Three luxury homes in the Philly area to Zillow stalk right now
A soup heiress’ mansion, a 20,000-square-foot sports complex, and an architecturally renowned townhouse are for sale near Philly right now.
Spring usually means a boom in home sales as more sellers list their homes. That means it is prime time for Zillow stalking.
We all do it: peeking at homes we will likely never be able to afford.
What kind of parties could I host in my ballroom? Would I prefer swimming in my indoor or my outdoor pool? How would I pay homage to the architectural history of my award-winning home?
Whether it’s to mentally escape our own cramped houses or get motivated to save for an upgrade, a spin through real estate listings is sometimes just plain fun.
Here are three luxury homes for sale in the Philadelphia area that are not affordable for the average homebuyer but are delightful to dream about.
A $12 million mansion in Wayne
Claim to fame: Once owned by Campbell’s Soup heiress Charlotte Dorrance
The basics: 7 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms on 9 acres
Amenities: a ballroom, a four-stop elevator, a redesigned kitchen with a Gaggenau cooktop, a pool and pool house, and total privacy
Asking price: $11,875,000
Campbell Soup heiress Charlotte Dorrance received this 21,000-square-foot mansion and its surrounding 126 acres as a wedding gift in 1934 and lived there until her death in 1979.
In her will, she stipulated that the property should be auctioned, and it was purchased by a developer who divided the lands into smaller tracts, including the 9-acre parcel where the mansion, known as Ravenscliff, stands.
Now on the market for nearly $12 million, Ravenscliff has been updated to include a top-of-the-line modern kitchen, complete with a six-burner Gaggenau cooktop and double Meile ovens. There is also a separate catering kitchen.
“It’s a very livable, welcoming, warm home,” said Lisa Yakulis of Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Realty. Yakulis has co-listed the property with Lauren Woods, also of Sotheby’s.
“When you look at pictures ... you don’t really get the sense of how it flows,” Yakulis said. “This one flows really well internally in a very open, bright way.”
The primary suite features a fireplace, a dressing room, and four walk-in cedar closets, along with a sitting room and two separate en suite bathrooms.
The three-story home has an elevator and a pool with a pool house.
An I.M. Pei townhouse in Society Hill for $1.5 million
Claim to fame: Designed by the architect who built the Louvre Pyramid and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The basics: 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, 2 half-bathrooms within 2,520 square feet
Amenities: a private courtyard, an assigned parking space, award-winning design, elevator, easy access to city perks
Asking price: $1,485,000
Built in 1963, I.M. Pei’s Society Hill townhouses are among the most coveted addresses in Philadelphia. Nestled within one of the city’s historical neighborhoods, the homes have drawn praise from the American Institute of Architecture and the Museum of Modern Art.
Unlike the condos in nearby Society Hill Towers, another Pei project, the three-story homes, designed as part of 37-home community, rarely come on the market.
The home at 245 S. Third St. features oak floors, black steel detailing, and a sleek spiral staircase with a vintage elevator.
“If you approach the house from the street on Third Street, you have this beautiful arched door, and it’s this intimate entry,” said listing agent Marion Dinofa of Compass Real Estate. “Then you go in, and it’s just this light-filled space.”
Dinofa also touts the wall-size sliding glass doors that lead out to the private courtyard as an “ideal indoor-outdoor experience.”
“When you’re looking out, you have this cute little intimate courtyard. And then when you look up, it’s the perfect view of the three I.M. Pei towers,” she said. “That juxtaposition is really cool.”
A 20,000-square-foot sports complex in Huntingdon Valley for $3.9 million
Claim to fame: Formerly owned by Harold Katz, once an owner of the 76ers
The basics: 6 bedrooms, 7 full bathrooms, 3 half-bathrooms within 8,750 square feet
Amenities: Indoor and outdoor pools; indoor and outdoor tennis courts; eight fireplaces; eight bars; Viking appliances; a solarium
Asking price: $3,900,000
“We’ve had a couple of athletes reach out from the Sixers and the Phillies,” listing agent Joseph Bograd said.
That’s no surprise for a home that comes with more places to play sports than your local rec center.
The on-site 20,000-square-foot sports complex includes spaces for tennis, racquetball, basketball, and swimming, along with a sauna, steam room, and men’s and women’s locker rooms.
The stone home at 1035 Wright Dr., originally built in 1938, spans more than 8,000 square feet and comes with a half-dozen bedrooms, including a primary suite with two private bathrooms, and copious spaces to gather.
“It’s a perfect property for someone who looks to entertain,” said Bograd, who works with Elite Realty Group. “I counted about eight bars in the house. It’s pretty crazy.”
Once the home of former Sixers owner Harold Katz, the property has hosted professional athletes and other notable public figures through the years. “Mike Schmidt was there,” Bograd said.
