See inside the Joshua Tree Invisible House, for sale for $18 million

One of the most wanted Airbnb properties in 2023 is on the market.

This Joshua Tree, California home is for sale with an asking price of $18 million, making it the most expensive home ever on the market in the city located about two hours southeast of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County.

The record-breaking listing is called the Invisible House, named for its mirror-clad facade that reflects the desert setting and can virtually disappear into the rocky landscape.

The modern glass architecture is located on 67.5 acres just steps from Joshua Tree National Park. The living space is approximately 5,500 square feet with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a 100-foot indoor pool, according to the listing for the sale.

“It is one of the most amazing homes in the world,” said Co-Listing Agent Aaron Kerman, CEO of AKG Christie’s International Real Estate.

Kerman told CNBC that the $18 million listing is about modern architecture that stands out through presentation and the illusion created by the 10,500 square feet of mirrored glass that wraps around the home’s exterior.

The home was designed by film producer and current owner, Chris Hanley, and architect Thomas Osinski, Frank Gehry’s collaborator. The glass and steel structure is 225 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 21 feet high.

Inside, smooth concrete floors and steel beams crisscross 12-foot ceilings. These walls of mirrored glass on the exterior of the home are transparent on the inside and provide panoramic views of a rock-filled landscape. The home’s west-facing glass wall can open up to reveal a symphony of rocks, tangled brush, and stoic trees.

The simple design surrounding the 100-foot indoor pool makes swimming across the living room to one of the bedrooms even more luxurious.

According to Kerman, finding properties suitable for such unique architecture located in a remote desert town with a population of only thousands is impossible.

So let’s be clear, no comp. We’re not authoring this house based on Joshua Tree.

According to co-listing agent Matt Adamo, the highest price achieved for a home in Joshua Tree was $3.5 million. So selling anywhere near the asking price for the Invisible House would break the local record.

Kerman said the closest ones are homes built by Richard Neutra, John Lautner, and Rudolf Schindler—”some of the great architects of the past.”

The $18 million price tag for The Invisible House is about $3,300 per square foot, putting the Joshua Tree residence atop some of the most expensive listings in Los Angeles — on a square foot basis — in the top 10% of all single-family homes sold during the first quarter with an average ​Just under $2,400 per square foot, Elliman reports.

Even before the potential sale, the modern desert home, which has its own Instagram account and nearly 35,000 followers, is already a money maker.

The house is frequently rented out to guests on Airbnb and for production shoots.

“In 2021, this home generated more than $1.4 million in gross revenue,” Adamo told CNBC, adding that about 15% of that came from production.

The Airbnb listing for the home rentals start at $2,500 per night and includes a small guest house on the property. The production rate is even higher, Adamo said, with previous rentals earning $1,000 an hour or up to $12,000 for a full day.

In between those two rental avenues, brokers told CNBC that the house has hosted a few high-profile guests including musicians and actors like Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Lizzo, Diplo, and The Weeknd, as well as a long list of social media influencers.

“When you do the math, you’re buying significant architecture, uniqueness, foundations, plus the ability to make money from it all,” said Kerman.

In the four months since the home hit the market, it hasn’t seen any buyers, but both agents are confident the record-breaking asking price will fetch the highest selling price Joshua Tree has ever seen.

“I feel like $18 million is 100% the right price,” Kerman said.

“Don’t look at this as a home. It’s a piece of art, and look at what art sells.”

Giant wind-eroded boulders at the entrance to the house. Once visitors are inside, they are greeted with a dramatic 100-foot indoor pool.

Off the pool area and in the center of the kitchen is an oversized island with high-end cabinets made in Italy by Boffi.

The two guest rooms in the house have king-size beds raised on black-and-white striped marble platforms built into the wall.

Two ceilings raise the home’s master bedroom high above the desert floor and offer panoramic views from the king-size bed perched on an all-glass platform.

The room’s open plan design includes an oversized soaking tub, double floating sinks, and a stainless steel rain shower with a glass wall that provides a scenic view.

Simple bathrooms feature stainless steel encased showers.

The property’s off-grid roof is lined with 92 solar panels that store power in 3 Tesla batteries.

Steps away from the main residence is a one bedroom guest house with its own kitchen and bathroom, bringing the property’s total to four bedrooms and five bathrooms.