Sellers From Lake Forest now Buyers of $9M Lake Geneva Home

William and Lois McEssy are reportedly back in Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva like they never left.

Last year, the McEssys sold their home at W3806 Lackey Lane for $20 million, which at the time was the third-largest sale in the area’s history. In 2026, they dropped $8.8 million on another Lake Geneva property at N1539 Lakeside Lane, according to Crain’s, who cited Walworth County tax records. The pair of properties are a few miles apart.

Bidding wars between the who’s who of Chicagoland are common for Lake Geneva property. The Wisconsin lakefront is a wildly popular quasi-staycation and weekend trip spot amongst the city’s elite, making it similar to the Hamptons for Chicago. Most of the deals made are done with straight cash, and about 70 percent of sales are done off the market. The Lackey Lane property was never listed, but instead solicited five buyers ready to make offers, according to previous reporting by The Real Deal.

The deal to purchase the Lakeside Lane property was also made off-market. Sal Dimicelli of Lake Geneva Area Realty represented both the buyers and the sellers, according to Crain’s.

The Lakeside Lane property includes a 6,200 square feet house, but doesn’t have direct lake access like the McEssy’s former property did. The Lackey Lane property sits on five acres with 500 feet of lakefront access. The sales price is about $1,432 per square foot.

In early June, a Lake Geneva estate on 9 acres made waves as the area’s priciest active listing. The property, which has been owned by the Van Dyke family for over four decades, was listed for $11 million.

William McEssy became a McDonald’s franchisee in 1983, according to the outlet. By the 2010s, he owned 46 franchises, including 35 in Illinois and Wisconsin. In 2019, McEssy told the Chicago Tribune that he had sold 20 franchises in the past few years. The couple still own a home in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest.

— Hunter Cooke