The year's most expensive home sold for $4 million on Feb. 15. The 10,680 square-foot Shaver Lake "cabin" has five bedrooms, six bathrooms and nine garage spaces. It was built in 2015. Photo contributed.

Considering the unprecedented rise in real estate values, prices that once purchased luxury may only command high-end homes. But for the most expensive homes sold in fiscal 2022, each represents a unique piece of the Central Valley.

Between Oct. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022, there were 199 home sales on the Multiple Listing Service of more than $1 million. In calendar year 2021, there were 168 homes sold and in 2020, only 78.

 

 

16^th century door, ancient Roman stones in Shaver Lake

What the new owner of Fresno County’s most expensive home sold in 2022 enjoys most is exactly what the previous owner misses the most, says Lorna Milligan, broker with Integrity Realtors Alliance in Madera.

At 10,680 square feet, the “cabin” at Shaver Lake previously held in trust from the late RV mogul Paul Evert is the biggest in the area, said Milligan.

The new owner was especially looking forward to spending the holidays in the mountains, she said.

The home officially sold Feb. 15 for $4 million — exactly the listing price. Milligan represented both buyer and seller.

Homes at that price rarely sell as quickly as the Shaver Lake property, said Milligan. The buyer heard the home was coming on the market. Almost as quickly as it was listed, an all-cash offer was made and accepted.

The five-bedroom, six-bath home also has nine garage spaces and four fireplaces. Built in 2015, the home was extremely well-taken care of, said Milligan, adding it’s the little details that make it sing.

The front door was built in 16^th century France and still has the original hardware. Stones on the pathway came from ancient Rome. Evert used to say that Jesus could have walked on them, Milligan remembered.

“The entire property was just so unique and so perfect,” Milligan said.

 

 

Five acres in city limits

Imagining a five-acre property with a stable, tennis court and tack room, one might picture a home nestled in the foothills. The second most expensive home for fiscal 2022 defies that notion within the city limits of Northwest Fresno.

Paul Ladwig, vice president of Fresno-based California Relocation Network, said it took about six months of work to settle on a price for the home on North Van Ness Boulevard and West Ellery Avenue. It features a 12,000 square-foot main home, a guest house, carriage house, tennis facility and horse-riding rings.

The property officially sold in October 2021 for $3.8 million with Andrea Jones Rivera of Nourmand and Associates’ Brentwood Office representing the buyer. Michelle Westendorf was the official listing agent.

It was originally built in 1957, and as the years went on, more was added to the property. It was originally 2 ½ acres, but when the opportunity to purchase adjacent land came up, it was added to the footprint.

In addition to the house and guest house is a two-story carriage house. On the bottom is a garage where the previous owner kept classic cars. On the second floor, the family would gather for holidays or to enjoy themselves. They kept a pool table, indoor trampoline and poker table up there.

Figuring out how to price the home took a lot of research, Ladwig said.

“Can you have comps? Of course you can. Do you use comps? Of course you can. Is there anything comparable to that property in Fresno?” said Ladwig. “The answer is ‘no.’”

It had been on the market for 300 days with what Ladwig said were a “good number of quality buyers.” Once some buyers toured the house, they realized it was too much for them. Ladwig was on hand for almost all the viewings to be sure any potential buyer didn’t miss a thing.

It took six months of negotiating with the buyer to ultimately come up with a price. Both sides came from a business background.

“The sellers understood what they had and what it was worth, and the buyers understood what they were getting and what they were willing to pay for it,” Ladwig said.

 

 

The Kingsburg home that pays for itself

In 2010, the owners of a Kingsburg home built a pergola in the backyard for their daughter’s wedding. Keeping the pergola, they turned the event into a business, renting out the grounds to brides and grooms and their friends and families, said Jennifer Reda, Realtor with Realty Concepts. When the owners — Reda’s parents — decided it was time for them to retire, they didn’t want to cancel on the 40 couples who had events booked at the property.

Part of the requirement to purchase the home came with the stipulation the new owners would guarantee the weddings still on the books.

So it came to be that the sale of the home was the third-most expensive in 2022.

When the owners listed the 10-acre property and business called Tuscan Gardens Venue, Reda thought it would take a year to sell because of how niche it was.

The first few potential buyers who made offers had little interest in continuing the wedding business, she said.

The six-bedroom home came with seven acres of almonds and was meticulously landscaped.

The owners insisted on keeping the agreements they had made.

“We were firm that we were not going to cancel on the brides who had a contract with the estate,” said Reda. “We wanted to have someone fulfill all the contracts.”

It only took six months to find the right buyer. The $3.2 million price tag came with the home, the business, the contracts and all the inventory.

The new owners are still deciding on the business model and whether they will live at the home or keep it only for business, Reda said.

The previous owners both worked as landscape architects and designed the grounds themselves, Reda said.

“It’s like no other place because of the grounds, how beautiful it is and the plants and trees and how meticulously maintained it has been over the years,” she said.