A San Diego-Area Beachfront Compound Comes to Market for the First Time – Robb Report

Rarity is coveted when it comes to the finer things in life, and the extraordinary siting of a midcentury-era residence near San Diego, newly listed at $9.8 million, makes it a real estate unicorn that could never be replicated given current building codes and environmental considerations. Unlike the other homes sprinkled along the ridge of a precipitous coastal bluff above Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas, about 25 miles north of San Diego, the modestly proportioned two-story structure is set into the hillside, right on the beach, atop an immense concrete plinth.

Built in 1963, the 1,832-square-foot structure houses two self-contained homes, a main house and a guest house, that together contain three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Both spaces have been carefully preserved and updated with an abundance of original features, including wood-paneled walls, terrazzo flooring, and textured glass. Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass slide open to slender decks that cantilever over the beach with a ship-like view over the ocean.

Multicolored vintage light fixtures add retro-styling to the combination living and dining area in the larger lower-level main residence, while the simple, compact kitchen sports updated cabinetry, modern stainless-steel appliances, and a serving bar. Both bedrooms have ocean views, and one has a built-in desk space. Outside the dining area, a small terrace offers sweeping views up and down the coast.

The upper level guest house, with one bedroom and one bathroom, also has a combination living and dining room, as well as a simple, compact, and updated kitchen. Outside the front door is a spacious, wind-protected terrace that overlooks the property’s lush, professionally landscaped gardens.

There’s a two-garage and additional off-street parking for four or five more vehicles, a definite bonus as parking can be difficult, particularly on warm summer days. Entry is through a bright red, secured gate that opens to a courtyard garden teeming with tropical foliage. Among the garden’s several seating areas are a couple of fire features and a five-hole putting green with a custom lighting scheme that allows it to be used at night.

Another terrace, outside one of the bedrooms on the lower level, is notched into the hillside with built-in lounge beds, a fire feature—one of three on the property—and a private staircase that provides direct access to the quarter-acre property’s 75 feet of beach frontage.

The one-of-a-kind property is listed with Sander Harth at Compass and Elena Thompson at Seabreeze Coastal Properties.

Click here for all the photos of 430 Moonlight Lane.