A private roadway winds through virgin woodlands for over a mile, then opens through a stone gateway onto a massive dune overlooking two miles of perfect beaches bordering one of the planet’s great freshwater lakes. Commanding the entire unspoiled vista – which hasn’t changed in a thousand years – is a perfectly-situated home, worthy of the great Jay Gatsby.
If its external image hasn’t already captured you, then step inside. This carefully-crafted 4,000 sq. ft. home has been designed to bring the unique brilliance of its surroundings into all of the elegant rooms.
A bright gourmet kitchen is loaded with the finest appliances, marble countertops, abundant storage and pantry space. Steps beyond the kitchen one enters a formal dining room facing the lake, and – immediately outside – there is a covered informal dining porch from which to watch world-class sunsets nightly.
Next, step down from the dining area into a broad sitting room featuring a massive stone fireplace, glowing cherry wood floors and tall, windowed doors. It, in turn, adjoins a cozy library/media room, with a second welcoming hearth.
The balance of the home’s main floor is dedicated to Gatsby’s “master suite”, which incorporates two large, well-appointed bathrooms, abundant clothing storage space and, of course, a welcoming windowed bedroom which captures the nightly sounds of the sleeping lake.
The main house’s upper floor contains two spacious bedrooms, along with a smallers children’s bedroom which could also be used as an office plus a large bathroom, complete with overhead loft giving unobstructed lake views. This area is connected by a balcony walkway to a surprisingly-large (1,100 sq. ft.), independent apartment, with a full kitchen, bathroom and living room – again overlooking Lake Michigan to the west.
The house is connected by a covered breezeway to a spacious separate garage with two large parking bays plus a workshop and a large paved outside parking area. The home also has a full laundry on a “mid-level” below its main floor and a full, dry basement. This beautiful home can be used in any season and is completely self-sufficient during any lapse in the island’s electric service. It incorporates a pair of concealed outdoor 1000-gallon propane tanks with an Onan RS 12000 gas-fueled generator to provide year-round comfortable living.
Protected behind a wooded dune on its East side, this complete residence has a fenced tennis court, built to the specifications of the U S Tennis Center in New York and even equipped with an electric ball machine. Tucked into the trees nearby is a very large pole barn holding all of the sports’ equipment and other niceties necessary to full enjoyment of the property.
This unique, elegant retreat is only four miles South from the SJX Airport, which has an excellent 4300 ft. asphalt runway and is home to charter operator Fresh Air Aviation which flies several times daily to and from Charlevoix on the mainland, and which offers chartered services to/from most upper Midwestern centers. There is free parking space for autos at the airport, and ramp parking for private aircraft. The property is also about a twenty-minute drive from the island’s port town of St. James, which resembles a New England fishing village where most necessities are available to shoppers. The house is equipped with wi-fi and satellite service.
With six hundred seventy-five front feet of lakeside beach and more than twenty acres of exclusive wooded land, the current property value alone easily exceeds $1,000,000. The replacement value of all buildings and improvements approximates $2,800,000. and the furnishings, fixtures and other amenities being included by the sellers exceeds $250,000. The property is offered for sale at $3,000,000. with the owners’ understanding that it is appropriate only for a discriminating purchaser, who will enjoy its uniqueness and the fact that they are acquiring at least a $1,000,000. bonus by making the acquisition.
