Former Illinois Politician Lee Daniels Lists Lakefront Home

Former Illinois House Speaker Lee Daniels is looking to cash out of his Lake Michigan getaway.

The retired DuPage County lawmaker and his wife, Pamela, listed their five-bedroom New Buffalo home for just under $7 million — roughly $250,000 more than its previous ask this summer, Crain’s reported.

The property, at 11869 Marquette Drive, spans nearly 5,000 square feet and sits on the lakefront about 71 miles east of Chicago. The asking price equates to $1,400 per square foot.

Built in 2015, the home blends Prairie School influences with a contemporary twist — a stone-and-stucco exterior gives way to airy interiors with glass-front kitchen cabinets, a minimalist fireplace wall and sweeping lake views framed by floor-to-ceiling windows.

Outdoor amenities include a cabana tucked midway down the dune and a path leading to the beach.

Liz Roch of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate has the listing. The Daniels’ could not be reached for comment, and Roch did not respond to inquiries from Crain’s. Berrien County property records show the couple has owned the site since at least 2015 through a trust in Lee Daniels’ name.

The price bump reflects a tightening high-end market in the Lake Michigan resort town, where multimillion-dollar listings have been moving fast.

A home about half a mile away on Marquette Drive went under contract within three days after hitting the market earlier this month for just under $7 million. Another property along the Galien River listed for nearly $5 million in September also found a buyer in less than two weeks.

Though the Daniels’ $6.99 million ask is near the top of the local market, it’s still below New Buffalo’s record sale — an $8.52 million transaction in 2023 for the house next door.

Daniels, 82, was a fixture in Illinois Republican politics for more than three decades. He represented DuPage County districts in the state House from 1975 to 2007, serving as Minority Leader for most of that period and as Speaker from 1995 to 1997. After leaving office, he practiced law and ran a west suburban commercial real estate brokerage.

— Eric Weilbacher