Glencoe Spec Mansion Sells for $7 Million

A newly built mansion in Glencoe sold for $7.3 million, setting a record for a non-lakefront residential home sale in the northern Chicago suburb.

The spec mansion at 219 Lincoln Drive sold on Monday, nearly two years after it first hit the market, according to listing services. Though the asking price fluctuated over time, it sold for about $1 million less than its highest asking price of $8.3 million.

Still, the sale price is the highest ever recorded for a standard off-lakefront residential sale in Glencoe, developer Karl Smolov of Lux Builders confirmed. A 12-acre inland estate sold in 2019 for $10 million, but the buyer was a developer planning to build multiple new homes on the land, rather than a standard residential buyer.

It’s the second-highest priced home sale in the last year for Glencoe, after a lakefront parcel that Groupon co-founder Erik Lefkofsky bought for $8.3 million in September.

Even with the discount off the asking price, the Lincoln Drive sale is further evidence of the sparse inventory and high demand for turnkey luxury homes in the North Shore. Only one other public listing over $5 million exists in Glencoe, another spec build by Heritage Luxury Homes, asking $5.7 million.

Smolov said the deal sets a new benchmark for prices that off-lakefront homes can command.

“Many believed that a property at this level would need direct Lake Michigan frontage to command such a price point,” he said.

The 12,700-square-foot house with six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms sits on a 0.7-acre lot overlooking a ravine less than a mile from Glencoe beach. It includes an indoor sports court, a swimming pool, a fully equipped pool house, a four-car garage and an elevator.

Connie Dornan, an @properties Christies International Real Estate agent who represented the developer, said the property stands out from other luxury new construction in the area, with bespoke design choices and a custom feel.

“The North Shore is cluttered with a lot of the same new construction that we see all the time,” Dornan said. “You can walk into most new construction homes and, blindfolded, I can tell you exactly what the finishes are going to be. But this one, hands down, total surprise.”

Smolov enlisted New Jersey-based Ariella Horowitz to lead the home’s interior design. He said the overall goal was to introduce a level of design more commonly found in coastal luxury markets such as Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

“The stone selections were intentionally bold and refined, selected to stand apart from what is typically seen in both spec and many custom homes in the area,” he said. “We placed significant emphasis on cabinetry design and detailing, ensuring each space felt intentional and elevated.”

Listing photos show the main floor features an expansive foyer with checkered marble tile leading into a great room. The kitchen has double islands, a built-in coffee maker and two ovens and dishwashers. The primary suite on the second level includes a large walk-in closet and a beverage center, joining three additional bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, according to listing information. The lower level houses wet and dry saunas alongside a theater room.

Property records show Amazing Homes Developers LLC purchased the land and the previous home for $1.3 million in 2020. That entity is an investor, Smolov said, but the purchase and development decisions were led by Lux Builders.

In a market where move-in ready homes often move quickly, spec homes usually spend longer on the market because fewer buyers are interested in waiting for them to be finished. The Lincoln Drive home went on the market in May of 2024 asking $7.5 million. It went off the market in August of that year, and was not listed publicly again until June 2025, with a new $8.3 million asking price. The price was cut to $7.9 million in August, and the home went under contract in November. It’s the second luxury home to sell for more than $5 million in the North Shore so far this year. A Winnetka mansion sold for $5.6 million last week.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include details of a 2019 property sale in Glencoe.