Should real estate be a competitive sport? Let’s see. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of estates in California and Oregon that claim to cater to the sports minded.
We are keeping score. Which house wins?
$3.5 million estate in Southern Oregon: Venture capitalist Jonathan Yantis, who bet heavy on virtual currency, is selling property at 371 Hessar St. in Grants Pass’ Cathedral Hills.
Standing apart from the mountain-side, temperature-controlled wine cellar and other over-the-top perks is a sports complex.
Talk about a splashy splurge: The indoor swimming pool reportedly cost a cool $1 million. It spills across 3,300 square feet, which makes the big tub 800 square feet larger than the median size of a new single-family American home sold in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Nearby is a workout facility with a matted weight room, sauna room and a spa deep enough to cover upright 7-foot-9-inch basketball player Sun Mingming.
Look over your shoulder at the massage room, sports bar, shower with wall jets and, if you’re hungry, the spa’s kitchen with grilling stove.
If you wander outside, there are professional tennis courts illuminated for night games with metal halide lighting and enclosed by towering fencing to keep tennis balls corralled.
Play basketball and volleyball on dedicated courts without be noticed behind the gated entrance to this retreat.
In between workouts, there are distractions like waterfalls (one is in the monitored atrium) and koi ponds.
For après action, take stepping stones to the manicured gardens or to a volleyball court-size botanical conservatory with a variety of rare and exotic plants.
Or heck, just pull a horse from the equestrian stables and ride around the property’s 29 acres that abut 500 acres of public hiking and horse trails.
Listing agent Lori Davis of Exit Realty, who was an All-American softball pitcher at Oregon State University, markets the estate as a “spectacular wonderland of outdoor sports recreation.”
If earth-conscious folks can overlook the Big Foot footprint of the property’s three houses — 4,183-square-foot primary residence (almost the size of a high school basketball court), 2,958-square-foot second home (much larger than the play area of a tennis court) and 1,296-square-foot caretakers quarters (about the size of six bowling lanes) – there is green geo thermal heating.
$22.5 million estate in Orinda, California: Four massive buildings are locked behind a gated hilltop community with views of mountains, a reservoir and the San Francisco Bay.
A big chunk of the nine-acre property is covered by a 14,200-square-foot sports complex (a little smaller than a hockey rink). Inside is a $100,000 full-swing golf simulator. Or take your game outdoors to the putting green with bunker and pitching area.
Wait. There’s more: Check out the handful of custom courts for tennis, racquetball, squash and bocce; a rock-climbing wall with self-belay system; yoga area and video game center.
The swimming pool is near a dry sauna, steam room and separate men’s and women’s locker rooms. A huge infinity-edged spa has a waterfall and a fire pit while the pool house boasts a wood-fired pizza oven.
The property borders open space with walking trails and listing agent Rick Merritt of Sotheby’s International Realty remarks in marketing materials that there is even an old-fashioned tire swing to “keep guests and family endlessly entertained.”
If a tire doesn’t do the trick, the main house has a billiard room, theater, wine cellar and a 2,100-square-foot master suite (about the size of six boxing rings) with a 855-square-foot closet (about 2 1/2 boxing rings).
Above the carriage house and overlooking a koi pond and waterfall is a top floor banquet facility. The five-car garage includes its own wash station, according to toptenrealestate.com.
Feeling guilty about the footprint here? Automated solar panels feed electricity to the estate’s structures and there’s a computer-controlled security system with 22 cameras.
Too much? Let’s remember that a sports-centric house can be as simple as a game room carved out of any unused space. TVs can be installed in a closet with the doors removed.
But everyone who really wants to tackle a game room knows that size matters.
A large screen. A long couch. A wide ottoman parked in front of a wide chair. A big bar with a fridge that keeps the cold stuff cold and a microwave to heat the cheese on the hot stuff. A long wall to hang posters and banners.
In this week’s real estate gallery, we look at homes on the market or recently sold with dedicated space for sports fans.
— Janet Eastman
jeastman@oregonian.com
503-799-8739
@janeteastman
