Ellen DeGeneres (along with wife Portia de Rossi) has become well known for their secondary career as real estate mavens in California. The couple's latest endeavor is the listing of their huge 9-acre property in Montecito, which the Los Angeles Times reports they've listed with an asking price of very nearly $40 million – a price that if matched by a buyer will result in a tidy profit compared to the $27 million they spent on most of the property last year.
The property known as Salt Hill was largely constructed by a local philanthropist in 2011. Ellen bought it in early 2019 for $27 million and then expanded by dropping another $1.9 million on adjacent land. In the intervening nearly two years, she's reportedly made a handful alterations to the structures, including an extensive upgrade of the property's security system following a burglary that happened earlier this year.
But Salt Hill is still mostly the same as it was when it was last listed for sale, at least to the outward eye. The gates, 9.3-acre complex sports an 8,200-square-foot main house with a 1,400-square-foot guesthouse and a few other incidental buildings like a security office and a separate cabana that houses a gym. Here's how the property was briefly described in its December, 2017 listing by Sotheby's International Realty, before it was expanded:
"A once in a lifetime opportunity & breathtaking views of ocean and mountains greet you upon arrival to this extraordinary, contemporary estate nestled in the hills of Montecito. This approx. 8.24 acre property features quintessential California indoor/outdoor comfort & luxurious Balinese & Asian-influenced design."
You can take a look at Salt Hill in the video below, also from Sotheby's. And if you just so happen to like what you see, you might be pleased to know that you now have an opportunity to purchase the whole spread for $39.9 million. Check it out:
