Before teenage-vampire dramas plunged their teeth into the hearts of viewers everywhere, wealthy SoCal towns were a popular setting for teen hormones run amok. The sunniest show of all was "The O.C.," a soapy series that ended unceremoniously in 2007 and pitted Ryan, a gritty kid from Chino, against his uber-rich classmates in tony Newport.
In the show, the Cohens -- with Peter Gallagher as the dad and Adam Brody as his son, and Ryan the adopted son -- bedded down in a Newport mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It turns out the luxe pad is actually this Italian-style villa in Malibu, and the 4-acre spread went on the market four months ago. With an asking price of $6.25 million, the six-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom home is now pending sale.
Two offers sailed in simultaneously, says Jeff Chertow, the listing agent, but the sheer amount of interest he received dwarfed expectations. "I had a lot of inquiries from around the world once the press got a hold of it," he says. But not every obsessed fan of the show was lucky enough to get a walk-through. "We do a pretty good job of making sure whoever gets in the house is ready to pull the trigger on it," says Chertow.
While only exterior shots -- the front of the home and the stunning backyard infinity pool -- were filmed for "The O.C.," that doesn't mean the rest of the property isn't worthy of a close-up.
A glass conservatory is attached to the chef's kitchen, and there's a balcony off the master suite. Rotunda-style windows frame the ocean view in the great room. Appearing to spill into the horizon is an infinity pool, which is adjacent to an outdoor fireplace. A cozy room currently being used as a study could very well entice a Hollywood screenwriter to dream up a new television drama.
State parkland surrounding the property ensures privacy, and the home has had just one owner since it was built in 2002.
Who typically buys in Malibu? Surprisingly, it's not all celebs. Nor is it out-of-towners looking to snap up a fancy abode along the city's 27-mile shoreline. It's a lot of intracity movement.
"We don't have a lot of people who leave Malibu, but a lot of people who move within Malibu," Chertow says. "A beach community with good schools is what attracts people to Malibu."
Does a storied past on a show such as "The O.C." double -- or even triple -- the price on a home? "That doesn't really push up the prices out here," says Chertow, in part because it's all too common in SoCal.
Pushing the geographic boundaries of a show is common, however. Chertow mentions current Netflix comedy "Grace and Frankie," which is set in San Diego but films in Malibu. "That's what happens out here a lot: People use the exteriors for a show that's supposed to take place elsewhere."