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Custom-Built .9M Estate on San Juan Island Is Washington’s Most Expensive Home

A custom-built estate in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island was recently listed for $19.98 million, making it the most expensive home on the market in Washington state.

The 21-acre hilltop property known as Eagle’s Nest Estate includes a 19,676-square-foot main house with five beds and 6.5 baths. It is located about three hours by car and ferry from Seattle.

Additional buildings on the property include a guesthouse, carriage house, and open-air garden house. The owner, former Dole Food Co. president Michael Carter, bought the land in 1999 and built the estate from the ground up.

The main house was completed in 2013 with help from local artisans, craftsmen, woodworkers, cabinetmakers, and stone masons. According to listing agent Tere Foster, construction materials had to be flown or ferried in.

Smaller structures were completed in 2002, which allowed Carter to live in the guesthouse while planning his grand estate. Construction on the main house took eight years.

Carter, who’s decided to downsize, initially put the home on the market in 2015 for $25 million. It was taken off the market for maintenance work, then relisted in early April. Even with a price reduction, it is still the state’s priciest property—but just by a hair.

Two other stunning listings, on Vashon Island and Mercer Island, are each in the $19 million price range.

Foster notes that the price reflects the cost of materials to build the home. Another challenge in pricing: no comparable local listings.

“It’s so unique. This would be an unprecedented sale in the area. You have expensive homes there. They just don’t come on the market,” she says.

The European-style manor features a gorgeous floating staircase made of solid walnut, and the eat-in kitchen comes with stone counters and custom walnut and crystal cabinets. The family room has a 32-foot-high ceiling, stone fireplace, and handcrafted chandelier.

The lower level features 4,700 square feet of recreational space, including a home theater, wine cellar, bar, game room, and gym. There’s a conference room which could be converted into a ballroom.

The 584-square-foot master suite has a fireplace, private terrace, bathroom with shower for two, and dual closets.

In addition, the home includes an office, formal dining room, and multiple outdoor terraces and decks, as well as a greenhouse.

The property is one of a kind, Foster says. “It really was a dream that he had to build it. … He likes everything to be perfect. It’s beautifully constructed.”

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