Santa Monica’s 92-year-old “House of Rock” sells for $16M

Personal injury lawyer and developer Otto L. Haselhoff has plunked down $16 million for a mansion on the edge of Santa Monica nicknamed the “House of Rock.”

The 11,000-square-foot home was built in 1926 but underwent a major renovation under owner Elaine Culotti after she bought it in 2010.

Culotti and partner Greg Briles threw large parties to help sell the house that attracted the attention of city officials. In 2012 the Santa Monica City Council considered, but ultimately didn’t pass, an ordinance to limit parties for real estate sales to 150 guests.

Otto L. Haselhoff’s new digs in Santa Monica (Credit: Zillow)

It’s the second $10 million-plus sale in Santa Monica recently. Actor Leslie Mann and writer Judd Apatow dropped $14.5 million for a penthouse on Ocean Avenue.

The house earned the name the “House of Rock” because parties often included musical performances, and because Culotti built a state-of-the-art recording studio on the home’s top floor.

It has a pedigree beyond its recent wild reputation. The house was built for early film star Kathryn Grayson and designed by Beverly Hills Hotel architect Elmer Grey.

Otto L. Haselhoff’s new digs in Santa Monica (Credit: Zillow)

The Tudor Revival home features English oak paneling inside, high ceilings, and rounded archways, according to 2013 marketing materials by then-listing agents Mauricio Umansky, Billy Rose, and Susan Pekich. Haselhoff’s purchase appears to be off-market.

The grounds have a two-bedroom guesthouse and the property overlooks the Riviera Country Club. The City of Santa Monica designated it a Historic Resource in 2010.

Haselhoff is a lawyer that specializes in personal injury, wrongful death and insurance company malfeasance. He has recently focused on product liability in the car industry, including the failure of so-called “autopilot” technologies like automatic braking and collision warning systems.

He took out a $6 million mortgage with Wells Fargo for the purchase.