I never thought Leonardo took his role as Howard Hughes so literally since he’s been playing monopoly real estate ever since. His generosity is evident since he gave his separated parents Irmelin Indenbirken and George DiCaprio their own homes. Growing up, the separated parents lived next to each other so that Leonardo would not grow up without his father’s presence.
I’d like to whisper into Leonardo’s ear. Can I have a home too?
After a bit of research, I’ve come to appreciate Leonardo as a shrewd businessman, fusing real estate projects with his acting career. The properties he doesn’t use often are converted into rental properties, each with its own distinct look, aesthetic, and appeal. Some real estate deals have proven difficult (island purchase off Belize), and a few properties were sold at a slight loss, or have not been able to sell at the higher prices.
I also discovered George, Leonardo’s dad, built a career as a writer, editor, publisher (Half-Ass Press), and publisher for underground comix in the 70s. He was also a performance artist and also helped Leonardo by screening scripts for him.
It wasn’t easy tracking his real estate transactions but I think I found most of them.
The most interesting acquisition and development remain his Blackadore Caye island purchase off of Belize. A restorative island project, it continues to be delayed since its purchase in 2005. The island would be developed with self-healing measures while accommodating 26 estate homes and 26 bungalows as a luxury resort.
It remains incomplete with original plans for 2018, then the 2020 launch date. In 2021, paparazzi media through leak photos confirmed it was still in the “early planning stages”.
I have seen bold projects like this before. We wrote about the Blue Estate Group luxury ship project, which almost seemed too impossible to develop on a short development schedule.
Since our reporting and CNN’s Travel coverage along with Forbes, the website and the project no longer exist (formerly theblueestate.com) but our photos do. We asked The Blue Estate Group for permission but did have some reservations about the project. While a Blue Estate Group Crunchbase profile does exist, this is crowd-sourced and input-driven by the stakeholders that submit information.
I do hope Leonardo DiCaprio can fulfill his vision with Blackadore Caye. I think it would be a great experiment and rebuilding fragile ecosystems and a signal to other pioneers, whether Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, to look at opportunities here on Earth while looking at opportunities in space and beyond. Be it Mars or the Moon.
We actually wrote about another interesting project: The Ocean Plastic Resort Hotel, floating off Coco Island.
Here’s my list with some intensive sleuthing and property tracker goodness. Leonardo DiCaprio is hardly a Wolf of Wall Street in real life because of his good nature, but in real estate, he’s the friendliest Capybara on the hunt. 😉
Table of Contents
- Leonardo DiCaprio: His Growing Real Estate Empire
- 423 Hermosa – The Shangri-La of the San Jacinto Mountains
- Los Feliz Home for Mom: Irmelin Indenbirken
- UPDATE: Leonardo Sells 1926 Los Feliz Tudor-Style Home
Leonardo DiCaprio: His Growing Real Estate Empire
| Purchase Price | Ownership | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 USD $7.1 millionPurchased Spanish Colonial, Los Feliz from Jessy Ferguson (Modern Family). Previous owners included Robert Pattinson and Gwen Stefania. Look for exciting photos at the bottom! | Built in 1928, this 5000 square feet home has four bedrooms. A study has dark teal-colored walls and wrought iron birdcage rests in the front foyer. The main suite has tweed wallpaper. | |
| 2018 USD $4.91 million | Purchased Tudor traditional-style Los Feliz from Moby. It sold in January 2022 for USD $4.895 million, after listing on the market for USD $5.75 million in August 2021. | The 4,644 square foot home has five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, two main suits, a pool, and a hot tub. Includes a guest suite with a hidden passage to the steam room, and loft space for study or yoga. This was given to a family member. |
| 2017 USD $23 millionPurchased beach house in Malibu, California located in the exclusive “Paradise Cove”A 610 square foot cottage was present on the 1.76-acre lot at the time but Mansion Global reports that approval was given by a previous owner to build a two-story residence, pool, deck, and private beach. | ||
| 2014 USD $5.2 million | Purchased Dinah Shore’s home which was originally built in 1964. The home was designed by Donald Wexler. | At 7,100 square feet, this mid-century modern delight has six bedrooms, with 7 1/2 bathrooms. The total property is 1.3 acres with a pool, tennis court, guest house, and detached gym. The home has been available for rent since 2016. See more about this below. The property is located in Old Las Palmas, Palm Spring’s, which is pursued by many, given its history with old stardom like Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Dean Martin, Liberace, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe. The area is home to art galleries and fine dining. |
| 2014 USD $2.05 million | Purchased 1930’s style ranch in Studio City, a Los Angeles suburb. It was built in 1937. It was sold in 2016 for USD $2.237 million. | With a picket fence, french doors, and 15,000 square foot property, there’s a lot going on here. This includes a large lawn, pool, and lounge with pergola covers. It has enough green foliage for privacy. The home is 3,407 square feet, has four bedrooms, two living rooms with a fireplace, three bedrooms, a large kitchen, and a wet bar. |
| 2014 USD $10 million | Purchased a condominium in Greenwich Village. It was sold at a loss of USD $2.0 million in 2016. This is located on 66 East 11th Street and was developed by Delos Living. What’s interesting is that DiCaprio appears to have been an investor in this development which included wellness adviser Deepak Chopra. | At 3,663 square feet, this pad came with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. As a New Yorker, this place screams rejuvenation and wellness with a circadian lighting system, walk-in steam shower, in-duct aromatherapy, light therapy system, and juicing station. |
| 2014 USD $8 million | Purchased adjacent to his 2 River Terrace in Battery Park City. Purchased from neighbors Steven Gidumal (management consultant and financial adviser) and Alison Keeley. Leonardo DiCaprio still owns this property. | The purchase allowed DiCaprio to acquire a greater footprint and view of the Hudson River. It is a 2,327 square foot apartment, with 2 bedrooms. It also has 1,035 square feet of outdoor space, including a health club, exercise room, valet, laundry service, and playroom for kids. |
| 2008 USD $3.67 million | Purchased a New York City Battery Park apartment at 2 River Terrace, representing his first East Coast property purchase. Leonardo DiCaprio still owns this property, and by way of extension, added his 2014 purchase from Steven Gidumal and Alison Keeley. However, at the time of writing, DiCaprio had no plans to combine the units. | The good news? It’s eco-friendly! The building has a 24-hour fresh air filter system, its own water treatment facility, solar panels for green goodness. The location also sports a 50-foot pool, landscaped terrace, dog spa, billiard room, and yoga studio. He’s not the only name in town here. Oliver Stone, Tyra Banks, and Cobie Smulders also have accommodations here. |
| 2005 USD $1.75 million | Purchased a 104-acre, unpopulated island off from Belize! The landholding is known as Blackadore Caye, a restorative island project. | Like his Greenwich Village condominium project, Leonardo DiCaprio partnered with New York-based developer Delos, for an environmental restoration project, allowing the island to be a luxury resort and also undertake measures to help the island heal itself. Architect Jean-Michel Gathy was assigned to develop the resort with 36 estate homes and 36 bungalows by 2018. This remains an uncompleted project and was planned to be ready by 2020. Yet in 2021, construction has not yet started and remains in the “early planning stages”. |
| 1999 USD $769,000 | Purchased a Spanish-style hacienda in Silver Lake, an Eastside neighborhood in the East-Central region of Los Angeles. Leonardo DiCaprio had a good run with this property, holding onto it for nearly two decades before it was sold in 2018 for USD $1.56 million. | The property shines with exposed beam ceilings with hardwood floors everywhere (I personally love this look) and an elevator that connects three floors. The property also has four bedrooms and a 4 1/2 bathroom pad. There is a swimming pool and backyard that is supported by a covered loggia with beautiful arches. The east-side neighborhood has artisanal coffee, is a vegan paradise, and combines Asian eats with indie music, boutiques, and trendy bars. |
| 1998 USD $1.775 million | Purchased a 1950’s oceanfront bungalow home in Malibu off the Pacific Coast Highway after the successful Titanic movie release. Rumors suggest Titanic decor and collectibles did exist. In 2016, Leonardo tried to sell the Carbon Beach property for the booming price of USD $10.95 million but this doesn’t seem to work out and became a rental property at a spanking USD $25,000 / month in 2017! In September 2021, there were reports that he wants to sell the property for $10 million. Like some of his other properties, it has been rented out at $25,000/month but he also tried to sell it twice before but was unsuccessful. In 2016 at USD $11 million and in 2017, at under USD $10 million. This latest attempt is likely due to real estate prices surging, with one Malibu home selling for USD $110 million by Hotelier Peter Morton. It was purchased by billionaire Michael S. Smith. | Situated in Eastern Malibu, the Carbon beach property is stacked with 2-bathroom, 3-bedroom arrangements in a tidy 1,765 square foot interior. For the love of…the kitchen was equipped with brash finishes and beautiful herringbone backsplash (why am I not surprised – aka – beachfront) and not surprisingly, blue-patterned wallpaper for the stairway. The living room was equipped with a “marble fireplace”, while the outdoor elements include a wooden deck and a hot tub enclave mere steps from the beach. Carbon Beach is nicknamed Billionaire’s Beach because the luxury beachfront homes are owned by CEO’s and celebrities, and eastern access to the beach was dubbed “David Geffin Access” because it was next to his home, and is known for fighting against public access, before giving up in 2007 to allow the rest of us a chance to frolic with celebrities. ;-). Geffen actually sold his property in 2017, with a then record-breaking price of USD $85 million. |
| 1994 USD $4 million | DiCaprio’s first home purchase is two adjacent Hollywood Hill properties. One was previously owned by Madonna, purchased for USD $2 million in the ’90s, and the other one closed in 1994. | Undergoing significant renovations, this property is used for entertaining, and luck to his good business charm, he’s rented it out to celebrity friends. It also comes with a basketball court. |
423 Hermosa – The Shangri-La of the San Jacinto Mountains
423 Hermosa was formerly Dinah Shore’s Estate. It is a mid-century modern masterpiece. Designed/built-in 1964 by famed architect, Donald Wexler, this is a shining beacon of beauty in the desert air, comforted by palm tree clusters and the San Jacinto Mountains as a backdrop.
The palm tree clusters remind me of the growing trend of super-rich executives, celebrities, and other high-profile people buying up trophy trees to integrate into their luxury homes, or landscape exteriors. It’s the new-fangled thing for the super-rich.
Wexler, who died in 2015, was synonymous with Palm Springs architecture and pioneered residential design’s use of steel. He is recognized for the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, with a Golden Palm Star, which he received in 2008.
Palm Springs, in Southern California, became the birth and epicenter of progressive design, a movement that used strong structures, floor-to-ceiling windows, and the merging of indoor and outdoor settings with clean lines for minimalist design.
Bone Structure, with offices in San Francisco and Laval, Quebec is familiar for its use of “Bones of Steel” patented techniques. Our team at EvolutDesign wrote about Bone Structure Technology, and there’s an interesting back story about the company. You can read more in our article, Bone Structure Technology Design Influence.
Leonardo DiCaprio, like some of his other properties, has opened this property up to the rental market. Located in Old Las Palmas, this is a sexy and fashionable part of Palm Springs. Art galleries, live theater, and fine dining will bath you in luxury, but if you’re also an event junkie, you can experience the full-on effects of the Coachella Music Festival, Stagecoach Music Festival, Palm Springs’ very own international film festival, and the famous Palm Springs Modernism Week, which will delight your senses in mid-century modern architectural tours, where some residents open up their homes.
In 2016, a one-night stay at 423 Hermosa hit your wallet for USD $4,500. The official website states that rates now start at USD $3,750 / night, which requires a two-night minimum, and housekeeping is billed separately!
The Rental Fixings
For the price, you do get a lot. This is a compound. It’s a 1.3-acre secluded desert oasis.
Make it a party and bring your friends or family. The 423 Hermosa comes packed with 7 1/2 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, heated pool and spa, deluxe chef’s kitchen, several fireplaces, lighted tennis court, Wi-Fi, 1 bedroom Guest House (there you go Will Ferrell — lol, I am referring to his character in the amazing AppleTV+ series, The Shrink Next Door), casita, grand piano, cocktail bar, daily maid service, and a gated entrance.
If this has you breaking open the piggie bank, visit 432hermosa.com or call direct at +1-818-621-0157. I wonder if Leonardo will answer the phone? 😉
Los Feliz Home for Mom: Irmelin Indenbirken
UPDATE: Leonardo Sells 1926 Los Feliz Tudor-Style Home
When I wrote this article, I knew it would require updates. Leonardo has been quite the real estate magnate with buys and sells along the way.
As I write this in January 2022, DiCaprio has sold his Tudor-style Loz Feliz home. Purchased from Moby, in 2018, for the tune of USD $4.91 million, it was sold at a small loss of USD $4.895 million, after being on the market for five months. It actually listed for USD $5.75 million in August 2021.
Reports suggest he really did not use this property for primary living, but we also know it was purchased for a family member. The property had some privacy with hedges, passcode door entry and a gated driveway.
I can hardly wait to update Leonardo’s transactional history! It could become a full-time job. LOL
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I am a swashbuckling, mind-reading, techno-czar. Ok, leave out everything except “techno”. That might suggest the music genre but it’s really my technology background. My last studies were in Syracuse, and it was all about advertising. However, my career has been as diverse as the charcuterie board. We’re talking dot-com (actually, dot-bomb, lol), digital advertising before people understood “online”, payments before people understood what a “digital wallet” was, and online/digital games. This expanded to mobile marketing, mobile swiss cheese (edit: scratch that), and more. I ran operations for a digital financial portal, and found ways to sell things before they were mainstream. Today, I am Editor in Chief of one of the interwebs’ fastest growing home and architecture sites. For the big picture, visit our About Us page.
