'The O.C.' House Is Pending Sale, and It's Nowhere Near Orange County
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."