Week End Catch Up: 03.01.13

In case any of y'all somehow managed to miss it in the deluge of publicity this week, Bob and Dolores Hope's 23,000 square foot spaceship-like John Lautner-designed residence in Palm Springs has—as has been much anticipated by property gossips and architecture aficionados alike—finally and officially hit the market. Buckle your real estate safety belts, butter beans, because that big ol' beotch ain't listed at $45 million like Your Mama originally thought and reported it was gonna be back in mid-December 2012. No, babies, that titanic torus-shaped edifice got saddled with an even more tumescent and rosier tinted price tag of $50 million.

Mister and Missus Hope owned at least two other residential properties in Palm Springs, a 1935 ranch near Ruth Hardy Park that sold last month for $725,000—$66,000 over asking, thank you very much—and a 1936 Spanish casa across the street from Ruth Hardy Park that had been listed at $469,000 but was taken off the open market in mid-February. Our research turns up some evidence that the dated 2,100 square foot charmer remains available off-market at the same price.

listing photos: Partners Trust and Windermere Real Estate

Speaking of celebrities selling real estate in Palm Springs, Your Mama hears through the Coachella Valley real estate gossip grapevine that Le Baux de Palm Springs, Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel's quirky, multi-structure compound tucked into the rocks at the south end of town is about to pop up on the market—again—with a $14,500,000 asking price.

Long time celebrity real estate watchers will recall the (rumored) new asking price is far less than half the $35 million they wanted when they first listed the 10 bedroom and 11 bathroom hillside compound back in early 2008 when Your Mama went over it and it's decorative decadence with a fine toothed comb. That figure is also, curiously enough, 1.6 million smacker more than the $12,900,000 the price plummeted to over the summer of 2009 before it was taken off the market.

photo: sorry folks but we can't figure out where we got this photo.

Fashion designer Derek Lam and his man-partner Jan-Erik Scholttman—he's also the CEO of Derek Lam International—put a $6,000,000 price on their triplex loft in New York City's swanky (if tourist mobbed) Soho 'hood that they bought less than two years ago for $4,650,000. The floor through space has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a library loft, a small but expensively equipped kitchen and a fireplace in the living room surrounded by custom mill work. Not surprisingly, the finishes and day-core are every bit as tailored sophisticated and thoughtfully considered as his clothes. Have y'all seen his fall 2013 line with all its caplets, coats and geometric piece work that looks like some sort of Kelly Wearstler marble confection? It's all rather divine if you're into fairly expensive ladies' garments. Anyhoo...

listing photos and floor plan: Corcoran 

Now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye west are making babies and (allegedly) setting up house in a massive nine million dollar mock-Med MacMansion in a guard gated enclave in Bel Air the perpetually preening and fastidiously groomed Mister West has re-listed his 4,200 square foot art- and fashion-filled bachelor pad in the Hollywood Hills. For what it's worth, the current $3,300,000 asking price is $700,000 less than the $3,995,000 the three story house was briefly listed at in May 2010 but still almost twice the $1,750,000 he paid for the place in late 2003.

NOTE: Although Your Mama has repeatedly heard a different story come down the celebrity real estate gossip grapevine, "sources directly connected to Kim and Kanye" told TMZ this week that despite three higher offers coming in—the highest being $10.5 million—they are not flipping the house. Plans proceed full speed ahead to gut renovate and expand the already large house to 14,000 square feet and they plan to move in in a few months.

photos (from 2010 listing): Hilton & Hyland

On the heels of his recent Oscar nominated for his role as Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln, polo-playing veteran actor Tommy Lee Jones has slapped at hair straightening $26,750,000 asking price on his 50-acre San Saba Polo Ranch in Wellington, FL, arguably America's capital of all thing equestrian. Mister Jones purchased the property in two separate transactions in 2002 for a total of $4,620,000 and—it would appear

Listing details show the property has 48 stalls in a pair of parallel barns, 7 take room, 2 feed rooms, 4 paddocks, and exercise track and a full sized polo field. In addition to four bedroom and 2 bathroom grooms quarters a separate pavilion provides luxuriously appointed lounging, dining and cooking space.

As far as Your Mama knows, Mister Jones still owns at least two other properties in and around Wellington as well as a gated compound in San Antonio, TX with a 6,500+ square foot main residence.

listing photos: Southfields Real Estate