San Diego’s biggest home sales in 2024 were in La Jolla

La Jolla was a jewel in the luxury buyer’s eye in 2024.

Two La Jolla sales — both for $35 million — were tied for the biggest home sales of the year. Other than those sales, it was a slower year for luxury housing, which mirrored a down sales year for the whole market. The region’s biggest-ever home sale is still a $44.1 million sale in 2023.

In 2024, affluent buyers mostly put a premium on being close to the ocean as opposed to mansions in Rancho Santa Fe or other inland areas. La Jolla stood apart from other San Diego neighborhoods with three properties on this year’s list.

Both of the top sales of the year were sold by real estate agents Ross Clark and Brett Dickinson of the Dickinson-Clark Team at Compass. They said affluent buyers have a newfound interest in the quiet of La Jolla after preferring Los Angeles area properties for many years.

“They have discovered La Jolla,” Clark said.

Last year also featured several eye-popping listings that have yet to turn into a sale. The Sand Castle Mansion in La Jolla, a 13,000 square foot oceanfront property, went on sale for $108 million in October. It was followed in November by a newly built beachfront 30,491-square-foot property in Del Mar for $75 million.

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s list is based on property records and sales data from the Multiple Listing Service and the San Diego County Assessor’s Office.

1. 7007 Country Club Dr., La Jolla – $35 million (tie)

The year in luxury housing started out with a bang in April with the biggest ever sale in La Jolla of the Foxhill Estate property formerly owned by hotel developer Doug Manchester. The more than 30-acre property beat the previous La Jolla record by more than $10 million.

The buyers were an investment group called Foxhill Invco Two LLC, which included Larry Hershfield, CEO of San Diego-based investment firm Ranch Capital. He also serves on the board of several companies, including Hawaiian Airlines.

Manchester, a former owner of The San Diego Union-Tribune, bought the property previously owned by the Copley family, also former owners of the newspaper, in 2015 for $17 million.

The hilltop estate includes orchards, gardens, a gym, eight-car garage, greenhouse, staff quarters, formal dining room, three-hole golf course, pool pavilion and the 23,000-square-foot Foxhill Estate with 10 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. There are four gated entrances to the property.

Foxhill Estate was home to high-society dinner parties while owned by the Copleys, including once hosting President Richard Nixon. The property is adjacent to the La Jolla Country Club. The French-style home was built in 1959 but went through many changes over the years, including its expansion by Manchester. It was not considered historic in a 2015 vote by the San Diego Historical Resources Board.

1. 8303 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla – $35 million (tie)

A second La Jolla property sold for the same record-breaking amount a few months later. This could almost be considered a land sale, except for a 1940s, 3,304-square-foot single-family home on the property.

The new owners, organized under an LLC named Cielo Mar La Jolla, are six separate parties that plan to build six homes on the land. The property has been in different stages of development for several years.

The six buyers did not previously know each other but came together after each contacted Clark and Dickinson individually looking for property in La Jolla. They described the buyers as three international families, and three from Southern California. They said non-disclosure agreements meant they could not reveal much about the buyers, and identities are shielded through the LLC.

2. 1127 F Ave., Coronado – $28 million

Coronado makes its only appearance on this list with this mansion featuring a Star Wars-themed theater.

It was sold by Funko toy executive Brian Mariotti who created the 26-seat home theater complete with statues of Darth Vader, Boba Fett and a stormtrooper; Replica guns from several Star Wars movies; Funko dolls of Grogu (often called Baby Yoda); and dozens of other Star Wars items.

He put the home for sale in summer 2022 for $39 million and sold for a steep discount in January 2024. The buyer’s identity was shielded through a business called Crown Jewel of Coronado LLC. A listing agent involved in the sale declined to speak with the Union-Tribune.

The property has a historic designation, so there likely won’t be a lot of changes to the home, which is a short walk to Coronado’s famous beach. The Spanish style estate features a 13,129-square-foot main house, guest house and private garden.

It was originally built in 1925 and designed by San Diego architect Richard Requa, who is known for improving and building several buildings throughout Balboa Park. Among his other work: He designed the San Diego County Administration Center (along with other architects) and came up with the initial layout of Rancho Santa Fe.

3. 7310 Vista Del Mar Ave., La Jolla – $21.2 million

La Jolla is back on the list with this 4,900-square-foot home that leads directly to the beach.

Called the “Whispering Sands Beach Estate” in marketing materials, the 4,900-square-foot home features four bedrooms, 5 1/2 bathrooms, a pool and a hot tub that can fit seven people. The home is elevated 18 feet above the sand.

The main bedroom takes up the entire second floor of the property, which features a deck, dual bathrooms, walk-in closets and other custom features.

Property records list the buyer as Formative Charis LLC based in Sacramento. The home is listed as a luxury rental on several vacation websites but no dates were available to check prices.

4. 2016 Ocean Front, Del Mar – $18.5 million

Del Mar makes its only appearance on the list with this 3,920-square-foot beachfront property — the smallest on this year’s list.

In addition to beach access, the two-story property has three bedrooms, five bathrooms and six parking spots (a major premium in that area). It is in the vicinity of some of the biggest home sales in San Diego County history — including the Bill Gates house, which sold for $43 million in 2020, and last year’s top sale, a home sold on Sandy Lane for $44.1 million to private-equity billionaire Egon Durban.

Listing agent Jason Barry said while 2016 Ocean Front was the most expensive in Del Mar last year, it was still one of the lower priced homes in that area.

The home was sold by the Sykes Family Trust to an Encinitas-based corporation called Ocean Trust LLC. It was used as a high priced rental for several years at $20,000 a month.

5. 6720 Las Colinas, Rancho Santa Fe – $17.5 million 

This 15,649-square-foot mansion comes with nine bedrooms,12 bathrooms, a tennis court, pool, French and English crafted additions, and space for 17 cars.

The home was built by Jenny Craig’s daughter and son-in-law, stockpiling artifacts for a decade from Europe that would go into the property. For example, the kitchen uses 150-year-old wood floors from an old baking mill in Paris.

New rules across Europe and the U.S. concerning the import of cultural goods out of home nations would likely prevent a similar antique property from being designed today.

“You can’t reproduce this home,” said listing agent Laura Barry.

The property was purchased by a Pennsylvania-based trust called Vadorra Property Trust.