Frank Sinatra’s Former Los Angeles Home Finds a Buyer for $5 Million
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Frank Sinatra’s former Los Angeles mid-century home, now a prime Hollywood filming spot, sold for $5 million on Tuesday.
The boxy, glass home on a promontory in Chatswood was rented by Sinatra in the 1960s and was an industry party spot and “playground” for the elite during Hollywood’s Golden Age, according to the listing. It’s since become a popular filming location, more recently setting the backdrop for multiple music videos from Miley Cyrus’s album “Endless Summer Vacation.”
Sinatra’s former address, which includes the main home on a 4-acre parcel and a 9-acre plot with a guest house, was built by mid-century master William Pereira for Chase Bank heiress Dora Hutchinson.
Besides music videos, it was featured in the long-running TV show “Mad Men” and the 2006 movie “Dreamgirls,” and hosted a Hermés launch party in 2022.
According to its listing, “every studio, every production designer and every location manager knows about this fabled property,” that generates between $750,000 and $1,200,000 annually in rentals.
The main 4-acre property listed for $12.75 million in 2022, Mansion Global previously reported .
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Last year, Rock Asset Management Trust took over the estate in a foreclosure sale for $2.1 million. “Between reliance on a single revenue stream, Covid and the [2023 Hollywood] writers’ strike, the owners were unable to service the mortgage obligations,” said the sellers’ agent, Craig Knizek at the Agency.
Rick Wolfen, president of Rock Asset Management, did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.
Previously, the main property and its neighboring parcel with the guest house—which once housed Marilyn Monroe and was reportedly a rendezvous location during her affair with John F. Kennedy—were listed together for $21.5 million.
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“While this listing has been over-priced for the past 13 years, under new ownership, it finally is ready to sell, for the right fair market value,” the most recent listing read.
Tuesday’s buyer also paid $3 million for the larger guest-house parcel that is now primed for new development, separated into 11 single-family lots.
The L-shaped Midcentury Modern house faces a classic California valley panorama. The main living space on one end connects to a stretch of outdoor lounges under a trellis lined with succulents. The trellis extends past the 50-foot pool into an indoor gym and massage room.
Knizek said that he thinks the modernist masterpiece had still been “underutilized” and that the space has even more potential. Think corporate retreats, restaurant collaborations and weddings, he said.
The buyer, who could not be identified, is “someone who appreciates the history and the architecture and appreciates the investment income opportunities,” Knizek said.
The home, with modernist accents like white tile floors, a dais in the bedroom, and wood panel walls, has four bedrooms and six bathrooms.
“I anticipate that the house gets spit and polished, to take it to a whole elevated level,” Knizek added.
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Hospitality entrepreneurs Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh have set a new price benchmark for apartment living in Richmond with their purchase of a Carmine House penthouse.
2 min
Leading Australian development manager Fortis has secured a landmark off-the-plan sale at Richmond Square, with high-profile hospitality entrepreneurs Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh purchasing a 550sqm penthouse residence in Carmine House, establishing a new price benchmark for apartment living in Richmond.
The purchase underscores the continued demand for premium, amenity-rich residences in Melbourne’s inner east.
The transaction marks a significant milestone for the $330 million mixed-use precinct, reinforcing buyer appetite for integrated, lifestyle-led developments.
Richmond Square comprises two residential offerings – Carmine House and Wiltshire House – alongside a 57-room boutique hotel, strata office space and a curated mix of retail and lifestyle operators.
As part of Carmine House, residents have access to hotel-style amenities and services, including concierge, housekeeping, dry cleaning and in-residence food and beverage delivery.
Best known for building The Big Group into one of Australia’s leading luxury hospitality and events businesses, the Keebaughs were drawn to the precinct’s integrated lifestyle offering and its proximity to Melbourne’s hospitality, cultural and sporting precincts, while remaining well connected to the Mornington Peninsula, where they spend much of their time.
As well, Chyka is well known to Australian audiences as one of the original stars of The Real Housewives of Melbourne, appearing across three seasons of the hit reality series.
Alongside her business ventures with Bruce, she has built a public profile as a lifestyle authority, authoring two books on home and entertaining, Chyka Home and Chyka Celebrate.
“We weren’t simply looking for a luxury apartment,: the couple said. “We were looking for a home that delivers an exceptional lifestyle every day. The combination of design, walkability, security and the broader precinct vision for the broader precinct immediately stood out.”
Jordan Winada, Head of Acquisitions (Commercial) Victoria at Fortis, said the result highlights evolving priorities at the top end of the market.
“This sale reinforces that premium buyers are prioritising the complete lifestyle experience,” says Winada.
“They’re increasingly looking beyond the apartment itself and assessing the quality of the surrounding neighbourhood as well.”
Sean Cussell, Director at Christie’s International Real Estate Victoria, who negotiated the transaction, said the result reflects the lack of comparable product at this level of the market.
“There’s simply no direct comparison for this in Richmond. It’s not just an apartment; it’s part of a fully integrated precinct combining residential, hotel, workplace and lifestyle amenity,” Cussell said.
“Buyers are increasingly assessing the broader offering, from amenity and walkability to service and convenience. Projects that deliver a complete lifestyle experience continue to outperform.”
The sale contributes to Fortis’ strong national performance, with the business recording more than $124 million in sales since March, the last three all record-breaking penthouse sales across the country, reflecting sustained momentum across its portfolio and continued appetite for premium, design-driven developments.
This follows Fortis’ recent record-breaking Ruby House penthouse sale in Sydney’s Double Bay, which set a new benchmark for apartment living in the suburb and underscores the strength of demand at the ultra-premium end of the market.
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