Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Dolly's Selling in Solvang and in Idyllwild, Too!

SELLER: Dolly Parton
LOCATION: Solvang, CA
PRICE: $950,000
SIZE: 6 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms (total)

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Last week we learned that seven-time Grammy-winning country music iconoclast Dolly Parton* listed her excessively countrified bungalow-cottage in the heart of West Hollywood, CA, with an asking price of almost $1.4 million.

Well, children, thanks to our dear and eerily vigilant informant Lucy Spillerguts, Your Mama has learned that the countrified cottage in West Hollywood isn't the only countrified cottage in California that the globally beloved and liberally nipped and tucked Blue Ridge Barbie doll owns and has for sale on the open market. As it turns out, Miz Parton also owns an itty-bitty compound in the high-lariously kooky and tourist-choked faux-Danish village of Solvang, CA, that's listed for $950,000. That's right, butter beans, Solvang.

A little more investigating turned up evidence that Miz Parton owns a rustic retreat in the boondocks woods of Idyllwild, CA, that—as it turns out—she also has up for sale on the open market with an asking price of $599,000. More on that property in a minute but first let's go over the place in Solvang.

There is evidence on the internets that Miz Parton has owned a place in somewhat unlikely Solvang—about two hours north and west of downtown Los Angeles—since the early 2000s but property records we peeped suggest she acquired her current hideaway in the pseudo-Danish community (via trust) in October 2007 for $1,085,000. That means, of course, even if Miz Parton's real estates manage to secure a full price sale she still faces a $135,000 hit to her bank account, not counting carrying costs, improvement expenses and real estate fees. While many might develop an angry and bleeding ulcer over losing $135,000, it's really pennies compared to the veteran country music tycoon's estimated $450 million fortune.

The picket-fenced micro-compound, just a couple short blocks from the center of Solvang's densely faux-timbered downtown, occupies a .27 acre corner parcel and includes three separate living spaces. The compact, clapboard-sided main house, according to listing details, has three bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. The cottage is jam-packed with over-sized furnishings and decoratively done up with Old-Timey lace curtains, hokey stenciled borders around doors and windows, and a downright punishable amount of fake flower sprays and faux-greenery. In the living room there's a television surmounted gas fireplace set cattywompus to room and accented with blue and white Danish tiles.

In the adjoining (and nearly claustrophobic) eat-in kitchen there are ordinary oak cabinetry topped with ordinary laminate counters and what Your Mama thinks might be the least expensive appliances money can buy.

A gated gravel driveway separates the rear of the petite main house from a roomy bunkhouse with garaging for three cars plus a ground level studio apartment. Upstairs there's a three bedroom and two bathroom guest apartment with wood stove and an eat-in kitchen finished with the similar, humble finishes and appliances as in the main house.

Each of the three living spaces has a private patio or deck. The ground level studio has a slender strip of grassy yard the main house has a fenced and gated deck area where Dolly can lounge around on her porch swing without being seen by all the clog-acquiring and pickled gherkin noshing hoi polloi that visit Solvang in droves. We are not even going to discuss the mortifying miniature windmill in the front yard because it's really just too much for Your Mama's delicate constitution to bear.

Up in the semi-remote wilds of Idyllwild, CA, high in the rugged mountains between Hemet, Banning and Palm Springs, Miz Parton owns a rustic and also decoratively countrified retreat (above) that property records show was purchased in June 2000 for $235,000 and, as mentioned above, is currently on the open market with a $599,000 price tag.

The multi-level creek side cottage has three bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,800 square feet with a a river rock fireplace and cathedral ceiling in the living room, a raised hearth fireplace in the dining area, and, as per listing details, a "taste bud tempting kitchen" with a secondary Sub-Zero fridge. There are also "Lots of nooks and crannies for extra storage," and a spacious deck that overlooks a meandering pathway and bridge that leads down to the crick and out in to the woods. Honestly children, we just can't see Miz Parton with her suped-up wigs and stripper heels

In addition to their trio of for sale California holdings, Miz Parton and Carl Dean, her very much out-of-the-limelight husband of 45 years a vast swathe of land near Pigeon Forge, TN and large spread with a much less humbly scaled 23-room mansion near Nashville. In January (2014), presumably for use by a family member or employee, Miz Parton paid $150,000 for a recently renovated, vinyl-sided bungalow-cottage of just 875 square feet in Nashville's leafy and modest Mincy/Flatrock area (above).

*In addition to her seven Grammy's and 45 more Grammy nominations the lauded and applauded Dolly Parton can also brag about a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award along with three AMAs (plus a 18 more nominations), 7 ACMs (plus 39 more nominations), two CMTS (plus three more nominations), 9 CMAs (plus 40 more nominations), four People's Choice Awards (plus 7 more nominations) 5 Golden Globe nominations, two Tony nominations, one Emmy nomination, and two Academy Award nominations. 

listing photos (Solvang): Village Properties
listing photos (Idyllwild): Idyllwild Realty
listing photo (Nashville): Pilkerton Realtors

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you are worth over 100 million, you need places to park your cash. These are a few of them.

Donna said...

2:44. In theory I believe in civility but since you came out with you narcissistic guns blazing how's about I suggest you grow up a little and then go fuck yourself. Just because you don't care to read about Dolly Parton doesn't mean a lot of other people aren't interested. What's wrong with you? Argh.

Anonymous said...

@2:44
Right back at ya...

Anonymous said...

Park your cash?? Do you know how much money this woman has raised for less fortunate (via Dollywood)? She is humble, generous and very genuine. I only wish she was our President.

Anonymous said...

I am very interested to read about the real estate holdings and dealings of Dolly Parton, particularly since I live near Idyllwild. Thank you realestalker for writing about one of my favorite musicians, businesspeople, and philanthropists. If you don't like the content on this blog, just go read another one. Is that so difficult? The writer of this blog entertains and informs her readers, and Dolly Parton employs thousands of employees and has helped countless children through her charitable foundations in her home state. What have you done internet troll, pray tell?

Anonymous said...

is she having cash flow issues?

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine how she'd be having to shrink her real estate portfolio because of money issues. I'd think she'd be forever loaded from the "I Will Always Love You" royalty checks alone.

Anonymous said...

She isn't the moneymaker that she used to be. She has publically said that her records don't sell anymore, and that major record companies aren't interested in her. She has a very large extended family to support, and I'm guessing that she no longer needs California property, since it's highly unlikely that she will be in another movie.

Anonymous said...

I think the $450 million net worth is greatly exaggerated. Where does all that money come from? Dollywood? I don't see that one theme park being worth that much. I thought it had financial problems and almost went out of business back in the day. I am sure it turned around and it is successful now. I just don't see it making her that rich and I am sure she has investors and doesn't own the whole theme park out right. The only other asset she has is "I Will Always Love You." I know that was a huge hit but I can't see her earning more than maybe $50 million from that one song. She hasn't done anything else worth while since 9 to 5 which was 30 plus years ago. Also if she had $450 million why would she live in this dump? Or is this home for family or staff?

Anonymous said...

You people questioning her worth are idiots! She has sold more than 100 Million Records during her 5 decade career! She currently commands half a million dollars per live concert and is selling out arenas all over Europe and Australia!

Anonymous said...

I certainly wouldn't be surprised to know that she bought these houses for family and friends. I love Dolly. But I wouldn't personally wouldn't buy any of these places, Dolly provenance or not.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Anon 9:20, most likely for staff and family or a crash pad maybe once a year if that.

Anonymous said...

DEAR LORD! Now we have a pattern... although, I don't know why I expected this woman to have any kind of taste when it comes to her homes and interiors.

Anonymous said...

I always thought Dolly was one of those celebs that were worth like $400 millions, but you never thought it until you heard it. And once you heard it you be like, "Yeah, that doesn't really surprise me."
Sort of like Faith Hill owning an island on the Bahamas.
But apparently she's isn't that wealthy.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, sure, $500,000 per concert. Her new duet with "Kinny"- which was a beautiful song, by the way- lasted about 30 seconds. Sadly, she just isn't a superstar any more.

Anonymous said...

You people are dumb losers that live in your mom's basement. You know nothing about money. By the way an "arena" is small compared to a "stadium." Real big artists sell out "stadiums." But maybe you people didn't know that lol. I can name a million artists that sold out stadiums who aren't worth $400 million. Janet Jackson for example used to be huge and sell way more records and had the biggest tours by a female and sold out stadiums and she's only worth around $100 million. I am not saying that she is still huge, just pointing out that someone can be a huge star for a good while and sell out stadiums and not be worth $400 million. Also Dolly's albums do not sell. Dolly is just old and released like 50 to 100 albums or whatever over a long period of time. Each album could sell like 100,000 to 1,000,000 max worldwide and still give her a big total but each album individually on its own would be considered a flop before you add together the combined total. Dolly hasn't had a real huge hit since 9 to 5. Unless her theme park is worth a lot of money then I just don't see it. Only big huge stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Celine Dion and some business minded celebs like Jimmy Buffet and P. Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Jay-Z get to that kinda net worth. These people are only that rich cause they had crazy huge careers like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Celine who's sales figures put Dolly to shame. Or business people like Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, P. Diddy, Dr. Dre, Etc. who own billion dollar companies or brands. You can't just sell records and do some concerts and get to that high of a net worth unless you sell the most records or do the biggest concerts like maybe a Bono. Now like I said I could be wrong. If Dollywood is worth like $300 million or something and she owns 100 percent of it and if she has another $100 million from her music career then maybe she is worth $400 million. I just seem to remember Dollywood being a money pit flop back in the day, but maybe its worth a lot now. Some theme parks are very lucrative. I am just suspicious when the media throws out these crazy big numbers, usually they are not accurate. By the way I just checked the RIAA website. They are the company that keeps tabs on record sales in the USA. Dolly doesn't even make the list of the top selling artists. I would view Dolly as being more prominent in the USA than a big global artist like Michael Jackson and she hasn't even sold well in the USA. Anyway, "Bone Thugs 'N Harmony", Brandy (that's kim kardashian's ex Ray J's sister), Ludacris, and Avril Lavigne made the RIAA list of top selling artists. But Dolly is no where to be found.

Anonymous said...

Also $500,000 per night for a concert is very low. I hope that's her take home pay and not the total the concert grossed per night. Only a poor person who knows nothing about money would think $500,000 per night is good. Someone like Madonna pulls in like $4 million to $6 million per night. And the artist doesn't get that full amount, they only get around 40 percent of that at best.

Anonymous said...

@6:01 / 6:16: Do you have any further (yawn) thoughts on this Dolly post? Surely you've only touched (yawn) every random thought floating around in your (yawn) mind.

Anonymous said...

I think she's probably unloading some stinker properties. These were all purchased when the market was hotter, maybe for extended family etc...but since the crash in 2006, she's probably just now able to unload them for not too much of a loss, you don't want to hold onto too much property that's unoccupied. It can become a liability, she's still got taxes and upkeep, it's probably less a case of money woes, than just slowing down her life and this being a pretty decent time to sell in California