Whether you’re seeking a charming island paradise or a stunning waterfront estate, Newport Beach offers spectacular living spaces for every budget.
By Vicki Hogue-Davies
Variety is the spice of life—and when it comes to its coveted seaside neighborhoods, Newport Beach offers plenty of flavor. From the gated custom estates of Newport Coast to the attractive approachability of Newport Heights, the diverse sampling of homes across town will satisfy any budget and taste. The following properties and their distinct architectural styles, features and amenities will help you discover what your money can buy in our oceanfront city.
More Than $10 Million
38 Deep Sea, Newport Coast
$22,500,000
Behind the double security gates of the Crystal Cove Estate Collection neighborhood sits some of the most prime real estate in Orange County. This grand yet comfortable custom residence is arguably one of the most desirable, boasting views that stretch to Catalina and design amenities including: his and her master bathrooms finished in onyx; an attached two-story guest casita with a spiral staircase; and an elevator providing access to the home’s three levels. The structure, which takes up approximately 13,000 square feet on the half-acre property, includes six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms in addition to several specialty rooms.
“One of the most unique things about the house on the main level is that there are no distinct rooms,” says Rex McKown, an agent with Surterre Properties. “It is an open-air floor plan. There are two sets of pocket doors on the main level and they open to the pool level. There is no delineation between outdoors and in—the view comes right into the house.”
An expansive backyard serves as an entertainment oasis, with an infinity pool, bar and cabana featuring a Spanish clay tile roof, granite countertops and a half-bath. “The pool’s swim-up bar stools, television and music system make it feel like you are at a Cabo resort,” Rex says.
On the subterranean level, homeowners and their guests can rub elbows at a professional bar that seats more than a dozen and includes beer taps, a commercial glass chiller, four commercial refrigerators and three high-definition televisions. The bar area opens to a lower-level entertainment room that can easily hold 100 people.
Gadgets also come in multiples on the other levels: The kitchen has two Sub-Zero refrigerators and two freezers, along with a slew of other state-of-the-art appliances, while the laundry room is equipped with two sets of Electrolux washers and dryers. Within the formal dining room is a 612-bottle temperature-controlled wine space.
The property’s other interesting features include a gym with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, a theater with custom soundproofing and a garage with room for six to eight cars—enough to guarantee homeowners will never find themselves without something to do.
Surterre Properties (Rex McKown): 888-898-9992; surterreproperties.com
$7 Million to $10 Million
1101 Dolphin Terrace, Corona del Mar
$8,995,000
Hawaiian style combines with Corona del Mar’s upscale aesthetic at this single-story home. The approximately 5,000-square-foot property with four bedrooms, five baths and an attached guest casita is located atop an Irvine Terrace bluff. It commands 250-degree views that extend down the coast to Long Beach and outward to Catalina.
The orientation of the lot was an important element in building the 3-year-old property, says Tim Smith, principal of Smith Group. The owner went to great lengths to ensure that the main areas in the home, including the family room, kitchen, living room and master bedroom, would enjoy the most panoramas as the sun rises and sets.
“The idea for the house was to have a place with fantastic views that you could entertain in and where there is really zero transition from indoor and outdoor living,” Tim says. “The owner had visited Hawaii’s Big Island to golf and kept seeing these single-story homes with modern, light and bright, great open floor plans where you lived indoors and out at the same time.”
Arrival at the home is through a teak gate; teak and other exotic hardwoods are used extensively throughout the property. The courtyard features a black-bottom pool built in front of the house to avoid the winds on the bluff, making it more comfortable for swimming. Warmth and comfort were also kept in mind when it came to the heated travertine stone floors throughout the home.
Indoors, the space opens to the expansive great room and sandblasted wooden cathedral ceilings. The features only improve from there: top-of-the-line gourmet appliances in the kitchen; en-suite bathrooms in all of the bedrooms; and a walk-in closet, sauna and Japanese soaking tub in the master bath. Luxury living continues in the backyard, with harbor views and around 2,000 square feet of wooden deck perfect for relaxing with a drink. The home comes full circle as the indoors are brought out through a palapa-covered kitchen, bar and Italian wood-burning stove located near the infinity edge spa.
The Smith Group (Tim Smith): 949-717-4711; smithgrouprealestate.com
$5 Million to $7 Million
10 Shoreline, Newport Coast
$5,988,000
Located on the ocean side of Coast Highway in prestigious Pelican Point, this 5,300-square-foot Italian Mediterranean custom property gives homeowners direct access to the sand via a private community gate. While the beach is public and accessible to nearby Crystal Cove State Park visitors, it’s a long walk, making the beach fairly secluded, says Lee Ann Canaday, a broker and owner of the Canaday Group. She notes that the home’s location and incredible ocean views are among its most desirable features.
“And besides the views, the outdoor living space is phenomenal,” Lee Ann adds. “There is a beautiful large outdoor kitchen, water features that shoot over the pool, a spa, warming fire pit and an entry courtyard with a magnificent fountain.”
Indoors, fine finishes complement the home’s Mediterranean warmth. Venetian plaster walls set the background, while dark wood beams accentuate ceilings and travertine stone covers the floors. Entering the home, a bronze chandelier in the entry space adds a dramatic accent.
The home has 4.5 bathrooms and four bedrooms, including a downstairs guest room that’s separated from the main living areas. Upstairs, the spacious master bedroom features a sitting area with a built-in desk for two that affords the homeowners a workspace with straight-on ocean views. Completing the suite is a chandelier-lit dressing room with built-in wardrobe features, and a bathroom that has extensive natural light flowing through multiple windows.
Oenophiles will especially appreciate the dining room’s walk-in wine refrigerator that holds hundreds of bottles on its gleaming dark wood shelves. The dining room itself is a large and elegant entertaining space featuring coffered wooden ceilings, a chandelier and multiple French doors leading outside, where more ocean views await.
And while the home is especially characterized by its seaside location, water’s not the only stunning view from its many windows—enjoy city lights and the golf course for a well-rounded picture of Newport Beach.
Canaday Group (Lee Ann Canaday): 949-249-2424; canadaygroup.com
$3 Million to $5 Million
333 Amethyst Ave., Balboa Island
$3,695,000
“Balboa Island is the jewel of Newport Harbor,” says Don Abrams, a real estate broker and owner of Abrams Coastal Properties. “It is a peaceful sanctuary of [approximately] 1,450 homes, including 1930s cottages and newer Nantucket-style homes, with no home more than a block and a half to the bay.”
This approximately 3,300-square-foot, Cape Cod-style home, situated on an extra-wide 40-foot corner lot with bay views, has just one home between it and North Bayfront’s sandy beach. With six bedrooms, which is double the average found in Balboa homes, and 4.5 baths, the property melds Balboa charm with luxurious space throughout two stories.
A highlight on the first floor—and a rarity on the island, according to Don—is a suite with its own bathroom and a private entrance. Also on the main level is a chef’s kitchen with Thermador double ovens, a Sub-Zero glass-front refrigerator and a breakfast bar; a comfortable dining space; a formal living room with fireplace; and a large family room.
Upstairs, a library, four additional bedrooms—including a master suite with vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, a walk-out balcony and bay views—ensure rest and relaxation. The home has oak hardwood floors throughout, air purifiers and other features to help make it hypoallergenic. And even though the home’s bayside location maximizes the use of ocean air, the property is equipped with central air conditioning for those warmer days and nights on the island.
One of the best ways to enjoy breezy Balboa days is outside on the sunny front patio. The versatile area is great for entertaining, with a burbling fountain as a backdrop, or for practicing your golf swing on the putting green. Another outdoor space, a private side courtyard, features an in-ground spa with a waterfall.
“I think the spa with waterfall is one of the most unique features of the house,” Don says. “It is one of the only ones on the island.”
Abrams Coastal Properties (Don Abrams): 949-675-4822; abramscoastalproperties.com
$1 Million to $3 Million
500 Tustin Ave., Newport Heights
$1,995,000
Contemporary style and classic charm come together at this corner-lot Newport Heights property, which features a main house and a studio apartment above the garage with a kitchenette and full bath.
“The home is unique because they kept the original foundation of the single-level cottage and completely rebuilt the front house, while adding an oversized three-car garage with a 950-square-foot studio on top,” says Dylan Mason, an agent with HÔM Sotheby’s International Realty.
The 1,700-square-foot main house, which was enlarged and updated in 2012, includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an office. As part of the expansion project, the master suite now has a large walk-in closet as well as a fireplace.
Also during the renovation, the area between the living and dining room was opened up, enhancing the sense of flowing space inside the home. Numerous other improvements to the main house include new appliances, electrical and gas, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and fire sprinklers. There’s also a security system operated from a central hub that works in concert with the home’s audiovisual system for maximum convenience. New hardwood floors and new interior and exterior doors and windows round out the main home’s upgrades.
Along with parking in the attached three-car garage, which has 12-foot-high ceilings, there is also room for an RV in the driveway complete with the appropriate hookups.
Continuing the outdoor amenities, beautifully landscaped and hardscaped grounds feature a fireplace, fountains and lighting that invite lingering. Finally, a state-of-the-art irrigation system will please any homeowner with a green thumb while new back, front and side fences can enclose and protect any lush garden landscape.
HOM Sotheby’s International: 949-294-7832; homgroup.com
Under $1 Million
295 Lexington Circle, Bayside Village
$400,000
Remodeled in 2014, this 1,576-square-foot, single-story manufactured home provides comfortable living in Newport’s Back Bay area right at the water’s edge. The residence, which was built in 1990, is located on a land-lease lot in the quiet community of Bayside Village. Situated on a corner, it features greenbelt and pool views and is a short walk to the secluded bayfront beach.
“This is an affordable way to get into an ownership position,” says Marcia Brashier, a listing agent with Villa Real Estate. She adds that the land lease is approximately $1,790 per month.
The turnkey home features three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, with natural light streaming through its numerous windows and doors. Bamboo floors throughout the home enhance the feeling of warmth and openness. The renovated kitchen includes an island, granite countertops and a free-standing range. Other design conveniences are recessed lighting, built-ins, a walk-in closet and a large master bathtub positioned next to a wall of glass block, affording privacy while allowing soft light into the room. There’s also an indoor laundry room, patio, garage and carport.
In addition to its waterfront location, residents of Bayside Village enjoy a variety of amenities through the community association. There are two sparkling blue swimming pools and in-ground spas, and two fully furnished clubhouses.
“This is a great home or second home,” Marcia says, noting that families, singles and retirees all live there. “It is a tight-knit little beach enclave.”
Villa Real Estate (Marcia Brashier): 949-531-4026; villarealestate.com
