O.C. Author Koontz Plans 30,000-Square-Foot Home

Best-selling suspense author Dean Koontz and his wife, Gerda, took advantage of the recent bargains in Orange County real estate to buy 2 1/2 acres in Newport Coast, where they are planning to build a house.

The Koontzes reportedly paid about $4 million for the four adjacent ocean-view lots that overlook Newport Harbor and have a view of Catalina Island. They hope to build an Italian Renaissance-style estate of at least 30,000 square feet, which would make it one of Orange County’s biggest houses, Koontz said. Groundbreaking could start in August, he said.

One of the county’s largest private residences now is a 20,293-square-foot Coto de Caza home owned by developer William Lyon, according to Continental Lawyers Title Co. in Santa Ana. And Dr. Bakul K. Patel has filed for a permit to build a 28,806-square-foot house in San Clemente on a rural seven-acre lot. If the Koontzes’ plans fall through, Patel’s could be the largest home in the county, according to building permit data.

Koontz said he decided to buy the pricey lots in Pelican Hills early last year before any perceived market turnaround. He said that getting rock-bottom prices in the high end of the market is more difficult today because people sense a market recovery. And that, he says, makes sellers drive harder bargains.

The 48-year-old author, known for novels such as “Cold Fire” and “Hideaway,” said that, though the couple’s luxury estate is still on the drawing board, he is certain that one large room overlooking the sea will be designed as a writing room.

“I always used to write in very small rooms, little caves really. We just never imagined we’d be able to have ocean views in our lives,” Koontz said. “I’d probably be happy sitting up on those lots in the dirt.”

Because he is a writer, Koontz said, he and his wife want privacy and also want to be involved in the design of their home. He would not divulge details, such as the number of rooms or any special features.

“I’m not doing this to be featured in Architectural Digest. We just really needed more space and wanted to build a new house. We had remodeled before,” said the author, whose current home is 8,500 square feet.

“We spend so much time in our home. I just sit there and write. We don’t travel much, so our home is very important to us.”