LAGUNA BEACH, CA. (AUGUST 5, 2021) -- A trio of Harcourts North America agents recently teamed up to finalize the historic sale of the first documented home built in Laguna Beach, California, for $5.6 million.
Located at 154 Pearl Street, this original home, built in 1883 by Thomas North Harper, had been constructed out of ship wreckage that washed ashore. Once the residence of esteemed Laguna Beach architect Thomas Harper from the 1920s to the 1940s, this home has undergone a complete transformation and has been renovated within the historic guidelines. Sharing the property is a second, entirely new home located right behind the establishment. These two remodeled coastal contemporary homes reside on an iconic ocean view lot one street away from the sand.
Harcourts Prime Properties brokers Brenna Van Hoogenstyn and Kathy Clark acquired the listing in late 2020 after the home sat on the market with a different real estate company for two years without a buyer. “It was overpriced for a few years,” said Van Hoogenstyn, “and that stopped the homeowner from getting offers and getting an understanding of the true market value.” This mother-daughter duo listed it using Harcourts North America’s one-of-a-kind auction platform with a starting bid of $4 million. From start to finish, in five short months, the home was in escrow after accepting an offer north of $5.6 million.
Harcourts very own Jennifer Wu also served as an integral part of the deal, representing the perfect buyer for this property. “For him, just being able to own a historic home and have it all renovated and move-in ready was very enticing,” Wu said. “He owns lots of properties in Laguna Beach. And so, when this became available, he became excited about adding it to his portfolio.”
Harcourts North America is a premier full-service real estate agency specializing in residential, commercial sales, and property management services. Wholly focused on people and their community, Harcourts continually strives to build better relationships with clients from the past, present, and future. They provide a high caliber of service with impressive results that go above and beyond the standards of traditional real estate companies.