Des Moines Most Expensive House In Foreclosure

[Gpond]

The lavish home of West Des Moines developer Dave Walters price isn't just the most expensive resale home in the Des Moines area to ever hit the market at $3.9 million, it's also in foreclosure. The Walters family moved out last year and two banks have mortgages against the home totaling around $4.2 million. Waters was one of the top home builders in the area but became involved in projects that were never completed.

If a buyer is not found in a few months the home will go up for a sheriff's sale. The 14,000-square-foot home was finished less than two years ago. The ten-acre property includes a swimming pool, a 1,500-square-foot guest house, three garages, a quarter-mile walking path and its own football field complete with goal posts. The Des Moines Register says it is estimated that Walters spent about $5.2 million building the home after buying the 10 acres for $850,000 in 2005. It has a massive great room, media room, a huge 1,100-square-foot master bedroom and even a secret room hidden by a bookshelf. It is larger and more lavish than most homes in the area but at $3.9 million it may struggle to find a buyer before the deadline.



Des Moines Most Expensive House In Foreclosure, Estate of the Day - Luxist

[2B]

I might be interested in the guest house. I can't even imagine the utility bills for the big place.

[ziggy29]

I couldn't afford to live there if you GAVE me the house. The taxes, insurance and utilities would kill me.

[CuppaJoe]

For me, this is a wake up call for the concept of moving to a less expensive area. I don't even get the concept of having grass around your building. Oh, wait, yes I do.

[ls99]

I volunteer to be the caretaker, as long it is bank owned. Once someone buys it I'm outta there.

As caretaker get to have all the benefits, none of the costs.

[cardude]

That thing is [moderator edit: very ugly]! Maybe the picture is from the wrong angle, and maybe I don't know what a $4,000,000 house looks like, but that house doesn't look all that impressive to me.

[clifp]

Maybe we could chip in to buy it as group home for those who've failed their early retirements. I wonder how many normal ER folks could live there. Do you think we could get it for say $1 million dollars.

I remember not too long ok we had a discussion about buying some beach property (in Costa Rica ), now mansions in Des Moines.

How sad I am even downsizing my fantasies..

[bbbamI]

It has a massive great room, media room, a huge 1,100-square-foot master bedroom and even a secret room hidden by a bookshelf.

That's what I need....a secret room. All I have now is this chair......

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardude That thing is [moderator edit: very ugly]! Maybe the picture is from the wrong angle, and maybe I don't know what a $4,000,000 house looks like, but that house doesn't look all that impressive to me.

It is big! Wonder if you can see it from space where no one can hear you scream?

I don't think it's particularly ugly, I just don't understand it. I knew people who had a basement that looked like a sports bar and on the first level was a dinning room that could seat 100, and on 3rd level a large office, and a couple of gigantic bedroom suites with TVs and huge tubs in the bathrooms. They sold it a few years ago and moved into an old fashioned house with small rooms and doors. They can go to an office, bar, movie theater, hotel, restaurant, etc. for the other functions.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuppaJoe It is big! Wonder if you can see it from space where no one can hear you scream?

Probably not. But if you plug "3800 Fuller Road Des Moines, IA" into Google Earth you can see it when it was being built.

What description would you use to denote the shape of that pool?

[73ss454]

I'm not sure but it looks like a bit of shrinkage is involved.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo ... What description would you use to denote the shape of that pool?

A chess pawn? Checkmate! The poor guy.

[cantlogin]

Windows maps has a more current bird's eye view for:

3800 Fuller Road 50265

Is that a black Mustang with a racing stripe or something more exotic?

[CuppaJoe]

Those maps are so revealing. Typed in my address to see if the for sale/foreclosure sign is there. No, but the picture was taken within a couple of years ago on a Sunday before the building was put up for sale; I know it's Sunday because there is an open house sign next door. The tenants who put up the red curtains have been there only a couple of years. J/k, there never was the word, "foreclosure" on the sign.

[Gpond]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardude That thing is [moderator edit: very ugly]! Maybe the picture is from the wrong angle, and maybe I don't know what a $4,000,000 house looks like, but that house doesn't look all that impressive to me.

There are more pictures at the original link. You are correct it is a bad angle. The house is very nice however the location sucks. It looks like their view is either a mall, school or office building. I am not sure what is right across the street from it. Whatever it is, it really ruined the location the house was built.

[Gpond]

Here is the view I was talking about, out the front.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gpond There are more pictures at the original link. You are correct it is a bad angle. The house is very nice however the location sucks. It looks like their view is either a mall, school or office building. I am not sure what is right across the street from it. Whatever it is, it really ruined the location the house was built.

Real estate is about location? j/k!

In defense of Iowa, included in the lower cost of living is a built-in amusement park; the rolling hills and other terrain features result in roads that ride like roller coasters. Gotta be spectacular when the leaves change. Is it glacier country?

[cantlogin]

Any opinions on the car?