It’s “Million Dollar Listing” meets “Fixer Upper.”
The “Property Brothers” could host.
The much-discussed and captivating home on more than 5 acres has been around for 17 years now atop a bluff in a high-end development in western Lehigh County’s Lowhill Township.
It’s the manor of The Manor subdivision.
It’s had two owners but no one’s ever lived there, a real estate agent said. And it’s been back on the market for several months now.
This nine-bedroom, seven-full-bath castle of concrete, steel and brick in a neighborhood of mere mansions isn’t for the average buyer.
For starters, despite its metal tile roof, it’s not finished. Not nearly. And, when it comes to interior finishes, much of what is done might need to be undone, then redone.
Oh, and the price tag? North of $1 million.
Property as big as a par 3
If someone wants 4130 E. Wyndemete Circle, they need two things, real estate agent Joe Paranee said — “vision” and deep pockets.
And it doesn’t help that the kind of homes that sold for $1 million 10 years ago in the Lehigh Valley now go for $600,000 and are beautiful, he said.
But this property has some things that others don’t — land that on the open market would probably draw $300,000, Paranee said. It’s basically a par 3 from tee to green. It’s in a good school district and has breathtaking views. And the home’s guts — the concrete, brick and steel — could set a builder back $2 million to replicate, Paranee estimated.
In-floor heat and central air. The mechanical rooms are impressive.
Five garages and a separate workshop with a garage door of its own. Two in-law suites on the first level, each with a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room.
There’s a library. A media room. Huge laundry rooms and an office. A master suite with a windowed reading loft, marble bath and walk-in closets. A place for a covered pool below the second-floor deck.
But you need an imagination. It’s “Flip or Flop” on Day 3, not weeks later when Tarek and Christina do the walk-through before the open house.
Despite its potential majesty, nothing seems to be done. The spiral staircase for the loft still sits in the garage. The place needs a long driveway where there’s just a path today, and a pad to enter the garages is still just a necessary thought.
Landscaping? There is none. Just a pile of bricks and rusting roofing tiles on the far end of the mostly grassy property.
A lot of work to be done
Neighbors aren’t thrilled with this long-running home-building soap opera, Paranee said, the first act of which was a $110,000 land buy in 1997 for what was supposed to be the centerpiece of the development.
All people start a house-building project with the best intentions, Paranee explained. And the best work often comes at the beginning. When the money runs short and it’s time for the finishes, it shows, he said.
That’s true with the powerful underpinnings of this structure. A very good start. This isn’t a stick-built shanty. It’s a different form of “forever home.” It’s stood up to 17 years of weather, heatless winters, soakers in the summertime. A lesser house would have blown to bits, Paranee said. The exterior shows some wear and tear; especially minor water damage, but overall it’s aged rather well.
$1.2M College Hill home’s history is priceless
It’s more obvious inside. That’s where most of the work would be, Paranee said.
It would likely cost $500,000 to $1 million to fix up the place right, Paranee figured.
An owner would have to “go backwards until you’re comfortable,” Paranee said. Deconstruction. Demolition. Then, a moment of clarity — and a new home would be born in that idea.
Might the interior require a gut to the studs?
It depends. Might be the simplest way.
Certainly the faux columns and carved-foam phony fireplaces would go. Most of the flooring — some of which was damaged from burst pipes over the years — would be toast. Some spaces just have the concrete that’s been waiting nearly two decades for a finished floor.
THE MANOR 4130 E WYNDEMERE CIRCLE LOWHILL TWP PA 18078 Video And Drone Tour
The main staircase? Much of it isn’t what it should be. Made safe but not sensational. It doesn’t exactly look like a nearby architectural rendering showing mahogany and glass.
The windows? The crank-outs are so 2000. The drywall? Many of the ceilings would have to come down, but most walls appear fine.
The kitchens are more Home Depot than high-end. Demo would be painless, replaced with something more fitting such a home.
There have been some offers, but the number hasn’t been right, Paranee said.
‘Showplace of showplaces’
The house’s price history is diverse, at best. In 2006 it was $2.9 million. Was this the place Tom Cruise was supposed to be building? That was the rumor, Paranee said with a rye laugh. In 2008, $1.9 million. In 2011, $1.3 million. It sold in 2012 for $690,000. It’s now being offered at $1.057 million.
The next sale price, obviously, has not been agreed upon.
Both owners so far, for various reasons, haven’t been able to make a go of it. Neither agreed to interview requests for this report.
They had high hopes — the initial goal was to build a “showplace of showplaces,” Paranee said — and now he’s looking for someone else with an equally majestic mindset.
“Someone with means and wherewithal would buy (what would become) an exceptional home,” he said.
For an investment of less than $2 million, someone could have a $3 million house, he said. And not just to resell, but to live in.
That person, however, must be willing to “go backward before going forward” to create a dream home of their own, Paranee added.
“They would have a showplace and a heck of a bargain,” Paranee said.
To learn more about the property, which is listed by Realty Partners, contact Paranee at 610-657-9515. But, be mindful, he only shows it the people who meet his two requirements — enough money and a good idea what they want to do with the place.
Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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