Several properties owned by former Santa Cruz County Treasurer Liz Gutfahr, including her residence and that of her son Davian and his wife Ana, are slated for sale in the coming weeks.
Gary Brasher of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s Realty International and Brasher Realty is managing the sale of 15 of Gutfahr’s 17 properties throughout Santa Cruz County, along with a townhome in Tucson. The other two properties are homes in Mexico and Pinetop, AZ.
The first properties to hit the market will be five homes along Santa Gertrudis Lane in Tumacácori, which could be listed as early as this week.
Included in this initial sale are Gutfahr’s former primary residence, a 147-acre estate with a listing price of $5.7 million, along with the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Davian and Ana Gutfahr, priced at $1.2 million.
Over the past three months, cleaning and maintenance crews have been preparing the properties for sale. J & J Estate Sales, an estate liquidation company from Green Valley, has been contracted to manage the packing, transportation, cataloging, and sale of items left behind by the Gutfahr family. A three-day estate sale is expected to take place in early 2025.
One of Gutfahr’s holdings, a 139-acre property purchased in 2021 along Duquesne Rd. in Lochiel, is still under consideration for how it will be sold. According to county records, Gutfahr acquired the property—which includes two homes, the De La Ossa family cemetery, and a historic chapel—for $580,000.
MCA Financial Group, acting as the receiver for Gutfahr’s assets, is collaborating with the county and the De La Ossa family to explore options for preserving the cemetery and chapel. Potential plans include creating an easement, establishing a family trust, or seeking support from the Catholic Church to exclude these sites from the sale.
The property sales follow an August 20 court ruling permitting the liquidation of Gutfahr’s assets to help recover a portion of the $38 million she embezzled from Santa Cruz County during her time as county treasurer from 2012 to 2024.