Howard Hughes' Hangout

Didn't like the sound of the old Bing Crosby place? Concerned you might not be thankful for the memories of Bob Hope's mansion?

Well, step right up, Mr. Desert Home Collector, have we got a mid-century modern celebrity pad for you!

The latest in the continuing parade of star-studded modern real estate listings in Palm Springs once had not one, not two, but three celebrity owners—and all for between a quarter and a tenth the price of other celebrity properties of late.

"Howard Hughes owned it until his death in 1976," said realtor Leonardo Montenegro of The Leonardo Group and Sotheby's International Realty about the third celebrity owner of 2195 Rim Road in the exclusive Araby neighborhood.

On the market for the first time in 40 years, the former Hughes home will be listed and shown starting in mid-March with a modest $1.2 million price tag.

The 1957 construction boasts three bed-and-bath suites, the obligatory swimming pool, and a sweeping view of the Coachella Valley from the foot of Mt. San Jacinto. It is safe to say, however, that the legacy of Hughes far surpasses those of his fellow former owners.

The first resident of the house reportedly was actress Eva Gabor, youngest of three Hungarian-born sisters who became as famous for their divorces as their talent. She had the best career of the three, starring in the 'Green Acres' TV sitcom from 1965 to 1971 and later as voice talent for three successful Disney films. Her Wikipedia page quotes her being philosophical, perhaps explaining the trio's 19 divorces: "Marriage is too interesting an experiment to be tried only once or twice."

The socialite sisters declined to reside in a town like 'Green Acres' Hooterville, of course, and their mother and one sister were still living in Palm Springs when Eva died in 1995 at age 76. She had sold the Rim Road house several decades before that to Paul Keyes, one of television's most successful and decorated writer/producers.