Today’s installment of our “Which celebrity’s house is this?” feature involves the 1,485-square-foot house at 3374 Deronda Drive in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills area, which sold recently for $1,225,000.

There are two reasons we believe that this house was purchased by a celebrity: 1) the house’s new owner is identified in public records as the whimsically named “Open Your Eyes Trust” (as loyal readers know, celebs often used whimsically named trusts to purchase their real estate); and 2) the money manager whose name appears on the deed as representing the Open Your Eyes Trust is none other than Mr. Howard Altman. Loyal readers of this blog also know that Altman historically has represented many celebrities in their home purchases, including Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Dan Castellaneta, Simon Baker and Naomi Watts.

Built in 1953, the three-bedroom house has two baths and had been listed for $1,225,000 as well, according to public records and listing information. Features in the house include a meticulously appointed kitchen and baths, and access through French doors from most rooms to the luxurious pool, lush gardens and private seating areas, according to listing information. The 0.14-acre (5,976-square-foot) property has easy access to extensive walking trails and stunning views of the Hollywood sign, canyons and city lights, according to public records and listing information.

The property sold on Sept. 4, with the deal being recorded on Oct. 5. The seller, a “Saved by the Bell” producer, is not a celebrity.

So, dear readers, we ask you as we always do: which celebrity purchased the house at 3374 Deronda Drive? Which bold-faced name lives behind the curtain of the Open Your Eyes Trust?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have increased the size of their compound in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood, with Pitt quietly paying $1,100,000 to buy a missing link for his property in the form of a 3,232-square-foot house that his estate largely had surrounded.

In a Big Time Listings exclusive, we can report on Pitt’s latest purchase, which like some other property of his was made through his Mondo Bongo Trust (he also owns other properties in his Briarcliff Trust and his Blaircliff Trust). Records show that Pitt purchased the property on August 6 from the estate of the late Anne Tyler Sherman. The deal was recorded on August 11.

Built in 1920, the two-bedroom, former Sherman house — whose property is shaped like a key — sits on a 0.25-acre (10,759-square-foot) lot in the Oaks area of Los Feliz. It helps Pitt round out his compound and means that Brad now owns close to 2 full acres in the Oaks.

In fact, we had wondered out loud in a September 2008 post why Pitt had never purchased this critical keystone parcel.

However, when this property became available, it first was listed for a whopping $2,000,000 and later was reduced to $1,495,000, as Curbed LA’s guru Marissa Gluck had noticed in June 2009 (without realizing that Pitt’s compound surrounded it). Features in the house (we were unable to find listing photos) include two baths, a stone fireplace, a huge main room, a bonus room, and “a bar area and a secret cave,” according to the MLS. In addition, the house was advertised as being an estate sale and therefore in need of TLC. Clearly, Brad and Angelina drove some kind of a bargain, to be able to pick the house up for close to half of its original listing price — and, almost $400,000 below its final asking price.

Pitt’s other properties on his compound are as follows:

–The compound’s historically significant, five-bedroom, 5,760-square-foot main Craftsman-style house, which was built in 1915 and which Pitt purchased in 1994 for $1,700,000. That house sits on nearly an acre (a 43,268-square-foot lot), according to public records. Pitt appears to have recently expanded the house, which public records previously had said measured 5,338 square feet.

–Another adjoining 1,653-square-foot house on a small, 0.13-acre (5,606-square-foot) lot, which Pitt purchased in 1998 for $475,000.

–An adjoining 2,454-square-foot house on a 0.29-acre (12,458-square-foot) lot, which Pitt purchased in 1996 for $380,000; as part of the 1996 transaction, Pitt also purchased an adjoining, 0.03-acre (1,307-square-foot) strip of vacant land that he also continues to own.

–An adjoining 1,534-square-foot house on a 0.15-acre (6,530-square-foot) lot, which Pitt purchased in mid-2008 for $1,287,500.

Putting all these parcels together, we see that Pitt now as under his own personal control 79,928 square feet of contiguous land in the Oaks (across six separate parcels!), or more than 1.8 acres of land. In addition, as we noted in September 2008, Pitt, who also not long ago won approval to add a guardhouse to his compound, sold another adjoining 3,141-square-foot house on a 0.30-acre (12,972-square-foot) lot in October 2003 for $740,000 to Richard “Richie” Malchar and Rebecca Malchar, according to public records. Richie Malchar has been identified in various news reports over the years as being Pitt’s security chief (and he has his name on the deeds of many of Pitt’s properties as his money manager, as does money manager Cynthia Pett). So in many regards, Malchar’s house and parcel could be included as part of Pitt’s compound as well. Pitt also sold a 2,219-square-foot house on a 0.30-acre (13,190-square-foot), uncontiguous tract at 5720 Valley Oak Drive in 2002 for an undisclosed price (north of $1 million, though).

Also, tallying everything up, we see that Pitt has spent $4,933,500 in assembling this compound, or close to $5 million. It’s obviously worth a lot more than that now, though, since some of those purchase prices were from long ago.

We have written many times about Pitt’s other properties around the country (and world).

Today’s installment of our popular “Which celebrity’s house is this?” feature involves the 2,903-square-foot vintage house at 256 S. Van Ness Avenue in Los Angeles’ Windsor Square neighborhood, which sold several months ago for $1,750,000.

The reason we believe that this house was purchased by a celebrity is because public records show that the the trust that purchased the house is whimsically named “Rubys Residence Trust.” As if that weren’t enough, the money manager whose name appears on the deed representing the trust is none other than that of Matthew Lichtenberg. Astute and loyal readers of Big Time Listings will know that Mr. Lichtenberg has represented many celebrities in their residential real estate dealings over the years, including Will Ferrell, Fred Durst and Ron Fair.

Built in 1914, the four-bedroom house has two and a half baths and sits on a 0.23-acre (10,197-square-foot) lot, according to public records. Records show that the deal closed on August 25, with the transaction being recorded on September 17. The seller was not a celebrity. Somewhat weirdly, however, in this environment, he did actually make a profit on the house despite buying it in 2005; records show that he paid $1,500,000 for it in early ‘05. Also somewhat weirdly, we were unable to locate pics of the house, and it does not appear to us that the house was listed in the MLS. If that’s true (and we’re hopeful our readers will correct us if the house *was* in the MLS), then it obviously was a private sale.

So, dear readers, we ask you as we always do: which celebrity purchased the house at 256 S. Van Ness Avenue in L.A.? Who is the bold-faced name behind the Rubys Residence Trust?

Actor Colin Hanks has paid $1,025,000 to buy a modest, two-bedroom house in the Beachwood Canyon area of Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills.

Alright, all, we’re going to go a shade back in time and catch up on an item (and eventually, some others as well) that we haven’t written about up until now. Our friends over at the Real Estalker did a fine job back in October of breaking the news of Hanks’ purchase — *and*, of sussing out the fact that Hanks was the person behind the trust that purchased this 1,560-square-foot house. Indeed, records show that Hanks’ Two Monks Trust (through Hanks’ money manager Steven Campeas) bought the house way back on September 1, with the deal being recorded on October 7.

Built in 1926 and designed by noted architect Paul Williams, Hanks’ new, Spanish-style house has one full bath, one three-quarter bath, and a large open living room with a barrel ceiling, a fireplace with Batchelder tile and banks of windows, according to public records and listing information. Other features include a formal dining room, a sunny kitchen, a library/den that opens outside. The house sits on a cozy and gated, 0.19-acre (8,477-square-foot) lot that has a studio on it that can be used for a home office or gym, according to public records. Also on the property are grassy gardens, tranquil patio spaces and canyon views, according to listing information.

The house had been on the market for $1,135,000.

Hanks (pictured here with his publicist fiancee Samantha Bryant), 32, appears to us to be a first-time homebuyer.

As the Real Estalker correctly noted, actor Danny Masterson and actress/singer Bijou Phillips are indeed across-the-street neighbors, on the perfectly circular parcel on which their 4,323-square-foot house — which musician Chuck Berry once owned — sits. As we exclusively reported in 2007, Masterson and Phillips purchased that property at that time for $2,995,000.

What’s more, scads of other celebs’ houses dot the area, including:

–Beefcake actor Grant Show’s 3,483-square-foot house — which we wrote about when it was on the market in February 2008 (and no, Show’s house never sold — adjoins Hanks’ neighbor’s property. Show purchased it for $560,000 in 1997, according to public records;

–Soap opera actress Victoria Rowell owns the 4,354-square-foot house two doors west of Show’s house. She purchased it for $825,000 in December 1996 (recorded January 1997);

–And actress Eva Mendes (name spelled Mendez in public records!) lives up the street in a 1,732-square-foot house that she and her boyfriend George Gargurevich purchased in 2002 for $584,000, according to public records.

Separately, other celebs that Steven Campeas has represented over the years in their real-estate dealings have included Rebecca DeMornay, John Stamos and Matt LeBlanc, according to public records.

Check out Bob’s special report from the Chicago Tribune that he uploaded last night, where he breaks the story of the official listing of the mansion with the highest asking price in Chicago-area history — $28,000,000. The Winnetka, Ill. mansion was on the market last year for $32,000,000 as a “private” (i.e., off-market) listing, but Tuesday was the first time it ever had officially hit the market — and at a lower asking price, at that. (No, you’ve never heard of the owners; it’s commercial real-estate executive Sherwin Jarol and his wife.)

Also take a look at Crain’s Chicago Business’ article on the house from 2005, when it was under construction, and Chicago magazine’s report on the house last year, when it was available as a private listing.

Joss Whedon, who created TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and who is a prolific writer and executive producer in the sci-fi genre, has sold his four-bedroom, 4,064-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Brentwood area on the market for $2,470,000.

In a Big Time Listings exclusive, we can report on Whedon’s sale of the house at 1000 Amherst Avenue in Brentwood. We had written in October 2008 about Whedon’s listing of the house, which at that time was on the market for $3,695,000.

Now, Whedon has unloaded the house for far less than he had hoped. The buyers — a married couple — are not celebrities. The deal closed on October 22, with the transaction being recorded on November 2.

Features in Whedon’s house include five baths, two offices, a media room, a music studio and a kitchen/family room that opens through a wall of accordion doors to the outdoor world, according to listing information. Outdoor features on the 0.33-acre (14,327-square-foot) double lot include a gated front courtyard and “beautifully landscaped,” parklike grounds, according to public records and listing information.

Whedon (shown here with “Buffy’s” Alyson Hannigan) purchased the property in 1993 for $495,000, according to public records.

We’re not sure where Whedon moved, but we do know that Whedon owns two other properties, both in nearby Santa Monica:

–A small (660-square-foot house) that he purchased in December 2006 (but recorded in January 2007) for $850,000 (the house sits on a minuscule, 0.03-acre (1,490-square-foot) lot, according to public records;

–and a now-vacant, 0.2-acre (8,899-square-foot) lot on La Mesa Drive that he bought in 2004 for $5,800,000 as part of a partnership (a 3,986-square-foot house that once had sat on the land no longer is there).

Today we’d like to revive our long-dormant but ever-popular “Which celebrity’s house is this?” feature, in which we probe the ownership of a trust-owned house — usually in the Los Angeles area — that has all the markings of being the property of a celebrity. And the house we’re discussing today is the 5,282-square-foot manse at 13059 Dickens Street in Los Angeles’ Studio City neighborhood, which recently changed hands for $2,000,000.

The reason we believe that this house was purchased by a celebrity is because the stated buyer is something called the WHH Trust. Ordinarily, a trust by that kind of name wouldn’t necessarily raise any red flags with us (celebs usually pick more whimsical names for their trusts, like Matthew Perry’s Alvy Singer Trust — Alvy Singer is Woody Allen’s character in “Annie Hall,” don’tcha know — and Sandra Bullock’s Poopie Trust). However, the money manager behind the WHH Trust is a woman named Nina Shaw. Astute and eagle-eyed chroniclers of shielded celebrity real estate ownership within public records will of course know that Ms. Shaw has had her name on the trusts of a variety of celebrity owners over the years, including trusts belonging to Denise Richards and Jamie Foxx.

The WHH Trust paid $2,000,000 on October 9 for the house at 13065 Dickens, with the deal being recorded on October 23, according to public records. Built in 2009 and sold by a builder, the five-bedroom, Mission/Spanish-style house has six baths, cathedral ceilings, walnut hardwood floors, a formal living room with a fireplace, a family room with a fireplace, and a gourmet cook’s kitchen with caesarstone countertops, a center island and professional Viking stainless steel appliances, according to public records. Other features include a study/office with wood paneling, a large master suite with a fireplace, his/hers walk-in closets, a steam shower, and a jet spa tub, according to listing information. Outdoor features on the 0.19-acre (8,429-square-foot) lot include a covered loggia, a fireplace, a pool, a spa, a built-in barbecue, custom/handmade exterior lanterns and a stair railing, according to public records and listing information.

So, dear readers, we ask you as we always do, which celebrity is behind the WHH Trust? What bold-faced named purchased the house at 13059 Dickens Street?

Check out Bob’s weekly column from this coming Sunday’s Chicago Tribune (already available online), in which he breaks the news of Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould selling his house in Gurnee, Ill. for $336,500 — at a major loss. Gould sold the house because early in 2009, he paid $1,200,000 for a much larger house in north suburban Kildeer, Ill.

Also featured: Bob breaks the news of the home owned for decades by the late uber-mayor Donald Stephens in the tiny but politically influential Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Ill. being sold by Stephens’ trust to his grandson for $720,000. And, Bob reports on WLS-Ch. 7 anchor and reporter Kevin Roy selling his house in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood for $825,000.

Check out Bob’s online post at the Chicago Tribune from yesterday, where he broke the news of former Chicago TV anchor Walter Jacobson selling his house at 2142 N. Cleveland Avenue in Chicago. Jacobson is the father of actor Peter Jacobson, who plays Chris Taub on “House, M.D.”

Husband-and-wife actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen have paid $3,110,000 to purchase a four-bedroom house in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood.

In a Big Time Listings exclusive, we can report on the couple’s recent purchase, which they recently made under the radar screen through a trust.

From our way of thinking, why not start the new year off with a bang with the news of this purchase, which is by one of Hollywood’s highest-profile acting couples (even more so now, given the split of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon). Recall that Ted and Mary (shown here with Larry David) had gone into something of a real-estate ownership vacuum (in L.A., at least) since selling their oceanfront, Cape Cod-style house at 23610 Malibu Colony Road (also known as 58 Malibu Colony Road) in the Malibu Colony in Malibu, Calif. in May 2008 for $15,500,000.

Now, we can report on the couple’s purchase of their new house, which measures either 3,316 square feet (according to public records) or 4,076 square feet (according to listing information). Built in 1930, the house has three and a half baths, a formal dining room, a spacious kitchen, a breakfast area, and a warm living room, according to public records and listing information. Outdoor features on the 0.26-acre property include a treehouse and a detached office and studio, according to public records and listing information.

The house had been listed for $2,999,000.

The seller is noted screenwriter Channing Gibson, who has been a story editor and producer on TV’s “St. Elsewhere,” a writer and co-executive producer of “NYPD Blue,” and the screenwriter of several films, including “Lethal Weapon 4.”

As we have noted in the past, including in July 2008, Danson and Steenburgen own other properties, including in Ojai, Calif. and in Chilmark, Mass. on Martha’s Vineyard. See our July 2008 post for specific details.