David Foster and Yolanda Hadid’s Former Malibu Estate Hits Market For $11 Million

I still remember when David Foster and Yolanda Hadid’s Malibu mansion was more than just a house — it was a piece of TV history. You’ve probably seen it too, maybe on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills — that sun-drenched hilltop villa where the Hadid sisters grew up, the glass walls catching the Pacific light just right.

Today, that same stretch of land tells a very different story. The estate — once a $20 million symbol of coastal luxury — now stands as a fire-scarred lot overlooking the ocean. And yet, it’s back on the market for nearly $12 million.

At first glance, that number sounds wild. A burned property selling for eight figures? But if you’ve followed Malibu real estate long enough, you know price tags here rarely make sense until you look closer. What you’re really buying isn’t just land; it’s a story — of fame, loss, and the kind of rebirth only Malibu seems to promise.

If you’re like me, you’ll want to know how a pile of ashes can still hold that kind of value — and what makes this particular address impossible to forget. Let’s get into that.

From Iconic Mansion to Fire-Scorched Lot: What Happened Here

When TMZ broke the story, I had to read it twice — David Foster and Yolanda Hadid’s once-famous Malibu estate, the same one that graced countless “Real Housewives” episodes, is now nothing more than a fire-scorched lot listed for just under $12 million.

Last year’s Palisades Fire didn’t just blacken brush and hillsides; it erased a 3.25-acre ocean-view landmark that once symbolized old-school Malibu glamour. According to TMZ, the property was reduced to ashes, leaving behind only the land — a charred but still breathtaking stretch overlooking the Pacific.

If you’ve ever driven through that part of Malibu after a fire, you know the sight: the silence, the twisted beams, the stubborn outline of what used to be home. Yet even amid that devastation, the value here refuses to die. That’s the paradox of Malibu — the dirt itself carries a kind of mythology.

A New Vision Rises: Rebuilding the Foster-Hadid Legacy

What’s fascinating is how quickly this story turned from loss to opportunity. The listing agents — Daniel Milstein and Aaron Kirman from Christie’s International Real Estate — aren’t selling tragedy; they’re selling potential.

They’ve teamed up with Bowery Design Group, who’ve imagined a 14,000-square-foot modern compound rising where the old villa once stood. Picture this: six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, 14-foot ceilings, and 270-degree views of the Pacific. Add three pools, a spa, a theater, a gym, a game room, and nearly 4,000 square feet of outdoor space. It’s luxury without apology — a dream rebuilt from the ground up.

The property still includes La Costa Beach Club access and sits minutes from Nobu, Soho House, and Malibu Pier. In other words, the full coastal-elite lifestyle is still right there — just waiting for someone with vision (and a serious budget) to bring it back.

Milstein told TMZ it’s “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild an iconic residence.” And honestly, he’s not exaggerating. Malibu doesn’t hand out ocean-view lots like this anymore.

Rebuilds like this remind me of Michael Andretti’s waterfront Indiana estate — another example of how design vision can completely redefine a property’s story.

Tracing the Property’s Star-Studded Past

Before the fire and the renderings, this place already had a story worth millions. David Foster and Yolanda Hadid bought the home in 2007 for about $4.5 million, turning it into a European-style villa that mirrored her Dutch roots and his taste for perfection.

If you remember the early 2010s, you probably saw it on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills — those lemon trees lined up like soldiers, the marble kitchen, the infinity pool catching sunset light. It wasn’t just a backdrop; it became part of the Hadid family mythology.

For Gigi and Bella, this was the house that shaped their teenage years. It hosted photo shoots, birthday dinners, and probably more celebrity drop-ins than anyone could count. In a way, the home carried their beginnings — both as daughters and as future icons.

That’s what makes this new chapter feel almost poetic. The same plot of land that launched two of fashion’s biggest names is now waiting for a rebuild — like the next phase of its own comeback story.

That logic also played out when Rob Lowe sold his Beverly Hills home — proof that in luxury markets, story and location matter more than structure.

Why a Burned Malibu Lot Still Costs $12 Million?

Now, let’s address the obvious question: how does a burned-out lot still pull a $12 million price tag?

Simple answer — location, legacy, and scarcity. Malibu real estate isn’t priced by what’s standing on it; it’s priced by what could stand there. Ocean-view parcels with private access and celebrity lineage don’t exactly flood the market.

Then there’s the psychology. Buyers in this bracket aren’t just purchasing land — they’re buying narrative equity. The chance to rebuild a known name, to turn ashes into architecture, is its own kind of bragging right.

Post-fire Malibu has shown remarkable resilience. According to market analysts, high-end buyers still compete fiercely for limited coastal lots. Many rebuilds eventually double their pre-fire values. So, while $12 million for dirt sounds steep, it’s actually a calculated bet — one based on geography, not sentiment.

If you’ve watched this market long enough, you know: in Malibu, land doesn’t depreciate — it just waits.

I often share behind-the-scenes real estate updates and design insights on a private WhatsApp channel — it’s where I drop early scoops like this before they hit the news.

What It Means for Malibu’s Ultra-Luxury Market?

If you zoom out for a moment, this sale isn’t just about one burned property — it’s a snapshot of what’s happening across Malibu’s luxury real-estate scene.

In the past few years, we’ve seen a shift: buildable lots are the new status symbols. Buyers used to chase ready-made perfection — turnkey mansions, polished interiors, curated art walls. Now, the truly elite want something rarer: a blank canvas in a legendary ZIP code.

Fires, oddly enough, have created that opportunity. Rebuild permits in Malibu are faster now for post-fire lots, and some of the smartest investors are quietly scooping them up. They know that starting from scratch means controlling every inch of design — privacy walls, window lines, sustainability features — and that matters more than moving into someone else’s taste.

There’s also the celebrity factor. When a property comes with names like Foster and Hadid, it taps into cultural nostalgia that money alone can’t replicate. You’re not just buying land — you’re inheriting a piece of entertainment history.

So yes, $12 million for ashes may sound irrational on paper. But in the language of Malibu real estate, it’s almost logical. Here, land is the last luxury that can’t be remade.

It’s a trend we’re seeing beyond Malibu too — like when Lily Allen and David Harbour listed their Brooklyn townhouse, showing how personalization and story are redefining luxury everywhere.

Where Are They Now: Foster and Hadid’s New Chapters

Both David and Yolanda have long moved on from that iconic hilltop, but their stories still echo through it.

Yolanda left California behind for something slower. In 2025, she sold her Pennsylvania farm and began building a new home in Fort Worth, Texas. Her Instagram these days is all about horses, wellness, and open sky — far from the flash of Beverly Hills. She seems content, rooted again, and still chasing sunlight in her own way.

David Foster, meanwhile, stayed close to Los Angeles. Between producing music, mentoring young talent, and performing with his wife Katharine McPhee, his rhythm hasn’t changed much. He’s a man who builds legacies — songs, careers, homes — and maybe that’s what ties him to this property’s story too.

Their old estate might be gone, but what it represented — ambition, beauty, reinvention — still runs through both their lives.

The Takeaway: From Ashes to Aspirations

Standing on that stretch of ocean-view dirt today, it’s hard not to feel something. This was once a place filled with laughter, music, and cameras. Now, it’s quiet — waiting for its next beginning.

But that’s the thing about Malibu: it never really loses. The fires come, the winds shift, and yet the coastline keeps offering second chances. Maybe that’s why this story resonates so deeply. It’s not just about property or price — it’s about resilience, about rebuilding what fame and fire once touched.

And if you think about it, that’s the real allure here — not the pools or the ocean views, but the idea that even ashes can hold value when the story behind them refuses to fade.

Would you rebuild something like this — knowing its past, its fame, and its scars?

If stories of iconic celebrity homes fascinate you, explore more on Build Like New— where we track the real stories behind Hollywood’s most remarkable estates.

Disclaimer: All real estate details, prices, and design concepts mentioned are based on publicly available information and may change over time. This article is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or property-buying advice.