Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Finn, Crowded House frontman and Fleetwood Mac’s newest member, has purchased an impressive new house on L.A.’s Eastside, in the perennially expensive and celeb-beloved community of Los Feliz. Records reveal Finn and longtime wife Sharon paid $4.3 million for the property, which was sold by Emmy-winning “Simpsons” writer Tim Long, former head writer for “The David Letterman Show.” And from 2007 to 2013, the house was owned by erstwhile “Grey’s Anatomy” star Katherine Heigl.
Somewhat atypical for Los Feliz, which is primarily known for its collection of gorgeous, painstakingly-preserved Spanish Revival villas and midcentury modern gems, Finn’s new house is an elegant Southern Colonial-style structure originally built in the early 1920s. The genteel residence lies behind imposing gates and a wall overgrown by a riotous, colorful splash of bougainvillea.
Though the house has clearly been updated over the past century, its original charm remains intact. Behind the perfectly symmetrical façade and candy apple-red front door, there’s a classic center hall layout flanked by sunny living and dining rooms. Polished hardwood floors, elegant crown moldings and eye-catching decorative flourishes continue throughout the entire home.
The decidedly upmarket kitchen sports vintage light fixtures, top-of-the-line appliances and pricey Calacatta marble countertops; a cozy adjoining family room offers direct access to the gardens, aided by French doors. Upstairs are several guest bedrooms, plus a luxe master suite with a marble fireplace, walk-in closet and spa-style bath.
A covered second-floor balcony overlooks the backyard, which is surrounded by tall hedges for privacy and outfitted with a dark-bottomed swimming pool, spa and grassy lawn. Tucked into the far rear of the property is a wee guesthouse with a full bathroom, concrete floors and a vaulted ceiling with exposed wooden beams.
Finn, now in his early 60s, has been active in the music industry for well over 40 years, first as a member of New Zealand rock band Split Enz, then with Crowded House. The Kiwi music maestro has also released several solo albums, though he probably remains best-known to U.S. audiences for singlehandedly writing Crowded House’s 1987 smash hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” And in 2018, Finn and Mike Campbell joined iconic rock band Fleetwood Mac on tour, as replacements for the controversially-fired Lindsey Buckingham.
Property records show this is not the first L.A. home acquired by the Finns; back in summer 2018, they paid $1.7 million for a smaller cottage elsewhere in Los Feliz.
Michael Maguire of Compass and Michael Maloney of Keller Williams held the listing; Carrie Eckert of Sotheby’s International Realty repped Finn.