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An estate owned by the founder of a leading financial services and life insurance company that spans more than 50 acres along California’s rugged Big Sur coastline has hit the market after being split into two parcels.
Merle Mullin, wife of the late insurance magnate Peter Mullin, who died in 2023, is selling the couple’s longtime retreat as separate listings, according to Sotheby’s International Realty.
The larger one is called Bien Sur and is considered the crown jewel of Big Sur’s oceanfront properties. The property, priced at $21.5 million, spans 43 acres, including 19 acres on the water.
Among the features of Bien Sur:
▪ A complex considered “an artistic masterpiece of natural beauty, architecture, landscape design and outdoor art that offers an exceptional living experience,” according to Sotheby’s;
▪ In addition to the 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom main house, there are multiple guest houses, a concierge unit and the region’s only cable car, which takes riders to the large waterfront clifftop estate, Sotheby’s said. .
▪ A mid-century modern residence with high ceilings, 180-degree panoramic ocean views and a private paved beach;
▪ Luxurious park-like outdoor amenities such as expansive lawns, a bath, bocce court, koi ponds, Zen gardens, multiple viewing platforms and fire pits;
“For the discerning buyer looking for the extraordinary, Bien Sur awaits,” the real estate listing said.
That property is located at 53810 Highway 1.
Bien Sur is bigger, maybe grander, but the other building has a cooler name.
The smaller, second lot is called the Dragon House and sits on a 10-acre stretch of pristine waterfront land that is “a highlight of iconic Big Sur architecture,” according to Sotheby’s.
Dragon House is located at 53648 Highway 1.
For $3.99 million a buyer gets:
▪ A multi-family estate, with the one-bedroom main house displaying a hand-carved wooden balustrade with an intricate dragon motif – “symbolizing strength and fortune”;
▪ The 1,257 square feet of living space is flooded with natural light through “enchanting” stained glass windows;
▪ There is an impressive stone fireplace with an open floor plan;
▪ The complex consists of a fully equipped ADU (outbuilding), two guest houses and a caretaker’s house, each with spectacular views.
“Big Sur was the place of his heart,” Merle Mullin told the Wall Street Journal of her husband, who founded M Financial Group and was an avid car collector. “It’s breathtaking.”
Bien Sur’s main building was built in 1971 and overlooks a sea otter sanctuary.
Peter Mullin was also chairman of Mullin Barens Sanford Financial, an executive compensation company.
The brokers are Nicole Truzkowski and Zak Freedman of Sotheby’s International Realty – Carmel Brokerage.
