An iconic Rochester-area home known as the “Mushroom House” appears to finally have a buyer, after sitting on the market for around two years. Its unique architecture has caused the home to be featured on HGTV, in magazines and in numerous online outlets.The Perinton property, which looks like a cluster of mushrooms, is now listed with a “sell pending” status on the Multiple Listing Service of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors. Real estate broker Richard Testa, an authority on the home and a previous listing agent, says that the price and buyer can’t be disclosed until the deal goes through. Although the contract is dated May 30, it’s unknown when the sale will be complete.
The most recent list price was $629,000. The 4,000-square-foot property features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and lush outdoor landscaping design (the last factor alone can increase a home’s value by between 7% and 15% on average).
The home was designed and constructed under the direction of architect James H. Johnson between 1970 and 1972 for Robert and Marguerite Antell, an attorney and a sculptor, respectively. It was designated a town landmark in 1989.
If the pending sale is finalized, the new owner will be the property’s fifth. The current owners, Mike Gagnier and Theresa Sherrod, are physicians who are relocating to Maryland. They purchased the home in February of 2012 for $799,000.
The couple was originally asking $1.5 million for the house, and reportedly had to make more than a half-dozen price adjustments to bring in a buyer. Testa told the Democrat and Chronicle that whoever is in the process of buying the house got a very good deal; experts estimate that it would cost around $4.5 million to build the same house today, and it would likely sell for between $10 million and $15 million were it located in New York City, Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Testa had even tried in the past to get Monroe County to buy the Mushroom House and incorporate it into the county parks system, so that it could be rented out for weddings, conferences and other events.
“I’m such a strong believer in the Mushroom House and what it stands for,” Testa told the DandC. “I feel it’s very much a part of the community. People just love the Mushroom House. It truly is a treasure.” Although, the usual style makes it a hard house to sell.
[Photo courtesy of Zillow.com.]
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