Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood’s ties to Carmel run deep.
The Dirty Harry star owns the famed Tehàma Golf Club right outside of Carmel Valley, is an investor in the world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links west of Carmel, and donates his time to charitable causes at major tournaments here. He also used to run an old English-inspired pub called the Hog’s Breath Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea and now owns the Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant near the Carmel Mission.
But his “starring role” was serving as Carmel-by-the-Sea’s mayor for two years in the late ’80s, one of the actor’s many forays into politics.
At the time, the Gran Torino star lived in a historic, 1924-built home that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, a block from Carmel Beach.
Now, that distinguished century-old home that Eastwood occupied during his tenure as Mayor is up for grabs, with its longtime owner — who bought it off a trust tied to the actor — bringing it to market. Listed for the first time in 28 years, the Carmel-by-the-Sea house has a $21 million price tag.
Specs & features of the century-old home
Located just one street up from Carmel Beach, the property sits on an 11,400-square-foot lot that affords it with ocean views — with several picturesque outdoor areas to take in the views.
The house itself spans 4,442 square feet, with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, a gourmet kitchen, a formal dining room with a fireplace, and two luxurious primary suites. Other highlights include a temperature-controlled wine room, a media room, and a 2-car garage.
Eastwood lived here while serving as Mayor
The century-old estate served as the actor’s home throughout the 1980s and 1990s, according to the 2016 book Historic Homes and Inns of Carmel-by-the-Sea. During that time, he briefly served as Mayor of Carmel.
Eastwood was elected as the nonpartisan mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in April 1986, and donated his $200/month earnings to the Carmel Youth Center. He served for two years and declined to run for a second term.
Now on the market for the first time in 28 years
Current owner Frederick O’Such bought the property from a trust tied to Eastwood in 1996 and has been calling it home ever since. “My family has loved living and entertaining at this iconic property for nearly three decades,” O’Such shared in a statement.
“It is time for the next owner to enjoy this historic home and share it with their friends and family for years to come,” he added.
The house was built one century ago
The Spanish Revival-style house — known as Las Ondas, which is Spanish for “The Waves”, hinting at the house’s generous ocean views — was originally built in 1924. But the property has seen its fair share of updates over the years.
The interiors were redone in the Arts and Crafts style
“Right after we purchased the home, we rebuilt the interior spaces, adding in an Arts and Crafts style by installing Mahogany wood finishes, Cherry wood floors, and other elements that were interesting to me,” says owner Frederick M. O’Such.
The current owner invested heavily in the property
But the retired investor took things a step further. In the late 1990s, O’Such completely rebuilt the home, removing the second story and roof, remodeling all of the interior finishes, and upgrading crucial components to bring the property up to date.
That included updating the HVAC, electric, and plumbing systems, and an upgraded earthquake retrofit of the home.
Notable interior details include vaulted ceilings
The 1924-built home retains the grandeur and sophistication of homes constructed during that period.
This includes eye-grabbing vaulted ceilings with exposed Mahogany wood beams, plastered walls, Cherry wood floors, Mahogany doors and window trim, baseboards, moldings, staircases, and custom built-ins.
The house has two primary suites & a primary bathroom made to impress
Per the listing, the house does not have one but two primary bedroom suites.
The bathrooms don’t infringe on the design with modern finishes and instead boast design-appropriate steam showers and a clawfoot tub.
Located a block away from the ocean
Las Ondas is located just one street up from Carmel Beach, a location that also places it within walking distance of downtown Carmel’s restaurants and stores.
Outdoor spaces to take in the views
To make the most of its idyllic location on the Monterey Peninsula, the property offers multiple indoor/outdoor living spaces, including several decks with Pacific Ocean views spread across the main and upper levels.
There’s also a manicured interior courtyard and a gated walkway that leads to the beach.
Reflective of Carmel’s old-world style and beauty
With its imposing Carmel stone exterior and clay tile roof, the century-old home harks back to a time when homes were crafted with the utmost attention to detail and built to last, using only the finest materials.
A well-known Carmel-by-the-Sea property
“Many long-standing residents in the region have an affinity for the history of this property,” listing agent Tim Allen tells us.
“The warm and inviting spaces, both inside and outside, take you back in time and are reflective of Carmel’s old-world style and beauty. This private oasis is truly a special property not only because of its history but also for its exquisiteness and privacy.”
Tim Allen, the area’s top producer, is in charge of the listing
A listing of this caliber needs a real estate agent to match, and Las Ondas has the best one around: the seller hired top producer Tim Allen (of Tim Allen Properties Team, an affiliated agent with the Carmel-by-the-Sea / Junipero office of Coldwell Banker Realty) to market the property.
Not only is he the top-ranking agent on the Monterey Peninsula — often breaking local records with his high-ticket property sales — but Allen was also the #1 individual Coldwell Banker agent in 2023 sales out of approximately 100,000 agents worldwide.
Clint Eastwood’s nearby Teháma community
As for Clint Eastwood, well, he didn’t go too far. In an attempt to preserve part of the nearby area and avoid it being overdeveloped, the actor bought 2,000 acres of rolling hills above Monterey Bay.
There, he built a one-of-a-kind residential community above Carmel-by-the-Sea known as Teháma, also home to the actor’s Teháma Golf Club. The community consists of 90 lots with owner-built homes, Eastwood’s being one of them.
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