$22.5M sale marks priciest Santa Monica residential deal in two years

Sellers are art collector Cherine Magrabi Tayeb and asset manager Ahmed Tayeb

$22.5M trade sets Santa Monica record for priciest resi deal
2121 LaMesa Road (Clout. Real Estate, Getty)

A Santa Monica house designed by Peter Choate, an architect popular with Hollywood glitterati in the mid-to late 20th century, has sold in an all cash deal for $22.5 million.

The 9,300-square-foot home located at 2121 La Mesa Drive, sold for about $2,422 per square foot and is the priciest Santa Monica trade since 2021, according to Delaram Rivani of Carolwood Estates. She represented both the seller and the buyer.

Other West L.A. agents confirmed the accuracy of Rivani’s claim for priciest trade. The home was initially listed for $33 million in September. Its price was reduced to $29 million in October and the sale closed Dec. 4.

The sellers of 2121 La Mesa were art collector Cherine Magrabi Tayeb and her husband Ahmed Tayeb, an asset manager. They bought the home for $16.1 million in 2016. The buyer was not identified. 

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The previous record holder for Santa Monica’s priciest home sale was the $49 million trade in February 2021 for the estate at 609 East Channel Road, which was owned by Shane Smith, the executive chairman of Vice Media.

The home at 2121 La Mesa Dr. is located on half acre of land, which features amenities such as a pool, a spa and a cinema. The Tayebs lined the walls of their Santa Monica home with works from Andy Warhol and Humberto Campana, according to a September 2023 Mansion Global story. The house has a wine display room big enough for 800 bottles and features views of the Riviera Country Club and the Santa Monica Mountains.

The sale of 2121 La Mesa Drive is one of a few deals to close above $20 million in the fourth quarter, according to Carolwood Estates. Another one was the $34 million deal for a Bel-Air home at 1492 Stone Canyon Road, which was sold by movie star Jennifer Lopez. Another was Saeed Farkhondehpour’s Holmby Hills estate, located at 10350 Wynton Drive, which sold for about $35 million.

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