A 15,364-square-foot manor that sits on 96 acres in Superior Township near Ann Arbor has sold for $12.8 million, making the property the highest priced closing of a home in Michigan over the past 5 years, according to Dan Gutfreund, global real estate advisor for DG Realty Group, part of Signature Sotheby’s International Realty in Birmingham.
Located at 4000 Vorhies Road, the four-bedroom, seven-bathroom (three half bath) home designed by W. Keith Owen closed on Aug. 29.
The home was built in 1994 by the late Louis Ferris Jr., a successful businessman whose main talents centered around finance and sales, according to his obituary (1943-2022).
Ferris formed the Great Lakes Central Railroad, which is considered Michigan‘s longest railroad, and ran Federated Service Solutions, an enterprise solutions company.
The entrepreneur also established a nonprofit charity, The Good Shepherds, to help feed the hungry in Washtenaw County and beyond. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.
“The estate had been on the market for a year until a buyer engaged with us, and another firm had the property listed six months prior to that” says Gutfreund, who in 2017 sold a home in Saugatuck along Lake Michigan for a price in “excess of $20 million.”
“Homes in the Midwest don’t often reach these (price) heights, even in Chicago,” he adds. “Michigan homes are increasing in value, and we are hitting the $1,000-square-foot cost which brings us more in line with New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. But their prices are higher than that.”
The Ann Arbor estate includes a gated entrance, a heated brick driveway, a large fountain, and a waterfall.
The kitchen features two fuel stoves, two refrigerators, and premium appliances. Additionally, there’s a caterer’s kitchen equipped with Thermador and Sub-Zero appliances.
The grand great room, reminiscent of a ballroom, features floor-to-ceiling windows, a cathedral ceiling, and walnut and cherry paneling. Off the great room, there’s a library with built-in bookcases and extensive wood wainscoting.
Throughout the house, there’s stained-glass doors, high ceilings, and heated marble flooring. Other features include a copper roof, five boilers, six GEO thermal units, and a reverse osmosis air handling system.
For entertainment, there’s a Harley-themed commercial bar and game room that opens to the pool area, a 16-seat home theater, and a home gym. The primary suite features a custom fireplace, dual closets, a kitchenette, and dual bathrooms with a steam shower and a whirlpool.
The lower level offers a wine cellar that can hold 3,703 wine bottles, a recreation room, and a versatile living area.
Outdoor spaces include an 11-foot-deep gunite infinity pool with a built-in hot tub, a pond, a blueberry farm, walking paths, and a barbecue area. The six-car heated garage with terrazzo flooring offers storage areas, with easy access to the caterer’s kitchen.
Advanced Control Four smart home technology and newer touchscreen keypads manage the home and the extensive security system. The property is located in the Ann Arbor School District, and is a 10-minute drive to the University of Michigan.
“There’s rising confidence in Michigan’s home market, and we’re seeing more people move (to the state) due to fires on the West Coast and other factors,’ says Gutfreund. “We recently have worked with three people from California, and one from Portland, one from Seattle, and one from Atlanta.”
According to Michigan data, the state has more than 11,000 inland lakes, more freshwater shoreline than any other state in the nation, tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams, and more than 3,000 miles of water trails.
For more information about DG Realty Group, visit isellmichigan.com/
Full Article: https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/estate-in-ann-arbor-sells-for-12-8m-largest-price-in-michigan-over-last-5-years/