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Talk about a re-run.
Will Smith’s opulent home in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is back for sale following a king-sized price cut of nearly 25%, to $22.95 million. That’s after an initial listing early this year asking $30 million attracted lots of looky-loos, but no commitments.
The property snoops at Realtor.com first reported news of the listing’s return.
A sale would be bittersweet since the nearly 100-year-old home’s heyday has passed — and it would likely be torn down by its new purchaser. That’s because it would require a massive amount of work and money to revitalize instead of just building a new, personalized mansion there.
Farhad “Frank” Rahban has owned the estate for nearly 50 years as part of his expansive real estate holdings in the Los Angeles area. He and his wife, Parvin Nourafchan Rahban, raised their two sons, Nicholas and Sasha, there.
Sasha, in an interview with The California Post in January, said he was able to watch O.J. Simpson — who lived two blocks over — begin his slow Bronco ride down a Los Angeles highway in a still-notorious media spectacle before cops arrested him.
If a buyer were inclined to hold onto the home’s history and keep it standing, its entire nearly 6,500 square feet of interior space would have to be gutted and rebuilt. The outside, so frequently seen in the 1990s pop culture landmark show, would need to support that work.
Until any decisions are made about the property, it has found a new cast of characters, but with a much less buoyant storyline. The estate is a prime exterior for the Hulu/FX summer hit, “The Shards,” a dark erotic thriller set in 1981 in which a serial killer is hunting rich prep school kids.
The estate’s pool is featured as one of the male leads gets drunk by it, strips while walking over broken vodka bottle shards, plants a kiss on his costar’s lips, and then cannon balls into the water and is pulled out unconscious. The property is also where one of the females leads gets attacked, presumably by the serial killer.
“Capitalize on the expansive, flat corner footprint to build a (larger) world-class, multi-structure private estate compound,” the listing says of the land’s practical use.
As it stands now, the home “is not in move-in shape,” said Christophe Choo, who has the listing with Coldwell Banker Realty.
The property, though, “Is one of the finest locations in all of Los Angeles,” Choo said.
Choo said he is already seeing interest since listing the property late last week, with a Beverly Hills couple “flying home early from their European vacation to see it,” and other viewings planned.
The mansion still carries its Colonial Revival grace, including a two-story columned front portico framed by sprawling lawns and towering trees.
The property is advertised, as is stands, as one with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Listing images don’t show much of the interior, though certain shots reveal handsome moldings, beamed ceilings, arched doorways and fireplaces. A curved bridal staircase connects the levels. Massive windows also flood the space with sunlight throughout the day.
Upstairs, the primary suite has sitting areas, two bathrooms and massive closet space.
Outside, expansive stone terracing, a garden gazebo, a stone arbor and a pool house pavilion are enclosed by lush hedging.
It all dates to the 1930s, and stands behind secure entry gates.
“This is not merely a home; it is one of the finest land and lifestyle opportunities available on the Los Angeles market today,” the listing adds.
These are the shots that are very familiar to the millions of viewers who watched “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” from 1990 to 1996. The series boasted an impressive 148 episodes, and launched Will Smith into international superstardom.
The property has a slew of princely neighbors, with some of the most prominent names in sports, politics and Hollywood surrounding it. A-listers have included “40-Year-Old Virgin” director Judd Apatow, who lived next door for many years.
LeBron James has a $23 million mansion in the neighborhood, while actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has lived in a sprawling multi-acre Brentwood compound for decades. “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” hero Harrison Ford is the longtime owner a private $12.6 million estate, and Oscar-winner and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow has a compound there.
They are in good company. As Smith sang at the show’s open, “Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there, to sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel-Air.”
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