Los Angeles
Attorney Robert Lieff lists his Montecito estate for $33M
Trending
Zoe Saldana identified as buyer of $18M Montecito estate
“Avatar” actress bought the Spanish Revival mansion on 4.7 acres early last year
Actress Zoe Saldana has been identified as the mystery buyer of a 4.8-acre historic estate in Montecito for $17.5 million.
The star of the “Avatar” and “Avengers” series bought the 94-year-old Spanish Revival mansion at 751 Buena Vista Drive in the Golden Quadrangle, according to the Robb Report.
Saldana bought the 9,700-square-foot home in February; it first listed in December 2022 for $18.5 million. The seller, which owned it for several decades, was not disclosed.
The five-bedroom, eight-bathroom house, known as Casa De Buena Vista, was designed by George Washington Smith in 1930, with an addition designed by Lutah Maria Riggs, the city’s first licensed female architect, in 1933.
The home sits on two parcels of gently rolling grounds, historic oaks, meandering paths and views from the Pacific Ocean to the Santa Ynez mountains, according to the listing by Riskin Partners Group, which also represented the buyer.
A long, oak-lined driveway leads to the somewhat quirky estate, with original lighting, tiles, windows and other period details.
The two-story house, clad in white and topped by red mission tiles, has vaulted beamed ceilings, a wood-paneled library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and grand public rooms with big windows.
It also has an atypical floor plan, according to Robb.
There are two guest bedrooms on the main floor, neither of which have en suite bathrooms. Upstairs, there’s a third guest bedroom only accessible by walking through the master bedroom.
Outside, the mansion includes a north/south tennis court next to an oval swimming pool. The grounds of the estate include a detached art studio, a guesthouse with ocean views, two three-car garages and a two-bedroom staff apartment attached to the main house.
Saldana and her husband, Marco Perego, own a tennis-court estate in the mountains above Beverly Hills, according to Robb. The property, once owned by Kimora Lee Simmons, was listed in the fall for $16.5 million, but is now available for lease at $47,500 a month.
— Dana Bartholomew
Read more
Attorney Robert Lieff lists his Montecito estate for $33M
Los Angeles
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi list Montecito estate for $47M
Los Angeles
Carolwood Estates plans to open branch office in Montecito