Casey Abby Blog's: Frank Sinatra’s Swingin’ Desert Retreat Is the Week’s Most Popular Home

Friday 21 May 2021

Frank Sinatra’s Swingin’ Desert Retreat Is the Week’s Most Popular Home

Luck be a lady this time? Back on the market yet again, Frank Sinatra’s former desert retreat in Palm Desert, CA, is this week’s most popular home on Realtor.com®.

We covered the home known as Villa Maggio back in 2015, when it was available for $4 million. The hideaway has bounced on and off the market over the past half-decade, but popped back up for sale a couple of weeks ago, with a list price of $4.25 million. Clicks on the Chairman of the Board’s onetime oasis soon followed, and propelled the place to the top of our list.

Perhaps 2021 will be the year that Ol’ Blue Eyes’ home will finally find a buyer. Built in 1970, it is surrounded by spectacular vistas and includes big boss amenities like a helipad.

Besides Sinatra’s sanctuary, this week’s list includes a petite Laguna Beach bungalow listed for a mind-blowing $2.25 million. For buyers who don’t mind spending $2,341 per square foot, this small home in a great locale is just the tiny ticket.

You also clicked on a Texas house with its own lazy river, as well as a full-on Norman castle in Pennsylvania inspired by a trip to France.

But there’s plenty more to swoon over on this week’s list. Pour yourself an adult beverage, put on some Sinatra, and scroll down for all of the week’s most popular homes.

10. 2550 Black Bear Dr, New Braunfels, TX

Price: $1,250,000
Why it’s here: This four-bedroom home was built in 2015, and features a spectacular backyard with its own private water park—complete with a 300-foot lazy river.

The backyard also comes with a diving pool, cabana, hot tub, and outdoor kitchen. Views of the water wonderland run throughout the home, thanks to sliding glass doors that open to bring the outside in. For indoor entertainment, there’s also a game room and a theater room.

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9. 500 Country Road 135 S., Bunnell, FL

Price: $459,900
Why it’s here: Originally built in 1971, this ranch house has been totally renovated, with all-new everything.

In addition to fresh new paint, tile, and flooring, it also sports a new generator, a reverse-osmosis water system, and a security system. It sits on 5 country acres just 20 miles from Flagler Beach and 10 miles from town.

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8. 115 N. Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, FL

Price: $2,300,000
Why it’s here: This funky, mixed commercial and residential use property was refurbished in 2014.

It includes a 3,000-square-foot living area, plus a prime piece of commercial space, with a separate entrance and a two-car garage. The building dates to 1912, but the three-bedroom residence is all modern, with a screened rear balcony overlooking the park, rooftop entertainment space, private elevator, and high-tech security system.

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7. 390 Ruby St, Laguna Beach, CA

Price: $2,250,000
Why it’s here: Orange County insanity? Each one of this coveted cottage’s 961 square feet is priced at a jaw-dropping $2,341.

The petite place sits on a pristine piece of property with ocean views, just blocks from the beach, on a corner lot. Inside, the one-bedroom home has high ceilings, a loft to use as an extra bedroom or office, a finished basement, and a wood-burning fireplace.

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6. 66 Post Oak Rd, Ringgold, GA

Price: $497,500
Why it’s here: This 5-acre property is on the market for the first time since the home was built in 1916.

It’s been lovingly cared for by the same family over the past century. Just 10 minutes from Chattanooga, the four-bedroom home has a brand-new kitchen, pool, tennis court, and putt-putt golf course.

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5. 420 E. Meadowlark Cir, Brandon, SD

Price: $899,900
Why it’s here: When this house was built in 1998, the design instructions must have been crystal clear: Make it really fancy.

Mission accomplished. This Rococo residence in South Dakota is a four-bedroom, 6,221-square foot-mansion with extremely formal living and dining rooms.

Enormous ceilings are adorned with paintings, and there’s an abundance of gold throughout, as well as a hand-carved marble fireplace. Outside, the large lot includes a walking path, bridge, pond, gazebo, and detached three-season room.

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4. 1187 Rydal Rd, Jenkintown, PA

Price: $485,000
Why it’s here: An affordable castle can be appealing. According to the listing, the members of the family that built “The Castle House” in 1931 were inspired by a castle they had visited in France.

The three-bedroom brick house is filled with architectural details, like curved stone walls, a front walkway like a drawbridge, and wide wood-plank floors. It’s surrounded by mature gardens that thrive on the quarter-acre lot.

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3. 2615 Plainfield Ave N.E., Grand Rapids, MI

Price: $700,000
Why it’s here: This five-bedroom Tudor time capsule was built in 1940, and its 6,042 square feet have been immaculately preserved over the decades.

An imposing gate with wrought-iron lion emblems welcomes guests to the home, and offers a hint of what’s inside—hand-painted ceilings, a hand-carved gas fireplace, original light fixtures, a sunroom with custom tile, and a delicious dining room with walnut paneling.

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2. 314 W. Third St, Tyler, TX

Price: $270,000
Why it’s here: Situated in the heart of the city’s Azalea District, this three-bedroom storybook home was built in 1932.

It still has leaded glass windows, arched doorways, and an Aztec tile fireplace surround. It also boasts a remodeled kitchen with custom cabinets.

You’ll also spot beautiful built-ins, like the window seat in the owner’s suite and the corner cabinets in the breakfast nook. Outside, the home has a fenced, private courtyard.

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1. 70300 San Lorenzo Rd, Palm Desert, CA

Price: $4,250,000
Why it’s here: Known as Villa Maggio, Frank Sinatra‘s former desert hideaway has lingered on the market for years, despite its spectacular views and deep Hollywood history. It’s now back for another round.

Spread over 7.5 acres, the compound includes a midcentury main house with five bedrooms and six bathrooms, a three-bedroom guesthouse, a one-bedroom pool house with sauna, pool, outdoor entertaining area, lighted tennis court, and helipad. Just 20 minutes outside Palm Desert, the property is both secluded and close to shops and restaurants.