Bidding starts at $1M, Las Vegas legend’s home for sale — again
The public is once more invited to visit the home of the late entertainment legend Jerry Lewis.
Just be ready to offer at least a million bucks, which is actually a comparatively low bid for this place.
The Lewis dwelling in the historic Scotch 80s neighborhood is up for sale at an offer presentation and open house from 2 to 4 p.m. June 29. The formal opening bid is set at $999,999.
Those who want to attend and bid at the event, at the home just off Charleston Boulevard and Shadow Lane, must pre-qualify or provide a proof of funds when submitting an offer.
The seller does have an undisclosed reserve price and has the right to reject any offer that doesn’t meet that price.
Jerry Lewis bought the property in 1982 as his primary residence until his death in August 2017. His widow, Sam Lewis; and daughter Danielle Lewis moved out in the summer of 2018 as the family auctioned almost all of Lewis’ personal items.
None of Lewis’ belongings remain in the house or on the property.
Sam Lewis said Saturday she had no comment about her former home. She learned of the latest development on a phone chat, saying, “Well, that’s news to me.” This has been her consistent response to any news about the house since she vacated the property.
Nate Strager of Luxury Estates International is the listing agent, working on behalf of owner Brumbies Capital Inc., a private lending company out of Australia. That company purchased the home from foreclosure company Nevada Trust Deed Services for about $2 million this past September.
Strager listed the home for $2.5 million in January, dropping it to $1.5 million in May, but it has gone unsold. The $1 million opening price and open house offer presentation is to renew interest in the property. The top three bids will be tallied, and Strager will relay those offers to his clients in Australia.
The reserve price will be made public only if and when it is reached during the event; this is not an auction where an auctioneer gavels down the highest bid.
There is a mention of Lewis’ ownership in the formal listing on the Zillow real-estate marketplace website. “Live like a celebrity in the former Scotch 80 home of Jerry Lewis. Beautiful brick exterior, fountain and gated driveway,” reads the presentation.
The six-bedroom, six-bathroom home offers 8,000 square feet of space, a petrified wood fireplace, pool, and a recently renovated kitchen.
“Entertain in the spirit of old Hollywood. Gorgeous woodwork, elegant chandeliers, new flooring and upgrades throughout!” trumpets the listing. “Bright new kitchen with waterfall island and splashes of color in luxury appliances. Double oven, wine cooler, Sub-Zero refrigerator and more! Winding staircase leads to modern primary bedroom with terrace above living room.”
About $40,000 in upgrades have been invested in the home since September.
The home has not had a long-term resident owner since Lewis’ death. Sam Lewis sold to investor Jane Popple for $1.2 million in 201i. Popple has been well-known for her purchases of the homes of famous subjects. Along with the Lewis house, she has owned Ted Binion’s estate on Palomino Lane in 2017 and singer Juan Gabriel’s estate on Pinto Lane in 2014 before selling both.
Popple listed the Lewis home for $1.8 million the year of her purchase. A $2.5 million bid at a live auction in 2021 failed to materialize into an actual sale. Blooming Desert LLC in Las Vegas bought the home for $1.4 million in 2021. That company lost control of the property this past September after mortgage payments stopped.
Now Strager hopes to make the Lewis property someone’s forever home.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to put it in contract, and put somebody in the property who is going to live in it, long-term,” the agent says. “We hope it’s somebody who loves the home, and appreciates its history.”
Cool Hang Alert
Spotlight Mondays at Aria’s Easy’s Cocktail Lounge shines a light on a some fine Vegas singers and musicians. Up next: Justin Carder Trio is performing all Mondays in July at the spot at Proper Eats Food Hall.
Carder is an veteran and expert singer/songwriter/musician who plays some 250 shows a year in Las Vegas. Carter has collaborated on stage with such formidable artists as Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Zach Brown, Dustin Lynch, Gavin DeGraw, Luke Bryan, Evanescence and The Cult.
Easy’s also made news when Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Mahomes rolled in for a private party in April. The Mahomes’ booked the entire space. Swift reportedly created a special drink for the occasion, the “Tay-tini,” which now a permanent menu item. Co to easysvegas.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.