Privacy remains paramount in ultra-luxury sales on the Peninsula, as two off-market trades in Atherton and Woodside go for over $30 million a piece, quietly marking the second- and third-biggest sales in San Mateo County so far this year.
Of the two summer sales, 1028 Canada Road in Woodside was slightly higher and took the second-place trophy. It traded for $35 million on June 17, according to public records.
The seller was Maurice Werdegar, chairman of venture capital firm Western Technology Investment. The buyer was 1028 Canada LLC, which is managed by Apercen Partners. The tax firm often represents tech heavyweights like Mark Zuckerberg and Sean Parker in their real estate deals.
Werdegar and wife Helen bought the four-acre property with equestrian facilities in 2014 for $5 million. In 2016, they got approval to demolish the existing two main residences and nine accessory structures and build a new two-story main residence with nearly 8,000 square feet, according to Woodside permit records.
They were also approved for a 1,450-square-foot guest house, 1,060-square-foot detached garage, 815 square foot “pool lounge”, 630 square foot “fitness barn”, and 420 square foot detached office. Outdoor amenities approved included a pool with two spas, an outdoor kitchen with pergola, and a vegetable garden. The project wrapped up in early 2019.
The slightly smaller of the two sales was 229 Polhemus Avenue in Atherton.
In that deal, Balderton Capital managing partner Bernard Liautaud sold his 2.4-acre estate for $33.9 million, according to public records. The buyer was 229P LLC, managed by Anna Roesch. Her LinkedIn profile lists her as the senior accountant for a family office in Menlo Park.
Liautaud and his wife Susan bought the property for $12.5 million in 2004. They also performed a major overhaul on the site, according to Atherton permit records. They did a renovation and addition on the original 1930-built main home, which now has over 10,000 square feet. They also added a new pool and spa, as well as a pool house.
The market for luxury homes is very seasonal and the second quarter typically dominates the market. In the “Stanford Circle” area, which includes both Woodside and Atherton, there were 132 sales over $5 million in the second quarter this year, compared to 55 in the first quarter, according to Compass data. That’s up 38 percent year-over-year and the highest count of any quarter since the pandemic boom started to wane in late 2022.
Sales over $10 million in the circle were up 92 percent year-over-year in the second quarter, according to Compass data.
Gap co-founder Doris Fisher has had the biggest sale so far this year, selling the bulk of her Atherton estate for $48 million this spring.
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Residential
San Francisco
Gap co-founder Doris Fisher sells Atherton estate for almost $48M
Residential
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