This ‘castle in the clouds’ sold for a record price in North Carolina.
A mansion in the North Carolina mountains has sold for a record price, according to Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.
The 7.6-acre “castle in the clouds” estate in Banner Elk went for $15.85 million, “officially becoming the most expensive home ever sold in North Carolina,” according to a recent Premier Sotheby’s news release.
Banner Elk is about 135 miles northwest of Charlotte.
Helene spares mansion
The 13,446-square-foot mansion sold for $1.585 million over its listing price and was under contract in 12 days, said Elise Ramer, Premier Sotheby’s vice president of corporate communications and public relations. Premier Sotheby’s is based in Naples, Florida.
The home went under contract as Hurricane Helene reached Florida in September, Ramer said. Flooding from the storm destroyed large swaths of the North Carolina mountains, but Ramer said Helene spared the Banner Elk estate.
“However, the closing had to be delayed until electricity and power were restored,” she said in an email to The Charlotte Observer.
The interior of the home includes at least $1 million in art, furnishings and décor. Its centerpiece great room has “soaring ceilings, intricate wood and stone detailing and a full bar,” according to its listing.
Other highlights include the gourmet kitchen and the primary suite, which has a waterfall shower and soaking tub. The mansion has five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, two private offices, a library, gym, theater, two elevators and a custom wine cellar with intricate leaded glass.
“This sale is just an incredible feat in the current state of our region’s market, showcasing the resilience and desirability of Banner Elk as a premier destination,” agent Marilyn Wright of Premier Sotheby’s Asheville office said in a statement.
Buyer’s name hidden from public
Wright and Rob Garrett of Premier Sotheby’s Blowing Rock office exclusively marketed the property. Chad Vincent, Melissa Boone and Jay Vincent from Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Vincent Properties represented the buyer.
The buyers prefer to keep their names confidential, Chad Vincent told The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday. A spokeswoman in the Avery County tax office said Queen Arthur’s Court LLC bought the property, with no one’s name listed.
The LLC’s incorporation filing with the N.C. Secretary of State’s Office lists no managing members.
Thomas Rouse, 78, and his wife, Sandra, 72, are listed as the current owners of the home. The couple also lives in Dallas, Texas, public records show.
Thomas “Tommy” Rouse is a former banker and financial payments industry executive who is co-founder and board chair of Dallas-based Berkshire Biomedical.
He graduated from N.C. State University in 1971 and started his career in the credit card operations center of North Carolina National Bank, now Bank of America, according to his bio on the Berkshire Biomedical website.
Two historic mansion sales
The Rouses are still listed as the owners of the mansion at 120 Summit Park Drive because the transaction was filed only on Friday, and online records should update next week, the Avery County Tax Office spokeswoman said.
The closing happened just days after Wright’s $14 million sale of a lodge-style estate in Linville — about 82 miles northwest of Charlotte — that previously topped all other home transactions in state history.
“How she was able to break the record twice in a year is astounding, and a very positive sign for ultra luxury buyers’ interest in NC,” Ramer said.
