Laguna Beach Donated Home Earns UC Irvine Foundation Over $2 M

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The Laguna Beach home of Christian Werner, former professor emeritus and dean of School of Social Sciences at the University of California Irvine, was at last sold for $2.14 million at the end of January, the OC Register reported. Donated to the school after his death in March of 2016, the home went on the market in November of 2018. The house was a portion of the $4.4 million estate, donated to the university, all of which fund an endowment for graduate fellowships at the Social Sciences school.

Werner rebuilt the property after burning to the ground in the Laguna Beach fire of 1993. In 1996, Werner built the 2,672-square-foot home in the same stellar location on Buena Vista Way.

Contemporary, floor to ceiling glass windows, the home offers a distinctive architectural style and views of Catalina Island, the Orange County coastline and many open and airy decks, patios and yard space.

Though the university has described that gifts of real estate are rare, they are "a smart way for donors to support the University and bypass capital gains taxes," Patricia Harriman, UCI Foundation spokeswoman told the Register in November, when the house went on the market.

After the fire, Werner told the Los Angeles Times that he never knew his neighbors until after they all lost their homes. That loss created a "common bond that forged relationships among the residents."

Both the new owners and the property sale by UCI Foundation were represented by Michael Johnson and Pall Prietto of Compass Real Estate.

Photo courtesy Realtor.com