LeBron James allegedly buys Catherine Hepburn’s former home – Variety

It’s common knowledge in real estate circles that LeBron James has been house-hunting in the LA’s Tonestest zip codes for several days. According to Real Deal, the NBA superstar paid homage to a particularly eye-catching home court on a side known as the Beverly Hills Post Office (BHPO) on the hilltop of Beverly Hills. The sprawling estate is a mix of colorful Mediterranean style with a remarkable colorful history to match.

Built in the early 1930s, the property was owned for several years by Academy Award-nominated actor Charles Bayer, one of the top men in Hollywood at the time. Bayer starred in several black-and-white film classics, including “Algiers,” “Victory,” and “Gaslight.”

In the late ’40s, Bayer terminated his contract with RKO Picture, one of the five big studios in Hollywood’s golden age. As part of the negotiations, the studio is keen to buy Bayer’s interest in its 90210 home. At the time, RKO was owned by Howard Hughes, so Hughes technically owned 2.5 acres of compound, although he never occupied the property. Instead, he leased the castle land to former flame Katherine Hepburn, who was at home at the height of her career.

Hughes eventually sold the property, and it was passed on to several unnamed owners before the acquisition of Soap Opera pioneer William J. Bell and his business partner, wife Lee Philip Bell, in 1986 for ৯ 2.9 million. The couple has rebuilt and upgraded the faded woman to the glory of her former golden age as she continues to make And Asthal, “” Bold and The Beautiful “).

Bill Bell died in 2005, but Lee lived in the BHPO home under his own death earlier this year. Last month, his favorite estate hit the market for the first time in decades with a hit price of 39 39 million, although it’s not yet clear how much James is paying.

The property has at least four separate structures, guarded by a sophisticated network of cameras and huge metal gates that sway inwards and reveal a dramatically long brick driveway enclosed by sculpted Cyprus. The driveway plateau in the substantial motorcourt is formed by rock fountains and a dozen mature palm trees.

Inside, the spacious dogs have a dining room set under a skylit ceiling, a living room with a vaulting ceiling and exposed wooden beams, and a carpet library with built-in bookcases. A cozy screening room supports a large fireplace in the original home’s seven.

The grounds have two isolated guest houses, an illuminated tennis court with viewing pavilion and numerous Alfresco recreation areas. Behind, a huge golden Buddha overlooks the oval swimming pool, which includes an old-fashioned diving board and adjoining pool house. And from its mountain perch, the property is the entire L.A. The basin, the Pacific Ocean, and the island of Catalina have taken baller-style views.

Bell’s name is late in the real estate title – earlier this month, his long-awaited Malibu vacation home sold for 18 18 million to an undisclosed buyer.

As James, he continues to own two separate properties in the Pash Brentwood neighborhood on the Westside of LA. The first was purchased in 2015 for 21 million and has been zero for a significant portion of the last five years. The second mansion, its current main residence, was acquired in 2017 for 23 million.

Jeff Highland and Rick Hilton of Hilton & Highland put this on the list.