An estate with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms in Laguna Niguel set a new high watermark for the most expensive house sold in one of Orange County’s priciest non-coastal cities.
Michael Caruso and Phillip Caruso of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California told the Business Journal they were among the agents involved with the most expensive piece of residential real estate ever sold within the city of Laguna Niguel. The 8,151-square-foot house at 7 Searidge in Laguna Niguel was sold on Feb. 14 for $16.3 million, they said.
The house is located in Laguna Niguel’s guard-gated Bear Brand Ranch and sits on a 20,383-square-foot lot.
The Carusos sold the house within one week of being listed and above asking price. 7 Searidge was listed at $15,995,000 and sold for $16,250,000 a few days later, per Phillip Caruso.
At $1,994 a square foot, 7 Searidge was also the highest price ever for that metric in Laguna Niguel history.
Phillip Caruso said the city’s previous high for a residential property was $15 million, but that sale was for two separate lots.
“This was truly an incredible record,” Phillip Caruso told the Business Journal.
The listing on Homes.com describes 7 Searidge as showcasing Spanish transitional architecture.
Phillip Caruso, listed as the seller’s agent, said 7 Searidge was recently rebuilt from its studs during a two-and-a-half-year period.
“Design appointments were incredible, something you’d see in Montecito, LA or Europe. Nothing to this level of design and build had been completed in the neighborhood,” Phillip Caruso said.
The house’s interiors were completed by Newport Beach-based designer Laura Brophy, who often works on houses in Los Angeles and New York City.
Also associated with the house’s rebuild was general contractor Elevated Building Group and architectural firm Spectrum Architecture.
The two-story house’s amenities include a bar, media room, wine cellar, gym, office, casita, outdoor firepit, outdoor grill, four-car garage and views of Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean.
Duckhorn LLC was the buyer of 2600 Mesa Drive in Newport Beach. The seller was William Buck Johns and Elizabeth Colleen Johns. Due to an error, the names of the buyer and seller were incorrect in the March 3 issue featuring the Top 25 Home Sales of 2024. The Business Journal regrets the error.
7 Searidge was built in 1995 and sits on a nearly one-half acre lot. The Laguna Niguel estate was last sold in 2017 for $5.8 million, according to public records.
Michael Caruso was the property’s co-listing agent.
AJ Olson Whitfield of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.
The high watermark for a house sold in Orange County this year was 9 Pelican Drive in Newport Coast. Steve High of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty represented the seller of the 13,500-square-foot estate, which sold in mid-February for $37 million.
Correction
Duckhorn LLC was the buyer of 2600 Mesa Drive in Newport Beach. The seller was William Buck Johns and Elizabeth Colleen Johns. Due to an error, the names of the buyer and seller were incorrect in the March 3 issue featuring the Top 25 Home Sales of 2024. The Business Journal regrets the error.
