140 Conference Point Road

When we were children, we liked houses. We didn’t like them all that much, and we didn’t write web pages about them, but like them we did. We held certain homes in high esteem- the neighbor’s home, because it was bigger. A friend’s home because it was cleaner. The dentist’s home because it was on the corner and had a longer driveway. We liked all sorts of houses for all sorts of reasons back then. Today, when we look back through our years and see the homes that we held in such a prized spot in our minds they often let us down. The dentist’s house had a driveway that wasn’t all that impressive. The neighbor’s house really only had one extra bedroom upstairs, so it wasn’t so much bigger than our old home even though we once thought it to be.

I had a housing fascination as a child too. I liked many homes, but none more than the lannon stone ranch with the circle driveway just off Conference Point Road. I spent my childhood walking to and from school, back and forth in front of this home that hid just a bit behind a roadside hedge. The home was sprawling. It was big, yes, but it was always so perfectly manicured- the lawns, the house- and the way the ivy crawled up the front chimney side fit my eye just so. I’d plant ivy near a stone home of my own later, the inspiration for such aesthetics drawn from this home on the edge of Conference Point that I had always loved so much. It didn’t hurt that the home, back then, was owned by a legendary trader, and then later by a gentleman with an interesting name who parked his red Ferrari nearest the house at the narrowest part of that circle driveway. There was a pool behind the house, but since the view of that pool was only available after trespassing some on the driveway I barely ever caught a glimpse of it unless I was mowing the lawn to the north, which I did for perhaps 7 summers in a row.

Unlike most homes that we revered in childhood, this home is today as it was then: impressive and undeniably so. It has undergone changes over those many years, but those changes are all improvements, and the home that inspired me so much as a child is capable today of doing the exact same thing. For you, for today, this house and my story are even more pertinent. Today, that home is for sale for $1.195MM, and as the listing agent my relationship with that home has come mostly full circle. I suppose for it to come full circle I’d have to be the owner and that would have to be my Ferrari in the drive, but I need to remind myself now that I’m a Realtor, not a trader.

This home at 140 Conference Point is a rare bird indeed. It is in town, with city water and sewer, yet it rests on a one acre-ish lot just one home from the water. There are lake views, though none are particularly wide, and there is a pier and a slip, shared with the lakefront owner via a recorded, perpetuating pier agreement. The swimming pool is a monster- deep and wide and long in the way that pools used to be before someone got the idea that kidneys were attractive. The landscaping lush and thorough, especially after the current owner invested untold amounts of money into a complete rehabbing of the pool, patio, and hardscape. Speaking of the pool and the patio, buy this house and invite 100 people over for a party- there’s more than enough room, which begs the question, what lake access home in this price range could ever be so accommodating? How about that same million dollar lake home with one acre lot, swimming pool, boatslip on shared pier, all with a $12k tax bill?

But these are the outside attributes, and while these are probably the most important there is more to discover with the structure itself. A classic Cerny design, the home mixes materials well- mostly lannon stones with just a bit of wood on the exterior- and adds character and vintage charm to the interior as well through the use of barrel ceilings in both the great room and the wood paneled den. The kitchen and bathrooms were remodeled by Orren Pickell not too many years ago, and all that’s left to do now is to buy it and use it and fall in love with it the way that I first did as an 8 year old kicking pebbles on the way to school.

The property is listed subject to a short sale approval, so there is value to be found here. Prior listings found this home near the $2MM mark, a level that was achievable at our market peak but no longer. I expect this home, at this price, to attract plenty of attention. It’ll be on the MLS tomorrow, so a prudent buyer would hasten their email to me and schedule a showing. Rarely does something so grand come to market at such a reasonable price. With your savings, I’d recommend you buy a Ferrari 308. I know it’ll look great in the driveway.