They buy. They sell. We look at the pretty pictures like the celebrity real estate snoops that we are. Somewhere deep inside us, we love the visceral thrill of trash-talking Mark Wahlberg's master suite or thinking that Bruce Willis' kitchen needs an update.
But at the end of the day, celebrities trying to buy or sell in the housing market are just like us -- with maybe a few more layers of money, managers and financial advisers.
Here are some of our favorite celebrity properties listed, bought or otherwise appearing on the real estate Multiple Listing Service in Los Angeles during 2013.
Photos courtesy of Realtor.com.
Casey Kasem
Radio personality Casey Kasem and his blonde, beehived Mrs. Jean listed in early spring what was uncharitably described as a teardown near Brentwood for $42 million. That wasn't rocking anyone's Top 40 list -- despite the heart-shaped pool -- and the price for the seven-bedroom mansion may have been out of whack with the times. The property came off the market, unsold, in September as concerns about Kasem's health surfaced.
Bob Hope
Bob Hope's longtime Toluca Lake home remains listed at $27.5 million. While the address may not be as trendy as Beverly Hills, there's a lot of house in this estate -- almost 15,000 square feet of mansion sitting on more than five acres, just a proverbial spit from Universal Studios and City Walk. Not to mention a one-hole golf course and enough room for Richard Nixon's helicopter to land so the two could play a few rounds.
Ellen DeGeneres & Portia DeRossi
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi bought this Santa Barbara-area gem that was listed at $26.5 million in May. The restored Tuscan-style hacienda was built in the 1920s and was extensively renovated by its previous owner, architect and designer John Saladino. Landscaped with 30-foot Italian cypresses and mature olive trees for that Old World ambience, the property has a 10,500-square-foot home with five bedrooms and nine fireplaces.
Leonardo DiCaprio
"Wolf of Wall Street" star Leonardo DiCaprio got a Boxing Day gift this year when the sale of his Malibu compound closed on Dec. 26 for $17.35 million. That's a pretty penny for what's essentially a .41 acre-plot of land -- but oh, what a plot it is. Located in the exclusive Malibu Colony neighborhood, the property faces the Pacific Ocean and has direct access to the beach. The official listing claims there are three separate homes on the lot, while real estate blog Realtor.com says it's more of a main home with two detached guest houses situation. Any way you slice it, that's seven bedrooms and six bathrooms of oceanfront goodness. DiCaprio initially listed the property in 2012 for $23 million.
Ellen DeGeneres & Portia DeRossi (again)
And perhaps because sometimes you just need to thin out how many mansions you own, DeGeneres and DeRossi sold their Thousand Oaks, Calif., equestrian ranch for $10.85 million in 2013. We admit we never quite got this place, which included eight separate guest houses, a bunch of stables and seemed to lack a principal residence. But the grounds sure are pretty.
Barry Bonds
Slugger Barry Bonds may not be hitting any home runs while he tries to sell his Beverly Hills 17,100-square-foot manse, currently listed at $23.5 million. The seven-bedroom, 13-bathroom, “smart home” technology property has lots of amenities, including custom fish tanks, a sunken basketball court, music room, gym, and a giant movie theater with hand-painted trompe l’oeil murals.
Bruce Willis
"Die Hard" franchise star Bruce Willis has lowered the price of his Beverly Hills home from $22 million to $19,995,000. Still a lot of zeros, but what do we know? The main house tips the scales at about 10,000 square feet and has a state-of-the-art screening room, lushly landscaped grounds and an inner courtyard.
Madonna
"Material Girl" Madonna sold the Beverly Hills home she owned for about a decade for $19.5 million. The gabled-roofed 17,000-square-foot gated home sits on 1.25 acres. After the gates, visitors need to navigate a 500-foot tree-lined driveway to get to the nine-bedroom main house, a resort-style swimming pool and tennis court. There is a two-story dining room, a theater, art studio, bar and gym.
Mark Wahlberg
Actor-producer Mark Wahlberg finally sold his Beverly Hills home for $13 million after an eternity on the market. Wahlberg first shopped the home in 2008, after building a new 33,000-square-foot mansion in nearby Beverly Park. He priced the old place at $15.9 million, then in 2011 lowered it to $13.95 million. Two years later, the market caught up to his price -- almost. The home has a specially constructed 2,500-square-foot gym with a boxing ring that Wahlberg used to train for his starring role in the 2010 movie, "The Fighter." There is also a pool with a waterfall and grotto and a full basketball court, adorned in Boston Celtics green, and equipped with stadium lighting.
Drew Barrymore
In a so-much-for-sentimentality move, Drew Barrymore sold the Montecito 1937 traditional style home where she and art consultant Will Kopelman were wed. The property sold for $6.35 million. Barrymore bought it in 2010 for $5.7 million. The 6,000-square-foot home sits on two private acres. There is a separate two-story guest house.
Russell Brand
Russell Brand wasted no time moving on from ex-wife Katy Perry. But as we noted here, he didn't move far. In October, Brand bought a home for $2.224 million in the Hollywood Hills, a couple of miles from the estate he shared with Perry. Brand's new home was designed by period revival architect Roy Selden Price in 1926 and had a recent facelift.
Robert Pattinson
Count actor Robert Pattinson among those who would like to sell his house. Pattinson, star of the "Twilight" movies, put his Los Feliz house (and former love nest with Kristen Stewart) on the market with an asking price of $6.75 million. Word is he no longer lives there, having moved on to a Beverly Hills bachelor pad.
Adam Levine
Maroon 5 frontman and "The Voice" coach Adam Levine sold his Hollywood Hills home for $3.55 million in an off-market deal in 2013. He bought the mid-century modern house in 2005 for $3.195 million and had been reportedly leasing it out for $10,000 a month. The four-bedroom home has a separate guest unit and sits on a half-acre lot.
See more photos of 2013's best celebrity estates in Los Angeles:
