Lake Forest Mansion Sells for $6M, Below 2017 Sale Price

A Lake Forest mansion sold Monday for just under $6.4 million, closing below its 2017 sale price after nearly two years on the market.

The 11,500-square-foot home at 261 East Onwentsia Road, with eight bedrooms and 13 bathrooms sold for $550 per square foot. The home, designed by architect Darcy Bonner and built in 2010, sits on a nearly 3-acre gated lot about 1.5 miles from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The final sale price was more than $1 million shy of the original asking price of $7.5 million in August 2024. The home went through multiple price cuts over two years before settling at $6.5 million in September. The home went under contract in November but returned to the market a month later, prior to going under contract again in April. The final sale price was $6.35 million, a $50,000 loss for the sellers, who paid $6.4 million in 2017.

Elizabeth Wieneke of Compass represented the seller, and Elizabeth Jakaitis of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer. Neither responded to a request for comment.

The home was owned under an LLC that conceals the seller’s identity, and records that could identify the buyer aren’t yet available.

The home has a stucco facade and a Ludowici tile roof, with limestone terraces outdoors. The outdoor space includes a pool, a kitchen and a heated four-car garage, according to the listing. Inside, the home features a primary suite with a fireplace, sunroom and access to a private enclosed patio. The lower level includes a recreation room, home theater, a gym and a wine room.

The home is the latest in a string of high-profile Lake Forest sales over the last year. It’s the second-priciest home to sell in the North Shore village this year, after a lakefront estate on Bluffs Edge Drive that sold for $8.3 million in March. In April, the Lake Forest home of former Kraft and Quaker chief executive Robert Morrison sold for just under $6.3 million.

The priciest Lake Forest sale in at least the last three years was the house at 930 East Rosemary Road, which sits on an expansive, elaborately landscaped lot. It was sold by the estate of philanthropist Posy Krehbiel for $11 million in October.