The nearly two-acre Fryman Canyon compound where Jetsons co-creator Joseph Barbera once lived has hit the market for $12 million, a price that marks a dramatic leap from the $4.95 million it fetched just over a decade ago. Known as the Storyboard Estate, the gated Studio City property includes a 7,000-square-foot main residence, a separate guest house, six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a garage that can hold more than 25 cars.
Barbera, who co-founded Hanna-Barbera Productions with William Hanna in 1957, lived at the home until his death in December 2006 at age 95, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. The property, which spans nearly two acres and includes an adjacent 19,006-square-foot vacant parcel, was completed for the Barberas in the late 1980s by Byrd Homes, which was led by Gary Byrd, per the same report. Ownership formally transferred to the Barberas in March 1994, according to PropertyShark records cited in the Daily News account.
Barbera's Animation Legacy
A 2013 post identified the property as Barbera's estate, according to the San Fernando Valley Blog. The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo rank among the studio's most enduring creations, alongside Tom and Jerry, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound, all born from the partnership Barbera formed with Hanna, who handled physical production, timing and business while Barbera led writing, gags and character design, per the Daily News.
After Barbera's death, his widow Sheila Barbera first listed the compound for $6.795 million in June 2011, cut the price to $5.5 million in 2013, and ultimately sold it for $4.95 million in July 2014, according to Cartoon Brew. That three-year path to a sale underscores just how far the current $12 million ask has climbed in a little over a decade.
Pool, Tennis Court and a Porte Cochere
Beyond the main house and guest house, the estate's amenities include a swimming pool, a spa, a tennis court and a porte cochere, per the Daily News report. The home was built by Byrd Homes, and Robert Byrd was an influential Southern California designer credited with pioneering the California ranch style, according to the Toluca Lake Homes by Robert Byrd history.
Fryman Canyon itself has long drawn boldface names. The gated enclave has housed multiple prominent public figures, including late television host Alex Trebek, whose former nearby multi-acre estate was recently redeveloped into a luxury compound, according to Modern Luxury. The neighborhood offers private, gated living and direct access to mountain trails.
What a Sale Near Asking Would Cost the Seller
Because the $12 million list price crosses the $10.9 million threshold set in July 2026, a sale at exactly $12 million would trigger Los Angeles' Measure ULA transfer tax at its top 5.5% rate, creating a tax bill of $660,000 for the seller; a sale below $12 million but above the threshold would owe less, on top of standard local transfer fees, according to Backbeat Homes. Voters passed Measure ULA in 2022 to fund municipal housing and homelessness initiatives, and the levy applies on top of whatever profit the seller realizes against the 2014 purchase price.
Holding costs on the property are already substantial. PropertyShark lists $69,039 in taxes and an assessed value of $5,814,373 for the Briarvale Lane property. California's Proposition 13 caps how quickly that assessed value can rise until the next change of ownership, meaning a sale near the $12 million ask would reset the baseline for future tax bills substantially higher.
The compound spans two parcels at 12001 and 12003 Briarvale Lane, with a primary 1.5-acre residence lot and an unbuilt 19,006-square-foot parcel next door. The estate is listed for $12 million.
Part of a Broader Studio City Building Boom
The Storyboard Estate is hardly the only trophy property testing Studio City's upper-end market this year. The listing arrives amid a wider wave of top-tier architectural compounds hitting the neighborhood in 2026, including a newly finished 10,883-square-foot compound on Viewcrest Road asking $28 million, according to Debbie Pisaro.
Hanna-Barbera Productions, the studio Barbera co-founded in 1957, was sold to Turner Broadcasting System in 1991 before being fully absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation in 2001 following Hanna's death, according to Company Histories. Over its independent operating era, the studio is credited with creating about 140 series, a legacy that still anchors the appeal of Barbera's former home to prospective buyers browsing Studio City's priciest listings.
