The luxury real estate market has been on the rise, and celebrities, too, are taking note. Luxury real estate homeowners in general have the flexibility to customize their homes with unique rooms and decor, details that often reflect the newest innovations and trends. From entertainment rooms to hi-tech bathrooms and bold colors, there are really few limits to what someone with a bit of extra money can do. But one can imagine how the homes of A-list movie stars and big-name musicians in particular are often the most remarkably stunning.
Mark Wahlberg’s luxury home features a stunning pool.
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For stars with money and creativity to spare, unique add-ons and luxuries are routine. Mark Wahlberg’s Los Angeles mansion has a rock-landscaped swimming pool with a waterfall and diving rock. Jennifer Aniston’s game room has a bar and vintage pool table – “a great hangout at parties,” says interior designer Stephen Shadley. Sheryl Crow’s Spanish Revival home includes a children’s playground for her two sons, and Jimmy Kimmel’s in LA has a custom recording studio.
According to real estate expert and author Michael Corbett, who hosts “Mansions and Millionaires” on NBC, quirky add-ons don’t automatically make homes more valuable to potential buyers, especially if those quirks — say, a boxing ring, or a $70,000 wall of candy — limit the field of those interested. A celebrity name attached, however, is helpful.
“The rule of thumb is that celebrity homes don’t necessarily sell because they’re celebrity homes,” Corbett said. “Yet celebrities definitely increase marketability of a property. That increases the speed of the sale and sometimes the value of the property because of the marketability.”
Real-estate agent Joshua Altman, who has represented famous faces such as Kim Kardashian on the Bravo TV show “Million Dollar Listing,” is more blunt. “The property is attractive simply because of who lives there, not because of the add-ons,” he said.
Many celebrities “are recession-proof” when it comes to conceptualizing and paying for a niftily outfitted dream home, said Santa Monica, California-based architectural designer Kevin J. Cozen, who has designed for high-profile clients for more than three decades.
Thus, as with every year, 2014 saw some of the most stunning celebrity homes bought and sold. Ellen DeGeneres, for example, sold the Brody House to billionaire Sean Parker for $55 million, making $15 million profit in just six months.
Looking for a luxury home to call your own? Southern California is a popular area to look into, and the charming community of Rancho Santa Fe has a number of beautiful homes for sale.
16043 Via Del Alba is a gorgeous luxury home located in the Covenant, the centerpiece neighborhood of Rancho Santa Fe. The neighborhood has become the home of country estates, where about 5,000 residents have convenient access to the Del Mar and Solana beaches. Culture is abound, evidenced by the activities and events of a riding club, garden club, community center, art guild, library guild, book club, and horse trails.
The home features 5 bedrooms, a 3+ bedroom guest house, a tennis court, and panoramic mountain views. See the complete listing here and to view additional properties.