Hollywood stars buy, sell homes

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. (McClatchy) — Former “Dancing With the Stars” regular Mark Ballas has made a couple of moves away from the dance floor, selling one home on Los Angeles’s Westside and buying another in the Laurel Canyon area.

On the sale side, Ballas parted with a Mediterranean-style home in the Beverly Crest area for $3.125 million in a deal completed off-market. He bought the property two years ago for $2.525 million, records show.

The roughly 4,900-square-foot home, built in the 1970s and since renovated, had been listed for as much as $4 million last year. It includes two kitchens, two family rooms, four bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms.

A swimming pool and spa highlight grounds of more than a third of an acre.

The house he bought is surrounded by mature trees. Vibrant stone siding and a glass-paneled staircase give the updated 1950s home a contemporary vibe.

Some 2,000 square feet of white-walled living space include living and dining rooms, an updated kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Picture windows bring in views of the grounds, and the master suite has a sliding glass door that opens to a patio.

Ballas bought the home for $1.5 million, or $101,000 over the asking price, records show.

Ballas, 30, first appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” in 2007 and has twice won the dancing competition series. He left the show a year ago to join the Broadway cast of “Jersey Boys.”

Amid rumors that Glenn Howerton may be leaving the show, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the actor-producer has sold his home in Venice for $2.39 million.

The Craftsman-inspired two-story was built in 2008 and incorporates a mix of classic and contemporary details. Among features of note are beamed ceilings, dark wood floors and wainscoting. Various gray hues unify the living areas.

More than 3,100 square feet of interior space includes formal living and dining rooms, a center-island kitchen, an island/den, four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The family room features a wall of built-ins and French doors that open to a covered porch.

Outside, a fire pit/lounge sits between the house and a detached two-car garage. Lawns and drought tolerant landscaping complete the fenced and hedged grounds.

Howerton’s future on “It’s Always Sunny” has come into question in recent weeks after the actor reportedly called his situation “a little complicated” following the show’s Season 12 finale. The 40-year-old is reportedly set to star opposite Patton Oswald in an NBC sitcom pilot developed by Lorne Michaels and Seth Meyers.

He bought the house seven years ago for $1.692 million, records show.

Actor Justin Hartley, who currently appears on the NBC series, “This Is Us,” has bought a home in the Valley Glen area of L.A. for about $1.67 million.

Completed last year, the two-story house combines farmhouse and traditional elements. Details include wide-plank floors, horizontal wood paneling and crisp white molding and wainscoting.

A great room with a fireplace, a formal dining room, a center-island kitchen, five bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms are included in the 5,000 square feet of living space. There are two master suites, including an upstairs retreat complete with a custom closet and a soaking tub.

Bi-folding doors on the main floor open to a covered patio for indoor-outdoor living. A swimming pool, lawns and landscaping fill out the backyard. There’s also a three-car garage.

The house came on the market in December for about $1.72 million, records show.

Hartley, 40, has television credits that include the daytime soap opera “Passions,” “Smallville” and “Revenge.” He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his role as Adam Newman on the series “The Young and the Restless.”

“Pretty Little Liars” star Ashley Benson has finally sold her home in Hollywood Hills West for $2.65 million.

After finding no takers at about $3 million last year, the 27-year-old actress relisted the French Normandy-style house in January for $2.695 million. She bought the property four years ago for $2.2 million, records show.

Within nearly 3,100 square feet of contemporary living space is a rotunda entry, a wood-paneled library, an updated kitchen, an office/lounge and formal living/dining rooms. Dark wood floors, patterned wall treatments and bright chandeliers are among the eye-catching details.

The upstairs master suite has French doors that open to deck space. There are three bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in all.

Outdoors, a flagstone patio surrounds a swimming pool and spa. Steps near the pool lead up to a cabana.

Benson has television credits that also include the shows “Days of Our Lives,” “Supernatural” and “Eastwick.” Last year she appeared in the films “Chronically Metropolitan” and “Elvis & Nixon.”

It appears Antonio Gates will not be commuting from San Diego next season. The L.A. Chargers tight end has listed his home in the Poway area for sale at $2.495 million.

Set on an acre of grounds, the fenced and gated estate is amped up with a lighted basketball court and a saltwater swimming pool with multiple waterfall features.

The more than 6,800 square feet of living space includes a kitchen with an oversized island that opens to the great room. Formal living and dining rooms, a library/study, five bedrooms and seven bathrooms also lie within the single-story.

A separate guest wing holds a second kitchen, two offices and a billiards room.

French doors off the great room open to a covered patio with an outdoor kitchen. Lawns, tropical plantings, a fireplace and an outdoor shower complete the grounds.

Gates bought the house in 2006 for $2.55 million, records show.

Gates, 36, appeared in 14 games for the Chargers last season, catching 53 passes for 548 yards and seven touchdowns.

He is the Chargers’ all-time record-holder for receiving yards (11,192) and touchdown catches (111) and is tied with Tony Gonzalez for the most scores by a tight end in NFL history.

Earlier this year he put another home in the Hollywood Hills West area on the market for $2.5 million. That property is still for sale.

By Neal J. Leitereg

Los Angeles Times

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