Aussie celebrities turned Hollywood greats have splashed millions of dollars on luxury mansions around the world.
But Daily Mail Australia has exclusively revealed that their high-end lifestyle isn’t all sunshine and rainbows as we delve into Down Under’s A-list property secrets.
From houses that have sat unfinished for years to penthouses that just won’t sell – these movie stars proved that more money really does mean more trouble.
First on the board is Hollywood’s own Barbie, Margot Robbie, who made a financial blunder by dropping $5 million on a property in May 2019.
Four years later, the Venice Beach house remains a shell of a house and a sore spot on the streets of Los Angeles.
Aussie celebrities turned Hollywood greats have splashed millions of dollars on luxury mansions around the world. In the photo Margot Robbie
Their high-end lifestyle isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as Daily Mail Australia has exclusively revealed. Pictured are Rebel Wilson (L) and Ruby Rose (R)
From houses that have sat unfinished for years to penthouses that just won’t sell – these movie stars proved that more money really does mean more trouble. Pictured is Hugh Jackman
The Wolf of Wall Street star, 32, and her husband Tom Ackerley added a second lower-floor building at the rear, which now appears to be the main residence.
Meanwhile, the front of the building is a giant cube with barely any windows, painted beige with a two-car garage underneath.
Recent photos show work still in progress with a portaloo clearly visible at the front of the estate behind the wall.
And the most current Google Earth photos show that the pool in the center is yet to be completed, as are the front gardens.
Elsewhere in Hollywood, Rebel Wilson purchased a five-bed, five-bathroom “traditional masterpiece” in West Hollywood in May 2016 for $2.9 million.
First on the board is Hollywood’s very own Barbie, while Margot Robbie, 32, made a financial blunder by dropping $5 million on a property in May 2019
Four years later, the Venice Beach home is still a shell of a property and an eyesore on the streets of Los Angeles
Recent photos show work still in progress with a portaloo clearly visible at the front of the estate behind the wall
And the most up-to-date Google Earth photos show that the pool in the center has yet to be completed, as well as the front gardens
Covering 4,409 square feet with an outdoor pool and a climate-controlled glass wine cabinet, the Pitch Perfect star, 43, “only” put down a $500,000 down payment.
In a bizarre move, she then borrowed the remaining $2.4 million from the seller herself – Isabel De Mayo.
Seller financing is not an uncommon arrangement in the US, especially if the buyer has difficulty obtaining a mortgage with a regular bank’s strict lending criteria.
The two parties agree that the seller will finance the purchase and that the buyer will make regular payments until the debt is repaid, usually over a period of five years.
Luxury real estate agent Tony Mariotti, founder of RubyHomes in Los Angeles, explained the possible motivations behind Rebel’s decision.
‘Lending criteria play into this. At the time Rebel bought, the interest was three percent, but she would have to put in more than 20 percent, have excellent credit and not own multiple homes,” he said.
“The down payment, credit score, and owning multiple investment properties would significantly change the rate.
Elsewhere in Hollywood, 43-year-old Rebel Wilson (pictured) bought a five-bed, five-bathroom “traditional masterpiece” in West Hollywood for $2.9 million in May 2016
Covering 4,409 square feet with an outdoor pool and climate-controlled glass wine cabinet, the Pitch Perfect star “only” put down a $500,000 down payment. In a bizarre move, she then borrowed the remaining $2.4 million from the seller herself – Isabel De Mayo
“In addition, Rebel may have been a foreign buyer, which is not a deal killer with a bank, but an additional factor.”
He went on to say that the comedy movie star’s citizenship status at the time of the purchase may also have influenced a lender’s decision.
Rebel isn’t the only Aussie celebrity to take out a huge mortgage in Los Angeles, with Ruby Rose raising a $1.9 million loan in July 2021.
The model, 37, splashed $2.6 million on a gorgeous four-bed, four-bathroom, 3,138-square-foot home in Valley Village.
Like many celebrities, she bought it through a trust and took out a mortgage with City National Bank, nicknamed ‘Bank of the Stars’, as it is known for offering celebrities huge home loans at discounted interest rates.
It means that Ruby’s mortgage each month, at a typical rate of three percent, would be about $8,200 plus property taxes.
Rebel isn’t the only Aussie celebrity to take out a huge mortgage in Los Angeles, with Ruby Rose, 37, (pictured) raising a $1.9 million loan in July 2021
The model splashed $2.6 million on a gorgeous four-bed, four-bathroom, 3,138-square-foot home in Valley Village. Like many celebrities, she bought it through a trust and took out a mortgage with City National Bank, nicknamed ‘Bank of the Stars’
Elsewhere, Hugh Jackman struggles to get rid of his $40 million Manhattan penthouse.
The Wolverine star, 54, had no qualms about putting down a flat $21.1 million — no mortgage — last July for the penthouse at 100 Eleventh Avenue.
However, he has run into a roadblock trying to sell the triplex apartment, which occupies the top three floors of a building designed by internationally acclaimed architect Richard Meier.
The five-bed, six-bathroom, spanning 11,000 square feet, went on the market in June last year for $38.9 million, but without takers, it dropped to $34.8 million in April of this year.
Then, earlier this month on June 19, Hugh took another hit, lowering the asking price to $29.9 million as the star appears to be in a hurry to sell.
Elsewhere, Hugh Jackman struggles to get rid of his $40 million Manhattan penthouse. The Wolverine star, 54, (pictured) had no problem shelling out $21.1 million — no mortgage — for the penthouse at 100 Eleventh Avenue last July
However, he’s been forced to drop the asking price on the triplex by $10 million because no one has yet to buy the luxury home.