Betty White's Carmel, Calif. Beach House of 40 Years Sells — for Nearly $3M Over Asking Price

Betty White's beloved beach house has found a buyer — for nearly $3 million more than it was asking.

The home sold for $10.775 million, PEOPLE confirms. It was first listed in March, three months after the screen icon's death at 99, for $7.95 million.

White and her husband, Allen Ludden, built the three-story waterfront house, located in the picturesque town of Carmel, Calif., together, but he died in 1981 shortly after it was completed.

"The home embodies the spirit of Betty and Allen. It was eloquently understated with the focus on nature and the natural beauty surrounding the home," Nicole Truszkowski of Truszkowski Freedman & Associates, Sotheby's International Realty - Carmel Brokerage, who held the listing alongside Zak Freedman, tells PEOPLE.

She added, "Spending time in Carmel was one of Betty's favorite things to do. She enjoyed many treasured moments with her family and close friends."

The 3,600-square-foot property includes four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms.

White and Ludden paid just $170,000 for the then-empty, nearly-quarter-acre plot, according to Dirt.

Truszkowski notes that while the Golden Girls star was a revered public figure, "she was a private person. Betty's home in Carmel was her special sanctuary and it was one of her favorite places to recharge and rejuvenate," she says.

The town of Carmel, also known as Carmel-by-the-Sea, is located about 120 miles south of San Francisco, between several other famous coastal enclaves like Monterey and Big Sur.

According to the home's listing, the town was founded as an artist's colony and maintains much of that bohemian spirit, even as its become a popular tourist destination known for shopping dining and charming European-style cottages.

Designed by architect Richard Hicks, White's midcentury-style home boasts sweeping panoramic views of the Point Lobos Nature Reserve, Ribera Beach, and Monastery Beach from nearly every room in the house.

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It also offers several spacious decks to take in the scenery and a soaring great room with picture windows, a stone fireplace and wood-beamed ceilings.

The storybook garden leads to a back gate with direct access to the sand and walking paths through Carmel Meadows.

White's primary residence was in Brentwood, California. She died at her home there on Dec. 31, just a few weeks shy of her centennial birthday, her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas confirmed to PEOPLE.

"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," Witjas told PEOPLE in a statement. "I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again."

Following a dream career in Hollywood that included unforgettable roles on The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, White enjoyed a quiet life playing crossword puzzles and card games. She also likes to watch animal documentaries, Jeopardy! and sports, particularly golf.

White, who is a longtime animal welfare advocate, was also a supporter of the Wildlife Learning Center, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Actors and Others for Animals.

To mark what would have been her 100th birthday on January 17th, fans donated more than $30,000 to animal charities as part of the Betty White Challenge.

Shortly before her death, White talked to PEOPLE exclusively about she was feeling about her upcoming birthday. "I'm so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age," the veteran actress said. "It's amazing."

According to White, being "born a cockeyed optimist" was the key to her upbeat nature. "I got it from my mom, and that never changed," she said. "I always find the positive."