Off-market Mansions in L.A.

With a busy week I haven't had much time to write. However, I wanted to follow up on my series on the best homes for sale in Beverly Hills and Bel Air on the market with a discussion about those available off the market.

I definitely can't give a specific list on this one!

Properties available off-the-market are kept from the market for very good reasons. Confidentiality for buyers and/or sellers is one of them. Real estate agents have their own reasons.

But another reason is that many of the best homes simply don't need to be put on the market to be sold. For the very best properties in the very best areas like Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Hancock Park, Sunset Strip, etc., there's often more than enough buyers. Just read this little blurb from last week from BusinessWeek.com:

• "Stephen Shapiro, chairman of Westside Estate Agency, which has the $165 million listing, said there's a shortage of homes in Beverly Hills for $30 million and more. There's little room to build more sprawling mansions without knocking down smaller ones, he said."

So yes, many of the best homes will never be on the MLS. Currently, I'm aware of great off-market homes in areas like Beverly Hills, Bel-Air or Sunset Strip available for prices ranging from $8 million to $45 million.

And no, you won't read about them here.

But I will tell you that one of the best off-the-market possibilities I like right now is the opportunity to have a custom, brand new 15,000-square-foot home in Bel Air for $27 million. To find out more, you would definitely have to talk to me in person.