I laughed to myself to see that it is now listed for $4.5 million, up from $3.95 million back in 2015.
Back in 2009 it was "only" $2.5 million. I know this because one of my favorite P.S. treats is grabbing a couple of the real estate magazines that list Properties For Sale to leaf through while waiting for our breakfasts to be brought to the table.
It was very pleasant to sit outside on the enormous patio surrounding the Rock Garden Café, sipping coffee, listening to the gentle hiss of the misters in warmer weather and turn pages and laugh. There was never an issue that didn't have a home from a dead movie star among the listings. The cheapest houses were something like $15,000 for a mobile home out in the desert.
When I came across A Genuine Frank Sinatra former home for $2.5 million, I immediately began scheming to at least get up the down payment (to no avail, I must add.) Richie cocked an eyebrow skeptically at me and turned another page in the Sports section of the Desert Sun. Breakfast was served.
One of the great attractions to me was the amenities - Parking for 20 or 30 cars, swimming pool (Ava Gardner loved to swim nekkid in it,) , lighted tennis court, and a helipad. It was his habit to fly into the PS airport on his private jet and then take a waiting chopper up the mountain to his lair. Five bedrooms and a 1,690 sq.ft. 3-bedroom guest house and a pool house with his'n her saunas. It was rightfully called "a compound."
Further, the house itself has all hardwood floors, five local stone fireplaces, with several viewing decks (the "view" being rocks set into dirt reminiscent of a moonscape - and an outdoor dance floor.
Deal killer: Bright orange tile counters and backsplash. Orange was said to be his favorite color and used somewhere in all of his houses. BTW you can rent the Malibu house for $110,000 per month in the summer months. Just in case you don't want to be tied down by ownership. The décor which was totally inappropriate to a mountain log cabin style home was fussy and fancy with candlestick chandeliers and a painting of some religious figure over the living room fireplace. The late Barbara Sinatra's taste was all in her mouth.
The other real estate deal I missed out on was the offer of a 6-bedroom motel for $200,000 which would have been perfect for family and friends visits. And everyone in the East Coast would have been on a plane headed for Palm Springs starting in November.
I wasn't meant to live in compounds. But I will always have the comfort of reading Real Estate For Sale over breakfast there.
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