Social media users were scratching their heads after an unusual home tied to television’s Dr. Phil came up for sale at $5.75 million.
Outlandish by even L.A.’s standards, the Spanish-style two-story home boasts details such as black fabric wallpaper, neon lights and what’s described as an anti-gun art installation. Odd animal figurines with fixed eyes dot the living spaces.
But even more confusing than the decor was the Beverly Crest property’s ownership.
Records show the estate was purchased in 2007 by a family trust tied to the TV host whose full name is Phillip McGraw. But Dr. Phil has never lived there. Instead, it’s being used by his musician son, Jordan McGraw, who is currently on tour with the Jonas Brothers.
Advertisement
The exterior seems normal enough, with yellow walls and a clay tile roof, but the 6,170-square-foot interior walks the line between eclectic and downright bizarre. A great room with chandelier under a black-and-white checkered rotunda anchors the five-bedroom floor plan and draws the eye with a sweeping staircase draped in curving wood branches. A custom bar has stools with antler-like backrests.
The family room has neon-lighted cabinetry, and the entry boasts a hanging chair. In the living room, custom art and animal figurines surround a fireplace. The one-of-a-kind finishes can be negotiated in the deal, according to the listing.
A more dramatic space comes in the dining room, which is cloaked in bold shades of black and gray and features a wall of non-operational guns, which a Dr. Phil representative described as an anti-gun art installation. The billiards room lightens things up with blue floors that appear intentionally splattered with white paint.
Outside, things are a tad more traditional. There’s a dining gazebo, a lounge with a fireplace and a flagstone patio surrounding a swimming pool and spa.
Advertisement
McGraw is best known for his advice-centered talk show, “Dr. Phil,” which debuted in 2002 after he starred in segments on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” His show is currently renewed until 2023 and has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award every year since 2004. The 69-year-old owns other real estate in Beverly Hills.
Jordan McGraw, in his early 30s, last year released the song “Flexible” as well as a self-titled extended play album.
Billy Dolan of Hilton & Hyland holds the listing.
Writers find wonder-ful setting
Actor Fred Savage of “The Wonder Years” fame eked out more than he asked for his Hancock Park home, selling the 1920s Mediterranean for $5 million.
It appears the charming abode will stay in Hollywood hands. The buyers are Emmy-nominated comedy writer Jennifer Crittenden (“The Simpsons,” “Seinfeld”) and writer-producer Bill Wrubel, who served as an executive producer for “Will & Grace” and “Modern Family.”
Gated and hedged, the property holds a two-story home, a 400-square-foot ivy-covered guesthouse and a grassy backyard with a swimming pool and spa.
Inside, original details include beamed ceilings and arched doorways. A sunken living room with a stone fireplace ties the home to its roots, but the adjacent remodeled kitchen adds a modern vibe with tile backsplashes and marble countertops. There’s also a media room, formal dining room and lounge lined with French doors.
Advertisement
The main house has five bedrooms and five bathrooms in 4,344 square feet. In the guesthouse, a gym overlooks the pool through a picture window.
Sharona Alperin of Sotheby’s International Realty held the listing. Edward Fitz of the Agency represented the buyer.
Savage, 43, starred as a child actor in the 1987 film “The Princess Bride” and “The Wonder Years,” a Golden Globe-winning sitcom that aired from 1988 to 1993. More recently, he appeared in “The Grinder” and began hosting the Fox parody show “What Just Happened??! With Fred Savage.”
The actor bought the home through a trust in 2007 for $3.05 million. Last year, he used the same trust to buy another house in Bel-Air for $9.5 million.
Charged to make a deal
Former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates and his wife, reality television personality Sasha Gates, have sold their modern mansion in Encino for $6.5 million.
The multilevel house, built in 2016, was updated during the Gateses’ ownership and features an open-concept floor plan with 15-foot ceilings and skylights. A two-way fireplace divides the family room and gleaming chef’s kitchen. In the family room, a glass-enclosed wine cellar and tasting room fill the far wall.
A home theater, six bedrooms and eight bathrooms fill out the 8,500-square-foot interior. There’s also a converted office in one of the garages.
Advertisement
Outside, grounds measuring two-thirds of an acre center on an infinity-edge swimming pool with a spa, a fireplace and a built-in barbecue. Elsewhere on the property is a sports court.
Antonio Gates, 39, sat out the 2019 NFL campaign despite expressing an interest in returning for a 17th season with the Chargers. The talented pass-catcher is the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions (960), receiving touchdowns (117) and receiving yards (11,882).
Sasha Gates was a main cast member on “Wags,” a reality TV show that documented the lives of spouses of professional athletes, from 2015-2017. Last year, she appeared in the romance-drama film “Kinky.”
Chris Lucibello and Natasha Noreiga of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties were the listing agents. Alma Schwartz of Real Estate Masters Group represented the buyer.
Doubling down above Sunset
Professional basketball player Chandler Parsons has doubled down in L.A.’s high-end housing market, buying a home in the Hollywood Hills for $6.775 million.
The sale, which closed in December, came roughly a week after the Atlanta Hawks forward cut a $9.25-million deal for “CSI” creator Anthony Zuiker’s Malibu compound.
His new pad, designed by New York-based Fu Wilmers Design, sits above the Sunset Strip, with views extending from the downtown cityscape to the ocean. The contemporary-style house features floor-to-ceiling glass, clean lines and a cantilevered wing that creates cover for a patio below.
Within more than 5,500 square feet of muted interior are a center-island kitchen, open-plan living areas, five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. A lower-level bar is outfitted with a gym, a wine room and a 12-seat Dolby Atmos home theater.
Outside, steps lead from the patio to a zero-edge swimming pool. Extensive decking and patio areas create additional living space.
Josh Altman, Matt Altman and Jacob Greene of Douglas Elliman Real Estate were the listing agents. Jamison Malone of the Agency represented the buyer.
Parsons, 31, earned SEC Player of the Year honors at Florida before being selected in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. A seven-year veteran, he is averaging 2.8 points in five games this season for the Hawks.
Last year, he sold a property in Bel-Air for $12.35 million.
TV doctor cuts a deal
Actress Ellen Pompeo, best known for her starring role in “Grey’s Anatomy,” wrapped up an East Coast home sale just in time for the new year. Her modern farmhouse in the Hamptons sold in late December for $2.995 million.
She’s been busy in the real estate realm over the last few years, selling a Hollywood Hills Midcentury for $2.075 million in 2017 and a Spanish villa in the same neighborhood for $2.765 million a year later.
Pompeo designed the Hamptons estate herself. Built in 2013, the 2,400-square-foot home sits on eight acres in Sag Harbor, N.Y., a waterfront community in East Hampton.
Past a rustic gray-blue exterior, the three-story floor plan boasts busy living spaces with hardwood floors, white-painted beams, paneled walls and marble accents. There’s a two-story living room, as well as a chef’s kitchen, breakfast nook and expansive dining porch.
Five bedrooms and four bathrooms complete the floor plan, including a master suite with a private lounge and office. Outside, a wood deck descends to a gunite pool surrounded by lawns.
The Corcoran Group held the listing. Martha Gundersen of Douglas Elliman represented the buyer.
Pompeo’s role as Dr. Meredith Grey in “Grey’s Anatomy” landed her a Golden Globe nomination in 2007. On the big screen, she has appeared in “Old School,” “Daredevil” and “Life of the Party.” She paid $925,000 for the home in 2011, records show.