Go big or go home? More like go big and go home. For those with $65 million to spend, Texas has a new most expensive listing. “The Lodge” at Hunters Creek is up for grabs in Houston, overtaking the $60 million Crespi Estate in Dallas represented by Allie Beth Allman & Associates.
The seller of this nine-acre property is Colleen Romanov, the ex-wife of tech tycoon Michael Holthouse, who founded Paranet and sold it to Sprint for $425 million in 1997. And, Romanov isn’t just the seller, but its creator as well.
The impressive residence took six years to build and was completed in 2005. When constructing the home, Romanov took inspiration from English manor homes she would see on vacations, according to Bloomberg. With a global perspective in mind, she even sourced a spiral staircase and bronze chandeliers from Paris.
A six-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion totaling a staggering 22,000 square feet is the focal point of the Houston property. It boasts luxuries like a five-car showroom, an elevator, and a two-story library. The home’s exterior is made of Indiana limestone sourced from the same quarry used for the Pentagon and the Empire State Building. A guard house ensures tip-top security for the manicured estate, which includes a separate two-bedroom guest house and two swimming pools.
“I raised my kids here, and I frankly don’t need this big of a property anymore, but I’m not selling it for that reason,” Romanov told Bloomberg. “I’m selling it because of my love of architecture. I want to build another project.”
The homeowner quietly looked for a buyer in 2021 and 2022 off-market, but has now brought in Carolwood Estates to represent the mega-listing. The Beverly Hills-based firm regularly represents high-net-worth individuals and their exceptional homes—from Madonna to J. Lo to Rihanna. Carolwood Estates’ Billy Dolan holds the headline-making Houston listing.