Rock star's Whitefish home up for auction
The Whitefish vacation home of rock n’ roll hall of famer and E Street Band bassist Garry Tallent will be sold at a live auction July 18 with no reserve and no minimum bid.
The 3,500-square-foot, eco-friendly home sits on a 33-acre parcel with 800 feet of frontage on the Stillwater River north of Whitefish. The modern estate includes four bedrooms, five bathrooms with an equestrian center, outdoor dining pavilion and a 1,200-square-foot rooftop deck with 360-degree views of the Flathead Valley.
The home was built by Mindful Designs in 2007 with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. From rooftop solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling, to recycled drywall and sustainable flooring, the owners went to great lengths to make the residence as green as possible.
Show-stopping features include pocket doors that span 21 feet inside the first-floor living room, opening up the space to the manicured front lawn and providing a wealth of natural light.
The 534 Twin Bridges Road home was previously listed for $3 million and is currently being offered at $2.5 million. After a couple years on the market with no offers, Tallent and his wife, Tammy, opted to divert from a traditional listing. They enlisted the help of Heritage Auctions, the largest U.S.-based auction house and third largest worldwide, to market their one-of-a-kind home to wider audience. Nate Schar, the director of Heritage’s real estate division, said the Tallent residence will require a unique buyer. The home with a warm, yet minimalist feel is a far cry from the traditional cabin aesthetic popular in the luxury mountain home market.
“It’s not what you’re used to seeing — it’s going to take a much wider audience than what you would just get locally with a traditional listing,” Schar said. “The (more unique) properties are achieving higher results through auction than they are traditionally because we’re bringing in an outside market.”
Heritage has advertised the Tallent estate locally, nationally and internationally in preparation for Tuesday’s auction.
Schar expects a pool of between five and 15 buyers to show up to bid. All buyers will be required to present $100,000 in order to register and a 10 percent down payment will be due immediately following the auction, with the full sale amount due within 30 days of closing.
Bidders may register at anytime during the preview period from 1-4 p.m. on the four days leading up to the auction and until 11 a.m. on auction day, July 18. Bidding is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
Everything within the home will be included in the sale, from artwork and furniture down to linens and flatware.
“Bring your toothbrush and your checkbook on auction day and you can move right in,” Schar said.