Cardiologist buys $1.12M Baldwin Park home from former Disney exec

Walmart vice president and former Disney executive Brian Besanceney recently sold his Baldwin Park home to a local cardiologist for $1.125 million.

Mauricio Velez, who practices at the Florida Hospital Transplant Institute, bought the home on July 7, according to listing agent Thad Czapka of Coldwell Banker. Velez borrowed $900,000 of the purchase price with a mortgage from Synovus Bank.

Besanceney and his wife Hannah were the original owners of the house, located in the 2000 block of Meeting Place in Baldwin Park. Built three years ago by David Weekley Homes, the 4,710-square-foot home sits on 0.25 acres.

"We had it on the market a day or two and had four showings," Czapka said. "It sold very quickly, in less than a month."

Coldwell Banker's website said the home was first listed on May 11 at a price of $1.15 million.

Walmart hired Besanceney in March as senior vice president and chief communications officer. Before that, he served five years as senior vice president with the Walt Disney Co., heading up Disney's world public affairs, worldwide government and industry relations.

During President George W. Bush's administration, Besanceney was deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Czapka said the couple sold their home because Besanceney's job has him relocating out of state. They bought it in September 2013 for $957,800, according to Orange County Property Appraiser records.

The six-bedroom, six-bath home features a full-sized apartment/in-law suite above the three-car garage. The apartment has a separate bathroom and washer-dryer hookup and is plumbed for a kitchen if the owner wants to install one.

Other features include wood floors, crown molding, gourmet kitchen with oversized center island, a lanai, a spa and pool. The home is in the Winter Park school district, which Czapka said is a selling point.

"It's a very neighborhood-friendly, front-porch oriented community with lots of parks, soccer fields for children and dog runs," he said. "It's a similar product to Celebration, with its own downtown area and similarly styled homes."

Velez could not be reached for comment. He graduated from medical school at the Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Columbia, according to the Florida Hospital website. He has practiced medicine for 17 years and is board certified in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, cardiovascular disease, and internal medicine.

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