Jackie Collins’ Beverly Hills estate sells for $21 million, and other top sales

As Southland home prices continue to trend upward this summer, so has L.A.’s luxury sector, which saw four sales of $10 million or more in the last two weeks of July. Of the high-water transactions was the sale of a romance novelist’s longtime estate and a flashy purchase by a music exec.

Here’s a deeper dive into the most expensive homes sold from July 17 through July 30.

$21 million — Beverly Hills

In the 600 block of North Beverly Drive, the longtime home of late author Jackie Collins sold for $9 million less than the original asking price of $30 million.

Built for Collins in 1991, the sprawling mansion of 22,000 square feet was designed for small- and large-scale entertaining. A dramatic two-story entry opens on either side to grand formal areas, a library and a chef’s kitchen with three islands.

A 100-foot corridor lined with gallery walls connects the main house to a guest apartment plus a gym and a screening room. In all, there are eight bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms and five powder rooms.

Collins, who died last year at age 77, bought the property in the late 1980s for $3 million, records show.

The buyer was real estate investor Ben Nehmadi, who also purchased a neighboring home owned by Collins’ estate. The contiguous property, leased by actor Al Pacino for the last decade, sold for $9 million in a deal completed off-market.

Brett Lawyer and Susan Smith of Hilton & Hyland, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, had the listing. Richard Maslan, also of Hilton & Hyland, represented Nehmadi.

$17.99 million — Beverly Crest

Music mogul L.A. Reid bought a modern mansion on the Westside for about $2 million less than the most recent list price: $19.995 million.

Straddling the border of Beverly Crest and Bel-Air, the 11,200-square-foot home sits atop a 1-acre hillside and has an infinity-edge swimming pool. Views from the property extend from the city lights to the ocean.

The multistory home, completed last year, features such amenities as an elevator, a 300-bottle wine cellar and a home theater with a wet bar. Black granite walls, chrome accents and white oak floors make for a polished look.

The master suite has a fireplace and a view of the grounds for a total of seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three powder rooms and four fireplaces.

Aaron Kirman of John Aaroe Group and Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland were the listing agents. Jesse Lally, also of Hilton & Hyland, represented the buyer.

$14.595 million — Hidden Hills

A traditional-style home on more than an acre in the 24000 block of Hidden Ridge Road changed hands in a deal involving two limited liability companies.

Taxes for the buying LLC will be mailed to the Chicago residence of Rick Gonzalez, according to a copy of the grant deed obtained by The Times. Gonzalez is the chief executive of the pharmaceutical company AbbVie Inc., a spinoff of Abbott Laboratories.

The house, built in 2015, has 15,000 square feet of living space with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Among features of note is a chef’s kitchen with two islands, a home theater lounge with a wet bar and a gym/spa. An elevator runs between two floors and a subterranean garage with parking for more than 10 cars.

The master suite, with a fireplace and his and hers closets, opens to a balcony overlooking the grounds.

Marc and Rory Shevin of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties were the listing agents. Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland and Tomer Fridman of Ewing Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.

$12.51 million — Bel-Air

The Regents of the University of California sold an estate on about 2 acres in the 600 block of Siena Way to a California-based limited liability company.

The longtime home of late businessman Edward W. Carter, who for decades served as president of the suburban department store chain Broadway Stores, the property had been listed for sale at $14 million, records show.

Built in the late 1930s, the estate centers on a traditional-style home with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in about 7,300 square feet of living space. A two-bedroom guesthouse, a swimming pool, an outdoor pavilion, gardens and mature landscaping fill the hedged grounds.

Carter passed away in 1996 at 84; the property was deeded over to the Regents of the University of California, for which Carter was a former chair, in 2011.

Joyce Essex Harvey and Danny Harvey of Coldwell Banker held the listing. Jonathan Seltzer of Teles Properties repped the buyer.

$9.75 million — Brentwood

A transitional-style home in the 100 block of North Woodburn Drive sold after relisting in May for $10.495 million.

Sitting on more than half an acre in gated Brentwood Circle, the estate packs in a range of outdoor features. Of note is an outdoor kitchen, a potting shed, a putting green, formal gardens and a swimming pool and spa. A pair of two-car garages and a motor court sit off the entrance.

Within nearly 9,100 square of interior space are two dining rooms, a two-story great room, a gym/studio and a wood-paneled study. A total of six bedrooms and eight bathrooms includes upstairs and downstairs master suites. There’s also a guesthouse.

Linda May of Hilton & Hyland had the listing. Leslie Kavanaugh of Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.

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