Hollywood's Biggest Real Estate Deals of the Week: Mark Wahlberg, Kirstie Alley

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Hollywood's Biggest Real Estate Deals of the Week: Michael Bay, Jennifer Aniston

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Telluride's Big Real Estate Listings

Jerry Seinfeld and Dick Ebersol are among the notable names looking to sell in the rustic town, Colorado's most expensive.

Every year, the Telluride Film Festival (Sept. 2-5) transforms the Colorado mountain community of 2,500 into a hot spot for the movie biz, a far cry from the town's Wild West origins. After all, this was where Butch Cassidy committed his first bank robbery.

Hollywood also has long favored the ski town as a place for second homes. Telluride's vibe might be low-key, but the real estate is as elevated as its 13,000-foot alpine peaks. It's the state's most expensive city, with median sale prices at about $2 million this year, double the second-most-expensive city, Aspen.

A wave of recent listings showcases the market's tip-top end, with asking prices nearing $20 million. THR has learned that former NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol and his wife, actress Susan Saint James, have put their house, located in the tony Mountain Village enclave, on the market. The seven-bedroom home, priced at $13 million -- they bought it for $10.4 million in 2004 -- includes a home theater.

STORY: Telluride Film Festival: THR's Film Critic Todd McCarthy on Why Secret Lineup Works

In August, famous divorcee Roxanne Pulitzer listed her seven-bedroom Mountain Village property for $19.9 million. Purchased in 2001 for $4.9 million, it includes a 45-foot, full-scale replica of a labyrinth in Chartres, France.

Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld put their 11-bedroom, multi-building compound on the block in July for $18.25 million. The couple created the 26-acre estate from two properties bought for nearly $10 million in 2007 and 2008.

The high-end houses might not move fast -- many sit unsold. Producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall's European chalet-style house, listed in December for $19.75 million, recently was reduced to $18.25 million. The nine-bedroom compound, created from three parcels bought around 1990, is being offered furnished.

Some sellers won't budge on price, according to local real estate expert Judi Kiernan of Telluride Consulting. She estimates that 50 percent of high-end buyers paid cash, meaning those owners aren't underwater on mortgages. "There is no motivation to discount the price," says Kiernan. In total, 24 single-family homes sold in the first seven months of 2011, compared with 33 in the 2010 period.

The real appeal of Telluride seems to lie in its remote location (there are no direct flights from L.A.), easygoing lifestyle and increasing draw as more than a ski destination. "The summers are, for us, more spectacular than the winters," says director Barry Sonnenfeld, a non-skier who has built a luge track on the property he purchased with his wife more than a decade ago.

EXCLUSIVE: Dick Ebersol Lists $13 Mil Telluride Home

Some call it the anti-Aspen. Case in point: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who own a 210-acre ranch, spent the summer after their daughter Suri's birth hiking the trails surrounding Telluride. "They have their privacy," says Sotheby's broker Matthew Hintermeister, who has the Pulitzer listing. "No one photographs them as they walk down Main Street."           

GOT $175 MILLION FOR A RANCH IN JACKSON HOLE? The top prices in Wyoming's exclusive ski destination easily outdo Telluride's

People come from California and get sticker shock," says John Pierce of Hall and Hall, the broker for what is believed to be the country's most expensive listing, the Jackson Land & Cattle ranch, which has a $175 million asking price. Located in Jackson Hole, Wyo. -- where Harrison Ford owns an 800-acre ranch and Sandra Bullock lives part time -- the 1,750-acre spread includes 35 buildable home sites and a 52-stall equestrian center. The property, owned by resort developer Richard Fields, went on the market in July. Not far away, the 1,848-acre Walton Ranch -- which has 3 miles of frontage on the Snake River and includes a three-bedroom house -- was recently listed for $100 million. The high prices, explains Ranch Marketing Associates' Billy Long, who represents the Walton Ranch, are driven by a tight market. "Ninety-seven percent of the land is composed of national parks and conservation easements. Only 3 percent is available for private ownership," he says. "The real estate is dear."  -- Degen Pener

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Scientology's Hollywood Real Estate Empire

"I've gotta go; I've gotta go."

It's June 23, and blogger Marty Rathbun and I are wrapping a lengthy telephone interview about the historic Hollywood real estate holdings of the Church of Scientology. We're exchanging end-of-conversation pleasantries when a group of people arrives across the street from his waterfront home in Ingleside on the Bay, Texas, hastening the end of our chat.

"They've got five guys in a golf cart with a picture of my face with a cross-out signal in front of it right now -- across the street right now," the ex-Scientologist shouts, his words tumbling out, quick and disorienting.

"I've gotta go," he repeats with increasing urgency. Then Rathbun hangs up.

Rathbun, a former high-level Scientologist who left the church in 2004, had just returned from the supermarket with his wife, Monique, and was unloading groceries when the golf cart appeared. Five days later, we reconnect, and Monique shows me video of the incident. The golf cart is emblazoned with an image of her husband's head atop the body of a squirrel. In the illustration, Rathbun's smiling face is positioned inside a red circle with a diagonal line through it. Some in the group of five wear matching light-blue T-shirts and black hats that read "Squirrel Busters" in block lettering. One man has a video camera strapped to his head.

On that day, Rathbun explains, he had called the sheriff and waited, eyeing the group -- even recording them with his camcorder. By the time a squad car arrived, the three men and two women were gone.

Rathbun says it wasn't the first time he has been visited by the group, which has said it is making a documentary about Rathbun under the Squirrel Busters Productions banner. (The church denies affiliation with Squirrel Busters, and there is no documentation that shows the group is a unit of the church.) A "squirrel" is a derisive term used by Scientologists to describe a former adherent who has "perverted" the religion.

The group's appearance in front of Rathbun's home during our interview appears to have been merely a coincidence. The conflict between Rathbun and the Squirrel Busters is well-documented; it has been covered by publications including the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the San Antonio Express-News.

Clearly, writing about the church is not a simple task because many people have strong opinions, even when the topic is seemingly innocuous. The various controversies that follow the organization -- which draws impassioned feelings from members and non-members alike, themselves immersed in their own dramas -- are often interwoven.

And so the reporting of an ostensibly straightforward story about the church's vast real estate portfolio in Hollywood, where it is a major stakeholder and owns properties valued at $400 million, leads to bizarre interviews like the one with Rathbun, which may be just part of the collateral when reporting on Scientology.

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The Church of Scientology owns, by most accounts, more historic buildings in Hollywood than any other entity and is one of the community's biggest property owners. Some of its holdings are obvious: The castle-like Celebrity Centre International on Franklin Avenue and the mammoth blue compound on Sunset Boulevard that houses the organization's West Coast headquarters are veritable Los Angeles icons.

In total, the church owns seven historic Hollywood properties worth about $300 million, part of a Hollywood real estate empire of 26 properties, according to real estate experts. It is a portfolio that began to take shape in the early 1970s under the direction of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and continues to grow. These days, a small group of high-level church staffers based here comprises the organization's real estate team and oversees the assets while planning a global expansion.

Over the years, the church has transformed its Hollywood properties -- which include a former luxury hotel, apartment building, church and hospital -- into facilities that house everything from classrooms and chapels to production space, a health spa and an upscale French restaurant. Most recently, in April, the group closed on a $42 million purchase of the historic but ramshackle 4.5-acre KCET Studios on the edge of Hollywood, a complex that dates to 1912 and was once home to Monogram Pictures and Allied Artists. (The church will use it as a center for its various media endeavors.)

PHOTOS: Scientology's Historic Hollywood Holdings

Despite the controversies, and there are several, the church also has many fans. City officials, preservationists and scholars alike call the church a first-rate caretaker of historic Hollywood. Preservationists including Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, and city officials including Councilman Tom LaBonge and Ken Bernstein, manager of the Office of Historic Resources, roundly offer praise. "They have provided for positive adaptive-reuse projects in Hollywood, giving new life to many of the Hollywood structures," says Bernstein, "and they have largely preserved the significant historic and architectural features of their Hollywood buildings." Adds Richard Adkins, president of Hollywood Heritage, a preservation group: "They seem to always have the vision of being good stewards and neighbors." The church even has been honored: The California State Legislature has recognized its real estate work, and the Pasadena Historic Preservation Commission has given it an award, as has the Los Angeles Business Journal.

And the companies that work with the church on these dealings are anything but fringe -- they're major players in real estate, including architecture firm Gensler, which is designing the proposed NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles, and real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis Group, which boasts more than 400 offices in more than 60 countries.

All the while, many in Hollywood remain unaware of the church's efforts. "I don't think people would even know they are real estate holders," says George Abou-Daoud, who owns area eateries including the Mercantile (adjacent to a property owned by a church affiliate housing a museum named Psychiatry: An Industry of Death).

The church maintains or is in the process of rehabilitating other properties in the L.A. area, including a new center in Pasadena and forthcoming projects in Inglewood and Santa Ana. But Hollywood is its focal point. After four decades, the church, founded in 1954 in Los Angeles, has deep roots in the area: It began buying properties under the direction of Hubbard, who saw potential in the blighted, undervalued area and wanted to save neglected buildings. It bought at low prices during the 1970s and '80s, making the group both pioneer and bargain hunter. To this day, the church does not take out mortgages, claiming it relies on donations from parishioners.

But the church's stewardship of its historic buildings is just one part of a long-standing and sometimes edgy relationship with the Hollywood community.

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Celebrity Scientologists Weigh in on the Church's Real Estate Program

From L-R: Nancy Cartwright, Danny Masterson, Erika ChristensenNancy Cartwright, Danny Masterson and Erika Christensen praise the Church of Scientology for its stewardship of historic Hollywood real estate.

Nancy Cartwright, co-star of The Simpsons: ''When there is an opportunity to preserve a piece of history, whether through a historic or culturally important building or its artists, I am all for it. I am very proud of the work my church puts into improving and restoring these buildings, and I am happy to be involved with it."

Danny Masterson, co-star of That '70s Show: ''I bought my current house in Hollywood because I am a big fan of architecture from the '20s, '30s and '40s. I love the fact that my church shares the same philosophy I do when it comes to historic restoration of properties."

Erika Christensen,  co-star of Parenthood: ''I grew up attending services at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood. What the church did with the building is amazing. I was born in Seattle, and I flew up and attended the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology in Seattle last year after the renovations were completed. It was breathtaking aesthetically, and it was something I had looked forward to for a number of years. I am proud and impressed that my church is acquiring and restoring properties for our local churches."

STORY: Scientology's Hollywood Real Estate Empire

Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com

Twitter: @DanielNMiller

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Lionsgate CEO Selling L.A. Estate (Exclusive)

Jon Feltheimer is asking $14.75 million for the Holmby Hills property near the Los Angeles Country Club.

Lionsgate CEO and co-chairman Jon Feltheimer has listed a prime piece of Holmby Hills property for sale after scuttling plans to scrape the site and build a new home there, according to real estate sources.

The residence on South Mapleton Drive is in a coveted section of the tony street that backs up to the Los Angeles Country Club’s North Golf Course. Feltheimer is asking $14.75 million for the 1.3-acre property, which he purchased for $9.8 million in December 2009.

Though that price increase appears dramatic — particularly during a period of stasis for L.A.’s residential real estate market — the immediate neighborhood has grown in popularity. Less than 10 homes on the street back up to the golf course.

“It’s the sweet spot on the street; that’s why it commands these premium prices,” says Drew Fenton, a Hilton & Hyland real estate agent, who specializes in luxury properties. He had no knowledge of the Feltheimer listing.

Feltheimer’s property is three doors down from the 57,000 square-foot Spelling mansion, which is being purchased for $85 million. The house is also near the estate that Paramount Pictures CEO Brad Grey purchased for $18.5 million in mid-November.

The five-bedroom, 6,392-square-foot home that is situated on Feltheimer’s property will likely be razed once it changes hands. Real estate observers consider it a teardown. The property offers views of the golf course and is next door to another home that traded hands last year for roughly $13.6 million and was recently demolished.

Feltheimer, married and the father of four children, is attempting to unload the residence after deciding against the construction of a new manse on the site — a costly and lengthy endeavor, sources say. He is said to have never lived at the home, which was built in 1927.

Until the executive finds a new home, he is living at a high-rise residential tower on Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood. Other residents there include Bruce Willis, Larry King and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to moving into the tower, Feltheimer previously lived in a home in Beverly Hills.

A Lionsgate spokesman declined comment. David Offer of Prudential California Realty, who has the listing on Feltheimer’s property, declined to comment.
Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com
Twitter: @DanielNMiller

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Elizabeth Taylor's Bel Air Estate Sells

Elizabeth Taylor’s estate in Bel Air, Calif., which was listed May 20 for $8.6 million, has just sold to an undisclosed buyer.

The property sold in 33 days, according to an e-mail announcement from listing agent David Mossler of Teles Properties. The purchase counts as a quick sale in L.A.’s residential real estate market, which is still in the doldrums.

The purchase price was not immediately known.

STORY: Elizabeth Taylor’s Bel Air Estate Revealed

The actress bought the home -- a four-bedroom house set on a wooded property -- in the early 1980s.

The gated 1.27-acre estate includes a bricked motor court and swimming pool. The house is 7,000 square feet and featured a galley-like country kitchen, powder room and maid’s quarters on the lower floor, with a master suite with adjacent dressing room on the second floor.

The garden features the climbing rose “Cecile Brunner,” which climbs over an arbor, while the hybrid tea rose Elizabeth Taylor, introduced in 1985, grows nearby.

STORY: Elizabeth Taylor's House on Market for $8.6 Million

Before she died in March, Taylor let Architectural Digest into her home to shoot the interiors and gardens, which are featured in the magazine’s July issue.

The magazine described the house as being designed for family and enjoyment.

“Of course when she had to appear at an important event, she would put on the most beautiful dress and the most amazing jewelry and become Elizabeth Taylor, the star,” fashion designer Valentino told Architectural Digest. “But at home she liked a cozy life, friends, good food.

Almost every room in the house — which was redecorated in 2010 by Waldo Fernandez, who has also done interiors for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie — was done in blues and lavenders, which evoked the color of Taylor’s legendary violet eyes.

STORY: Elizabeth Taylor's 5 Most Famous Jewels

The furnishings include a Franz Hals portrait, Impressionist paintings, Taylor’s three Oscars and Irene Sharaff sketches of the costumes for the actress’ 1968 film Doctor Faustus with Richard Burton.

Elizabeth's son Christopher Wilding recently said of the property: "(The house was) where we all gathered, especially at Thanksgiving and Easter. ... She never entertained the notion of moving."

Mossler could not immediately be reached for comment.

Email: Degen.Pener@THR.com

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Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne Selling Their Hidden Hills Estate for $12.999 Million

Rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, co-host of CBS's The Talk and and a judge NBC's America's Got Talent, have just listed their 6 bedroom, 11,000-square-foot mansion in California's Hidden Hills community for $12.999 million. Their neighbors in the area include Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

The couple purchased the house in 2007 for $12.388 million and engaged Million Dollar Decorators interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard for a country-house redo incorporating everything from Victorian-era barn doors and French antiques to Sharon's collection of English tea sets. The house was featured in the June 2011 issue of Architectural Digest. “I get itchy feet. We’ve never stayed in any place longer than seven years," Sharon told the magazine.

The house sits on 2.25 acres and includes mountain views, a guest apartment, formal dining room, foyer with spiral staircase, a kitchen featuring Wolf appliances, a master suite with a stone fireplace, pool, gym and library. More photos are available at Realtor.com.The couple also have their Malibu house on La Costa beach on the market for $9.5 million. 

The Real Estalker website, however, estimates that it is unlikely the Osbournes will turn a profit on their Hidden Hills sale: "Even if the Osbournes manage to secure a full price sale — and what's the likelihood of that? — they might squeak by with a sliverish profit once they fork over the fat real estate fees that by our unscientific estimation could easily run upwards of half a million smackers. And that's not counting the high renovation and day-core costs that surely ran well upwards of a million clams."

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McLintock! (John Wayne Estate Authorized Edition) [VHS]

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara were born to star in "The Taming of the Shrew," and this is the closest they ever got. Wayne plays a cattle baron whose estranged wife (O'Hara) wants a divorce. The film is basically one long, funny brawl between them, ending with a mud pit melee and Wayne publicly spanking O'Hara, which doesn't look quite so politically correct anymore. This is no great shakes--director Andrew V. McLaglen is simply hosting a party here--but it's worth a few chuckles and the stars' broad performances. --Tom Keogh

Price: $19.98

Click here to buy from Amazon