Hot Property: Sale ends on a low note for 'American Idol' alum
Neal J. Leitereg, Jack Flemming
6 min read
Two years after bringing it to market, "American Idol" alum Adam Lambert found a buyer for his Hollywood Home. The subdued contemporary home, which features a resort-like backyard, sold for $2.92 million, or $75,000 less than what Lambert paid in 2014. The home has roughly 3,000 square feet of living space, an indoor-outdoor living room and a dining room with a wine closet. A guest suite was used by Lambert as a music room. (The Agency)
Adam Lambert couldn’t quite turn a profit in the Hollywood Hills. The “American Idol” alum sold his modern digs last week for $2.92 million, or $75,000 shy of what he paid for the place in 2014.
The stark, contemporary home sits above the Sunset Strip and takes in sweeping city views from a balcony. Down below, a resort-style backyard features a covered lounge that sits across from a spa and a pair of reflecting pools.
Shades of gray cover the exterior and continue inside, including on a rotunda staircase that navigates the two-story floor plan. Spread across roughly 3,000 square feet are three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, an indoor-outdoor living room, a rounded breakfast nook, a chef’s kitchen and a dining room with a wine closet.
A guest suite, which was used as a music room during Lambert's ownership, has a separate entrance.
Lambert gained fame as a runner-up on the music competition show “American Idol” in 2009 and has gone on to release four studio albums, including 2020’s “Velvet.” The 38-year-old has also kept busy touring with the rock band Queen.
He first asked $3.995 million for the home in 2017 before trimming the price to $3.35 million.
Emil Hartoonian and Nicholas Siegfried of the Agency held the listing. Jonathan Sharaf of Compass represented the buyer.
Back in the neighborhood
Miley Cyrus has purchased a Hidden Hills home for a little over $4.95 million in an off-market transaction.
The “Wrecking Ball” singer used a trust to facilitate the deal, which closed in late June. The seller was Steven Baio, brother of actor Scott Baio.
The traditional-style house was built in 1957 but was recently renovated and expanded. Wide-plank wood floors, vaulted ceilings and a new-look kitchen are among the features of note. A snazzy wet bar near the entry is decked out in mercury glass.
The 6,000 square feet of living space also include a home theater with a snack bar, formal living and dining rooms, a family room, six bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.
Outdoors on the 1.18-acre site are a sunken dining area, a barbecue pavilion and a lagoon-style swimming pool. A white picket fence encloses a grassy hillside to the rear.
Cyrus has a history with the area, having sold another home in the guard-gated equestrian community two years ago for $5 million.
The daughter of musician Billy Ray Cyrus, she gained fame at an early age as the child star of Disney’s “Hannah Montana.” Now 27, she has released six studio albums, most recently “Younger Now” in 2017. Her seventh album, “She Is Miley Cyrus,” is expected to be released later this year.
Hitmaker scores Midcentury gem
Grammy-winning DJ Christian Karlsson has scored a gem in the San Gabriel Valley, buying a pristine Midcentury home for $2.385 million.
Karlsson, who performs as Bloodshy in the prolific production duo Bloodshy & Avant, must’ve liked what he saw in the place — the Swedish artist paid roughly $200,000 more than the asking price.
Spanning nearly an acre, the estate centers on a low-slung 1960s home by architect John Galbraith. Clean lines and lush landscaping draw the eye to the pergola entry, where a vibrant teal front door is flanked by 9-foot walls of glass.
Black slate floors mix with redwood panels in the living spaces, which include a stylish mahogany kitchen and a dining area with a wet bar. At the center, a dual-sided stone fireplace runs floor to ceiling.
Three bedrooms, four bathrooms and a workshop complete the 3,567-square-foot floor plan. Outside are a patio, lawn and orchard.
In addition to Bloodshy & Avant, Karlsson is known for his work with Miike Snow, Galantis and the artist collective/record label INGRID. He won a Grammy for producing Britney Spears’ hit “Toxic,” and he has collaborated with pop stars such as Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry and Sky Ferreira.
Jane Workman and Margaret Nader of Deasy Penner Podley held the listing. Johnny Johnston of Compass represented Karlsson.
Bouncing back at a higher price
Lakers part-owner Jim Buss is taking another shot at unloading his penthouse in downtown L.A.
The southeast corner unit at the Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live is headed back to market at $7.3 million. That’s a $900,000 increase over last year’s asking price but down $1.5 million from when it first listed in 2016 at $8.8 million.
The three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom residence features floor-to-ceiling windows that take in city, mountain and ocean views from nearly every room. The 4,300 square feet of living space hold an office/den with built-ins, an updated kitchen and open-concept living and dining rooms. A separate sitting room sits off the master suite.
Completed in 2010, the 54-story hybrid tower consists of 214 condominiums as well as 123 Ritz-Carlton hotel rooms and 878 J.W. Marriott hotel rooms. The project received a design concept award at the 38th annual L.A. Architectural Awards, which touted its innovation and efficiency.
Buss, 60, bought his unit in 2013 for $4.05 million. Others who live in the building include former Lakers guard Lonzo Ball and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.
Buss, son of late businessman and Lakers majority owner Jerry Buss, formerly served as executive vice president of basketball operations for the team. He was relieved of his duties in 2017 as part of an organizational shakeup.
Nicholas P. O’Malley of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage holds the listing.
Selling his old joint
MedMen co-founder Andrew Modlin has put his home in the Hollywood Hills West area up for sale at $11.95 million.
The subdued contemporary sits behind walls on about a fifth of an acre in the celebrity-populated Bird Streets.
The 6,377-square-foot house has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, linen-finished limestone floors and a wine cellar set behind glass. An upper terrace holds a swimming pool with a spa. Views from the second story take in the city lights.
Modlin bought the property last year through a trust for $11 million, records show. Earlier this year, he sold another house in West Hollywood to YouTube personality Emma Chamberlain for $3.4 million.
The cannabis entrepreneur co-founded MedMen in 2010 with Adam Bierman. The marijuana start-up has locations in New York, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, Florida and California, including seven dispensaries in Los Angeles County.
