Hot Property: She hopes to be thigh-high in bids

By Neal J. Leitereg / Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Finding no takers for her Palm Springs oasis, which has been on and off the market since 2008, Suzanne Somers is trying other means to squeeze interest into the 73-plus-acre property.

The actress — and face of the Thigh Master exercise machine — and her husband, producer and 1960s game show host Alan Hamel, are putting their longtime desert home up for auction Jan. 31. The auction will proceed with no reserve, meaning there is no minimum price set for the property that once listed for as much as $35 million.

Sitting on a hillside, among boulders and native outcrops, the bohemian-vibe retreat is known as Les Baux de Palm Springs. It has been owned by Somers and Hamel since 1977, the year they were married.

The estate comprises multiple structures that combine to offer eight bedrooms, nine full bathrooms and two half-baths. The main house, designed by architect Albert Frey, draws from French villa style and has the master suite, office space and an outdoor shower.

Other amenities on the property include a two-room kitchen and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar with tasting room.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who continues to make moves in Santa Barbara County, has parted ways with her remaining condominium at the Beverly West, a Westwood high-rise, for $5.85 million. In May she sold an adjacent unit in the building for $6 million, records show.

The condo she just sold occupies half a floor and has two bedrooms and three bathrooms within its 4,158 square feet of living space.

Recently renovated, the unit features floor-to-ceiling windows, stone and wide-plank wood floors and custom wall paneling. The designer-decor kitchen is equipped with a center island, Italian cabinetry and Miele appliances. There are iPads for controlling the lighting and shade systems, and separate elevators for residents and service.

DeGeneres, 59, has won multiple Emmys for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which premiered in 2003. She and wife Portia de Rossi are currently seeking $39.5 million for their Wallace Frost-designed stone house in Montecito.

Molly Parker of “House of Cards” fame has sold her home in Echo Park for $999,000. That’s $100,000 above the asking price of $899,000 and nearly twice what the actress paid for the property in 2004 — $577,000.

The Spanish-style bungalow, built in 1923, sits up from the street and has rows of terraced drought-tolerant gardens that fill the front yard.

Within the 1,300 square feet of living space are a sunlit living room, a galley-style kitchen, a breakfast nook, two bedrooms and one bathroom. Interior details include painted beams, skylights and original hardwood floors. A midcentury fireplace fills a corner of the living room.

Parker, 45, has more than two decades of acting credits. She received an Emmy nomination for her role as House Majority Whip Jackie Sharp on “House of Cards.”