Hot Property: 'Thor's' Chris Hemsworth keeps the myth alive in Malibu
LOS ANGELES — Actors Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky, who call Australia home, have swung a pair of deals in Malibu, selling their house for $7 million and buying a property nearby for $3.45 million.
On the sale side, the couple saw a solid return on investment in the deal for their Point Dume-area home. The renovated Victorian formerly owned by Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski fetched $500,000 over the asking price, or $2.2 million more than what Hemsworth and Pataky paid for it three years ago: $4.8 million.
Set behind gates on a full acre, the 6,800-square-foot home has an updated kitchen, a library and an atrium. Front-facing windows and wide verandas take in ocean views.
Five bedrooms and six bathrooms reside on three floors. A three-car garage has been outfitted as a home gym.
As for their new residence, it's a different vibe and a smaller size than their previous address.
The 4,600-square-foot contemporary, built in 1979, is boxy with tall ceilings and long windows and doors. Rooms open to views of the mountains and ocean.
A decked-out kitchen features commercial-grade appliances, quartz counters and a 750-bottle refrigerated wine cellar. The open-plan space has a home theater/family room, four bedrooms and polished concrete floors that open to a deck with a glass fireplace.
Terraced gardens, mature trees and a greenhouse make up the grounds.
Hemsworth, 32, plays the mythological superhero Thor in the Marvel films and will star in “Thor: Ragnarok” next year.
Pataky, 39, was in last year's “Furious 7” as well as the two previous installments of the “Fast & Furious” franchise.
Presidential pad is priced down
A San Clemente estate that became known as the Western White House during Richard M. Nixon's presidency has come back up for sale at $69 million, down from $75 million last year.
Called La Casa Pacifica when Nixon took ownership in 1969, the sprawling 5.45-acre compound occupies an ocean bluff in a gated enclave. While the 37th president lived there, he replaced a tennis court with a swimming pool and built a 1,500-foot-long wall to enclose the property.
The California Colonial Revival main house, built in 1926, spans about 9,000 square feet with tile and hardwood flooring, arched doorways and detailed groin-vaulted ceilings. Many of the main rooms open to a center courtyard with a tiled fountain.
Among other features is an ocean-view office used by Nixon and an entertainment pavilion. Including a two-bedroom guesthouse, staff residences and offices, there are about 15,000 square feet of living space, nine bedrooms, nine full bathrooms, a three-quarter bathroom and four powder rooms.
A greenhouse, a pool, a tennis court, formal gardens and expanses of lawn complete the grounds. Views take in Santa Catalina island, the open water and the coastline.
World leaders who visited the property included Japanese Premier Eisaku Sato, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
Actor has a toe in market
Get out the beach towels. Actor-producer-screenwriter John Cusack has listed his Malibu retreat for sale at $13.5 million or for lease at $75,000 a month.
The Spanish-style home sits along a stretch of sand and has coastline and open-water views.
An entry courtyard leads to the main level of the 4,660-square-foot house that has high ceilings, an open study, a large kitchen and deck space. The master suite has a fireplace, an oversized bathroom, a balcony and office space. The upstairs gym could be converted to a second master or two smaller bedrooms.
The bottom level of the three-story house includes a dry sauna, a bathroom and direct access to the beach.
The house, built in 1974, last sold in 1999 for $2.1 million.
Cusack, 49, gained notice in 1980s teen films “Better Off Dead,” “Stand by Me” and “Sixteen Candles.” His more recent work includes starring roles in the 2014 movies “Love & Mercy” and “Drive Hard.”
This year he stars in the sci-fi horror flick “Cell.”
