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.)

Mercer Island Proctor Landing Mansion Sells For $15.7 Million

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 the seller who 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