An Arizona Dermatologist Bought a Manhattan Beach House – DIRT

Although the deal was actually inked last year, it’s only now that the buyer of a particularly lavish residence in the seaside community of Manhattan Beach has been revealed to be Arizona-based doctor Nancy Kim. Records show the house sold for a whopping $19.2 million — reportedly the second-priciest residential transaction ever on the sought-after Strand, behind only a $21 million transfer back in 2017.

Kim is founder and president of Spectrum Dermatology, the largest dermatology practice in Arizona with seven locations and 31 providers in the Scottsdale and Greater Phoenix area. The company was acquired in May of last year by Chicago-based Pinnacle Dermatology, though terms were not disclosed. An expert on Mohs surgery — a highly specialized procedure used to treat skin cancer — Kim was also recently named to Pinnacle’s board.

As for Kim’s SoCal residence, the oceanfront abode was custom-built by Steve Larkin and designed by architect Jon Starr in 2021. Resting on a compact parcel steps from the beach, the three-story structure features five bedrooms and six baths filtered across a little more than 4,300 square feet of living space accented throughout with a mix of natural stone and oak hardwood floors, reclaimed wood-beam ceilings, antique French doors and walls of glass.

A double-height foyer boasting a floating staircase and soaring steel-and-opaque glass wall leads into the open-concept main level, which is highlighted by a living room spotlighted by a white-painted brick fireplace and sliding steel-lined glass doors flowing out to a covered deck sporting a barbecue center. And a dining area with two display cases — one temperature-controlled for wine and the other for artwork — adjoins the gourmet kitchen, which is outfitted with marble countertops, an eat-in island, top-tier Viking, Sub-Zero, Bosch and Hoshizaki appliances, and a walk-in pantry.

On the third floor, the striking master retreat has a seating nook, an ocean-view balcony, a walk-in closet with custom built-ins, and luxe marble bath adorned with dual vanities, a soaking tub and shower. Just down the hallway are two additional en-suite bedrooms and one of two laundry rooms, plus a library with its own private balcony.

Down on the lower Strand-adjacent level are two more ensuite bedrooms and the other laundry room, along with a wood-paneled “beach room” hosting a seating area and kitchenette, as well as access to an enclosed patio with a fire-pit. Rounding it all out: an elevator, Tesla solar panels, and an attached four-car garage with epoxy floors and a KitchenAid refrigerator.

Records show that Kim and her husband Dr. Rajan Bhatt also own at least two more multimillion-dollar homes, both in Arizona’s affluent Paradise Valley.