Hot Home News: LBJ, Gone with the Wind & Laguna's Oldest Beach Home

Online, December 11, 2012 (Newswire.com) - This week's Top 10 homes spotlight at TopTenRealEstateDeals.com includes a look at President Lyndon Johnson's Texas hunting ranch. Johnson built the ranch in the 1960s on Rattlesnake Mountain, the highest point along the Pedernales River Valley, near his farmhouse birthplace. Johnson died in 1973 and in 1999 the ranch was purchased by Italian artist, Benini, and transformed into the Benini Sculpture Ranch. Instead of cows and horses, the ranch is now home to over 100 large outdoor sculptures by 44 international artists, as well as smaller pieces housed in the 11,000 square foot barn-like studio-gallery. The 142 acre ranch contains the main cedar and stone main home, an 11,000 square foot art gallery and a guest house. Asking price is $2.5 million.

In other home news:

John Crean grew up on a depression-era farm, was always in trouble and a self-professed alcoholic until at age 25 he created Fleetwood Enterprises, which became a $3 billion enterprise manufacturing RVs and housing. John and his wife were huge fans of the movie Gone with the Wind and built a 22,000 square foot estate they called "Tara" in Newport Beach, modeled on the movie home. The entire 4-acre compound includes the main house with 18 bedrooms, 30 baths, and a dining room that seats 32 people; a 7600 square foot workshop-office; and a garage with 16 bays and gym and apartment above. Unlike the flamboyant super rich today, the Creans didn't flaunt their wealth and lived there in a modest 2,500 square foot apartment. The remainder of the estate was used as a venue for charitable functions. Tara is now for sale at $19.8 million.

One of Laguna Beach's most historic homes - it may be the town's oldest beach home - is going to auction on December 15th. Villa Rockledge, originally known as Mariona, was built in 1918 by Frank Miller, the developer of the famous Mission Inn in Riverside, California. Frank brought his architect to Laguna Beach when it was first being developed and had him design a home along the order and style of the Mission Inn on a cliff overlooking the Pacific and its own 120' private beach. In 1984, Villa Rockledge was added to the National Registry of Historic Places. Originally listed at $34 million, the most recent listing price was $24.995 million. The auction reserve is $10.5 million.

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