Friday, April 5, 2013

It's Official: Casey Kasems Lists House with Heart Shaped Pool

SELLER: Casey and Jean Kasem
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $42,000,000
SIZE: 12,000 square feet, 7 bedrooms, 10 full and 4 half bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: The more able-memoried of the children should recall that back in early September, 2012, Your Mama tattled and prattled on about music industry pioneer and living legend Casey Kasem and his bubble-headed blond actress wife Jean quietly floating their long time estate in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles as an off-market listing with a $42,000,000 price tag.

It's now come to our attention by way of a short of informative missive from a little birdie we'll call Jessie Justwantsyoutoknow that Mister and Missus Kasem's circa 1954 multi-winged chateau* has hit the open market with an officially sanctioned asking price of—you got it—$42,000,000.

A gated, shrubbery- and tree-lined driveway snakes across a perfectly clipped lawn to a motor court with a big ol' fountain in the middle that looks like it could have been removed from some pedigreed palace outside of Paris. The driveway continues around the side of the house to a rear motor court and access to the two garages that hold a total of four cars.

The zig-zagging residence is described in listing details as a "Gated Classic Revival" but, honestly, just between us chickens, Your Mama thinks that's prolly just a typo because there really isn't any such architectural vernacular as Classic Revival, is there?

Anyhoo, the 2.4 acre estate has a total of seven bedrooms and more than a dozen (low-flow) terlits in ten full and four half bathrooms spread throughout the 12,000 square foot main house, guest house and staff quarters and pool pavilion. We're not sure exactly how the seven bedrooms are divided but there seem to be one or more in the guest house, two or maybe three in the staff quarters (double maids and chauffeur suite), three en suite guest/family bedrooms with whirlpool bath tubs and what listing listing information describes as "Dbl master suites with 2 baths, hair salon and dress areas."

Listing photos show a florid and Old School decadent, Louvre-like day-core comprised of all manner of statuary and figurines; gilt trimmed commodes and gilt-framed oil paintings; velvet tufted divans and fringed brocade sofalets**; fur coats draped and manipulated ever so carefully over settees in fantastically themed guest bedrooms and/or bathrooms encrusted in marble and trimmed with gold.

Your Mama imagines it costs a small fortune every year to maintain the completely landscaped estate that's ringed by thick and mature trees that provide privacy, shade and baffle traffic noise from nearby Sunset Boulevard. Wide rolling lawns roll up and around the deep terrace that extends off the rear of the mansion and overlooks the property's most (in)famous feature: a slightly raised heart-shaped swimming pool backed by a trio of stone gazebos...or whatever those crazy domed follies are really called.

One wonders where a person goes after living in a place like this. Do you go bigger or just go home to a much smaller but still huge by normal standards 4,000 square foot high-floor condominium in one of the better and more expensive full service apartment towers that line the Wilshire Corridor near L.A.'s Westwood Village?

*Or is this a totally Frenchified but semi-squat looking 1950s single-story rancher and that should maybe read chateau?
**A sofalet would, of course, be a small sofa.

listing photos: John Aaroe Group

44 comments:

Jayne said...

The addition of a few slot machines might class it up a bit.

Anonymous said...

Navin Johnson would be proud :)

Anonymous said...

Mama is this the house that Tamara Ecclestone is renting for a common lawyer's salary per month?

Anonymous said...

This house must have been born & raised in Beverly Park.

West Bourne said...

Momma,

I agree that Gazebos may not be the appropriate term for the structures by the pool. I was going to suggest Pavilions but I’m afraid some of the children might confuse it with the grocery store in nearby West Hollywood. On further reflection, I’d like to suggest they be referred to as Follies or in the French, ménage a trois.

Anonymous said...

Something about this 'home' reminds me of one of those all inclusive, couples-only resorts on Jamaica.

Real Estate Planning said...

The interior looks like the inside of a 5 star hotel. $42 million is a lot of money and honestly some of the rooms look too luxurious that it's not cozy enough to sleep in.

Unknown said...
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Anonymous said...

Fabulous Darling. Let's count down the forty milion dollars.

Anonymous said...

Well,....for the love of Mary Ann! This about takes the prize for ostentatious-ness! What human wants to really live like this - well...besides Ms. Saperstein --(ironically, she and Kasem have Westwood $$ as the basis for this and her Fleur de Lys)? There is no sense of true living comfort. Sense of show, yes. This gazillion dollar doll-house decorating for pictures. Let the record show that I never think that High French is a decor to nourish the soul for everyday living (let alone swim for health in a heart-shaped pool). Guests couldn't even enjoy themselves in an interior like this. This would be like living in a museum, not a home. But, glad to see that "the mink" made its way from the boudoir to the bathroom! Okay..one nice thing, I do like the gate and always glance at it when driving on this street.

Wallace Ridge

Anonymous said...

This is directly above the recently-listed Connie Stevens place. It looks sort of like one of William Randolph Heart's cast-offs. Must be strange to live constantly surrounded by maids and gardeners all the time. I wonder if anyone has ever actually swum in that goofy pool?

Anonymous said...

Edifices by the pool seem like rotundas. Like the Richard Mique's Temple of Love in Versailles. Jamie McCourt is selling her mansion too.

Anonymous said...

He has another house in Michigan, completely nothing like this, maybe 3,000 sq.ft, ranch, cost maybe $500,000. I would never have imagined he had anything like this.

Anonymous said...

Ceilings look a little low, no? And I'm imagining Mrs Kasem following the photographer around with her chinchilla coat. They should have manipulated that sleeve a little more.

Anonymous said...

The detail on the exterior is really cool. 201 Baroda looks like this houses tall, skinny half sister.

Anonymous said...

What is so ironic is that the decor may just sell this place. Before the Maloof sale I may not have said that, but it may just be Persian Perfect.

Anonymous said...

Omg Maloof should buy this! Too bad it's not in a gated community. I really think Maloof needs to buy a big huge trophy house if she wants to remain interesting. Ain't nobody got time for a divorcee in a squat, dark looking, Sherman Oaks rental.

Anonymous said...

Hoping that the Rabbi is doing OK, this is right up his alley of historical inaccuracy.

Anonymous said...

Adrienne Maloof isn't renting in Sherman Oaks, she lives in the Mulholland Estates and her house hasn't been bought by a Persian, but by an Indonesian, Shoaib Kothawala.

DC Guy said...

Hi Mama -

The listing agent's web site has this other listing - do you know who it belongs to? "Pocket Celebrity Listing" she says.

Trousdale Contemporary
Martin Lane, Bevelry Hills
$12,900,000

Pocket Celebrity Sale - Trousdale contemporary 5 bedroom, 6.5 bath estate. Hal Levitt-designed exteriors have been masterfully updated as part of a meticulous renovation.

luke220 said...

8:10, Mullholland Estates IS Sherman Oaks.

Anonymous said...

DC Guy,

That is 1525 Martin Lane---- The house Jen Aniston was / is leasing.

luke220 said...

This house looks like a fancified ranch on the inside. Low ceilings and no architectural interest. Nice lot, my guess teardown.

Sandpiper said...

Reminds me of Noah’s ark. Two of almost everything. I understand pairings -- within imaginative limits.

Do like copper-orange chair in B & W bedroom with the hopefully faux fur coat. Reminiscent of Jean's ponytail in Cheers.

Mama, would you call this "classical revival", "classical confusion", or what? I'm more comfortable with "melting pot" revival.

P.S. Thank you for turning on spell-check!

Anonymous said...

I don't know whether the fact that there are so many tear-them-down homes is fabulous or scary. However, given that they all carry the $20m price tag, I doubt someone is going to buy it and raze it to the ground only to build a $70m house. Why spend that much nd on what?

Anonymous said...

@2:33
There definitely are those people who are looking for a tear down in that price range.
Just because you couldnt imagine spending that doesn't mean someone isn't looking for that exact thing.
How do you think all these new mansions came to be? They weren't all tiny houses on big lots in great locations, they were really expensive teardowns.

Anonymous said...

5:16 AM, which new mansions?

Anonymous said...

551: Just drive around the platinum triange...on mapleton alone, south of sunset, there are at least 6 new mega mansions (15-30000K sqft) being built right now...all of them had substantial 5-10K homes previously.

Anonymous said...

It's all well, but is such an "investment" rentable? If you pump $70m into a house, can you sell it for at least that? I'd say no.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:47
It seems like you just want to say 'NO' to everything. Could a $70mil house be flipped right now for more? Probably not. Could it in a few years? I'm sure.
Theres something for everyone.

Anonymous said...

I don't see anyone wanting to say no to everything. I don't think anyone is insane enough to dump $70m on a house, no matter how rich. $85m for The Manor is not going to come back again any time soon.

Anonymous said...

@10:43
The Manor sale is hardly the record. There have been PLENTY of $70mil+ sales all over the country in the last ten years. Even in Los Angeles County.
You should realize that whenever you say 'I don't think anyone..' there is definitely someone.
Now, quit trying to be controversial. Being a reader of this blog you should be able to resolve your doubts about people spending money.

Anonymous said...

Are you serious? Trying to be controversial? I'm staying with my opinion that a behemoth with that price tag wouldn't sell.

lil' gay boy said...

I may be showing my age, but the first thought that crossed my mind was Plato's Retreat -- West.

Anonymous said...

@11:56
No, what you said was '$85million for the manor is not going to come back again any time soon' and what I'm saying is that you're wrong.
Houses sold for more long before and continue to even after The Manor sold.
Obviously Gary Winnicks $90mil deal more than ten years ago is one.
That $117mil house up in the Bay Area. Howard Marks in Malibu. The house on La Paloma road that went for $100mil unfinished.
You should rethink your answer.

Anonymous said...

They are not making any more land around there and they seem to be making more and more billionaires everyday, so yeah, I would say $70 million homes are perfectly salable.

Personally though I think the $20 million range is where this should be priced, for a teardown of course.

Robby said...
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Unknown said...
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Anonymous said...

Totally overpriced by $20 million!

Desert Donna said...

Usint the chinchilla coat twice is just tacky. You need a different dead animal in every shot Jean! Or maybe its not dead yet and crawled from the bed to the bath??

Anonymous said...

Oh, sweet. But all those listed are just silly. I'm not talking about that. There isn't a bidding war on this houses and it took ages for them to sell. No, $70m is wildly optimistic and just isn't a sane investment policy.

Anonymous said...

Seems very overpriced.

Anonymous said...

So 2 of the 4 half baths have no toilet? Your math is as excellent as your writing.

turesta, said...
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