Beyoncé and Jay-Z are about to become L.A. homeowners, if $90-million deal goes through - Los Angeles Times
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Beyoncé and Jay-Z are about to become L.A. homeowners, if $90-million deal goes through

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Jay-Z and Beyoncé are crazy in love with a Westside mansion, but are the longtime L.A. renters finally about to become L.A. homebuyers?

After years poking around many of the city’s most over-the-top properties, the rapper/hip-hop magnate and his superstar wife have agreed in principle to buy a modern mansion in Bel-Air for $90 million, according to real estate sources not authorized to comment publicly on the proposed deal.

But will it actually close, or will it fall apart like at least two other L.A. homes the power couple tried to buy?

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Speculation of the couple’s interest in a permanent Tinseltown address has for years been the talk of real estate circles.

Three years ago, they put in an offer for a Holmby Hills pad they paid $200,000 a month to rent. But whispers that the home’s 16,000 square feet of living space wasn’t quite enough for them ultimately killed the deal.

Then Jay and Bey were rumored to be hot for L.A.’s “most extreme home,” a testosterone-fueled showplace in the Trousdale neighborhood, but they lost a bidding war that saw Minecraft creator Markus Persson emerge the victor.

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A year ago, if the chatter is to be believed, it was the onetime Beverly Hills home of “James Bond” producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli that caught the couple’s eye, only for film producer and designer Tom Ford to swoop in and beat them to the punch. That particular deal, which would have involved Ford buying the home for $53 million and leasing it back to current owners Brad Korzen and designer Kelly Wearstler, never actually came to fruition.

More recently Jay-Z and Beyoncé were linked for a hot second to a 30,000-square-foot home on storied Carolwood Drive that ultimately sold to Detroit Pistons owners Tom Gores in a complex $100-million deal. And let’s not forget the rumor of their tour of the Manor, which currently has a price tag of $200 million.

Perhaps the only high-end home they weren’t rumored to be “in on” was the Playboy Mansion, which sold last year to business scion Daren Metropoulos for $100 million.

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In the end, if the current deal is consummated, Jay-Z and Beyoncé will settle in one of the toniest neighborhoods L.A. has to offer, in one of the most elaborate spec mansions to date.

And, at $90 million, they would do it at somewhat of a bargain.

Developed by Dean McKillen, the son of Irish billionaire and property investor Paddy McKillen, the sprawling showplace was never publicly listed for sale, but carried an asking price of $135 million, according to real estate sources.

Once finalized, it would be the highest sale recorded this year in Los Angeles County, besting the $85-million sale of David Geffen’s compound in Malibu, and among the highest prices paid historically for a single-family home in the area.

The newly built 30,000-square-foot home, designed by architect Paul McClean, is made up of six structures and has more than 10,000 square feet of patio/terrace space for indoor-outdoor living.

Spa amenities, a media room, four outdoor swimming pools and a 15-car garage are among features of note. Glass-walled common areas open on two sides to enjoy panoramic views. The pocketing glass doors and windows are bulletproof.

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Also within the approximately 2-acre compound is a full basketball court and separate staff quarters.

Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, is considered among the greatest performers in hip-hop, with nearly two dozen Grammy Awards to his name. “Reasonable Doubt,” “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album” are among his many hit records.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, winner of 22 Grammys, gained fame as a member of Destiny’s Child before striking out on her own to become one of the world’s bestselling solo artists. Her most recent album, “Lemonade,” has sold more than 2.5 million albums worldwide.

The couple has a combined net worth of $1.16 billion, according to Forbes.

The couple are parents to 5-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, and newborn twins Rumi and Sir.

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Twitter: @LATHotProperty

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