While it’s nowhere near as famous as Neverland Ranch, one of Michael Jackson’s other homes, nicknamed “Thriller Villa,” has just hit the market in Las Vegas for $9.5 million, a relative bargain considering the California estate is for sale at $100 million.
The seven-bedroom, 12-bath Mediterranean-style Nevada home is located at 2710 Palomino Lane and stands on 1.7 acres, behind an oversized iron gate for the kind of privacy the King of Pop would have demanded.
While Mr. Jackson never owned the property, he rented it from 2007 to 2009 and lived there with his three kids, according to Kristen Routh Silberman of Synergy Sotheby’s International Realty, who is selling the property for its current owner, Aner Iglesias, a supermarket mogul. It was Mr. Iglesias who nicknamed the property for Mr. Jackson.
When the singer first moved in around Christmastime, “Sotheby’s arranged for a Christmas celebration with Michael at the house, complete with toys for his kids and Christmas trees,” Silberman says. “He was like Santa and we were the elves.”
In addition to the nearly 25,000-square-foot main house, there’s an almost 3,000 square foot guest house according to the listing.
The salon, which allegedly was Mr. Jackson’s favorite room, has a large stone fireplace, exposed wood beams, a Murano glass chandelier, and enough room for large social gatherings.
But perhaps the biggest jaw-dropper is a two-story 74-seat Medieval-style chapel with a hand-painted sky scene and a Crown of Thorns chandelier. Access to the second floor balcony is reached via a spiral staircase.
“The original owner was from Mexico, and Spanish architecture really speaks to him” Silberman says. “He pretty much went to church every day and this way they had a church in their house.”
When the Mr. Jackson was living there, he used the chapel more as a theater, says Silberman, because the acoustics are perfect.
The top level of the house, accessible by stairs or elevator, holds a large master suite, complete with a bar. It has original mirrors that Mr. Jackson allegedly used to practice some of his choreography.
There’s also an 8,500-square-foot basement that served as a private art gallery for the singer. Mr. Iglesias, the current owner, recently bought the entire Liberace collection after the Las Vegas museum dedicated to the late performer closed, and he has filled up the space with Liberace’s pianos and costumes. While these are not for sale with the property, the Liberace collection has made showing the property more fun, according to Silberman.
“Buyers are always pleasantly surprised to see another aspect of the house,” she says. View the listing.