In a 1983 letter, actor Burt Reynolds said that of the 14 houses he owned, his “favorite, without a moment's hesitation” was his house in the mountains, according to the property’s for-sale listing. Now, the North Carolina retreat has sold for $2.9 million.
The four-bedroom, six-bathroom house traded hands July 24 for 1% above list price after spending 26 days on the market, according to CoStar Group's Homes.com. It was built in 1972 in Highlands, North Carolina, and designed by Jim Fox, an architect known for his modern style inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Reynolds fell in love with the area while making the Academy Award-nominated movie “Deliverance” in 1972, listing agent Jody Lovell said on Homes.com. After filming the movie, Reynolds purchased the house with his then-wife, Loni Anderson.
During that time he also became Hollywood’s highest paid actor, a title he held between 1978 and 1982, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Reynolds died in 2018 at age 82.
The current owners lived in the house for 23 years, according Lovell. The broker said they added a pool, hot tub, waterfall, and bar in the outdoor living space. The house’s basement also features a stone bathroom that Anderson built for Reynolds.
Highlands was ranked the “best” mountain town in the South by Travel + Leisure earlier this year. It has a “long history as a getaway for Southerners looking to escape the oppressive summer heat,” the travel publication said.
It’s a popular spot among A-listers, according to Lovell. Celebrities with houses near Reynolds’ former residence include Steve Martin, Nicole Kidman and Stephen King.