Beacon of Richard Neutra - Page 2

While some potential buyers may be tempted to update the home—“There’s a lot of tile, for example”—Kirman cautioned against it.

“I wouldn’t do much, because a lot of the value lies in its original condition,” said the Beverly Hills-based realtor. “I really like it the way it is.”

Having previously represented properties such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House and Richard Neutra’s Kauffman Residence, Kirman nonetheless proclaimed, “This one is absolutely spectacular.”

“The beauty of this house is that it’s all in its original, Neutra-configured condition,” he explained of the house, being offered for sale for the first time ever. “It’s like a trophy property.”

That said, Kirman reported last week that no offers had yet been made on the 2.88-acre property since it was listed November 5.

“We’ve had a lot of movement, but nobody's made an offer,” he said of the house, which is available for viewing only by appointment. “We don’t do open houses.”

Kirman, a prominent realtor who represents luxury properties for the John Aaroe Group, may not always do precision fact-checking either. He likes to credit Richard Neutra, rather than Dion, as the Scheimer house’s architect of record. The elder Neutra designed numerous properties in the San Fernando Valley, but worked primarily in Europe toward the end of his career before dying in 1970, two years before the Scheimer house was built. Also, the house itself is listed as “approximately 5,500 square feet,” perhaps a bit of a stretch. Oh, well…

Kirman remains confident, however, that a buyer will be found for the house, despite its considerable price tag. Summing up the subjective value of its “architectural cachet,” the realtor said, “You just have to love that period.”

For more on the Scheimer house listing, click here.