A Santa Cruz waterfront landmark once known as the Pink House is officially on the market, asking $15,995,000.

Perched above 500 feet of beachfront on East Cliff Drive, the property has long been a fixture for locals and sailors alike. Generations knew the former vibrant pink exterior as a nautical marker guiding boats toward the Santa Cruz Harbor. Today, after a full remodel, the home has been transformed into a sleek contemporary retreat — though its history as a coastal icon still lingers.

The sellers, Steve and Susie Hotelling, brought their own story to the house.

Steve Hotelling, an Apple innovator credited with developing foundational technologies like Touch ID and Face ID, spent years shaping how millions of people interact with their devices. His wife Susie, a marine mammal enthusiast, has enjoyed watching dolphins, otters, and even migrating whales from the living room windows.

For them, the home has been both a place of rest and a front-row seat to the daily theater of the California coast.

The listing is held by Tim Allen of the Tim Allen Properties Team (Coldwell Banker Realty’s Carmel-by-the-Sea/Junipero office), a veteran agent with four decades of experience and the company’s top sales record worldwide in both 2023 and 2024.

The property at a glance

• Size: 4,715 square feet
• Lot: ~¾ acre with 500 feet of beachfront
• Bedrooms/Bathrooms: Four en-suite bedrooms, four bathrooms
• Key features: Floor-to-ceiling windows, chef’s kitchen with wet bar, atrium-style game room, ocean-view hot tub, surf-facing patio, private guest apartment, gated beach access

Inside, walls of glass offer wide-angle views of the coast

From nearly every room, dramatic walls of glass capture wide-angle views of the ocean, lighthouse, and harbor. The effect is immediate: the outdoors feels like part of the interior, whether it’s whales breaching offshore or surfers catching waves below the bluff.

With a gourmet kitchen made for gatherings

The gourmet kitchen is outfitted with high-end appliances, a wet bar, and an open layout designed for entertaining. Its central location makes it easy to move between indoor living spaces and the outdoor barbecue patio.

An atrium-style game room

One of the home’s standout features is the atrium-style game room, a flexible gathering space that opens directly to the patio. Natural light and ocean air pour in, making it equally suited for casual family nights or hosting guests.

With the patio extending the space to the outdoor areas

Right outside the game room, a sizable patio with seating and a fireplace is located right next to an outdoor BBQ area.

Private oceanview hot tub and sun patio

Facing the surf, the outdoor patio and hot tub provide a front-row seat to the Pacific. Whether for sunrise coffee or sunset cocktails, it’s one of the most striking spaces on the property.

Direct access to the beach

A gated path leads from the property to a sandy beach area, offering one of the rarest amenities in Santa Cruz: private-feeling beachfront access in a location that also connects directly to the public shoreline. The harbor is just a short beach walk away.

Bedrooms with private ocean views

Each of the four bedrooms comes with an en-suite bath and sweeping views of the water. Large windows frame the coastline, making the ocean the first thing you see each morning and the last thing you hear at night.

And a lower-level guest apartment

The home includes a full private apartment on the lower level, complete with its own entry, kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bath. The setup offers flexibility for extended family, long-term guests, or even a caretaker.

The legacy of the Pink House

Long before its modern transformation, the property was known locally as the Pink House. Then painted in a vibrant shade visible from the water, it served as a navigational marker for sea captains heading toward the harbor. Its remodel pays tribute to that history while presenting a new chapter of coastal living.

A beach house to take in full advantage of the beauty of the coast

For the Hotellings, the property has always been about more than architecture. “Between the wildlife, the harbor, and the weather, the scenery is always changing,” says Susie.

“The home has a commanding view, great public beach and harbor access, and yet feels very private when you are in it.” Steve adds: “While the views are amazing, I love the direct beach access to go for an afternoon swim.”

The property is a rare Santa Cruz offering

With its combination of history, location, and modern upgrades, the East Cliff Drive home stands out in a market where true oceanfront properties are few and far between.

Tim Allen describes it as “one of Santa Cruz’s most iconic oceanfront estates — perched between Blacks Beach and the harbor, famed as the historic ‘Pink House.’ With new construction, top-tier amenities, and a seawall, it stands among the finest properties on the California coast.”

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