Emily Laura Blog's: February 2021

Friday 26 February 2021

Actor Walton Goggins Puts His Glamorous Hollywood Hills House on the Market

Walton Goggins Selling LA Home — realtor.com, Erik Voake/CBS/Getty Images

The actor Walton Goggins, currently starring in the sitcom “The Unicorn,” has put his unique Hollywood Hills home on the market for $3.35 million.

The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home is extraordinary in a number of ways. Chief among them is the fact that it was designed and built by Harold Ogden Sexsmith in 1927, and has only traded hands three times since.

Goggins purchased the place in 2010 for $1,555,000, and has done an admirable job of updating and restoring the property since then, while being careful to preserve its old Hollywood charm. The home is said to resemble the look of the nearby Chateau Marmont.

Among the meticulously restored features are the original coffered front door, hardwood and tile floors, an original wood-burning fireplace, arched openings leading from room to room, and classic casement windows.

Arched passageways and casement windows
realtor.com

With many original lighting fixtures hanging graciously from wood-beamed ceilings, the 3,240-square-foot home exudes a classic yet comfortable, well-lived-in vibe. Built-in bookcases in many rooms, even the kitchen, provide character.

The kitchen also features a cozy breakfast nook, top-of-the-line stainless-steel appliances, and is attached to a butler’s pantry/laundry room with a charming Dutch door leading to the side yard.

Vintage kitchen with modern appliances
realtor.com

Every one of the bedrooms, one en suite guest room downstairs and four others upstairs, feature the beautiful and classic casement windows.

The main suite features a pristine bath and a large walk-in closet. Another bedroom located upstairs is currently being used as a spacious office, with more built-ins. The listing photos show that it was well-used by Goggins.

The outdoor areas on the private and gated large lot also have a natural, vintage feel, and have been masterfully tended. There are two outdoor dining areas, a fire pit/lounge, mature fruit trees that yield a generous harvest every year, and a lovely pool, lit with strings of overhead lights.

Goggins, 49, is one of the busiest men in Hollywood, currently starring in not one but two comedy series, the aforementioned “The Unicorn” and “The Righteous Gemstones.” Prior to that, he’s had leads in TV series including “The Shield,” “Justified,” “Vice Principals,” and “Six.” He has also appeared in such films as “Cowboys and Aliens,” “Django Unchained,” “The Hateful Eight,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”

Josh Myler of The Agency has the listing.

The post Actor Walton Goggins Puts His Glamorous Hollywood Hills House on the Market appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/walton-goggins-puts-hollywood-hills-house-on-the-market/

We Really Dig This Adorable and Affordable Hobbit House in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Hobbit House — VRX Media Group

For anyone driving around an established neighborhood of traditional homes in Madison, WI, one residence on Stevens Street stands out. Or doesn’t stand out.

“It’s an earth-sheltered home. Not necessarily built into the ground, but it’s earth-covered on the roof and on a couple of sides,” explains the listing agent, Jennifer Rios. “It’s in a kind of older neighborhood, with typical midcentury homes and older.”

She says she doesn’t believe any comparable earth-covered home can be found within at least a 10-mile radius.

The style has proved popular with buyers. The home was listed for $329,900, and multiple offers above the listing price came in after just a few days on the market.

“We went into it not really knowing what to expect with the uniqueness of the home,” Rios explains. “I laid out two scenarios: In this market, we’ll either see a very quick turnaround, or we may sit awhile. We tested it and had the best outcome possible.”

Exterior of home in Madison, WI
VRX Media Group

The home has two bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, plenty of living space, and is surprisingly bright.

“It has full exposure on the back side, so there’s lots of nice natural light,” Rios says. “Because of its earth-covered roof and partially on the sides, it’s very temperate inside. The earth provides a really nice installation and flow of air.”

Which adds up to lower electricity bills—a boon in this part of the country.

Built in 1980, the home has only had two owners in the past 41 years, and the current owner has lived there for 26 years.

Rios says she feels a perfect buyer would be somebody who is environmentally conscious and appreciates the uniqueness of an earth home, and who also likes being able to walk or bike around the city.

She grew up in the neighborhood and knows this distinctive dwelling quite well.

“I would ride my bike by, and wonder who in the world lives there,” she says.

Now that Rios has been inside and scoped out the place, she says that looks are deceiving.

“When you walk in, you kind of feel like you’re entering a hobbit house,” she says. “It’s really surprising when you open the front door, and it’s an abundance of natural light. It feels like a very traditional home for the most part, except for the curved roof line.”

The curve is an interesting flourish.

“It creates such a nice sort of vaulted ceiling effect, but it’s kind of open and airy, which is what a lot of people like nowadays,” Rios adds.

Inside, the house doesn’t need require any more maintenance than any other 40-year-old home, but Rios points out that the roof does need attention and upkeep—at least after the snow melts.

“You can let it go and become real grassy, or you can mow it,” she says. “The sellers have just gone up there with a weed whacker a couple of times a year.”

The post We Really Dig This Adorable and Affordable Hobbit House in Wisconsin appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/hobbit-house-in-wisconsin/

Built in 1876, This Indiana Castle Is a Lovely Local Landmark

Whoever decides to buy the castle in the Indianapolis suburb of Irvington will have to leave room in the family budget for the neighborhood’s favorite holiday.

“The Halloween festival is massive. We’re talking 50,000 people at the Halloween festival, and on Halloween night, you get anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 trick-or-treaters. I set aside some money for my candy budget,” says Emily DiGiusto, who owns the residence with her husband, Dennis.

The welcoming porch at the house with the turrets on University Avenue is a perfect place to greet trick-or-treaters.

Multiple offers above the asking price of $385,000 came in after the property, the most prominent house in the neighborhood, had been on the market for only three days.

“The towers really make it stand out. If it didn’t have the towers, it would just look like a cool Victorian Gothic house—but it wouldn’t have that sort of defining feature,” DiGiusto says.

Exterior of home in Irvington, IN
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Aerial view
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Porch
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Turret
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Exterior
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

The smaller octagonal tower at the back of the house is easily accessible from the main-floor family room and from the second-floor bedroom.

“Our kids had a massive beanbag there, with lots of stuffed animals, and it was the perfect spot to read,” DiGiusto recalls.

The larger main tower at the front of the house isn’t as easy to access. It’s on the second floor above another reading nook, through a trapdoor on the ceiling.

“You have to use a ladder to the ceiling access panel,” DiGiusto says. “And then, on the third floor, there’s another ladder up there to get up to the very top, where four windows are, that face out in every direction. It’s never been finished off, and it does have amazing views.”

She adds that the family initially had plans to put in a spiral staircase, but never got around to it.

Stairs
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Built in 1876, the house, known as Irvington Castle, was also once known as the Johnson home, after the man who built it, Eudorus M. Johnson, a son of a founder of the suburb of Irvington.

At one point, the 4,689-square-foot house on one-third of an acre was turned into apartments, but it was converted back into a single-family home in the 1980s.

Fireplace
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Bedroom
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Living space
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Dining space
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Bathroom
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

As currently configured, the residence has three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, many with historic features. The house has six original fireplaces.

“The three on the bottom floor have been updated, and the three upstairs in the bedrooms are blocked off,” DiGiusto explains.

DiGiusto says that although the house is imposing, it doesn’t have a formal or unapproachable atmosphere. The wood floors, stairs, and other vintage accents give the large rooms character.

“It’s more the ceilings are 12-foot tall, and the rooms are massive, and it has all these beautiful fireplaces and beautiful moldings,” she adds. “It has a good feel to it, a good vibe of good energy.”

Kitchen
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Garage
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

She says the current kitchen and the laundry/office were part of a 1910 addition to the original house. A detached garage was added to the property in the 1940s or ’50s.

The house is just across the street from a circular park with a fountain, where summer concerts are held and many holiday events take place.

Since the house is in a historic district, owners are not permitted to make changes without the approval of a preservation council.

DiGiusto says potential buyers must understand that this isn’t a starter home, and should be ready to assume responsibility for the task of caring for the building.

She said the ideal buyer would be someone “interested in history and restoration” who is willing to play a part in the life of the community. Since the property is 140 years old, a familiarity with old homes and what it takes to maintain them would be helpful, she says.

The listing agent for the home is Molly Hadley.

Entry
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Dining area
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

Office
Jon Smith/ Wide Eyed Illuminations

The post Built in 1876, This Indiana Castle Is a Lovely Local Landmark appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/built-in-1876-indiana-castle-lovely-local-landmark/