Celebrity Real Estate: Wayne Gretzy, Tim Lincecum
This week's post is all about the sports greats. Both hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and San Francisco Giants' pitcher Tim Lincecum are selling properties.
The Great One Slaps His California Town House On The Market
Wayne Gretzky is expected back in spotlight for the National Hockey League now that the league has finally settled a longstanding salary dispute with The Great One.
And how is Gretzky preparing for what many figure will be a renewed role in the league he helped make so popular and profitable? He has listed his Sherwood Country Club town house in Thousand Oaks, CA.
With the NHL set to pay Gretzky the approximately $8 million he was owed from the Phoenix Coyote before the franchise fell into bankruptcy, Gretzky is expected to be back either as a goodwill ambassador or in another NHL front office. In the meantime, Gretzky is looking to divest himself of the 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom town home at 2342 Heatherbank Ct. in Thousand Oaks, CA.
He’s owned the place since March 2000, but Gretzky went onto build a 6.5-acre compound in the same development, which he later sold in 2007. Now he seems to want to clear out altogether from the exclusive nabe.
The townhouse sprawls 3,758 square feet and boasts views of the Lake Sherwood and the Santa Monica Mountains. And, of course, the property comes with access to the club’s amenities.
It’s the second home Gretzky is looking to sell this year. In August, the NHL Hall of Famer sold his custom estate in the exclusive Arcadia development Scottsdale, AZ for $2.875 million.
For years, Gretzky has patiently denied any friction between him and the league he helped put on the course to popular and economic expansion. But most NHL insiders expect that with the salary dispute finally settled, Gretzky can be expected back in the NHL’s wheelhouse before long.
According to NHL hockey writer Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times, there’s speculation in L.A. that Gretzky could be back in time to play a role in the outdoor NHL game set for Jan. 25 between the L.A. Kings and the Anaheim Ducks.
Fifty Shades of Fastball
A sleek condo building in Seattle was made famous in the steamy novel “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but a hometown baseball player who goes by the nickname “The Freak” first discovered it.
Now Tim Lincecum, a star with the San Francisco Giants who grew up in the Seattle area, has decided to list the penthouse condo he bought back in 2010 – a year before author E.L. James introduced the Escala building to the world. In her sexy triumvirate of novels, the Escala is home base for the lusty main character, Christian Grey.
Lincecum bought his condo at 1920 4th Ave in 2010 for $1.575 million but has just listed it for $2.495 million, thanks to a decorator’s touch that has the place looking decked out for luxe living. Property values in Seattle have also been steadily climbing, thanks to a robust job market and hospitable clime.
Lincecum, who graduated from the University of Washington and has expressed interest in playing for the Seattle Mariners at some point in the future, is a two-time Cy Young Award winner. He just signed another 2-year deal with the Giants for $35 million, so likely figures he won’t need the downtown Seattle apartment.
The northwest-facing condo has views of downtown, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains from nearly every room and the large wraparound deck. An open kitchen has high-gloss cabinetry, slab granite counters and cherry hardwood floors.
As far as lux amenities go, the Escala has more than its fair share. Residents have access to a private spa, a gym with yoga studio, a full catering kitchen and dining area with room for 140, a theater room and a dog run.
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