A Saanich Peninsula waterfront estate with a 10,000-square-foot historic house on six acres has sold for $5.3 million — the highest price paid for a property this year in the capital region.
Calgary residents Steve and Lera Zakreski purchased the Dunmora estate, said real estate agent Scott Piercy, who along with Jim LeBlanc of Engel and Volkers Vancouver Island Real Estate represented the buyers.
Dunmora is an architectural standout in the region. It is an English Tudor-style manor house built in the 1920s and designed by architect J.C.M. Keith, whose work includes Christ Church Cathedral.
Last year’s highest price for a property was $5.6 million for another Peninsula home, Piercy said. So far this year, 129 properties have sold through the Multiple Listing Service for more than $1 million, according to the Victoria Real Estate Board. Single-family homes accounted for 114 of those sales. The board currently has 21 properties listed for sale above $4 million.
The highest asking price is $16.9 million for a home at 3195 Humber Rd., on the Uplands waterfront. It is followed by 529 Swanwick Rd., at $13.25 million in Metchosin. That property features a river running through a contemporary style house.
It is not uncommon for higher-end homes to take a few years to sell, Piercy said.
The Point is a recent addition to local luxury home listings, on the market for $7.25 million. The property was built for businessman and philanthropist Michael Williams, who died in 2000. He left an estate valued at $17 million to the University of Victoria, including his 6,456 square foot home at Ten Mile Point, designed by JC Scott.
UVic sold the property to its current owner a decade ago, said Michael Ziegler of Newport Realty, which has the listing.
Built of steel and glass, it was designed to display Williams’ renowned art collection. The living room is 1,177 square feet and includes a pond that works as part of the system allowing the building to regulate its temperature.
Glass windows showcase the natural waterfront surrounding the point. Shutters close with the push of a switch.
The house has been listed for three weeks and it has been shown to international buyers, Ziegler said.
