Orange County spec house sells for $43.5 million — a 2022 high
A brand-new house in Laguna Beach has traded hands for $43.5 million, making it Orange County’s priciest sale so far this year.
The staggering sum also makes it the most expensive transaction ever in the affluent enclave of Emerald Bay, and one of the priciest sales ever in Orange County. The current record was set last year, when hedge fund manager Joseph Edelman spent $70 million on an 18,000-square-foot mega-mansion in Laguna Beach’s Abalone Point.
This one’s a bit smaller at less than 5,000 feet, which helped it break another record. At $8,733 per square foot, it’s the highest price per square foot ever for a newly constructed home in Orange County.
A warm mix of wood and glass, the house was built on speculation — meaning without a buyer in mind — over the course of six years by David Wojtaszek, founder of development company Divita Builders. He bought the property for $8.45 million in 2017. Records show the buyer is a limited liability company based in Las Vegas.
Though the place is relatively small compared to its spec house contemporaries, Wojtaszek managed to squeeze in five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and amenities such as a gym, movie theater, wine cellar and wellness center complete with a spa and sauna.
A four-stop elevator navigates the floor plan, ascending to spaces marked by wood ceilings, walnut panels and limestone floors. Titanium granite touches up the kitchen, and pocketing walls of glass open to decks and balconies perched above the beach.
Tim Smith of Coldwell Banker Realty held the listing. Tad Baltzer of Triibe Real Estate represented the buyer.
The property first surfaced for sale at $49 million in May and went under contract two months later.