Dramatic perch in Dana Point

When it comes to oceanfront sites, the old phrase “location, location, location” is particularly apt for this Dana Point house. The property has panoramic ocean views, Catalina Island sunsets, a sandy beach and, nearby, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

The house was remodeled in 1999 under the direction of Fred Briggs, the architect who designed Pacific Reflections, an oceanfront estate on a cliff down the road that sold for nearly $18 million last year. Briggs, who was also the architect for the Laguna Beach Library, lives in Monarch Bay, the community in which the remodeled house is situated.

Dave Busk, who builds custom homes in Orange County, and his team completely rebuilt the home over a 2 1/2-year period.

About this house: Monarch Bay is a 24-hour guard-gated neighborhood in the Monarch Beach/Dana Point coastal area, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Sellers Jerry Choate, former chairman and chief executive of Allstate Insurance, and his wife, Gladys, bought the property as a second home in 1999, before his retirement.

Asking price: $7,995,000

Size: The home has six bedrooms and 6 1/2 bathrooms in an estimated 7,800 square feet. The house sits on 20,800 square feet, nearly half an acre.

Features: The house has a wine cellar, den-office, several fireplaces, a spa, a gated entrance with koi ponds, a media room, retractable ceilings and windows, and a four-car garage.

Where: Monarch Beach

Listing agent: Phil Immel, Prudential California Realty, (949) 249-2020, has the listing with Dave Busk, Strada/Coldwell Banker, (949) 230-8648.

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, please send color interior and exterior photos on a CD and a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions can be sent to [email protected].