Mansion Mondays

Starting today, we will be taking a weekly tour on Mondays to mansions around the Bay Area. We will be doing this methodically, by county and by city. We are starting in Santa Clara County, heading to San Mateo County, then San Francisco and Marin, crossing the bridge to Alameda County and finishing off in Contra Costa County. Mansions will be located within incorporated city boundaries, which means it will take us over 80 weeks to finish this weekly tour. It should be fun, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Today’s featured mansion is in Gilroy, the southernmost city in Santa Clara County. Because this has been a primarily agricultural town, it is not surprising that the highest priced home sits on a lot of land—176 acres to be exact—with timber income part of the package. The home, called “The Faraway Retreat,” is more of a compound, with the main house, as well as three other homes located on the property. Perfect for a large family who wants to get away from it all, but still be close enough to airports, shopping, and activities. The main house is 5,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 4 baths. Not an oversized castle-like monstrosity, it is a nice contemporary home built in 1978 that sits atop a forested mountainside with views around the valley. You can bring your animals, as there is a barn and a dog kennel, and plenty of space for them to roam around. You also get a tennis court, pool and spa with cabana.

The home has been on the market for a looooong 947 days (2.6 years). There has been no price reduction, and I have no information on previous sales. I, personally, would think about hiring another agent, as the images of the property don’t do it any kind of proper justice, making it look more like a standard rancher in any suburban neighborhood. If it weren’t for the two aerial shots, you would never know it was somehow special. And most of the interior shots that are available are so dark, you can hardly see what the rooms look like (other than one hideously wallpapered bedroom). My guess is there is some negotiating room on this one, so the price tag of $5,499,994 should have some wiggle room. At $5mil, you and 3 friends could go in on this property together, each have your own home, and make some money selling off timber. Such a deal!

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