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.

Paul Allen – Idea Man

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

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

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

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.