A more than 300-acre equestrian estate in Virginia is the priciest home sale in Loudoun County this year.
The Bolinvar estate sold for $15.5 million on Nov. 25, according to a Homes.com listing. The sale included a nearly 100-year-old stone manor house that sits on a 100-acre parcel as well as the neighboring 225-acre parcel.
In addition to the more than 10,000-square-foot manor with seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, the property located about an hour outside of Washington, D.C., also includes a heated pool, gardens, two horse stables and an outdoor horse-riding area. It also has 2,000 feet of frontage on the Goose Creek River as well as views of nearby Bull Run Mountain.
The sale is a “really important” transaction for the Virginia countryside, known as Hunt Country, real estate agent Debbie Meighan of Washington Fine Properties, who represented the buyers, said in a release.
“With ever-encroaching development, it is more crucial than ever that these great estates remain intact,” she said. “And these buyers are dedicated to that.”
Hunt Country is an “iconic destination” in the mid-Atlantic, according to home design business The Rappahannock River Co. It’s known for hosting “regular fox hunting and equestrian expeditions” and for its dedication to preserving its land.
Escape from the city
That history is part of what attracted Meighan’s buyers to Bolinvar, Meighan said in an interview.
“This buyer particularly wanted large acreage,” she said. “This buyer particularly wanted a lot of equestrian facilities, and I think when they were first looking, they didn’t think they needed as big of a house as this, but after looking at a bunch of things that were on the market, this really was the ideal one for them.”
As for the property’s $15.5 million price tag, Meighan said it’s common for luxury buyers to pay for what they want.
“They kind of want what they want. And they don’t need to compromise," she said.
From the Homes.com blog: How to Price Your Home to Sell, According to the Experts
Meighan said she doesn’t see the luxury market in the Hunt Country area slowing down any time soon, either. Especially with the incoming Trump administration.
“Last time Trump was elected, the people coming in…bought a lot of expensive property. And that may happen again,” she said.