Several years after he had created the renowned Deer Valley Ski Resort in Park City, Utah, in the late 1980s, Edgar Stern Jr. commissioned noted mountain architect David Finholm to custom build an oceanfront residence on a craggy bluff high above the western shores of Washington‘s San Juan Island, near the charming coastal fishing village of Friday Harbor.
The real estate developer, hotelier, broadcaster, and philanthropist, who passed away in 2008 at age 86, and his wife Pauline (Polly) went on to donate the property to the University of Washington. It was subsequently transferred for $3.3 million to Nevada-based banking mogul Ed Nigro and his wife, Lee, who put it back on the market in spring 2023 for almost $11 million. Now, after two years, some substantial price chops, and no takers, the Stern Estate is slated to go under the gavel next month.
Elite Auctions is heading up the no-reserve bidding, with Lisa Turnure and Lisa Brooks of Coldwell Banker Realty holding the listing.
A teak-floored corridor with hidden linen and china storage closets leads to the fireside dining room.
Elite Auctions
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Spread across 14 acres stretching along nearly 1,000 feet of water frontage, the wooded property is spotlighted by a five-bedroom, eight-bath main home and a detached two-bedroom, two-bath guesthouse for a combined total of roughly 12,000 square feet.
Inside the primary dwelling, an entry foyer and a corridor with ocean views flow to a soaring great room boasting a living area anchored by a wood-burning stone fireplace and a built-in window seat. The open kitchen is outfitted with purposefully distressed ebony-hued cabinetry and a large center work island. Elsewhere is an octagon-shaped dining room, plus an office, a library, an art gallery, and a media room, while a separate wing holds the primary suite and a guest apartment with an exterior entrance.
The spacious kitchen comes with wood floors and titanium black granite countertops.
Elite Auctions
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Ancillary structures include a glass-lined gazebo that serves as what listing materials call a “cigar building,” as well as a break room for grounds/maintenance workers and a shop building that’s currently being used as an auto/hobby space. Then there are the picturesque grounds, which are laced with meandering stone pathways, gardens, more than 1,400 trees, and a cantilevered deck ideal for spotting orcas and bald eagles.
Several open houses will be held beginning July 27, with the auction set for Monday, Aug. 4, at 11 a.m. at the Seattle Tennis Club. Remote bidding is also available.
Click here for more photos of the Washington residence.
Elite Auctions
Source: Luxury - robbreport.com
