Zach LaVine, the Chicago Bulls All-Star, was indeed the mystery buyer who recently shelled out $34 million for a property in swanky Newport Coast.
Resounding word on the hallowed Orange County streets is that Zach LaVine, the Chicago Bulls All-Star who began his NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, was indeed the mystery buyer who recently shelled out $34 million for a property in swanky Newport Coast. The new homeowner had been widely rumored to be a professional athlete, and last month the Orange County Register even speculated that LaVine might now hold the keys to the palatial house, which ranks as the most expensive estate ever sold in prestigious Pelican Crest — the same gated community also home to rich folks like Vanessa Bryant and Hot Pockets inventor Paul Merage.
The house first hit the market in March and qualified buyers reportedly flocked to the pricey property, despite the real estate market slowdown. According to the listing agents, three offers surfaced within the home’s first two weeks on the market, amid numerous showings. The sellers initially accepted an offer closer to the $40 million asking price; after that first escrow fell through, they turned to LaVine’s $34 million backup offer.
It’s certainly no surprise that LaVine would be in the market for a big new mansion. After all, the $215 million man also recently unloaded his first Newport Coast house, a very similar-looking but smaller estate in the nearby Crystal Cove community. The 28-year-old Seattle native also recently put his suburban Washington state home up for grabs.
Described as “timeless” and “irreplaceable” in its listing, the Pelican Crest residence was built in 2010. Two years ago, it was sold for $14.7 million to married couple Rob and Ami Douk, who subsequently gave the Tuscan-style mansion a clean-lined and very thorough renovation. The house sits behind gates at the end of a cul-de-sac, on a 0.79-acre lot — large for the neighborhood.
LaVine and his wife Hunter will enjoy nearly every conceivable residential amenity at their new O.C. palace, including a state-of-the-art gym, an infrared sauna, wine cellar, games room, golf simulator, gourmet kitchen with two marble-topped islands and an “Yves Saint Laurent-themed” walk-in closet in the master suite, per the listing. As expected, interior spaces are grandly scaled and flooded with natural light thanks to foldaway glass doors.
But undoubtedly the property’s best attribute is its pie-shaped lot, which provides unusually wide, southwest-facing views of the Pacific Ocean and unobstructed sunrise and sunset vistas. Of course, those views will cost LaVine dearly — in addition to the $34 million purchase price, he’s also now on the hook for $843/month in HOA dues.
Abe Lim of Circa Properties and Paul Daftarian of Luxe Real Estate held the listing; Daftarian also repped the buyer.
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