I love houses that were built during a certain era and have retained their original features all of these years later. Basically, I love old houses…
Just like the house I’m about to share with you today is the perfect example of a time capsule home that will appeal to a very specific buyer, and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The house is located at 304 S. Lakeview Ave in Sturgis, Michigan, and was recently listed for sale for the first time ever.
Construction on the home began in 1979 by owners Ralph and Renee Levin. Ralph owned a metal shredding company which he operated until his retirement in 2008. He passed away in 2014 at age 92, and his wife, Renee, passed away in 2016 at age 85. The home sat empty since Renee’s passing until it was listed for sale a couple of years later.
According to AWM, Ralph Levin hosts a gigantic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally came to town once a year, and Ralph had a ball with all the bikers. Although Ralph adored his time with the bikers during that rally, he did have other passions. He dedicated himself to his work and became known as a local iron tycoon after fighting his way to the top with a profitable scrap metal company.
At the height of his business, he built a six-bedroom home with his wife, Renee. The year was 1979, and Ralph wanted to make sure his passion for the transient bikers did not go unnoticed. However, no one ever knew the truth about his massive home until he passed away in 2014 at the age of ninety-two.
Two years after Ralph died, his wife passed as well. Their large home sat vacant in Sturgis as biker rally after biker rally came and went. Eventually, someone had the gall to open the front door and peer at what was built behind the building’s walls. What they found spoke volumes about what the Levins loved to do behind closed doors.
The house has skylights and windows that provide natural light. It has an open floor plan that melds its living room, kitchen, and dining area into one huge living space. Various types of wood and lighting are used in different areas that are convenient for eating, sitting, or socializing.
All four of the bedrooms are on the ground floor level. The master bedroom has a large bathroom, huge closets, and a spiral staircase that leads to a lower-level office and workout area. The lower level also has a spa area adjacent to an unfinished basement.
Two of the bedrooms lead into the area of the pool, which has dressing rooms, a hot tub, and a sauna. An adjacent game room has an additional kitchen.
The property also has a garage capable of accommodating six to eight cars, and enough height to house a good size motor home.
With 5,250 square feet of space, it’s huge compared to most other houses on the east side of Sturgis.
“It’s a very contemporary, eclectic style house,” said Realtor Dennis Bamber, who represents the property on behalf of Cressy and Everett Real Estate. “It was designed for luxury, entertaining and living life to its fullest.”
And it’s for sale for $375,000.
While that may be a lot for a neighborhood where most of the homes sell for less than $200,000, it’s an atypical price for a house with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a game room, a second kitchen, a spa, an indoor pool, and unfinished space on the lower level that bring the total of living space to 6,498 square feet.
“I tell people it’s a house where you can create your own magical kingdom,” Bamber said. “It sits on almost 2 acres and offers you the unique opportunity to have an estate like no other.”
“It’s for whoever has a big family, wants to have a fun house and can put enough money into it to have a super house without paying superhouse prices,” Bamber added. “It would probably cost $1 million to duplicate it today.”
Watch the video below for more details:
Source: AWM
dan