Home Is Where App Is at Residential Community

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Playa Vista has become even more of a technology hub, moving beyond the office into people’s homes.

Calgary, Alberta-based Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. opened a community of 66 single-family homes called Collection at Playa Vista on July 14, each of which comes with Apple Inc.’s Home Kit pre-installed.

The product allows homeowners to control their lighting, thermostat, locks and Wi-Fi through a mobile app. Collection is the first residential community in Los Angeles County to offer the Home Kit standard in all residences, said Adrian Foley, Brookfield’s chief operating officer for California.

The homes range in size from roughly 2,700 square feet to 3,700 square feet and cost $2 million to $3 million each.

“We connected ourselves with Apple during the end of 2015, and we spent about six to eight months working with them on brainstorming what we thought Apple Home Kit might do in our houses,” Foley said. “This is the start of a sort of connected-home movement.”

Foley said he chose Apple’s Home Kit over similar products from Google or Amazon.com due to his confidence in how Apple approaches consumer privacy.

Westwood’s KB Home also has seen potential in the Apple device, but the company is taking a different approach with its customers.

The semicustom homebuilder is offering the Home Kit as an option for buyers to integrate in their homes during the design process. Costs for KB Home kit start at $500 and up depending on the amenities chosen.

“The beauty of our model is that you can pick and choose what your preferences are and what you want from a value point of view,” said Dan Bridleman, KB Home’s senior vice president of sustainability, technology and strategic sourcing. “You get to come to a studio and pick and choose what best suits your lifestyle.”

Playa Vista Premiere agent Dennis Hsii said the Home Kits are starting to become a feature that homebuyers expect.

“It only takes one builder to start it before everyone realizes they need to do that in order to catch up. … Especially on the Westside and Silicon Beach, we’re probably going to see more and more,” Hsii said.

Owlwood Listed for $180M

The historic Owlwood Estate in Holmby Hills has been relisted for $180 million.

The property made headlines when it was purchased by Sherman Oaks-based Woodbridge Luxury Homes affiliate Sturmer Pippin Investments in 2016 for $90 million – the second-highest amount ever paid for a home in the county at the time, exceeding all but the Playboy Mansion, which sold in August for $100 million.

Sturmer Pippin teamed up with downtown’s Meyer Davis Studio, Marina del Rey-based KAA Design Group and West Hollywood’s Plus Development Group to redevelop the estate into what could be 10 acres of buildable parcels or additional homes.

“Nowhere else can you find 10 parklike acres in the middle of Holmby Hills,” Tyrone McKillen, co-founder of Plus, said in a statement. “It’s probably one of the greatest single properties in all of America.”

Beverly Grove-based Mercer Vine co-founder Adam Rosenfeld, who represented Sturmer Pippen in the home’s purchase, is the listing agent.

“While we can’t give a definite time line, we can say that the market has indicated the Owlwood Estate’s true market value as being much higher than its previous sales price,” Rosenfeld said in an email. “It truly depends on what type of buyer desires the property most.”

The 1936 property, at 141 S. Carolwood Drive, offers a 12,200-square-foot home designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar and comprises two additional adjacent lots.

Tony Curtis, Cher and 20th Century Fox co-founder Joseph Schenck are among those who have lived at Owlwood. The home gained even more attention when Jay-Z hosted a Grammy brunch party at the estate earlier this year.

Rosenfeld said he’s already received a number of inquiries.

Covina Complex Sold

The 28-unit Las Casitas apartment complex in Covina has sold for about $8.2 million.

Eric Chen and Dan Blackwell of CBRE Group Inc. represented the seller. Revere Investments of Rancho Palos Verdes and KW Commercial represented the buyer, listed as 6717 Alameda Street.

“Las Casitas is located in the most desirable, nonrent-controlled area of Covina and offers continued growth and stability for the new buyer,” Chen said in a statement. “The renovation work has branded Las Casitas as a pride-of-ownership asset with very few other properties in the surrounding area offering the same competitive edge.”

The complex at 321 S. San Jose Ave. sold for more than $292,000 a unit, according to a statement, a record for the area.

Staff reporter Natalie Hoberman can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 226.

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