a write off if not then a huge tax refund. Jst wanted to let u kno that MaMa

Madam Pince said...

Mama, why does this house (apparently) have a flat roof? Yes, I'm showing my architectural ignorance, but I thought flat roofs were more common in commercial than residential real estate, even in SoCal.

Shopgirl said...

I like the house and it does have some charm, but I agree with the previous poster that the pool area needs an overhaul. What is up with the outdoor bar stools up again the kitchen windows? And finally would paint their window trim black? Its awful!

Anonymous said...

4:51 I have no idea who does your taxes or if you pay them in this country. LLC or no, no deduction for losses on personal residence.

Anonymous said...

take down the baby gate on the stairs when photographing, fluff the pillows and fold the throw on the sofa, and yes - the bar stool at the window are weird. The trim is likely dark dark green or something, not true black.

Anonymous said...

God this woman has terrible taste.

Anonymous said...

I like everything about this house, even the pool area!

Barren @ Chelsea condominiums said...
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Petra's said...

Jack Osbourne moved into the house next door just a few months ago. Coincidence? :)

The house itself... ho-hum.

Unknown said...
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Doug-G said...

I got hooked recently on a show called Country Family Reunion on RFD-TV. Watching all those old country legends brings a tear to my eye as they are all so wonderfully humble and true country people. Sadly, each episode seems to find more and more passing away. I was curious and did a little searching and found that many lived in very ordinary homes with little flash or pretense. Hit makers in their day who have been entertaining generations of people and who probably made little more than a good living. A far cry from what we have today. I had to Google "Josh Kelley" and found a guy who seems to fit the old line, "I ain't a cowboy, I just found the hat". I'd pay good money to see Jeane Seeley (Sp?) or Jean Shepard, I wouldn't walk across the street for any new country stars I can think of. Just MHO.

I did like this house and I like Los Feliz in general.

Anonymous said...

4:51. The top marginal tax rate is 35%. How could she be "at the 34-49% bracket" when such a thing doesn't exist?

Anonymous said...

The total revenues of her movies have been declining since a peak in Knocked Up, according to Box Office Mojo. Most of them make more worldwide than their budget but her latest appears to have lost money. Seems to be an actor on a downward path. And of course she is getting older and for women in Hollywood that is usually not good.

Anonymous said...

Why are there so many comments removed by the moderator? I don't get it.

Anonymous said...

Her recent movie One for The Money has a 2% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has. according to Wikipedia, been "universally panned." Ouch!

Unknown said...
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Rahul John said...
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Anonymous said...

This style of home would certainly not be a flat roof. With the angle if the image it is just a case of not being able to see the low angled pitch of this roof.

Anonymous said...

I think due to the fact the deck space is minimal it is very likely that the stools are placed to create a bar type space at the windows. Unfortunately the image is not very clear but it appears there is the possibility of some sort of shelf/surface installed along the bottom of the window trim..this I would assume with the windows open would create a pass thru eating space.

Anonymous said...

The comments that are removed are spam. The chairs pulled up to the windows i imagine create an outdoor bar when the windows are open. Not so weird, really.

FrenchGirl said...

cute house

Anonymous said...

Good Shabbos Mamaleh and Kinderlach,

The Heigl-Kelley home appears to have a predictable If updated1920s floor plan straight out of Central Casting - the Rabbi's favorite! Many Southern California colonial revival homes were built with minimally pitched roofs; the Rabbi experiences discomfort with their proportional results while recognizing that the shedding of heavy snow would not be necessary. Being child-friendly, the Rabbi doesn't mind the baby gate. Nevertheless, Staging Lady forgot to karate chop the decorative pillows and needs to return that white pleather sectional sofa to Diddle Daddie's crib ASAP!

Rabbi Hadassah LaCasa
Trenton NJ

l'il gay boy said...

Nice to see a celebrity abode that looks "lived in" as opposed to "looked at"...although the lack of books is distressing.

An aerial view reveals a shallow hipped roof abode that takes up about a third of the lot; the hedges alongside the "niggardly" (look it up first, haters) pool lie on the lot line, and the converted garage is walled off from it.

I must say if one has to have a baby gate, this one is quite clever as it curves around the newel post.

All-in-all, middle-of-the-road remodel, good bones, plenty of room for improvement.

Anonymous said...

for someone whose career is currently on a downward trajectory, I wouldnt be upgrading real estate about now... save those pennies!

Ramakrishna said...
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Anonymous said...

It's funny to read the arches in this house described as "architecturally unnecessary." Maybe these photos don't show it so well, but those arches are critical to this house in many ways.

First, I've been in the house more than once, and without those arches there would be no center hall in the entire rear half of this center hall colonial - the entire rear half of the house would be one amorphous room, and a complete hot mess! Further, before the addition of the arches, the walk from the family room to the kitchen (now an easy open passage through the arches, as the photos show) was through a narrow 30" gap in the family room wall! Without those arches the house didn't function at all, because one couldn't move easilly across the back of the house. Both daily living and entertaining were very awkward indeed. Those columns ALSO support everything above the first floor of this house. So those arches are ABSOLUTELY necessary as design, functional and structural elements of this house. Is that the same as "architecture?"

It's interesting to compare these photos with the ones from the listing that Yo Mama posted when Ms Heigl bought this house:

http://realestalker.blogspot.com/2007/11/katherine-heigl-does-los-feliz.html

If you compare the old and new picture spreads you will see that there are NO OLD PICTURES of how the three spaces at the back of the house flowed into each other ... and that's because before those arches were added those spaces DIDN'T flow into each other.

And, yes, the bar stools at the window are placed at a pass-thru bar, where service is through the window. They make perfect sense and function beautifully.

Anonymous said...

BTW, the kitchen countertops are extra-thick gray Caesarstone.

Anonymous said...

If I get to spend a few nights with her, I might consider purchasing the home:)

suzana martin said...
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Kissyface said...

The investment calculation on this house (and any long-term owner-occupied residence) is a little more complex than what yo Mama suggests. (Not that Mama doesn't know about such things, but space is limited.) Heigl is the owner, and therefore pays carrying costs (in this sense she can be considered to be her own landlord). But she also needs to live somewhere, and this is it. So she is also her own tenant (from an investment calculation point of view). To meaningfully calculate her investment position one must must consider her imputed rent paid to herself to be "income" from the property offsetting any losses.

Rents for places like this have been a lot higher than their aggregate normal carrying costs (mortgage interest, insurance and taxes etc at all times since Heigl bought this house, especially in Los Feliz. My guess is that she's been "earning" something in the neighborhood of a couple of thousand a month on this place since she moved in. That was five years ago (say 60 months). So she's "earned" something like $120,000 to be set off against her nominal sale losses.

Depreciation is the opposite of that renovation Yo Mama noted, and from an investment standpoint one can't talk meaningfully about one without the other. Heigl has been routinely photographed and taped in front of this house since she bought it, and there has NEVER been any sign of any serious depreciation-reversing maintenance. To the extent she has defered maintenance, which seems to be the case, the house she bought is more than the house she's selling. For example, every year the roof (flat or not) and floors get closer to their necessary replacement (no sign of a roofer or hardwood guy in those 5 years of pap pics). If her roof or floors (she has lots of dogs) need to be replaced (say) next year, that's (say) $40,000 for each of the roof and floors - $80K in expenses she avoids by selling now. If the new owner does not dock the price for that (and new owners often don't dock for such things), that's positive to Heigl. Houses do need to be painted (this one has not been since she bought it, to judge by the paparazzi spreads). The siding is wood, so think another $40,000 for a good external paint job. And appliances - even the shiny stainless ones in the pictures - do get old, after all. You get the idea. But note that all this depreciation talk doesn't help celebrities who get the fickle a few months after buying: the house THEY sell is essentially the same house they bought a few months before their fickle seizure, and their nominal losses and fees are what they seem to be! Heigl's not in that crowd.

It looks like she may still take a real loss. But even if she does, it's unlikely to be so big as Yo Mama may be thinking. I'm thinking dead even, in real economic terms.

Kisses and hugs.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 9:05 p.m.:

I love my extra-thick Caesar, stone-hard in my kitchen, and in the living room, and by the pool, and in our bedroom, and in my...oh my, OH MY, OH MY CAESAR.....!

Atticus Finch said...

@ Anonymous 9:05 p.m

Purile. And not funny.

Atticus Finch said...

Sorry, that should have been
@ Anonymous December 1, 2012 5:53 PM:

Purile. And not funny.

Anonymous said...

To Atticus Finch
I laughed at the Caesar joke; therefore my humor must also be puerile. Although not an educated attorney, I do know the correct spelling of puerile, unlike you. Now you can catagorize anonymous 5:53 p.m. and everyone enjoying his or her humor as immature.

Anonymous said...

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch possesses high morals; however, he is worldly unlike his townsfolk, and most definitely isn't prudish. Bawdy humor is not necessarily puerile.

Atticus Finch said...

Bawdy humor is not necessarily puerile, but the kind of humor that one finds characteristically on junior high school playgrounds is. This is that.

Anonymous said...

Hey, how about anonymous 5:53 p.m. becomes the 10 millionth person to pun on the words "come" and "cum," and all (or at least both) of the people who enjoyed his or her previous bit of "humor" can laugh themselves sick at the "bawdy" new one! Wheeeee! How about it anonymous 5:53 p.m.? Whatcha got?

Anonymous said...

5:53 p.m. here. I dunno, but punnin on extra thick Caesarstone is hella more sophisticated than punnin on come, which I never done punned on. Foster thinks so too. And yo mama wears combat boots. Not Your Mama, we all know she wears bejeweled espadrilles with Capri pants. Atticus, I learned ya to spell right and proper. Anon. above, peace. Not piece. Wheeee.
From Taylor,
In Miss Farley's 11th Grade Homeroom
George College Preparatory School

suzana martin said...
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Atticus Finch said...

"Miss Farley's 11th Grade Homeroom?" My mistake. Your comments seem the work of a much younger author, one with dreams of assuming the role of a spell check button.

Punning on extra thick Caesarstone and erect penises counts as "sophisticated" for George juniors? Yes, wheee. It's just wonderful that there are special needs institutions to give absolutely everybody a chance. What's the development office address?

Anonymous said...

Taylor,

We forbid you to upset Mama's Children again. You are to come directly home from George School for Solstice break, and you will be grounded without Internet privileges. If you continue to misbehave you will transfer to Reform School, and not Hedda's Reform Rabbi School. And we are texting Foster's two fathers.

We apologize to all of the Children offended by our precocious Taylor's puerile humor, which Taylor most definitely did not learn from us. May we now return to celebrity real estate humor?

Verandah LaPorch and Patti O'Furniture
Taylor's two mothers

Anonymous said...

I don't think V & P and lesbians in general care much about their effects on male members. Be careful, 7:46 p.m., or you'll be in trouble with Atticus for using the "p" word in a puerile manner.

Anonymous said...

To Atticus Finch: Do you think Anons. Nov. 30 9:41 p.m. and Dec. 2 7:46 p.m. are puerile, along with the Carol Burnett-Charo video from Mama's travel day? Just sincerely interested.

Anonymous said...

I believe she considers the house in Utah to be her main residence these days so we will have to wait and see if she and her husband by another house in LA.

Atticus Finch said...

@ Anonymous December 3, 2012 9:30

Wait! Are you suggesting that someone who thinks that a single word of the drivel produced by Anons. Nov. 30 9:41 p.m. and Dec. 2 7:46 p.m. (down to the "and's" or "the's") is comparable in any way to the genius of Carol Burnett was allowed to advance into 11th Grade? Even at the all-forgiving George Prep that would really be pushing the envelope ... down. Perhaps you can clarify your question.

Anonymous said...

Atticus Finch, Esq.

Dear Mr. Finch:

I must respectfully insist that you cease and desist your disparaging remarks in reference to George College Preparatory School, which of course has a sterling reputation. Three of our alumni are attorneys.

Very truly yours,
Mrs. Esther Klinghoffer
Chancellor and Dean
George College Preparatory School

Anonymous said...

I went to GCPS in the 70s. The weekend janitor—the ruddy one with the mole—touched me naughty once in the the science lab.

Tiny Tim said...

The Spirit stood among the graves, and pointed down to
One. She advanced towards it trembling. The Phantom was
exactly as it had been, but she dreaded that she saw new
meaning in its solemn shape.

"Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point,"
said Scrooge, "answer me one question. Are these the
shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of
things that May be, only?"

Still the Ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood.

"A person's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the
courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!"

The Spirit was immovable as ever.

Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and following the finger, read upon the stone of the neglected
grave her own name ... ESTER KLINGHOFFER!

Anonymous said...

My Dearest Tiny Timmy,

I'm very dreadfully sorry that you and Atticus were both deprived of proper educations and never learned to spell correctly. Be that as it may, I will proceed to address Anonymous 9:31 a.m., who is in a position most clearly above yours. Anon., your allegation was previously investigated and determIned to have merit. Weekend janitor Mr. Lester Chester diMolester was consequently promoted to be my administrative assistant, enabling me to keep an eye upon him. Mr. diMolester served admirably for seven more months, until his after working hours involvement in a most inconvenient episode within the Children's Playground of Tyler State Park.

Mrs. Esther Klinghoffer
Chancellor and Dean
George College Preparatory School

Charles Kinbote said...

Playground? I thought it was some unfortunate misunderstanding at a public swimming pool.

Tiny Tim said...

The moon's an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun. But here, another spelling crack; a repetitive, derivative nit pick. "But if the
courses be departed from, the ends will change." Ho hum, you deserve your fate.

Anonymous said...

Blue moon...
You saw me standing alone...
You heard me saying a prayer...
And now I'm no longer alone...
I have a love of my own.
E.K.

Tiny Tim said...

Where ever did you get these lyrics and the "E.K." attribution? "Blue Moon" was famously written by R. Rodgers and L. Hart ... no "E.K" need apply! The lyrics you provide don't even fit the song's meter, even accounting for redactions, and the line "I have a love of my own" does not appear anywhere in that song. The actual lyrics (Hart wrote 4 sets for the melody, one is "Blue Moon") are:

Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for someone I really could care for
And then suddenly appeared before me, the only one my arms could ever hold
I heard somebody whisper 'please adore me'
But when I looked, that moon had turned to gold - oh oh oh
Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart, Without a love of my own
Without a love of my own
(Blue moon)

Sheesh. When it comes to song lyrics, it's not the thought that counts, it's the words. And to think someone in these comments is going on about SPELLING TYPOS. Is that you, Anon 9:21?



Anonymous said...

Tiptoe through the doorway
On a Sundae that is where I'll be
Come tiptoe through the two lips with me.

Oh tiptoe from the backyard
Past the old gaurd by the rowan tree
And tiptoe through the two lips with me.

If I kiss you in the moonlight
Within full sight of the old gaurd
Will you tiptoe through the backyard with me?
M.V.

Tiny Tim said...

M.V.? Poor Al Dubin! We're sinkin' in the bathtub at Montague Grange Hall with these looney tunes.

And, yes, we all remember what and how H.K. sang to that ukulele in the '60's and the apparently less-than-devine Miss V ... try as we might. A lot of people got away with murder then. God bless 'em, every one.

Anonymous said...

Teensy Tiny Tim,
Why are you besmirching my reputation from your final resting place? You were against my modeling career, in which I was wildly successful, and for quite a while you turned your back on our love-child, Tulip. And yet you still judge others as deserving of their fates?
Miss Vicki

toffelnigar said...
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Anonymous said...

And you, Tiny Tim, were a controlling, abusive husband who attempted to restrict me from pursuit of my own wildly successful modeling career. I was half your age, and after me you married another girl half your age, and attempted to control her as well. Yes indeed, Tiny, pigs are pigs and you are the pot calling the kettle black.
MV

Unknown said...
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Sectional Sofa said...
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Robyns kate said...
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