A prominent Republican donor has swooped in on a luxurious mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, offering its owners a whopping $28 million for the enormous property—on one very significant condition: that they vacate their home of more than 25 years in less than a week.
Doug “Papa Doug” Manchester, a property investor who hails from Los Angeles, closed on the enormous 19-bedroom estate on Nov. 14, according to records, paying around $800,000 less than the latest asking price for the opulent abode.
The sale of the 39-acre compound, which is known as Villa Nafissa, marked the end of a 13-year battle faced by the sellers to offload the home, which was originally put on the market in 2012 for the much higher price of $40 million.
Over the years, the property, which had been custom built for the sellers in 1996, bounced on and off the market, each time for a slightly lower price—with the most recent listing showing an asking price of $28.8 million.
But the end of that hard-fought battle came with plenty of “emotional” upheaval, according to listing agent Brian Guiltinan of the Guiltinan Group, who revealed to The Wall Street Journal the “crazy” lengths his clients had to go to meet Manchester’s requirements for the sale.
According to Guiltinan, the sellers—who had lived in the home for close to 30 years—were forced to scramble to meet the rigid six-day deadline that Manchester had put in place, moving out of their longtime dwelling and into a hotel almost immediately after an offer was made so that movers could get to work emptying the home of their worldly possessions.
The sellers enlisted the help of multiple rug stores, which closed down their retail fronts to focus their energies on building custom crates that were then used to pack their collection of antique rugs, “museum-grade tapestries,” and fine artworks.
On the day of closing, a team of movers worked until 1:45 a.m. to fill close to 20 trucks with all of the sellers’ items.
“It was emotional,” Guiltinan said of the move. “It was crazy.”
When approached for comment by the WSJ about what prompted such a rush on the deal, the buyer’s agent, Tim Van Damm of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, said he was unaware of any particular reason for the need for such speed, admitting that his client simply preferred not to wait around.
“That’s just how he rolls,” he said. “When he decides he wants something, he just goes and gets it.”
Given that the property spans more than 31,000 square feet across a main residence, clubhouse, and two guesthouses, there was certainly a lot of ground for the movers to cover, particularly when you take into account the many years that the sellers had spent living in the home.
Those sellers, who have not been named, initially purchased the staggering parcel on which the home now sits back in the 1990s and had the huge compound custom built to their specifications.
No expense was spared on the design and execution of the dwelling, which was described in its listing as being “a sanctuary where the finest craftsmanship, nature’s beauty, and timeless elegance converge.”
Crafted to serve as an entertainer’s paradise, the property featured an array of spectacular amenities, both inside and out—including the aforementioned “clubhouse,” which spans 4,000 square feet and features a “a grand dining room, commercial-grade kitchen, media room, and an upstairs office suite.”
The design of the home was also intended to take full advantage of the lush grounds that surround it, with the description noting that the primary residence on the property featured multiple windows in every room so that the view might always be enjoyed, no matter where in the home you are.
“The expansive living areas flow seamlessly into the surrounding gardens, providing an indoor-outdoor lifestyle unlike any other,” the listing added. “Every detail, from the soaring ceilings to the luxurious finishes, speaks to the estate’s grandeur and exclusivity.”
Designed with as much care and attention as the house itself, the grounds were meant to mirror those cultivated by artist Claude Monet in Giverny, France, and were hailed as a “horticultural masterpiece” that feature “more than 3,000 species of flora, fruit, and mature trees.”
Additionally, Manchester will be able to enjoy the fruits of the sellers’ labor in the form of the organic orchards and vegetable gardens, “which supply the residence with fresh produce.”
“With winding pathways, a serene lake, and cascading waterfalls, every inch of this extraordinary landscape has been meticulously curated to evoke the romance and tranquility of a Monet painting,” the listing continued.
Health and wellness also played a significant role in the design of the dwelling, which boasts a gym, a sports court, jogging paths that run through the grounds, and a spacious children’s play area.
The grounds were also described as the ideal location for meditation or yoga.
Should Manchester wish to turn the dwelling into an equestrian estate, he will also have that option; the property has zoning for up to 50 horses—and also features plenty of space for a barn, stable, practice arena, and riding trails.
It is currently unclear whether Manchester, who made his fortune through investments in commercial and residential properties, as well as multiple hospitality endeavors, will maintain the property—or whether he plans to make significant renovations.
He rose to prominence within the Republican Party during President Donald Trump‘s first presidential campaign, when he donated $1 million to his inaugural committee.
Manchester was later nominated as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, but dropped his bid amid ongoing delays.