A 2,800-square-foot Kirkland home dubbed “Our Place” and belonging to recently retired Microsoftie Sam Guckenheimer and his wife Monica sold recently in the blink of an eye.
Krista Mehr,owner and broker of Mehr and Associates Real Estate,along with her associate, Broker Deborah Song, had the lucrative listing, which drew nine offers in the first four days.
"'Our Place' sold and closed for $3.2 million in seven days flat. The sale price was $700,000 over our asking price of $2.5 million at a whopping $1,142.86 per foot." Mehr said. "The top three offers were all over $3 million, and all those buyers were relocating from California. We turned down $3 million cash before the offer review, and being patient really paid off."
The owners said those who looked at the home saw its value.
"It shows that buyers are knowledgeable and want to have a better house, not a bigger house. We put a lot of work into downsizing and creating a multifunctional and environmentally responsible house, designed for durability, for a family and for the future. Buyers appreciated that much more than the realtors who looked at it did," said Sam Guckenheimer, who with his wife designed and built the house in 2008.
Guckenheimer said other realtors told him they were overpricing the house.
“They did not seem to understand anything other than price-per-square-foot averages. But the offers proved to us that buyers are shopping (for homes that reflect) social responsibility and function over square footage,” he said.
The 2,800-square-foot house sits on a 15,000-square-foot double lot. The residence offered an open floor plan with an indoor/outdoor living room, four bedrooms, three baths, two studio offices, plus distinctive concrete floors, quartz and metal counters and an indoor garage door. Outside features a swimming pool, hot tub, covered outdoor kitchen and fire feature.
Guckenheimer says five buyers spent more than two hours each with him going over environmental features such as the solar thermal system, locally sourced renewable materials, groundwater and carbon conservation, stack effects ventilation, reflective roof, natural cooling and more.
The Guckenheimers have moved to another socially and environmentally responsible house on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Check out the pictures of this home that sold lightening fast for so much over the asking price.
