Prominent GOP donor Buck Johns lists Newport Beach property for $25 million

A nearly 4-acre residence that abuts the upper Newport Bay Nature Reserve officially hit the market Wednesday.

The 6,895-square-foot residence, currently owned by prominent Republican donor and businessman Buck Johns, was built in 1951.

The property has seen a number of additions over the years since Johns purchased it in August 1977 for $550,000. Johns and his wife, Colleen, raised their four children there and played host to a number of Republican candidates, including former gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder and former Vice President Dick Cheney, according to Bill Coté, who is co-listing the property with Brian Sperry.

Coté said he and Buck Johns discussed putting the home on the market for about three years. He noted the property is large and the couple are looking to downsize now that they’ve “reached a point in their lives and careers” where they feel it‘s the right time.

One of the property’s merits, Coté said, is it is zoned for equestrian usage. About six horses can be kept there.

The Mesa Drive home is where Buck and Colleen Johns raised their four children. They’ve decided it’s time to downsize.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“But there are also not that many view properties in Newport Beach of that size. It has almost 400 linear feet on the hillside that looks out to the Back Bay and, to the southwest, of the coast,” Coté said. “It’s a phenomenal property. It really is. It’s got a mid-century home that’s just under 7,000 square feet and some may like it.

” It’s a very special property, and there’s nothing like it that size in its present condition and its location anywhere in Orange County, and simply, it’s a very, very special piece of property in Newport Beach.”

The property has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Among its features are a bar and wet bar and an atrium, a basement, foyer, great room, laundry room, sauna, utility room, wine cellar and workshop. The rest of the property includes rare features such as a private tennis court, a heated pool and spa, biking and horse trails and a four-car garage.

According to realtor.com, the average asking price for a home in Newport Beach is around $5 million. The current largest is a 15,219-square-foot residence on a 0.6 acre lot at 26 Deep sea, listed in March for almost $40 million, and the most expensive is at 19 Del Mar, a 14,958-square-foot home on a 0.44 acre lot listed for $89 million.

In June 2023, the nearby Duck Farm property on Mesa Drive, was priced at $25 million at the time of its initial listing and sold for $15 million.

The frontyard of the Johns’ property, which has been listed at $25 million.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)