In San Francisco, a house from the 2001 film “The Princess Diaries” goes on the market for $8.9 million.
The Italian-style villa was built circa 1923 and borders the Presidio of San Francisco Park. It is listed with Steven Mavromihalis and Jessica Grimes of Compass.
Sellers are Michael Mendes, former CEO of San Francisco-based bakery Just Desserts, and his wife, professor Wendy Berry Mendes. The Mendeses bought the house in 2009 for nearly $6.4 million and it has served as their primary residence ever since.
In “The Princess Diaries,” according to Mr. Mendes, the house appeared as the facade of the high school attended by Anne Hathaway’s character. Their daughter, who was seven at the time and a fan of the film, was very excited about the purchase, he said. “It was a bit unfortunate because we were trying to negotiate a good price,” he joked.
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The home is approximately 4,500 square feet with four bedrooms. It features Beaux-Art-inspired finishes, a double sweeping staircase and a Juliet balcony with three windows. The house overlooks the San Francisco Bay and the greenery of the park.
Over the years, Mr. Mendes said they’ve made several improvements to the home. On the roof they added a BBQ area, lounge and dining areas. They also added an office space to the entry level of the home.
They’re selling because they’re moving to the east coast, where Dr. Mendes accepted an apprenticeship. Mr. Mendes is embarking on a new business venture, he said.
According to Mr. Mendes, they are sad to part with the house where they used to enjoy entertaining.
Starting in the fourth quarter of 2022, luxury home sales in San Francisco started to pick up momentum on a mix of lower seller expectations and continued volatility in other asset classes, according to Mavromihalis. Last month, the property next to the Mendeses’ home was sold over the counter for about $11.2 million, he said.
