When searching for the perfect retreat, busy songwriter and American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi stumbled onto a serene house surrounded by trees in the L.A. hills. Her instant response Links of London Charms? “It’s a yes from me!”

Even before she joined America’s most popular TV show, Kara DioGuardi was accustomed to spotting winners. When she first glimpsed this three-bedroom Hollywood Hills home in 2005, she was immediately sold by its long, winding driveway Links of London Bracelets. “I liked that the house felt so secluded,” says the native New Yorker. Inside the Spanish-style abode, it was the beamed ceilings and open floor plan that connects the kitchen, dining room, and den that sealed the deal. “I didn’t even need to see the upstairs,” she says. “This was my place. I just knew it in my gut.” Before you could say, “You’re going to Hollywood sweetie Bracelet,” she was doing just that.

Whether it’s real estate or music, DioGuardi’s hunches sure seem to pay off. In addition to her Idol gig, she has partnered as a songwriter with some of pop music’s biggest stars–including Christina Aguilera, Pink and Gwen Stefani–composing more than 150 songs for a slew of multiplatinum albums. Many of those tunes were created right here. “Katy Perry and I wrote ‘I Do Not Hook Up’ in the kitchen,” DioGuardi says of the top 10 hit that Kelly Clarkson released last year links of london sale. “And I worked with Michelle Branch on ‘I’m Feeling You’ while sitting on that couch. I feel inspired in this house.”