The General
William Lyon made his fortune following the freeways. Wherever the roads ran, that’s where the Air Force general-turned-homebuilder would mobilize construction crews, eventually building much of Orange County among many projects across the Southwestern U.S. Lyon, one of Orange County’s wealthiest and most influential residents, died Friday, May 22 at his hilltop estate in Coto de Caza, his son Bill H. Lyon said. He was 97.Read more here.
The 137-acre Coto de Caza compound of the late real estate developer William Lyon and his wife, Willa Dean, just hit the market for $125 million.
Known as The Lyon Estate, this property features a 21,000-square-foot Georgian-style mansion and onsite luxury amenities designed to accommodate jetsetters, car collectors and equestrians alike.
“It checks every box,” said Josh Altman of Douglas Elliman by phone, one of the lead agents marketing the listing.
Lyon, known as “The General” from his days as a major general and commander of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, built the home in 1986. This decorated military veteran was also a prominent homebuilder.
In addition to his business pursuit, he contributed to the GOP and various philanthropic causes. One of the most notable events he hosted was a fundraiser for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum attended by then-President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan.
“Whoever gets the opportunity to own this piece of real estate history will be owning one of the most iconic properties in America,” co-lead agent Mauricio Umansky of The Agency said in a statement.
The Lyon Estate is currently the second-most expensive listing in Orange County, following the 42-acre San Juan Capistrano estate known for decades as “Porcupine Hill,” which surfaced in June 2024 for $150 million. It’s also one of O.C.’s biggest residential listings, where every square foot is effectively put to good use.
According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, Lyon based the colonial-style architecture of the main residence and its three guest houses on the family’s former Virginia home.
The main house features eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and formal living spaces with coffered ceilings, intricate crown moldings and ornate light fixtures.
A tiered chandelier and scenic wall mural adorn the formal dining room.
In the wood panel-wrapped library, a portrait of Lyon hangs over the fireplace.
Outside the home is a resort-style pool and spa. The pool house holds a dry sauna and two bathrooms, each with a changing room.
A championship-size tennis court is nearby.
The largest of the guest houses has two bedrooms, one bathroom and a full-size kitchen, while the other each offer a single bedroom and a kitchenette.
According to Altman, one of the property’s “game-changer” features is the helicopter landing pad.
“You can fly your private jet into John Wayne, get in your helicopter and five minutes later your at your front door,” he said. “To be able to save that kind of time is, what I’ve always found, selling houses to the wealthiest people in the world, priceless in my opinion.”
The car museum, which still showcases classic models from Lyon’s prized collection, is another highlight. Spanning 23,670 square feet, the space comfortably holds 70 cars and features a professional-grade auto shop, recessed turntable and wash station.
Equestrian facilities include a 10-stall barn and riding arena.
Two lakes used for irrigation, a scenic pond, a greenhouse, a brick-clad wine cellar and a 41-acre orange orchard with 4,500 trees planted more than 30 years ago add to the offerings.
The property also comes with a preapproved plans for a 64-acre development of 25 homes in a new gated enclave at the southern-end of the property.
Related Articles
Gordy Crawford’s Monarch Bay estate sells for a Dana Point record $34 million Pasadena’s ‘Bentz House’ by Greene and Greene seeks $3.5M Former San Marino home of late ‘SpongeBob’ creator lists for $5.9M Moorish Castle in Glendale’s Verdugo Woodlands aims for $2.9M $42M Newport Coast mansion is OC’s most expensive home sale of 2025“I have already gotten multiple calls from major developers who are interested in the lot separately,” Altman said. “Ideally, we’d like to sell it as a package.”
The co-listing agents are Jon Grauman and Zach Goldsmith of The Agency and Matt Altman and Doug Skoro of Douglas Elliman.
Gen. Lyon founded his eponymous homebuilding company with his father and brother in the 1950s. William Lyon Homes built more than 100,000 homes during his career. In February 2020, three months before he died at 97, William Lyon Homes merged with the Arizona-based homebuilder Taylor Morrison for about $950 million.
Willa Dean was 93 when she died October 2024.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Late real estate magnate William Lyon’s 137-acre estate in Coto de Caza lists for $125M )
Also on site :