Firestone Estate in Rancho Mirage Sold; Listed By Nelda Linsk, HK Lane Real Estate

California Rancho Mirage  — The former estate of tire magnate, philanthropist and Belgium ambassador Leonard K. Firestone at Thunderbird Country Club, has been sold for $3 million, Realtor Nelda Linsk of HK Lane Real Estate. 

The 7,280 square-foot estate with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, sits on three acres, a stone's throw from the former estate of former President Gerald R. and First Lady Betty Ford.

Designed in the international style by renowned  Los Angeles architect William Pereira, the Firestone home retains its original architecture, including an updated commercial quality kitchen, full tennis pavilion, private courtyard pool, citrus orchard and postcard perfect  mountain views.

It was Firestone who sold the property to the Fords as a second home here, said Linsk, who with her partner, Lindell Campbell, also listed and participated in the sale of the Ford estate and the adjacent Secret Service quarters last year.  That Secret Service home was formerly owned by Broadway and Hollywood star Ginger Rogers. 

Linsk, a long time personal friend of the Firestones and the Fords, is the listing agent for Firestone's estate with business partner Lindell Campbell.  Linsk and partner, were the listing agents when the current owners, Sondra and Ron Lanstein, purchased the property 11 years ago.

Linsk has listed and participated in the sale of the Firestone estate three times since Firestone died in 1996.  Firestone was co-founder of the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage. "I was very honored to have dinner many times at the Firestone's home when the Fords were guests," Linsk said. 

Nelda Linsk has been in real estate for 30 plus years and has represented some of  the famous celebrity homes in the Coachella Valley, including Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Loretta Young, Jane Wyman, to name a few.

HK Lane also was involved in the recent sale of the 39-acre, exotic Moroccan-style estate of iconic television entertainer-entrepreneur Merv Griffin in La Quinta. Believed to be the largest  equestrian compound  of its kind in the Coachella Valley with a race track, the storied estate sold to a private investment group for $7 million.