It doesn’t matter if a house is celebrated or notorious: If it has a reputation, it’s going to cost more, experts say.
There are currently a number of famous homes on the market, and their star-power plays an important part in their price tag as, for the right buyer, these properties aren’t just residences — but collectors’ items.
“It’s like owning a Picasso” or a Fabergé egg, Los Angeles-based celebrity and luxury home agent specialist Tomer Friedman recently told CNBC. “You’re buying something that’s super unique and something that is very rare.”
For example, Kevin McCallister’s “Home Alone” house went up for sale outside Chicago in May with an ask of $5.25 million and a listing that made loud and clear its Hollywood connection. Unsurprisingly, for those familiar with the world of pop culture-referenced real estate, a now-pending offer was made within a week of it listing.
Other recent iconic addresses to hit the market with price tags to match their one-of-a-kind place in culture include the San Francisco house seen in “Full House,” which is seeking $6.5 million. There’s also the first NYC home Yoko Ono shared with John Lennon asking $5.5 million, and the longtime Los Angeles residence of late Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens, asking $4.99 million.
Such domiciles’ fame can garner them a 5-10% price premium, luxury real estate agent Josh Altman estimated to CNBC, noting that “There’s definitely this Hollywood cachet of ‘I bought so-and-so’s house.’”
The same goes for infamous addresses. In 2021, the Los Angeles home where Charles Manson’s followers murdered Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in 1969 got $1.87 million, an amount that was likely pushed higher thanks to interest from history buffs and other looky-loos, experts told the outlet.
“They’re one of one,” Zillow home trends expert Amanda Pendleton explained. “Some people with means will pay whatever it takes to own that home.”