Bing Crosby’s former Hillsborough estate has returned to the market with extensive upgrades less than a year after selling at a steep discount.
The French chateau‑style mansion at 1200 Armsby Drive, which sold in June for $25 million after an initial listing of $40 million, is now offered for about $29 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Current owners Mehrdad and Neda Elie spent roughly eight months and $3 million to renovate the property.
Mehrdad Elie, founder of luxury home customization and redevelopment firm ElieCorp, told the Wall Street Journal that the improvements included $400,000 in landscaping and the addition of a new swimming pool, replacing one Crosby had filled in decades ago.
The estate, located in Lower North Hillsborough, one of the Bay Area’s most exclusive enclaves, was built in 1929 and spans 13,635 square feet of finished living space, with a total footprint of 18,535 square feet. It features 11 bedrooms, 10 full baths and five half‑baths across four levels.
Designed by John Bakewell Jr. and Ernest Weihe, architects of San Francisco City Hall, the home was originally built for Lindsay Howard, son of Seabiscuit’s owner Charles Howard. Crosby purchased the property in the 1960s and lived there until his death in 1977.
The estate remained in the Crosby family until the passing of his widow Kathryn Grant Crosby in 2024.
Jenn Gilson of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.
Marketing materials highlight preserved historical details, including a paneled library known as “Bing’s Den,” a smoking room with a built-in bar and antiques from William Randolph Hearst’s collection, such as a 17th century staircase banister and antique wood paneling. The relisting underscores the contemporary appeal of celebrity estates blending Hollywood history, architectural pedigree and modern luxury in one of the Bay Area’s prime neighborhoods.
Mehrdad Elie has worked on other high-profile Hillsborough upgrades, particularly the “western White House,” which he bought in 2022 for $15 million and sold in 2024 for $23 million.
Bing Crosby also maintained a desert home in Rancho Mirage.
– Joel Russell
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