This week in celebrity real estate, Leonardo DiCaprio took $4 million off the asking price of his Malibu home, Dennis Quaid’s home flipped back on the market, and Taylor Swift’s childhood home is for sale.
Buy Taylor Swift’s childhood home
Every celebrity has a back story and a hometown — a place where they grew up outside of the limelight.
For songstress Taylor Swift, the hometown is Berks County, Penn., where she grew up on a Christmas tree farm and then a suburban house in Reading. Although the singer eventually got her start in country music, she didn’t make the 11-hour move to Nashville until age 14, after convincing her parents it was the next step for her career (turns out Swift was right; she secured a record contract shortly after).
Now a little piece of Swift’s back story is up for grabs: Her former home at 78 Grandview Blvd., Reading, Penn. 19609 is for sale for $799,500. The current owners bought the house in 2007 for $480,000, shortly before Swift made it big. They had no idea who the former tenants were.
Until, of course, fans began showing up at the house.
“People would stop by and take pictures and pose out in the front,” current owner Daniel Mashevsky told Philly.com.
The listing takes advantage of the residence’s past fame, describing a “bright study” with fireplace where Swift played her guitar. Measuring 5,050 square feet, the home has been “painstakingly restored” inside and out, with baths featuring new fixtures, marble and granite surfaces as well as an updated kitchen with high-end appliances. Each of the 6 bedrooms has been updated, including Swift’s bedroom, which no longer has the carpet or wallpaper that were present while she lived there.
See more photos of Taylor Swift’s childhood home here.
Leonardo DiCaprio relists Malibu home with price cut
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Malibu home has seen a lot of real estate activity. For those who don’t track the minutia of celeb real estate, here’s a quick primer:
- October 2002: DiCaprio buys 23736 Malibu Colony Road, Malibu, Calif. 90265 for $6 million.
- May 2012: He lists the home as a rental for $75,000 a month.
- November 2012: The home hits the for-sale market at $23 million.
- February 2013: It’s back as a rental, again for $75,000 a month.
For his latest move, the actor has the home listed for sale again — but with a $4.1 million cut, bringing the price tag down to $18.9 million — and with updated listing photos. Perhaps this time he’s really serious about dumping the place.
DiCaprio’s pricey beach retreat is not one home but three separate units with a combined 7 bedrooms and 6 baths. The main house dominates the large lot, with a rooftop terrace, patio and deck, all facing the beach. Built in 1927, the home has high ceilings with exposed beams and an open floor plan leading straight out to the outdoor living spaces, taking advantage of the Malibu weather and spectacular views. Other amenities of the property include a gym, 2 kitchens, (one in the separate guesthouse), hardwood floors and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Why would DiCaprio be so bent on selling such a prime beach property? Simple answer: The star no longer spends a lot of time on the West Coast, preferring New York City for his home base. He owns an eco-friendly penthouse in Battery Park and has been rumored to be on the hunt for another Manhattan home.
See more photos of DiCaprio’s Malibu home here.
Dennis Quaid lists Pacific Palisades home
For more than a year, Dennis Quaid and Kimberly Buffington-Quaid have been going through a lengthy divorce process, marked with second thoughts and difficult realizations. Nevertheless, the actor showed his support for his wife and 5-year-old twins by purchasing a $3.1 million Pacific Palisades home for them in February. Both Quaids are listed as owners in property records.
TMZ reported in March that under the terms of the divorce settlement, “Kimberly and the 5-year-old kids are allowed exclusive occupancy of the house until the children turn 18. The settlement conditionally allows Kimberly to stay even longer.” By the looks of it, Kimberly and the kiddos will be continuing their exclusive occupancy elsewhere: The home at 1239 Las Pulgas Road, Pacific Palisades, Calif. 90272 has just been listed for $3.15 million.
Amenities of the home include a large, gourmet kitchen with plentiful seating, high-end AV electronics, hardwood floors and stunning ocean views. It’s a shame Dennis Quaid did not get to enjoy the master suite panorama — or did he? Another story report in June shows the couple at a family outing wearing their wedding rings.
Whatever the case, Quaid has continued a trend of unloading his properties. He sold his Pacific Palisades equestrian estate in 2011, and his Montana ranch was listed in 2011 but failed to sell. The home was relisted in April 2013 and again in July, with the listing description now noting that a sale is pending. He continues to own a home in Austin, Texas.
Related:
· Tom Hanks Lists in Pacific Palisades
· Richard Gere Lists $65 Million Hamptons Estate
· More Celebrity Real Estate Coverage
More from TODAY Money:
- Teachers pay more out of pocket their students
- Savers are sexy: Why thriftiness is attractive
- Top boardrooms: No-go areas for women, minorities
- Yahoo's Marissa Mayer goes glam in Vogue spread
- Tell me, why do you really want this job?