President Obama – Bill Gates

Bill Gates supported President Obama with his attendance at the fundraising lunch at the mansion of Jeff and Susan Brotman on February 17, 2012. This event was reported today in The Seattle Times. The Times reported the $17,900 per plate brunch was attended by approximately 70 people. Natalie Cole performed and the lunch was prepared by renowned chef, Tom Douglas. An earlier post has more information on the event.

Gates and Brotman are Medina neighbors with Jeff Bezos’ mansions in between. The Brotman mansion is in the exclusive cove of Medina that includes Nathan Myhrvold’s T-Rex house, Charles Simonyi’s Windows 2000 house and Gary Reed’s former estate. Cruising, boating and viewing this area is featured in Lake Washington Cruising blog posts (5/8/11 and 5/4/11).

Jeff is the Chairman and co-founder of Costco. The mansion, as reported in the New York Times and my earlier post, is known as “Their Art House.”

The A through F letters in the above picture of Gates’ mansion and convention center refer to a “Guide For Viewing Gates’ Mansion From the Water.” The page number on all the above mansion pictures refer to Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Obama – Brotman Brunch

President Obama will return to the Brotmans for a fundraising brunch on February 17, 2012. This was reported in the Seattle Times in an Associated Press article on February 1. The $17,900 per plate brunch will be at the mansion of Jeff and Susan Brotman. The funds will be used for Obama’s reelection campaign and to support the Democratic National Committee. The Brotmans previously hosted a $7,500 per plate Democratic fundraising lunch with Michelle Obama on October 25, 2010. 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, as reported in the New York Times, is 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. The louvers on the front (water side) and roof of the house adjust to provide the optimum natural light on the extensive art collection.

Map of the Stars – Lake Washington

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.

Jeff Brotman Hosts Michelle Obama

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.

Obama – Murray Fundraiser at Glaser Mansion

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

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.

Lytle Mercer Island Mansion Auction Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.)

HDTV homes of the rich and famous

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/