DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://www.southbaydiggs.com/i/1361815
68 DIGS.NET | 4.16.2021 M A R K E T S W E E T D I G S | 1 2 4 V I A M O N T E D O R O private. "We had a wedding there with over 300 people," Gerardi says of the property. "You wouldn't have known there was even a hundred people there, the way the house handled it." Today, as it was nearly 100 years ago when built, the home serves only to further beautify life at this charmed coastal location. Never-ending scenes of soft blue ocean stream into windows and French doors along the 40-foot master bedroom. Gauzy coastal light and dramatic sunsets seep into every room, and whether standing along a colonnaded balcony, or entertaining friends in the upright elegance of places like the dining room, where doors open to aromatic gardens, it seems like a perfect stage. "It feels like a dream," Gerardi says of the home's atmosphere. "It's so quiet and peaceful. It's magical and the rooms are so warm." Fitting too is its location, a quiet neighborhood that feels enclave-esque, yet is less than 10 minutes on foot to the beach or to Riviera Village, where mellow boutiques and eateries line its wide streets. "It's an opportunity to live in history while enjoying modern amenities," says Kaminsky of the property. "The Old World is still heavy and breathing in this home." So distinctive is the property that it's being sold via Concierge Auctions, and bidding starts on May 7. At Concierge Auctions, the focus is specifically on rare and luxury properties; they're the largest property auction house of its kind in the world, with a well-established global and online footprint. "Research shows that if a luxury property hasn't sold within ninety days, it will likely remain on the market for the next three to five years, and eventually sell for a fraction of the origi- nal price," says Sue Demarest of Concierge Auctions. "With the limited luxury property buyer pool, especially with homes in the ten million dollar range and higher," she adds, "Concierge's plat- form delivers results in sixty days." "This is called a 'no reserve auction,'" Kaminsky explains, "which means there's no minimum bid." It's a process that's right for a rare property, and one where buyers can ultimately deter- mine the market value of a home where price is not quite an objective matter. It's also a process that can offer buyers comfort, he adds, "because they know, whatever their bid price is, that there was someone right behind them willing to buy the house for a few dollars less. It's a transparent process that's very help- ful to the buyer." Danny Gerardi was 9 years old when he first walked past the fancy house on Via Monte Doro. At age 10 he had finally mustered up enough pluck to knock on the door. "The lady that lived there answered the door and I became one of her dearest friends until she died," recounts Gerardi. Decades later he would close escrow on "the castle" that, as a child, had held his imagination and wonder, and where he had spent many happy hours with his friend. Despite his regard and affection for the place, his decision to move is a pragmatic one—he's simply not in town enough. But having refreshed the home for its next chapter, he now remains indelibly linked to its story as one of its most dedicated stewards.