“Full House” creator Jeff Franklin is reportedly trying once again to unload his lavish Los Angeles estate after years of price cuts and failed sales. The property’s luxury features are overshadowed by its location, which is tied to one of Hollywood’s most notorious crimes.
Franklin bought the property for just over $6 million in 2000 and rebuilt the unfinished structure into a custom mansion that he made his home for nearly two decades.
A Beverly Hills mansion built on the site where Charles Manson’s followers murdered Sharon Tate and four others is reportedly back on the market, with “Full House” creator Jeff Franklin dropping the price to $44.99 million.
The latest listing marks a dramatic fall from the $85 million asking price when the estate first hit the market in January 2022, as Franklin makes his eighth attempt in four years to find a buyer.
The 21,000-square-foot mansion, known as Villa Andalusia, was completed in 2006 and was designed by acclaimed architect Richard Landry to resemble an Andalusian palace.
Set on 3.6 acres, the estate features nine bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, ocean and mountain views, a theater, poker room, multiple bars, an aquarium, and resort-style outdoor amenities including connected pools, a lazy river, waterfalls, and a swim-up bar.
Jeff Franklin Paid $6 Million Before Rebuilding The Property
Franklin’s vision for the property began after the original Cielo Drive house was torn down in the 1990s. According to The Wall Street Journal, the screenwriter paid just over $6 million for the site before a developer’s replacement mansion was finished.
Rather than keep that structure, Franklin stripped it down and started over. Working alongside Landry, he transformed the lot into a custom-built estate that blended European architecture with South Asian influences.
Landry later described the project as a unique design challenge, while Franklin said he wanted interiors that reflected his love of both styles while embracing the California lifestyle. The Hollywood executive moved into the completed home in 2006 and remained there for nearly two decades.
The Night That Made Cielo Drive Infamous
3The property’s dark legacy dates back to the early hours of August 9, 1969, when members of Charles Manson’s cult broke into the Beverly Hills home rented by actress Sharon Tate and filmmaker Roman Polanski. Polanski was out of the country, but Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, was inside with friends.
The attackers brutally killed Tate, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, writer Wojciech Frykowski, and 18-year-old Steven Parent, who was shot as he prepared to leave the property. Less than two days later, members of the Manson Family struck again, murdering supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their Los Angeles home.
The crimes became one of the most infamous murder cases in American history and permanently linked the Cielo Drive address to the Manson Family. Franklin has previously said the property’s notorious history never affected him, calling its connection to the Manson murders “ancient history” and explaining that his decision to sell came only after relocating to Miami.
The Manson Murders Weren’t Why Franklin Put The Home Up For Sale
3Franklin has maintained that the property’s notorious history played no role in his decision to sell. The producer had already relocated to Miami and was eager to offload the Beverly Hills estate. He also acknowledged that the original $85 million asking price was “aggressive.”
When buyers failed to respond, Franklin said the price needed to be brought “down to earth a little more.” The steep reduction was intended to widen the pool of potential buyers. “I wanted to make sure the house was priced as competitively as possible,” he explained, adding that several serious prospects had toured the mansion without submitting an acceptable offer.
Franklin also pointed to a thinner luxury market, saying, “There’s still buyers out there but not as many.” His agent, Josh Altman, echoed that view and said wealthy house hunters had become more focused on value. “The mentality of the buyer in this market now is different,” Altman said. “They want a deal.”
Jeff Franklin Also Tried Renting Out The Infamous Estate
3Before returning to the sales market, Franklin changed tactics and offered the mansion as an ultra-luxury rental for $247,500 per month. The move came after the estate lingered on the market despite several price reductions.
Rather than focus on the property’s notorious past, the rental listing leaned heavily into its resort-style appeal. It described the home as “a masterpiece property fit for royalty” and “a home crafted with love and intention,” while highlighting its tropical landscaping, koi pond, and high-end amenities.
Just months later, however, Franklin pivoted once again, pulling the home from the rental market and relisting it for sale.
