Seattle Mansions

Dykstra at 2012 Seattle Boat Show

2012-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Seattle Boat Show 2012

Friday 1/27 – Sunday 2/5/12

800 Occidental Ave So, Seattle - CenturyLink Field

Hours: Mon-Thur 11am – 8pm

Fridays 11am – 9pm

Saturdays 10am – 8pm

Sundays 10am – 6pm

Book Signing – Author Appearance

Lake Washington 130 Homes

by David C. Dykstra

I will be at Captain’s Nautical Supplies booth, Concourse 2237, at the show signing copies of the book, playing on HDTV a new multi-media presentation of the Evening Magazine segment on the book, the book’s highlights and boating on LW. “Lake Washington 130 Homes” is a guided waterfront tour of Lake Washington’s most magnificent mansions and estates creatively woven with current and historical information about the homes, owners, their businesses and their communities.” Books will be on sale and available for purchase and, along with personal signings, I will be available for informal Q&A. Please stop by anytime at Captain’s Nautical Supplies booth – Concourse 2237.

I will be conducting a seminar Wednesday, 2/1/12, at 1:15 in the Gold Room. The seminar title is “Cruising Lake Washington: The Map of the Stars.” The seminar will be for both people who frequently and rarely boat in LW. There are more than 200 additional interesting boating and fishing seminars at the show.

I will occasionally be at Tom’s – Avalon Luxury Pontoon Boats, booth North 155. I bought my new Avalon (Avalon video) luxury pontoon boat (boating blog and video) from Tom at last year’s show. I recommend you stop by and see some of the perfect boats for the PNW. www.TomsBoatShop.com.

Go to Dykstra Boat Show pdf for more information.

Call my cell – 206-931-6065 for show passes.

2012 Seattle Boat Show

2012-01-04T06:10:00.000-08:00

Seattle Boat Show 2012

Friday 1/27 – Sunday 2/5/12

800 Occidental Ave So, Seattle

CenturyLink Field

Hours: Mon-Thur 11am – 8pm

Fridays 11am – 9pm

Saturdays 10am – 8pm

Sundays 10am – 6pm

This is the biggest boat show on the west coast. The show features more than 1,000 yachts and boats plus the latest accessories and supplies. There are more than 200 interesting boating and fishing seminars. I will be conducting a seminar Wednesday, 2/1/12, at 1:15 pm in the Gold Room. The seminar title is “Cruising Lake Washington: The Map of the Stars.” The seminar will be for both people who frequently and rarely boat in LW.

The Boat Show’s main location is indoors at the CenturyLink Field Convention Center. In addition the Show has exhibitors showing large yachts in the water at South Lake Union. There is free shuttle service between the two locations. www.seattleboatshow.com.

I will be exhibiting at Captain’s Nautical Supplies, booth Concourse 2237 and will be there most of the time. I will occasionally be at Tom’s – Avalon Luxury Pontoon Boats – booth, North 155. I will also be conducting a seminar. Click here for my personal Boat Show information.

Go to Dykstra Boat Show pdf for more information.

Call my cell – 206-931-6065 for show passes.

Seattle Boat Show Captain’s Nautical

2012-01-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Seattle Boat Show 2012

Friday 1/27 – Sunday 2/5/12

800 Occidental Ave So

SeattleCenturyLink Field

Hours: Mon-Thur 11am – 8pm

Fridays 11am – 9pm

Saturdays 10am – 8pm

Sundays 10am – 6pm

Captain’s Nautical Supplies

Booth - Concourse 2237

I will be exhibiting at this booth. Captain’s sells conventional and exotic nautical equipment and supplies, marine charts and flags of the world plus nautical and related books. The booth is close to the box office and entrance on the second floor of the parking garage. www.captainsnautical.com.

Captain’s started in Seattle as Max Kuner Company in 1897. They changed to the current name in 1979 to better reflect what they do. Their store is located at 2500 15th Ave West, Seattle, 98119, a mile south of Fishermen’s Terminal and the Ballard Bridge. The store is worth many visits for any boater.

Go to Dykstra Boat Show pdf for more information.
Call my cell – 206-931-6065 for show passes.

Tom’s Boats 2012 Seattle Boat Show

2012-01-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Seattle Boat Show 2012

Friday 1/27 – Sunday 2/5/12

800 Occidental Ave So, Seattle

CenturyLink Field

Hours: Mon-Thur 11am – 8pm

               Fridays     11am – 9pm
               Saturdays 10am – 8pm
               Sundays    10am – 6pm

Tom’s – Avalon Luxury Pontoon Boats

Booth – North 155

I bought my boat, Happy Hours, from Tom’s Boat Shop at the Seattle Boat Show in February 2011. Tom has been selling and servicing boats in Wilbur WA for many years. Tom opened his Seattle area dealership and showroom in Ballard May 1st, 2011. After I met Tom at the Boat Show we became good friends and he gave me a super deal for having the first of his Avalon luxury pontoon boats on Lake Washington. I have his advertising on the sides of my boat.

From Tom’s web page: “Tom's Boat Shop is a Family-owned, Family run, full service boat dealer. We believe in providing the absolute best customer service possible and we mean it. Before, during and long after the sale, we treat people with the greatest respect and are available to do whatever is needed to take care of our customer. We believe premium service along with premium products is a winning package, add to that exceptional people and you end up with a one of a kind dealer who really does care!

I will occasionally be at his booth. I recommend you stop by and see some of the perfect boats for the PNW. www.TomsBoatShop.com.

Go to Dykstra Boat Show pdf for more information.
Call my cell – 206-931-6065 for show passes.

Multi-Million $ Mercer Island Homes Discounted

2011-12-31T13:13:00.000-08:00

$4.2M Mansion Sold On Right
Darren Berg’s Former $5.9M Mansion On Left

A property listed for $6.5 million was sold at a 35% discount. A north end Mercer Island home was sold in October 2011 for $4.21 million. This is not as large as the 72% discount ($12 million versus the original listing of $43 million) for the nearby sale of the former Lytle mansion to Peter Edwards of Video Only (see 9/27/10 post). The $4.2M home was featured in a 5/21/11 post when it was listed for $6.45 million. The purchasers are Timothy and Sherie Bernardez. Timothy is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Evergreen Pacific Partners, a prominent Seattle based private investment firm with $700 million under management.

From the MLS listing (Betty DeLaurenti and Julia Nordby, John L. Scott): (includes numerous interior photos): “European style home, 6 BR,7BA w/a large bonus rm, exercise rm and a home office w/a separate entrance. Extensive use of marble, granite, tile and hardwood throughout. Grand formal spaces and a gourmet kitchen you may never want to leave. All is complemented by graceful manicured gardens, multiple decks, covered outdoor patio and a firepit at waters edge. Approx 104+/- feet of prime North End Lake Washington waterfront is ready for use with a L shaped dock, covered boat lift and a sandy beach.”

The home is 6,071 sq ft on 0.4 acres with 104 feet of waterfront. This home is six houses west of page 43 in LW 130 Homes and one house northwest of Darren Berg’s (Ponzi scheme fame) former house (12/30/10 , 1/17/11, 5/22/11 and 12/30/11 posts). Berg’s house was sold through the bankruptcy court for $5.9 million in January 2011.

Berg Writing Book

2011-12-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Yacht in front of Berg’s former mansion

Berg’s former Mercer Island mansion

The Seattle Times published an extensive article Friday 12/30/11 by Rami Grunbaum about Darren Berg being in the process of writing a book. “ . . . he's written more than 350 pages of a planned e-book ‘to make some sense of the financial carnage I caused.’ ” Grunbaum quotes portions of the book where Berg makes unsupported claims in gibberish that others were to blame: “ ‘. . . dysfunctional bankruptcy process . . . perversely incented . . . system . . . a daft and disgruntled former employee . . ., etc.’ ”

Berg is charged in the biggest Ponzi scheme ever prosecuted in Washington state. Through his company, Meridian Group, he is accused of defrauding hundreds, some of whom their life savings, of more than $280 million. Berg was indicted and filed for bankruptcy in 2010. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 1/20/12 and the 49 year-old faces a recommended sentence of 18 years in jail.

The article details other portions of the book and others’ reactions to the book and Berg’s history and personality.

My prior posts on 5/22/11, 1/17/11 and 12/30/10 included information regarding his Ponzi, scheme, the court process and the $5.9 million sale of his Mercer Island north-end waterfront home.

UW’s Big Dawg

2011-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

Big Dawg at the front row (far left) dock for game day

Big Dawg and Kittilsby mansion (left) on Mercer Island

UW’s Big Dawg was featured in The New York Times recent article about UW’s Sailgate parties (previous post). The Big Dawg belongs to the Frank Miles family. The article labeled the Big Dawg yacht “a 94-foot, 3-story barge.”

Excerpts from the article include: “Members of the Miles family come to games on the Big Dawg . . . the family patriarch, Frank Miles . . . Frank met his wife, Jeanie, in high school, and after they graduated from U.W. they bought a 23-foot boat and started taking it to games. As the size of their boat increased, so did the size of their party, which began to include employees from their sand and gravel company . . . Others, like the Miles family, dock up front, and pay for permits that cost $215 to $750 each season, depending on boat size.”

The Big Dawg’s home is the dock of Tim and Lisa (Frank and Jeanie’s daughter) Kittilsby on the north end of Mercer Island. The property is between the LW 130 homes on pages 47 and 48. The one acre property includes a 6000 sq ft mansion plus covered and open sports courts. Frank founded Auburn based Miles Sand and Gravel in 1943. Tim and Lisa are now in charge of the company.

UW’s Sailgate Parties

2011-12-28T19:12:00.000-08:00

The University of Washington is famous for its “Sailgate Parties. The partiers in Lake Washington’s Union Bay, just west of Husky Stadium, are in full force before, during and after the UW home games. This was an exceptionally good year with great weather and an above average number of afternoon games. Next year will be without these parties as Husky Stadium is being renovated and the Huskies will be playing in CenturyLink Field.

The New York Times ran a recent article featuring these parties: “. . . On fall Saturdays . . . when Washington plays at home, the occupants of Husky Harbor emerge near the stadium’s east end like some sort of tailgate flotilla. They come on charters, luxury yachts and smaller vessels, in sailboats, motorboats and speedboats, even boats coated in purple paint . . . Once docked or anchored, they tailgate with a twist, a practice the locals have alternately called boatgating, sailgating and sterngating. . .”

The NY Times also has some great photos in a 13 picture slidshow.

We were at these parties with our boat, Happy Hours, (previous post). We took friends to the games and enjoyed the parties in the water. The water-slide was a huge hit!

$7M Property Sells Fast on Mercer Island

2011-11-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

2.4 acres with large covered dock

A north end Mercer Island property was listed at $7.0 million and sold in the same month for $6.8 million. The sale was recorded on 6/27/11, the purchaser was listed as On the Rock 98040 LLC and the seller was Cordell J. Almond. Mr. Almond is a CPA, partner in the Hersman Serles Almond accounting and consulting firm and principal for Seidman Private Securities, LLC. The property consists of two parcels and is one of the largest low-bank, buildable properties on Mercer Island. It also features a large covered dock (grandfathered) which could not be replicated under the current Shoreline Management Act. It is adjacent (west of) the El Dorado Beach Club. The Club is an enclave of eight homes with a community clubhouse, waterfront pool and dock. To the immediate east of the Club is the home of Jeffrey Greenstein who is in jail for orchestrating tax evasion schemes (see 2/2/11 post) and whose home is on page 76 of LW 130 Homes.

The listing (Kathy Beckes, CB Danforth) stated: “North End Mercer Island, 2.4 ACRES, 150' No Bank Waterfront, Mesmerizing views from Bellevue to University of Washington. White sand beach, Boat House, Boat Launch, Dock for multiple boats, Street to Waterfront Estate Property, Subdivide or keep as your Family Compound. Cottage on property originally built for the Fisher Flower Family. 1st time ever on Market. Privacy, tranquility, your own soccer field. Build your dream home, tennis court & swimming pool. No limits here! One-of-a-kind!”

Seattle Fall Colors

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

You do not need to travel to Vermont and New Hampshire to see beautiful fall colors. We have our own in the Pacific Northwest. The best place to view the foliage is from the water. Lake Washington offers some of the best scenery and you can also take in viewing the fabulous mansions with, compared to the summer, less leaves obscuring them. The above pictures were taken from the lake on the south and west side of Mercer Island. The southern and western sun and the reflections from the water highlight the colors. Other places with spectacular color are looking at the west side of Medina and the northern part of lake which is less populated and, therefore, has more forest land. If you have not put your boat up for the winter you should take it out sightseeing on our nice autumn days.

Howard Schultz $21.7 Million Pay

2011-11-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

View of home in winter

View of home in summer

Howard Schultz was paid $21.7 million in 2010 by Starbucks. This was a raise of $9.6 million over 2009. He is Starbucks’ founder and CEO. This pay package was the highest for a Washington state public company executive in 2010. This was reported in a recent Puget Sound Business Journal article. Schultz has also been in the recent news with his political and charity activities.

His home is on page 21 in LW 130 Homes. It is in Madison Park, south of the high rises, in an exclusive gated community of nine homes that are on the property of the William Garrard Reed estate. (He is the father of Gary Reed [10/1/10 blog post].) Howard drives through the community’s gate and then another gate to his property. His mansion and property, with 16,880 sq ft on 1.8 acres with 248 ft of waterfront, are the largest in community. It is best viewed between this time of year and March.

Summer in Seattle

2011-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Our summer on Lake Washington has been fantastic! Many of our family and friends have been boating with us aboard Happy Hours and rave about the experience. Comments from out-of-towners include, “Our most memorable day in the Seattle area.” Comments from locals include, “The best day of our summer.”

We had 38 outings with over 300 passengers. Many others have stepped aboard at a dock. Others have swum or boated over and climbed aboard. Everyone loves the water slide! We’ve relaxed viewing the Map of the Stars, just enjoying the lake, going to waterfront restaurants and sunset rides. We viewed houses for sale and sold with Realtors and their clients. We’ve hosted premium charity auction item outings.

We’ve had slow rides pulling the big tube and higher-speed extreme tubing and water skiing. Because the boat has flat decks and a fabulous stereo system, we’ve had wonderful dance parties on the boat. We've had fantastic party times on the boat with the flotillas at Boating Opening Day, the 4th of July on Lake Union, Seafair, University of Washington "sailgate" parties, and in the party coves of Andrews Bay, Meydenbauer Bay, Fairweather Bay, and Cozy Cove. Pictures are up on a new Happy Hours Picasa web album.

Because of all the above, I am way behind in posting to this blog. I will be catching up!

Obama Shirley Fundraiser

2011-10-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

A major Seattle fund raising brunch for President Obama was held at the Medina mansion of former Microsoft President, Jon Shirley on September 25, 2011. More information is in a Seattle Times article that reported about 65 guests paid $35,800 per couple and listened to Obama blast the GOP.

Jon was President and COO of Microsoft from 1983 to 1990 when he retired. He remains as a director of the company and is also a director of Seattle-based Manzanita Capital, a financial services company. Jon and his wife, Mary, are major donors to and supporters of local charities and the arts. Jon is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Art Museum and on the Chairman’s Council of New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. The couple collects art and vintage racing Ferraris.

The home is two houses north of Bill Gates’ property which has multiple buildings with more than 60,000 sq ft. The Shirley’s mansion has 27,255 sq ft with only two bedrooms. Much of the mansion’s space is for the art and automobile collections. The value of these collections is estimated to be worth more than the $40 million estimated value of the property. The property is on 4.35 acres with 244 feet of waterfront. It is on page 120 of Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Mercer Island Mansion Auction

2011-08-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Mercer Island Boulevard Place Mansion

The Mercer Island Patch reported 8/30/11 the Boulevard Place mansion auction on this date failed to attract the minimum bid of $15.5 million. There were four qualified bidders attending the auction. This property was featured in a prior 10/21/10 post.

Last fall it was listed for sale at $28.8 million and was the most expensive King County MLS listing. It is one-half mile north of Paul Allen’s compound and on page 59 in Lake Washington 130 Homes. The Puget Sound Business Journal published a 10/18/10 article about the property.

The living area is 13,636 sq ft with 7 bedrooms, 11.25 baths, theaters, multiple kitchens, wine cellars, and 8 washer-dryer rooms. There is additional covered non living areas and resort-style features including a 120” plasma TV rising from the edge of the pool. Construction started in 2004 when David and Becky Sandwith purchased the lot for $5.4 million. The Patch reported they have a total of about $30 million invested in the property. David, his parents and siblings sold

Kent

based Mikron Industries, a manufacturer of high tech window components, for $205 million to Quanex Corporation in 2004.

Seattle’s Summer Mardi Gras

2011-07-28T04:19:00.000-07:00

Lake Washington is famous for Seattle’s Seafair summer celebration. This is a month long festival of many activities throughout Seattle and ends the first Sunday in August. The final four days feature hydroplane races, the Navy’s Blue Angels’ air shows (previous post) and the Seattle area’s biggest party. Over a million people watch the Blue Angels and party on the water and shoreline.

During the Seafair air shows all the boats, except those tied to the log boom, between the I-90 Bridge and Seward Park must move out of this area. After the Friday through Sunday air shows, which is usually around 2:30 pm, the boats return in mass. The party-on-the-water begins!

This is Seattle’s summer on-the-water version of Mardi Gras. Thousands of boats packed with partiers crowd the area. Most are in swimming suits and the babes are in bikinis. Some only wear the bottom part. Many with the tops on (sometimes) collect strings of beads Mardi Gras style.

Boats raft to other boats. The hydroplane races are the excuse but very few watch. Water fights with high powered water guns, hoses and water balloons are everywhere. Of course there is a lot of drinking. Over the last few years the police have cracked down on drinking while piloting a boat. Boats need to have a designated captain.

After the air-shows we make trips with our new boat, Happy Hours, to join the spectator fleet. Because of our location we have a head start versus the main flotilla. We provide water guns. Prepare to get wet if you wish to join us on these excursions.

Professional photographer, Bernard Zee, has a neat website with a lot of great photographs of 2009’s party-on-the-water.

Seattle’s Seafair

2011-07-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Lake Washington is famous for Seattle’s Seafair summer celebration. This is a month long festival of many activities throughout Seattle and ends the first Sunday in August. The final four days feature hydroplane races and the Navy’s Blue Angels’ air shows. The hydroplane races are on the west side of the lake south of the I-90 floating bridge. The Stan S. Sayres Memorial Park, known as the “Sayres Pits” was established here in 1957. The pits are the launching, service and staging area for Seafair’s hydroplane racing boats.

The air show’s center is this area over the lake. The planes and their stunts can be seen from much of the lake and its shores. During these four days the lake is crowded with spectator boats and the lake is renowned for the associated “floating party” or “Mardi Gras on the water.”

On Saturday and Sunday, August 6 and 7, The Navy F-18 air show begins at 1 pm and the Blue Angels performance starts at 1:30 pm. (More information about the Blue Angels.)

Stan Sayres (1897-1956) was known as “The Legend of Lake Washington” and “The Fastest Man Afloat.” He was selling and racing cars in northeastern Oregon in 1926 when he had his first experience with a power-boat. He purchased a wrecked 40 mph outboard engine racing boat and began racing, designing and building race-boats. He moved to Seattle in 1931 and in 1937 he bought a 91 mph racing boat that his wife named Slow Motion. Stan changed the name to Slo-Mo-Shun, often called Slo-Mo. Stan designed, developed and built new and faster Slo-Mos. He moved to Hunts Point in the 1940s and built a 6,860 sq ft house on the tip of Hunts Point. (The house was demolished in 2008 and the vacant lot was sold March 31, 2011 for $14.8 million [see previous post]). The neighbors in this sleepy community “enjoyed” (?) the roar and 30 ft rooster tails of his trials and practices.

He set his first boat-on-water speed record of 160+ mph in 1950 on LW and continued to set new records, all on LW, with his last at 178.497 mph in 1952. After his first record he took Slo-Mo IV to Detroit and won the 1950 Gold Cup, boat racing’s biggest prize. This was a big upset to the hydroplane establishment. Stan brought hydroplane racing to LW in 1951 as part of the Seafair. The first Seafair was in 1950 to celebrate the centennial of the first U.S.-European Seattle settlement. The 1951 race was the first

U.S.

hydroplane race west of Detroit and was a huge success. Stan became a local hero. The races are now a Seafair tradition. He received a lot of local backing for his racing against the Detroit establishment. Slo-Mo-Shun IV and V won the next four Gold Cups.

We live in the Proctor Landing area of Mercer Island directly across the lake from the pits and the center of the big show. We and nearly all of our neighbors have Seafair parties over the week-end. The planes fly low directly over our dock. After the air-shows we will be making trips with our new boat, Happy Hours, to join the spectator fleet for Seattle’s Mardi Gras. For Seafair facts and history, go to Seafair’s site.

Dykstra on Evening Magazine

2011-06-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

KING 5’s Evening Magazine featured me and the book Lake Washington 130 Homes on the Monday, 6/20/11, show. You can see it on the Internet.

“Move over Hollywood! Seattle now has its very own book plotting the houses of our rich and famous. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, Bill Gates, you name it and it's likely here, showing you the where, when, and how of our most famous mansions. The book retails for $18, find more info at http://www.hundredhomes.net/ .”

Lake Washington Pontoons

2011-06-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

“Lake Washington Pontoons” are much more than floating bridges. The new generation of luxury pontoon-trimarans are the perfect boats for Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish. It is a luxury deck and party room on the water at the dock, floating or motoring.

On 5/7/11 Susan and I launched our new boat, “Happy Hours,” and, with our wonderful crew, we proceeded to Seattle’s Boating Opening Day celebration and boat parade and received the Alaska Airlines Trophy for 1st place in our class (Decorated Commercial).

Happy Hours is the first boat of its kind in the Seattle/Lake-Washington area. This is an Avalon luxury pontoon boat. It is sometimes called a party barge - but it will go 35+ mph and can pull water skiers. We go happy hours sightseeing in luxury or just float and with kids of all ages relaxing or playing on the water slide. It is also great extension of our dock. We now have a luxury cocktail lounge, sundeck and wet bar with refrigerator and blender at our dock.

I bought the boat from Tom’s Boat Shop at the Seattle Boat Show in February 2011. Tom opened his Seattle area dealership and showroom in Ballard in May 2011.

I have a Happy Hours blog with more information, including FREE RIDES and DOCK PARTIES. I apologize for being behind on posting to this blog due to the new boat and blog.

Hunts Point Tip Sold - $14.8 Million

2011-06-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Tip of Hunts Point – Stan Sayres Former Homesite

This (LW 130 Homes page 147) is the site of the former home of Stan Sayres (1897-1956). He was known as “The Legend of Lake Washington” and “The Fastest Man Afloat.” The 2 acre vacant lot sold for $14.8 million on March 31, 2011. The purchaser was Hunts Point Trust. The lot was listed for sale for $19.7 million (see 2/27/11 post). With incredible views and with 750 feet of waterfront, it may be Lake Washington’s premiere waterfront lot.

Andre and Lisa Radandt purchased the property in 2005 for $17.5 million. They are from Bakersfield CA where they own Bolthouse Farms, one of the world’s largest carrot producers. They tried to preserve Sayres’ house but found it was not practical and it was demolished in 2008.

The Seattle Times reported (6/5/11) on the sale and that Rodney and Janice Olson are behind the trust. The Olson’s mansion, “The Bellisima,” near the center of Hunts Point’s western waterfront is listed for sale for $12.9 million (see 3/11/11 post).

Simonyi’s Windows 2000 House

2011-05-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Charles Simonyi is a Hungarian-born former Microsoft executive. He was the man once behind constructing Microsoft Office's Word and Excel software. His Medina mansion is one of the most picturesque and must-see places on Lake Washington (LW 130 Homes pages 4 and 94). The mansion is 19,000 sq ft on 1.3 acres with 300 feet of waterfront. The home is known locally as the “Windows 2000 House” and “Villa Simonyi.” It got the Windows 2000 name when Microsoft introduced Windows 2000. The rumor is a few windows were added to the house to bring the total to 2,000.

His former girl-friend, from the 1980s until 2008, was Martha Stewart. He picked her up with his personal jet when she got out of jail in 2005. He had a sudden infatuation with a new girlfriend Lisa Persdotter a Swedish socialite. They got engaged in St. Tropez,

France

on 08/08/08, the same day as 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. He was 60 and she was 28 at the time. They were married in Gothenburg,

Sweden

, on November 22, 2008, following three days of celebrations whose attendees included neighbor Bill Gates.

Simonyi was one of the initial commercial astronauts. He paid $25 million for a 2007 two-week International Space Station roundtrip aboard the Russian Soyuz space shuttles. He paid $35 million for a similar trip in 2009.

Schrempf’s Mansion Sold – $7.0M to Bernier and McCaw

2011-05-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Detlef and Marianne Schrempf sold their Meydenbauer Bay mansion in April 2011 for $7.0 million to Yahn Bernier and Beth McCaw. The estate has 7,200 sq ft on 0.9 acres with 85 feet of waterfront. More information is in Lake Washington 130 Homes on page 85. This lot with an older home was purchased in 2000 and a new home was built in 2003. The home features covered moorage for a 60 foot yacht, a fabulous great room and kitchen with three fireplaces and a wing for children and guests.

Detlef starred for the SuperSonics from 1993 to 1999 and was an assistant coach for the team’s final 2006-08 seasons in Seattle. He was selected to the NBA All-Star team 3 times and was the first NBA player born in Europe to score 15,000 career points. He was born in

West Germany

and moved from there to Centralia, Washington in his senior year of high school. He led his school team to the state championship in 1981. He starred at UW and was on the All-PAC-10 Team. He started his NBA career in 1985 being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks. He played on the Sonics team that reached the NBA finals in 1996. He founded the Detlef Schrempf Foundation in 1996 to support organizations that provide hope, care, and assistance to Northwest children and their families. Every June the Foundation hosts the Detlef Schrempf Celebrity Golf Classic in Port Orchard and a Celebrity Gala and Auction in Bellevue.

Yahn Bernier is Software Development Engineer at Bellevue based Valve Software. Beth McCaw is a Seattle based attorney.

Darren Berg Update 2

2011-05-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Berg’s Former Home and Yacht

The Seattle Times reported 3/25/11 Darren Berg’s (12/30/10 and 1/17/11 posts) creditors will probably recoup only 15 to 25 percent of their investments. The article further reported the bankruptcy plan report stated Berg’s misappropriations started as early as 2001 but “the magnitude increased each year.”

Berg’s Mercer Island north end waterfront mansion was sold for $5.9 million in January 2011 by a U.S bankruptcy court. The house is not included in Lake Washington 130 Homes. It is located between the homes on pages 42 and 43 and near the Roanoke Inn. It is one house southeast of a mansion that is listed for sale for $6.45 million.

The weather finally got nice enough to go out on the water and take pictures. The two previous posts have been updated with pictures. (Updated 12/30/11)

Mercer Island North End Home For Sale - $6.45 Million

2011-05-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Home For Sale

Home For Sale On Right

Darren Berg’s Former Home On Left

From MLS listing (Betty DeLaurenti and Julia Nordby, John L. Scott): (includes numerous interior photos): “European style home, 6 BR,7BA w/a large bonus rm, exercise rm and a home office w/a separate entrance. Extensive use of marble, granite, tile and hardwood throughout. Grand formal spaces and a gourmet kitchen you may never want to leave. All is complemented by graceful manicured gardens, multiple decks, covered outdoor patio and a firepit at waters edge. Approx 104+/- feet of prime North End Lake Washington waterfront is ready for use with a L shaped dock, covered boat lift and a sandy beach.”

Liddell’s Mansion Sold – $4.5M to Chandan Chauhan

2011-05-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Christopher P. and Patricia Liddell sold their Medina mansion in March 2011 for $4.5 million to Chandan Chauhan. Christopher had been CFO for Microsoft and GM (see 3/12/11 post). Chandan is a co-founder and Sr VP for Bellevue based Intelius. The company was founded in 2003 and specializes in searches of Internet records for background checks and personal and business protection services. Intelius’s primary co-founder, President and CEO is Naveen Jain (page 95 in LW 130 Homes).

The estate has 7,365 sq ft on 0.63 acres with 134 feet of waterfront, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths. It is near the tip of Evergreen Point, facing west and about 120 yards north of Michael Mastro’s former mansion. The Liddells purchased the mansion in 2005 for $7 million. This home features a prime view, lush landscaping with a brook and pond, a large game room with a second kitchen, and two docks. More information is in Lake Washington 130 Homes on page 127.

Map of the Stars – Lake Washington

2011-04-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hundred Homes Publishing has published the map "Lake Washington Map of the Stars." It provides a detailed from the water guide for viewing 55 of the most spectacular mansions (some multi-mansion compounds) in Lake Washington 130 Homes. The map is available in book stores throughout the PNW. (It is not available online.) The map is 91 cents ($1 including tax) and free with the purchase of Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Paul Allen – Idea Man

2011-04-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Paul Allen’s Campus on Mercer Island

Please see the 12/28/10 post for the guide for viewing the $150 million, 9.6 acre campus.

Paul Allen’s new book, Idea Man, has created a lot of controversy. Some of the local headlines are: Paul Allen goes public with hard feelings toward Gates, Paul Allen's attempt to shape his legacy may backfire, Paul Allen says book not revenge against Gates, and Paul Allen's book: Shaping legacy with a chainsaw?

An interesting article (Seattle Times by Kristi Helm) discusses a lengthy interview with Paul at his MI campus and discusses Paul’s relationship with Bill while also describing the author’s tour of Paul’s campus. Helm’s description of the main controversy in the book is: “Allen accuses Gates, along with Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, of trying to cheat him out of Microsoft shares while Allen was being treated for cancer in 1982. Allen said he overheard the two conspiring to dilute his shares by issuing options to themselves and others. (Ballmer went to Allen's house later to apologize.) ‘My partner was out to grab as much of the pie as possible and hold onto it,’ Allen writes."

Most of the book is about the creation of Microsoft and the eight years Paul was with Microsoft. The headlines are grabbing the obvious rift between Allen and the team of Gates (house guide) and Ballmer (house guide).

Medina West Coast Home For Sale - $8.8 Million

2011-04-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Waterfront home with tram up to garage

From Windermere’s (Rondi Egenes) and Big Dog Realty’s (Bruce Gunnels) MLS listing: (includes numerous photos): “A masterpiece in construction, design, and finished detail. 130 front feet facing due west. 3200 square foot garage. State-of-the-art tram down to exquisite home, featuring 180 degree views of lake, mountains and Seattle Skyline. Augercast pilings at every bearing point under all structures. Invisible retaining walls, natural springs and waterfalls. Georgian heart pine floors and beamed ceilings, river rock fireplaces. Custom built by commercial contractor. The ultimate in privacy and solitude.”

Most of the homes in this area are on the bluff with a tram to the waterfront and dock. This home is on the waterfront level with a tram up to the garage. The home is 4,540 sq ft on 1.0 acres with 130 feet of waterfront. This home is below and to the immediate north of the LW 130 Homes page 107 Gaudette home (for whom the Fancis J. Gaudette Theater in Issaquah is named). The Gaudette home is on the bluff with a tram down to the waterfront.

Waterfront Home Sales Surge In 2011

2011-04-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Bruce McCaw’s Former Groat Point Mansion Sold For $15.3M

This is the most expensive home sold so far in 2011 and was featured in our 2/13/11 post.

The Puget Sound Business Journal reported in the March 31, 2011, edition sales of homes over $1 million are surging. This, of course, includes the premier waterfront homes featured in Lake Washington 130 Homes. The March 254 pending and closed sales for homes over $ 1 million in King County are up 63% year over year. Slightly less half the 254 had closed at the time of publication.

Tere Foster of Foster Realty and Windermere was quoted in the article: “It’s significantly different than last year. There’s some energy in the market.” Tere has the “Harmony” – Glazer Mercer Island $26.9 M listing featured in our 3/20/11 post.

The article also featured a former Microsoft exec who moved from Sammamish to a $3.6M 6,670 sq ft mansion adjacent (but not on the water) to Michael Mastro’s former mansion on Medina’s Evergreen Point.

Michael Mastro in the News

2011-04-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Mastro’s Former Medina Mansion Sold for $9.1 Million

Michael Mastro is back in the news. The Seattle Times 4/6/11 article stated, “Judge Marc Barreca turned down a bid by the guardian for the now-incapacitated Mastro to pay her, and her lawyer, from funds administered by Mastro's chief adversary, court-appointed trustee James Rigby.” Further details are in the article. The Mastro bankruptcy, with debts of $570 million, is the largest in Washington state’s history. Many “family and friends” lost their fortunes when his commercial real estate investment funds failed. Mastro was incapacitated following a head injury from a fall in his Palm Springs home two months ago. More information about Mastro and his former Medina Mansion is in previous posts on 11/10/11, 10/11/10 and 11/12/09 and Lake Washington 130 Homes on page 126.

Stroum Philanthropy Legacy

2011-03-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Proctor Landing Tudor on the left and Harmony on the right

Marsha Stroum Sloan and Jay Glazer’s Mercer Island waterfront family compound (Lake Washington 130 Homes page 58), “Harmony,” is for sale for $26.9 million (3/20/11 post). It is next to the landmark “Proctor Landing Tudor” that sold in 2009 for $15.7 million (2/16/10 post). Marsha is the daughter of the late Sam and Althea Stroum. Her sister is Cynthia Stroum (3/21/11 post). Sam and Althea Stroum were prominent area philanthropists. Sam and Marsha’s former husband, Stuart Sloan (page 34, LW 130 Homes), were former co-owners of Schuck’s Auto Supply. Marsha and Jay have moved to Santa Barbara where there is a new Stroum family compound.

Marsha’s and Cynthia’s mother, Althea, recently (March 14, 2011) passed away (Seattle Times obituary) and their father, Sam, passed away March 9, 2001 (Seattle Times editorial). The Stroum name is on many prominent arts, medical, education and community buildings and halls in the Seattle area. Benaroya Hall, University of Washington, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and the Stroum Jewish Community Center of Greater Seattle on Mercer Island are most notable. In 1991 the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle established the Althea Stroum Woman of Distinction Award.

Obama Stroum Connection

2011-03-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

A February 4, 2011, a Seattle Times and Associated Press article reported “Big Obama donor Cynthia Stroum quits envoy job [America's ambassador to Luxembourg] amid criticism.” The article starts: “As a supporter of presidential candidate Barack Obama, Cynthia Stroum was a superstar whose financial backing of the campaign landed her a plum diplomatic posting in Europe.” The article reported she was a “disaster . . . management . . . was abysmal . . . fraught with personality conflicts, verbal abuse and questionable expenditures on travel, wine and liquor.” The article strongly implies her appointment was a political reward.

The Puget Sound Business Journal reported on February 7, 2011, Cynthia had filed a rebuttal to the State Department report. She told the Associated Press she did not know whether she could release details of the rebuttal publicly.

The Stroum family has generously contributed to Democratic candidates. Cynthia donated the maximum personal amount to Obama's campaign and previously donated $2,300 to former Sen. John Edwards’ presidential campaign. She was one of the top Obama fund raisers, being responsible for raising at least $500,000 for the 2008 campaign. Some of the fund raisers were held at the Mercer Island compound (Lake Washington 130 Homes page 58) of Cynthia’s sister, Marsha Stroum Sloan Glazer. The compound is listed for sale for $26.9 million (3/20/11 post).

Glazer-Stroum MI Family Compound For Sale - $26.9 Million

2011-03-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Glazer-Stroum MI Family Compound

From Windermere’s MLS listing:

"Resting gently on 2.93 acres, Harmony commands an extraordinary 324 feet of Lake Washington waterfront and sets its vista on the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier . . . Waves roll gently up on the beach as the sun shines down on two private docks. . . over 14,000 square feet . . living wing plays host to the grotto, saline pool and exercise areas. Upstairs two guest suites each with their own bath and walk-in closets . . . private outdoor spa . . . A world like no other."

Marsha Stroum Sloan Glazer purchased the waterfront home on one acre in 1992 for an undisclosed amount from Bruce Leven, a famous race car driver and former owner of numerous Seattle area car dealerships. The compound now includes an additional four parcels acquired from 2001 to 2005.

Martha, as part of the Stroum family legacy, is a prominent philanthropist and theater patron. She supports numerous causes financially and, as a board member and trustee of many organizations, has hosted fund raisers in this beautiful compound of 14,660 sq ft on 2.9 acres with 324 feet of waterfront. More information is in Lake Washington 130 Homes on page 58.

Mastro and Russo Top The 2010 Most Expensive Home Sales

2011-03-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

Michael Mastro’s Former Medina Mansion

Ray Russo’s Former Hunts Point Mansion

Estately.com has a cool web site and published “The 10 most expensive homes sold in King County, Washington in 2010.”

Russo’s Hunts Point mansion, $11.3 million sale, (posted here 5/13/10) was number one on the list. Mastro’s Medina mansion, $9.1 million sale, (posted here 11/10/10) was number two on the list. Number ten on the list was a Yarrow Point mansion which sold for $5.7 million. Five out of the ten were Lake Washington waterfront homes, which are covered by this blog and were in Lake Washington 130 Homes. Three were in Seattle’s new high rise condo buildings.

Liddell’s Medina Mansion – Resigns From GM

2011-03-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

This home is owned by Christopher P. and Patricia Liddell. Christopher, born in New Zealand, had been with Microsoft as Senior Vice President and CFO from 2005 to 2009. He came to Microsoft from International Paper where he was Sr. VP & CFO. He left Microsoft in December 2009 and moved in 2010 to Detroit to take the CFO position with GM. His base starting salary with GM was $750,000 per year and it was publicized he could get up to $5.45 million in stock. (Go to Seattle Times December 24, 2009, article.) The Medina home was listed for sale at $8.8 million in May 2009 but did not sell.

The national press and the Seattle Times announced on March 10, 2011, Chris was resigning from GM after being passed up for the top job. He had been recognized as doing an outstanding job as GM’s CFO.

Hunts Point Olson Mansion For Sale - $14.1 Million

2011-03-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

Rodney D. and Janice Olson have their Hunts Point mansion (LW 130 Homes page 136), named “The Bellisima,” listed for sale for $14.1 million. (Bellisima is Italian for “very beautiful” and was the name of a popular Venezuelan 1990s TV series.) Rodney and three partners founded Seattle-based WestCoast Hotels 1988 with the purchase of three Seattle Hotels, the Camlin, Roosevelt and the Vance. WestCoast grew to 19 hotels in 1999 and was acquired by Spokane-based Red Lion Hotels Corporation. The estate has 9,675 sq ft on 1.07 acres with 80 feet of waterfront, 4 bedrooms and 5 baths.

From Windermere’s MLS listing (which has a nice picture slide show of the home):

The Bellisima on Hunts Point. A grand interpretation of a Mediterranean classic characterized by distinctive quality and design. The carefully curate details have been applied individually preserving the character of the estate and carriage house. A tribute to highly sophisticated taste. A complexity & warmth that is seldom seen together. The nobility & beauty of fine materials. Graceful lines, sensitivity to proportion, a waterfront masterpiece. An extraordinary home. Exclusively Hunts Point.

Hunts Point Tip For Sale - $19.7 Million

2011-02-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

Tip of Hunts Point – Stan Sayres Former Homesite

This (LW 130 Homes page 147) is the site of the former home of Stan Sayres (1897-1956). He was known as “The Legend of Lake Washington” and “The Fastest Man Afloat.” The 2 acre vacant lot is for sale for $19.7 million. With incredible views and with 750 feet of waterfront, it may be Lake Washington’s premiere waterfront lot.

Andre and Lisa Radandt purchased the property in 2005 for $17.5 million. They are from Bakersfield CA where they own Bolthouse Farms, one of the world’s largest carrot producers. They tried to preserve Sayres’ house but found it was not practical and it was demolished in 2008.

From the MLS listing:

Legendary Signature! A merger of nature's uncompromised beauty complemented by this vibrant Hunts Point position. Prominent at the tip, 1.93 acres of flat land. 846 feet of continuous waterfront. Magnificent new teak dock. Owners have also completed refurbishing the strong boulder bulkhead and have constructed two extraordinary granite walls. Two swathes of wade-in beaches. Parklike, the guardian of the peninsula ~ zoned for two lots. North, East and Western exposure. For those that can!

Homes Book Best Seller at Boat Show

2011-02-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

Lake Washington 130 Homes was a Seattle Boat Show “Best Selling Book” for the second year in a row. The Boat Show has been in late January and early February of each year and will be for the foreseeable future. I was at the last two shows signing copies of LW 130 Homes, playing on HDTV a multi-media presentation of the Evening Magazine segment on the book plus the book’s highlights.Books were available for purchase and I was signing them along with having an informal Q&A including my experiences in photographing the mansions and writing and self publishing this unique book.In addition I discussed and presented information on our plans for “LW Map of the Stars^TM” cruise-tours featuring the book and a soon-to-be-available map. My table and exhibit were at Captain’s Nautical Supplies booth – Concourse 2237. I will be at the same place next year.

Attendance and activity this year was up from last year’s low. Boat sales and interest are picking up. Hopefully this is a sign that the area’s economy is also picking up.
(Updated 1/6/12 – go to 1/5/12 post for 2012 show information. The 2012 show is Fri 1/27/12 through Sun 2/5/12.)

Richard DiCerchio Costco Mansion For Sale - $11.3 million

2011-02-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

Richard DiCerchio’s Medina Groat Point Mansion

Costco’s Richard DiCerchio’s Medina Groat Point Mansion is for sale for $11.3 million. From the listing agent’s (Wendy Lister, CBB) summary: “Gold Coast Royalty! Standing ovation spectacles...Olympic peaks, Seattle's spires, incomparable Mt. Rainier cone. A Demetriou signature: a fusion of home, lake and R David Adams' symphony of blooms. An early greatroom inspiration for your circle of friends...tremendous, sleek overscale cuisine center. The Nano wall at waterside level a Malibu inspiration opening the brilliant fireside Nutron lit pool for fresh air moonlight/sunshine swims. Astonishing! Movies, sport bar. Deep water dock.”

The estate has 9,000 sq ft on 0.65 acres with 118 feet of waterfront, 4 bedrooms and 5.25 baths. DiCerchio is Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Issaquah-based Costco. He joined the company in 1983 as VP, Operations. He was appointed Executive VP in 1986, COO – Western Region in 1992, and his current position in 1997.

More information is in Lake Washington 130 Homes on page 90.

Bruce McCaw Sells Medina Mansion

2011-02-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

Looking West at Groat Point

The Groat Point Estate

Bruce McCaw sold, for $15.3 million, his Medina Groat Point estate in January 2011 to an undisclosed buyer. This is the highest priced sale of Lake Washington waterfront property in 2011. The property was listed for sale in 2009 for $34 million. The estate has 13,940 sq ft on 1.89 acres with 527 feet of waterfront, 6 bedrooms and 9 baths.

This is considered Lake Washington’s premiere lot (see earlier post) with spectacular 300° views that include downtown Bellevue, Mt. Rainier and the Olympics with the top of the Seattle skyline in the foreground. The location is minutes from downtown Bellevue. The property has beautifully landscaped grounds with a large pool, a separate guest house and exquisite workmanship. This is one of the area’s fine estates with outstanding inside and outside areas for large-group entertaining or family quiet time.

Bruce is the oldest of four brothers who were the pioneers of cellular communications. He had been listed by Forbes as one of the wealthiest people in the world but has not been on its recent lists as a result of declining stock market values. He is now involved in large scale commercial real estate investments with his Pistol Creek Financial Co. He is also involved in auto racing as president of Bellevue-based PacWest Racing Group LLC and director of Michigan-based Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. He is rumored to be seeking more privacy, like one of his brothers, John, either in the San Juans or on a large inland estate.

More information is in Lake Washington 130 Homes on pages 88 and 106.

Groat Point Medina

2011-02-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

J. Lennox Scott’s Mansion

Looking across tip of Groat Point east towards Bellevue

Groat Point marks the Medina entrance to Meydenbauer Bay. This has been the site of many famous mansions. The first (McGilvra) house was built in the 1800s. In 1928 Miller Freeman purchased and moved into a 14 room mansion on this site. Miller was the owner of a Seattle publishing house and several journals. He was instrumental in getting the Lake Washington Ship Canal built in 1916. He is the father of Kemper Freeman and grandfather of Kemper Freeman, Jr. The Kempers have been responsible for major development of Bellevue. Kemper Jr. founded Kemper Development Company which is the major developer of downtown Bellevue.

The Point was subdivided into multiple lots. The property and mansion on the southwest corner of the Point is owned by J. Lennox Scott. Lennox is Chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate. The company was founded in 1931 by his grandfather and has become one of the largest and most successful regional real estate companies in the nation.

The next lot to the northwest is for sale for $11.3 million (2/15 post). It belongs to Richard DiCerchio, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Issaquah-based Costco.

The property and mansion on the southwest corner of the Point was owned by Bruce McCaw and sold in January 2011 (2/13 post) to Michael V. Griffith, Trustee, for an undisclosed buyer for $15.3 million. Last year I received a rumor that J. Lennox Scott was negotiating to buy the property for investment purposes and to consolidate the tip of the Point and use part of the site for income-producing lavish events. This is a spectacular event site with 300° views that include downtown Bellevue, Mt. Rainier and the Olympics with the top of the Seattle skyline in the foreground. The location is only minutes from downtown Bellevue.

More information is in Lake Washington 130 Homes on pages 88 to 90.

Yarrow Point Tip For Sale - $19.5 Million

2011-02-04T17:20:00.000-08:00

Tip of Yarrow Point

This was the home (or close to it) of Leigh S. J. Hunt (1855-1933) who owned the Seattle Post Intelligencer. He settled here in the late 1800s and named his estate “Yarrow” after the name of an estate in one of his favorite poems by William Wadsworth. He later purchased property on Hunts Point and that peninsula took his name. The house on this property was built around 1900. The house is about 100 feet from the water behind the trees. The waterfront, which was under water when the house was built prior to the locks, looks like a park but is part of the 3.54 acre estate. This house and the above photos and information are on pages 134, 159 and 162 in Lake Washington 130 Homes.

This is the tip of Yarrow Point, offering fantastic 180° views of Carillon Point to the east, Kirkland’s marina and downtown to the north and the north Seattle area to the west. From the MLS listing: “An unassuming entry quietly shepherds the Eastside's most magnificent lifestyle canvas, available to the market for the first time in over 70 years. A unique blend of rich history & poetic splendor converge at this 1900's period garden estate, extensively remodeled in 07. The property includes 3.54acres encompassing enchanting grounds & 465 frontage ft of prized Lake Washington shoreline. The privacy, scale & quality of the waterfront are unrivaled; a lakeside oasis for generations of enjoyment.”

Jeffrey Greenstein Sentenced to Prison

2011-02-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Greenstein’s mansion on Mercer Island

Site of lavish fund raisers

The Seattle Times published an extensive article Friday 1/28/11 by Mike Carter about Jeffrey Greenstein. Greenstein and his partner, Charles Wilk, were each sentenced to four years and two months of prison. They were found guilty of recruiting wealthy clients to execute one the largest tax-evasion scams in U.S. history involving $240 million of evaded taxes in one year.

Prior to being indicted in 2009 for this crime, Greenstein was a highly regarded and well respected businessman and philanthropist in the Seattle area. He founded and ran Seattle based Quellos Group, a hedge fund, which he sold in 2007 to a New York firm for $900 million. He contributed generously to numerous charities and Democratic candidates. He was on the board of trustees of the Seattle Art Museum.

The photograph above, along with information about the mansion, is from page 76 in my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Lake Washington 130 Homes Review – Sam DeBord

2011-01-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

Sam DeBord posted an excellent review of Lake Washington 130 Homes.

“When I'm not spending my time working with clients, I still love to take my family down to the waterfront whenever possible. Viewing Lake Washington waterfront homes, whether by boat or visiting open houses has always been one of my favorite pastimes (I know, I should probably have a little more division between business and leisure).

“One of the best publications I've read in years is David Dykstra's Lake Washington 130 Homes. It's a virtual guide to the stars in the Greater Seattle region, with waterfront photos, history, personal stories and background on his "Top 130" homes on Lake Washington. While you can see satellite photos and "for sale" listings online, you rarely get this kind of an up-close look at these kinds of properties.” (plus much more)

Since late December 2010 DeBord’s Seattle Waterfront Homes blog has been featuring a “Lake Washington Waterfront Home of the Day” from Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Sam DeBord is a Realtor® and Managing Broker with SeattleHome.com and Coldwell Banker Danforth. His research and writing focus on Seattle Waterfront homes, as well as the Seattle luxury real estate market. His Seattle Waterfront Homes blog is an excellent source of news and information about Lake Washington homes and real estate activity.

Darren Berg Update

2011-01-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

Berg’s Former Home and Yacht

The Seattle Times published an extensive article Sunday 1/16/11 by Rami Grunbaum about Darren Berg (prior post). The article starts: “Financial scandals have trailed Frederick Darren Berg across the Northwest for more than 25 years – each linked to his unusual lifelong fixation on tour buses.”

The article details Berg’s history of fraud going back to his 1980s fraternity days at the University of Oregon.

My prior post on 12/30/10 included information on $5.9 million sale of his Mercer Island north-end waterfront home. I will post a picture of the mansion taken from the water when the weather gets better. (Updated 12/30/11, 5/22/11)

Seattle Boat Show

2010-12-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

Seattle Boat Show Fri 1/21 – Sun 1/30

This is the biggest boat show on the west coast. (Show hours and location map). The show features more than 1,000 yachts and boats plus the latest accessories and supplies. There are more than 200 interesting boating and fishing seminars.

I will be at the show signing copies of his book, playing on HDTV a new multi-media presentation of the Evening Magazine segment on the book plus cruising and the book’s highlights. Books will be available for purchase and I will be signing them along with an informal Q&A that may include my experiences in photographing the mansions and writing and self publishing this unique book. Please stop by anytime at Captain’s Nautical Supplies booth – Concourse 2236.

Darren Berg Home Sale - $5.9 Million

2010-12-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

View of Mercer Island North End

Berg’s Former Home

The Seattle Times and Puget Sound Business Journal reported Darren Berg’s Mercer Island north end waterfront mansion is being sold for $5.9 million by a U.S bankruptcy court. The house is not included in Lake Washington 130 Homes. It is located between the homes on pages 42 and 43 and near the Roanoke Inn.

The purchaser is Robert M. Harris Jr., the founder and CEO of Seattle based Pacific Market International. The company manufactures and sells food and beverage containers.

Berg is accused of running a massive Ponzi scheme. His company, Seattle based Meridian Group, raised over $280 million from investors over the last ten years. The money was reported as being invested in real estate investment funds. Berg is charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud. Meridian filed for bankruptcy and Berg filed for personal bankruptcy in July 2010.

The home has 5,400 sq ft with 112 feet of waterfront. Berg paid $5.5 million in 2007 for the property and spent over $3 million in a two year make-over. The property was listed for $8.2 million in September 2010.

(picture posted 5/20/11)
(Updated 12/30/11, 5/22/11, 1/17/11)

Paul Allen House Guide

2010-12-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

The following is a guide to Paul Allen’s 9.6 acre multi-mansion estate/campus on Mercer Island. It is on the west side of the Island about 4 miles south of the I-90 Bridge. It is directly across from Seattle’s Seward Park.

A – 4 buildings ~200 ft from water: 10,680 sq ft main building with gym and 2 indoor tennis courts; 5,220, 4,210, and 2,050 sq ft guest houses; and 12+ car garages for an antique and race car museum and guest parking.

B – Mother’s house, ~50 feet from water, 11,300 sq ft plus 7 car garage.

C – Catamaran, Dragonfly, to drag-and-fly helicopters.

D – Main house including attached indoor pool and lakefront building to the north and wood garden/lakefront house to the south, 9,890 sq ft.

E– Concert hall theater and guest facilities, 11,560 sq ft.

F – 1,750 sq ft house with 100 ft waterfront acquired in 2006 for $5.2 million.

The mansion is on pages 64 and 65 in Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Mercer Island Mansion Sells for $6.8 Million

2010-12-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

This Faben Point Mansion sold in October for $6.8 million. Last year when my book was published it was listed for $8.8 million. The sellers were William K. and Mary E. Buckley. The buyer was Lars Karlsson Edenkrans. An Internet search did not show anything on the name in the U.S. but there was a prominent corporate CEO in Sweden with that name. Do any readers know something about the buyer?

From the previous Internet listing: “One of a kind. 110′ wft. Killer View West, on MI’s Faben Point with birds eye view of SeaFair. Commute to Seattle or Bellevue in 5 min or downtown MI in seconds. Approx 9000 Sqft of living in main house plus separate guest house. Designed for easy, relaxed living. Main level great room includes dual media perfect for upscale entertaining or Super Bowl parties. Included in sale enjoy the golf cart, 2 Supercharged SeaDoos and 25′ Cobalt . . . Just bring your Yacht! Truly designed for FUN!”

The photograph above (plus additional information on the home) is from page 53 in my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes. This is the house on the right (southern) of the three large mansions just north of the I-90 Bridge that can be seen from the bridge. It is the 3rd home from the left in the top picture in my 12/19/10 post immediately below.

Mercer Island Waterfront Sales

2010-12-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

View of Mercer Island from I-90 Bridge

View of Mercer Island’s south end from the water

“Mercer Island Waterfront Sales Tripling in 2010” is the headline of the blog called Seattle Waterfront Homes by Sam DeBord. He reported the island’s waterfront sales are on pace to triple the number sold in 2009. The Lytle mansion (see my 9/27/10 post below) sale for $12 million was the island’s most expensive 2010 sale. A $4 million sale on the south end of the island was recorded in November and will be the subject of a subsequent post. Mercer Island had 29 waterfront property sales recorded through November 2010 and had only 9 for the same period in 2009.

DeBord reported in his previous postings sales on the Eastside and Seattle waterfronts are also up substantially from 2009. I recommend DeBord's blog for anyone interested in the area’s waterfront sales activity.

Microsoft’s Ballmer’s Mansion

2010-11-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Steve Ballmer’s Hunts Point Estate

The Seattle Times reported that many stockholders at Microsoft’s 11/16/10 annual meeting “grumbled about Microsoft’s languishing stock price.” Click here CEO Steve Ballmer conducted most of the meeting and discussed Wall Street’s disconnect to the stock price, optimizing every day, new products, and Goldman Sachs’ suggestion to break up the company.

The Seattle Times also reported, in an 11/5/10 article, Ballmer is selling $2 billion of his Microsoft stock. This is about 18% of his holdings. Click here

Compared to the other 30 present and past Microsoft executives’ homes in my book, Ballmer has a relatively modest estate. It is in Hunts Point and next door to Craig McCaw’s (formerly Kenny G’s) estate. The photograph above is from page 155 in my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Mastro Mansion Sells for $9.1 Million

2010-11-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Times reported Michael Mastro’s Mansion sold for $9.1 million by the bankruptcy court. The buyers used an attorney to sign the documents to keep their identity off the official records.

My previous blogs below, dated 10/11/10 and 11/12/09, provide additional information on the Mastro bankruptcy and “family and friends” investors. The photograph above is from page 126 in my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Seattle Times article: Click here

More in formation is in previous posts on 10/11/10 and 11/12/09.

LW 130 Homes B&N on sale

2010-11-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Barnes & Noble On-Line currently has Lake Washington 130 Homes on sale for $12.92.

Jeff Brotman Hosts Michelle Obama

2010-10-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Jeff and Susan Brotman hosted lunch with Michelle Obama at their Medina mansion on October 25, 2010. The lunch was a fundraiser for US Senator Patty Murray’s (Democrat Washington) reelection. Table captains pledged $7500 each. The mansion is in the exclusive cove of Medina that includes Nathan Myhrvold’s T-Rex house, Charles Simonyi’s Window 2000 house and Gary Reed’s former estate. The mansion is on page 98 in Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Jeff is the Chairman and co-founder of Costco. The mansion is also known as “their Art House” that includes monumental pieces by Richard Serra and James Turrell. The house was designed by Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects who are known for designing art-galleries-cum-residences (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/13/magazine/footnotes-100439.html?pagewanted=2). The louvers on the front (water side) and roof of the house adjust to provide the opitimun natural light on the extensive art collection.

Mercer Island Mansion $28.8 Million Selling Price

2010-10-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

A Mercer Island west-side mansion that is listed for sale at $28.8 million is the current most expensive King County MLS listing . It is one-half mile north of Paul Allen’s compound and on page 59 in Lake Washington 130 Homes.The Puget Sound Business Journal recently published an article about the property.

The living area is 13,636 sq ft with 7 bedrooms, 11.25 baths, theaters, multiple kitchens, wine cellars, and 8 washer-dryer rooms. There is additional covered non living areas and resort-style features including a 120” plasma TV rising from the edge of the pool. Construction started in 2004 when David and Becky Sandwith purchased the lot for $5.4 million. David, his parents and siblings sold Kent based Mikron Industries, a manufacturer of high tech window components, for $205 million to Quanex Corporation in 2004.

Mastro Mansion $9.9 Million Selling Price

2010-10-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times and Puget Sound Business Journal have reported Michael Mastro’s Mansion will soon be listed for sale by the bankruptcy court for $9.9 million. The Business Journal article includes numerous pictures of the interior. It has taken over a year for the bankruptcy court to take over the house and offer it for sale to provide some of the partial payment to creditors. The Mastros tried to set up and claim it as property not subject to the bankruptcy.

My previous blog below, dated 11/12/09, provides additional information on his bankruptcy and “family and friends” investors. The photograph above is from page 126 in my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes, http://www.hundredhomes.net/. I remember many times going by the Mastros’ mansion by boat and seeing a large parties (for family & friends?) with a band and waiters and waitresses in formal attire. The Evergreen-Point mansion is 7,050 square feet with 176 feet of waterfront. The Mastros paid $15 million for the mansion in July 2006.

Seattle Times article

Puget Sound Business Journal article with 16 pictures

(More in formation is in a previous post on 11/12/09 and an update is in an 11/10/10 post.)

Gary Reed Moves into Madison Park Mansion

2010-10-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

William G. “Gary” Jr. and Victoria Reed moved from their Medina home (see earlier blog below) late last year. The new home has 7,700 sq ft on 0.7 acres with 60 feet of waterfront. It is three houses south of the Reed Estate homes (pages 19 through 22 in Lake Washington 130 Homes, http://www.hundredhomes.net/). The southern home (page 22) in the Reed Estate is owned by Furman Moseley and his wife and Gary’s sister, Martha Reed Moseley. I’ve been told Furman and Martha live elsewhere and their son, Colin Moseley and his family live in that house. Colin is the current Chairman of Simpson Investment.

The 8 acre Reed Estate is where Gary and Martha grew up. It was established in the early 1900s by their grandfather, Mark E. Reed. It was that era’s version of the current Gates and Allen estates. It was subdivided in the 1940s into a private gated community of nine homes. Howard Schultz owns the most prominent of the current homes (page 21). His property has a gate inside the gate.

(Information on his previous Medina home is below.)

Gary Reed Sells Medina Mansion for $22 Million

2010-10-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

William G. “Gary” Jr. and Victoria Reed sold their 8,600 sq ft Medina home (page 100 in Lake Washington 130 Homes, http://www.hundredhomes.net/) in September 2009. This and the Bezos estates at 5.35 acres each are the largest in Medina. This estate has 305 feet of waterfront and the property stretches over 200 yards from the shoreline to Overlake Drive. The lot is relatively flat with lush landscaping and a tennis court at the water’s edge. The sale went relatively unknown since it was a private, family transaction. The recorded buyer was Blue Water Realty LLC whose principals are Gary’s son, Doug Reed, and Sarah Reed. I have not been able to verify if that is who is living there. Please comment if you know.

Gary and Victoria have moved to their new mansion in Madison Park (see later blog above). The Seattle Times labeled Gary “the most powerful Seattle business leader you’ve likely never heard of.” He is or has been on the Boards of Microsoft, Paccar, Safeco, The Seattle Times Company and Washington Mutual. He is the grandson of Mark Edward Reed who joined Simpson Logging in 1897 and was named president after the company’s founder, Sol Simpson, died in 1906. The Reed family bought out the Simpson family and the company is now one of the largest private, family owned companies in the state. It is now Tacoma-based Simpson Investment Company. Gary worked in executive positions with the company starting in the 1960s and served as Chairman from 1971 to 1996. He oversaw the company’s expansion into plastics and other manufacturing.

(Information on his new Madison Park home is above.)

Bezos Completes $28 Million Home Improvement

2010-10-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.Com, recently completed his $28 million Medina home improvement. Property records show a $28 million building permit was issued in 2008 and completed in August 2010. This was accomplished with little publicity or fanfare. The living area increased from 13,200 sq ft to 29,000 sq ft in two buildings. In addition there are “non living area” buildings that include the largest boat/party house (about 4,500 sq ft) on Lake Washington, a caretaker’s cottage and other buildings. This and the Reed estates at 5.35 acres each are the largest in Medina. Bezos has 310 feet of waterfront and the property stretches over 200 yards from the shoreline to Evergreen Point Road. The lot is wooded with a steep bank so very little of the buildings, except for the boat and dock structure, can be seen from the water. (See pages 105 and 112 in Lake Washington 130 Homes, www.hundredhomes.net)

Obama – Murray Fundraiser at Glaser Mansion

2010-09-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

The major Seattle fund raiser for President Obama and U.S. Senator Patty Murray on August 17, 2010, was at the new 7,300 sq ft mansion of Rob and Cori Glaser. 60 prominent Democratic donors attended the $10,000 per late luncheon. Rob, a former Microsoft mega-millionaire, started RealNetworks in 1995. He recently retired from his CEO position at the company.

RealNetworks produces music, video and other software for PCs, smart phones, and portable music players. Some of its best known products are RealPlayer and RealRhapsody.

Rob and his wife, Cori, are major Democratic contributors and fund raisers. They were strong financial supporters of Obama’s 2004 U.S Senate campaign.

Glaser owns two similar looking side-by-side mansions in the Madison-Park/Denny-Blaine/Madrona area. The 5,240 sq ft mansion on the left/south was built in 1980 and had a major renovation completed in 2008 when the new 7,300 sq ft mansion on the right/north was completed. This compound was not included in Lake Washington 130 Homes. It is between the McCaw and Rose Mediterranean villas on pages 38 and 40 in the book.

Peter Edwards buys $40 Million Lytle Mansion for $10 or $12 Million

2010-09-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

The former Lytle mansion on Mercer Island sold in the June 2010 auction. My previous blogs regarding the auction are below and dated 5/24/10 and 2/20/10. The 1st auction had a minimum bid of $15 million. Several bids were submitted but each was contingent on a sale of property and all these were rejected. The 2nd auction minimum bid was $12 million without contingencies. The buyer was James “Peter” Edwards, the founder and CEO of Video Only. The Edwards family is moving from the Lakemont area of Bellevue.

Peter founded Seattle area (Tukwila) based Video Only in 1982 and it has grown to 14 stores in WA, OR and CA. The company is privately held by Edwards and his family. We bought our last TV from them and highly recommend them.

The home was featured on KING 5's Evening Magazine on April 12, 2010.

Both houses are in my book (pages 46 and 157): http://www.hundredhomes.net/

More in formation is in previous 5/24/10 and 2/20/10 posts.

Map of the Stars Cruises

2010-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Anchor Bay Charters and I had multiple “Map of the Stars” cruises and parties this summer. The 3 hour “Map of the Stars” cruises included Lake Union sights (Sleepless in Seattle floating home, Chihuly’s Studio, views of Space Needle and downtown, etc.) and Lake Washington with the premiere waterfront mansions (Gates, McCaws, Schultz, et al.) of Madison Park, The Eastside’s Gold Coast (Meydenbauer Bay, Medina and Hunts Point) and the North end of Mercer Island. These tours include the homes of eighty percent of the state’s billionaires. The 4 hour cruises added most of Mercer Island and included all the state’s billionaires with Paul Allen’s 10 acre estate. I narrated most the tours and provided information as we view most of the homes in the book. The cruises were popular with Realtors and their clients as I also pointed out homes listed for sale for more than $5million.

The yacht has a wonderful upper level sundeck and a stately heated interior party and dining room with large picture windows. More information is at: http://www.anchorbaycharters.com/ and www.hundredhomes.net/Lake-Washington-Cruises

Cruises can be viewed on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=RpPLK0KrzxY&feature=channel

Summer and Seafair 2010

2010-09-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

2010 was a wonderful summer with a lot going on. I’ve received some notes from my blog fans wanting more news. I am behind on my blogging but will catch up and keep current with weekly (average) postings. The big, time consuming activities this summer involved family, friends and our “Map of the Stars cruises” (the later blog that is above). Seafair was the center of our major activities. We had family visiting for 6 weeks with Seafair in the middle. We live on the west side of Mercer Island with our deck and dock on the 35 yard line for the Hydroplane races and the air shows.

In spite of the weather many thought 2010 was the best Seafair ever. My wife, Susan, and I had our whole family here (6 children, 6 grandchildren and 4 son-in-laws – 16 total) plus many friends. Friends and family are what made it great! The Blue Angels have 3 shows. The high show (clear weather), the low show (overcast) and the flat show (this year for the 1st time since I’ve been here). Plus they added an F-18 jets show before the Blue Angels’ show. We had more planes flying low over the dock than ever before!

Lytle Mercer Island Mansion Auction Update

2010-05-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Lytle mansion on Mercer Island is still up for auction. My blog regarding the previous auction is below and dated 2/20/10. That auction had a minimum bid of $15 million. Several bids were submitted but each was contingent on a sale of property and all these were rejected. The new minimum bid is $12 million without contingencies and the new deadline is June 30, 2010. The mansion is 22,800 sq ft on 2.0 acres with 150 feet of waterfront, 5 bedrooms, and 9 baths. It was built in 1977 and extensively remodeled and enlarged in 2000-01. It has an estimated $50 million replacement value. It was first listed for sale in 2004 for $40 million. The listing price was $35 million when I published my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes, in August 2009. Late last year the listing price was reduced to $23 million. My book also includes their new house in Hunts Point that was under construction at the time.

The home was featured on KING 5's Evening Magazine on April 12, 2010.

Both houses are in my book (pages 46 and 157): http://www.hundredhomes.net/

More in formation is in a previous 9/27/10 post and an update is a 5/24/10 post.

Russo Hunts Point Mansion sells for $11.3 Million

2010-05-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

This estate in Hunts Point (page 148 in Lake Washington 130 Homes, http://www.hundredhomes.net/) sold for $11.3 million in March 2010. This waterfront mansion was built in 2002, replacing a mansion that was purchased in 2001 for $5.8 million and torn down. The home buyer is listed as Joseph Gaffney, a partner with the Dorsey & Whitney LLP law firm. He may be acting as a trustee for an anonymous buyer. The former owners and sellers were Raymond and Linda Russo. The Russos owned and managed numerous apartment complexes in the Seattle area. Two of their management companies are Quinault Apartment Associates LLC and R.P. Management. Raymond is a former regent at Seattle University and the Russos were co-chairs of the 2003 SU Gala. The estate has 7,460 sq ft of living space on 1.2 acres with 157 feet of waterfront.

March homes sales showed the most $1 million plus sales in the Seattle area since I started research for my book in 2008.

Ragen Seattle Mansion Sells for $9.6 Million

2010-04-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

This estate in the Denny-Blaine neighborhood of Seattle (page 30 in Lake Washington 130 Homes, http://www.hundredhomes.net/) sold for $9.6 million in December 2009. This is one of Seattle’s fine old waterfront mansions that has not been torn down for a modern home. The home buyer is listed as Janis Cunningham, a partner with the Perkins Cole law firm. She may be acting as a trustee for an anonymous buyer. The former owner and seller was Brooks Ragen. He co-founded Seattle-based Ragen Mackenzie Group, a full service brokerage firm. The firm grew to 300 employees with offices in Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska managing over $11 billion in assets when it was acquired by Wells Fargo in 2000. Nearly simultaneously Brooks left the firm and co-founded McAdams Wright Ragen in Seattle and the firm is now one of the region’s largest brokerage firms. The estate has 4,020 sq ft of living space on 0.6 acres with 153 feet of waterfront.

Gould Buys Briggs Madison Park Mansion for $10.6 Million

2010-04-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

This house in Madison Park (page 19 in Lake Washington 130 Homes,
http://www.hundredhomes.net/) sold for $10.6 million in December 2009. The home was purchased by Frederick Beau Gould and Julie Pigott Gould. The Goulds moved from a nearby Madison Park home and their boat is named “Julie.” Frederick is a Seattle attorney. Julie is active in numerous local charities with other members of the Pigott families. The former owners, Jack and Carol Briggs, were also active in charities and the home was featured as a wonderful site for many fund raisers. The home has a pool, two kitchens and three fireplaces. The selling brochure said: “The home is wonderful for entertaining inside and outside. Inside there are large entertainment rooms with French craftsmen detailing. The outside features the pool, beautiful, well-maintained landscaping, sculptures and fountains.” The estate has 7,470 sq ft of living space on 0.7 acres with 135 feet of waterfront.

Bill Gate’s Convention Center

2010-04-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

A – Grand Staircase – 92 feet long, descending 84 steps with roof 63 feet above the stairway. The Grand Entrance is at the top with a 6,300 sq ft garage for guest limos. The gate for the road to the estate is in the upper right. The driveway continues past the Grand Entrance through a second gate to the family four car garage above the inner sanctum [D].

B – Library (hidden behind [A] and trees), 2,100 sq ft and home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester.

C – Guest and convention wing with reception hall, guest rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, meeting rooms, theaters, etc.

D – Family 11,500 sq ft “inner sanctum” with 4 bedrooms. A 60 x 17 foot indoor/outdoor pool is below and the lakefront building is the boat house.

E– Executive offices and main reception hall.

F – Security offices, activity center and exercise room.

Since 1997 Microsoft and Bill Gates have been holding an annual very exclusive “CEO Summit.” The inaugural 1997 conference introduced his 50,000 sq ft, $150 million, Lake Washington estate that was near completion. Usually about 100 top-level people from around the world attend. Sessions and meetings are held at the Microsoft campus and Bill’s estate, aka his personal Convention Center. Most of the meetings and social events are closed to the media and public and advance notices of the times and places of these are not provided. The above is a guide to his lakefront convention center as viewed from the public waters. The estate along with more information is in my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes, on pages 118 and 119 (www.hundredhomes.net).

Nathan Myhrvold’s T-Rex House

2010-02-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

Nathan Myhrvold became fascinated with dinosaurs and visited the filming of the “Jurassic Park” sequel in 1996 and met the film’s consultant and world-leading paleontologist, Jack Horner. Horner convinced Nathan to use some of his Microsoft multimillions to fund a dinosaur bone digging foundation. His foundation has recovered more tyrannosaurus rex skeletons than the total previously found by everyone else. He has given most of them to museums including the Smithsonian. In-side the big rounded windows of his living room he has one of the t-rex skeletons he helped dig up.

He co-founded Bellevue-based Intellectual Ventures in 2000 and the company has been featured in recent news. Intellectual Ventures invests in invention. The company has created and purchased thousands of patents and original inventions with the purpose of protecting the inventors and collecting royalties from larger companies. Nathan personally holds 18 U.S. patents and has applications pending for 100 more. He was born in Seattle, earned a PhD in theoretical and mathematical physics from Princeton at the age of 23 in 1981. He joined a computer startup company, Dynamical Systems, Inc., and became CEO. The company was purchased by Microsoft in 1986 and he joined Microsoft as Chief Technology Officer. He is a prize winning nature and wildlife photographer and a master French chef, occasionally working as an assistant chef at top-of-the-line restaurants.

The mansion along with more information is in my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes, on page 97 (www.hundredhomes.net).

Lytle Mercer Island Mansion Auction

2010-02-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

The Lytle mansion on Mercer Island is scheduled for auction in April 2010. The minimum bid is $15 million. The mansion is 22,800 sq ft on 2.0 acres with 150 feet of waterfront, 5 bedrooms, and 9 baths. It was built in 1977 and extensively remodeled and enlarged in 2000-01. It was first listed for sale in 2004 for $40 million. The listing price was $35 million when I published my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes, in August 2009. Late last year the listing price was reduced to $23 million. My book also includes their new house in Hunts Point that was under construction at the time.

The Mercer Island home to be auctioned features a large indoor pool area with marble columns that is reminiscent of Las Vegas’s Caesar’s Palace. The mansion includes two fish ponds, two wine cellars, three kitchens and a mirrored gym.

The auction web site is: www.sheldongood.com/mercerisland.php

The home was featured on KING 5's Evening Magazine on April 12, 2010.

Hunts Point Home - Picture From 2009 Under Construction

The new Hunts Point house is now complete and they are anxious to not have both houses. They are empty nesters and are downsizing from 22,800 sq ft to 10,600 sq ft. The new house must have small closets.

The Lytles, Charles and Karen, are the founders of Leisure Care, one of the largest developers and operators of retirement communities. Both houses are in my book (pages 46 and 157): http://www.hundredhomes.net/.

(Updates are in 9/27/10 and 5/24/10 posts.)

Mercer Island Proctor Landing Mansion Sells For $15.7 Million

2010-02-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

This house on Mercer Island (page 57 in Lake Washington 130 Homes, http://www.hundredhomes.net/) sold for $15.7 million in a private transaction with an undisclosed buyer in the second half of 2009. The property was listed for sale in the early 2000s for $34.5 million and in May 2009 the listing price was $23.9 million.

The estate has 17,780 sq ft of living space on 1.37 acres with 255 feet of waterfront, 8 bedrooms and 15 baths. The original house was built in 1932. It was purchased in 1998 for $7.9 million by Jonathan D. Lazarus, formerly with Microsoft as Vice President Strategic Relations. He extensively expanded and remodeled, maintaining the original English Tudor architecture. The interior of the home has been described as a mini “Taj Mahal.” The home features an indoor/outdoor pool, a two bedroom guest house, a children’s room in the tower and a three office carriage house.

The house was featured on KING 5’s Evening Magazine and the link for the web view is: http://www.king5.com/archive/64596642.html

Lake Washington 130 Homes was also featured on KING 5’s Evening Magazine and the link for the web view is: http://www.king5.com/archive/64598997.html

Machael Mastro's Mansion

2009-11-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

These are photographs of Michael R. Mastro’s Medina/Evergreen-Point mansion. It is 7,050 square feet with 176 feet of waterfront. The Mastro’s paid $15 million for the mansion in July 2006. I took these photographs and they are from my book, Lake Washington 130 Homes, http://www.hundredhomes.net/.

The Seattle Times and Puget Sound Business Journal have reported Michael Mastro, age 84, declared bankruptcy this summer. His investors included many “family and friends” who begged to let them invest in his commercial real estate projects. His projects, up until 2008, had substantially higher than average returns for more than 20 years. The publications also reported Mastro, regarding allegations that he tried to put this mansion, Rolls-Royce and jewelry out of reach of creditors, stated, “These allegations are misleading, incomplete and inflammatory.”

HDTV homes of the rich and famous

2009-11-04T15:07:00.000-08:00

In August 2009 I wrote and published Lake Washington 130 Homes. I have expanded my initial scope of a guide book for cruisers to offer a book in a style that has never been used and will be interesting to a wide audience.

The book contains photographs, stories and statistics of 130 mansions and estates that are creatively woven with current and historical information about the homes, owners, their businesses and communities. This book is for anyone who has a fascination with unique homes of the rich and famous or an interest in the Seattle area. This is the first book of its kind as traditional print-publishers have not followed the Internet in publishing pictures of homes, their locations and public information regarding the owners and residents.

KING 5 Evening Magazine aired a HDTV show on October 7, 2009 about LW 130 Homes. It can be seen on web TV at:
http://www.king5.com/archive/64598997.html It's 4.3 minutes long and there is a brief commercial at the beginning. It includes the homes of Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Kenny G (former home), Craig McCaw, Steve Ballmer, Howard Schultz, Detlef Schrempf, and many others. The Dykstra house is near the end (don't blink).

I was interviewed on KIRO radio and the interview is the soundtrack for a tour of the Lake and the book. It can be viewed on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkm9fHmmQ8Q&feature=related

The book's web site is:
http://www.hundredhomes.net/