Lake Tahoe estate lists for $64.5M

Captivating boaters and lake-goers for years, Crystal Pointe Estate serves as a striking landmark on the shores of Lake Tahoe’s Crystal Bay.

The private-gated, custom estate consists of a 16,232-square-foot main residence with an adjoining guest wing, detached garage pavilion and 3,600-square-foot beach house, connected by two glass-enclosed hillside funicular trams.

Crystal Pointe, located at 300 Highway 28 in Crystal Bay is listed for $64.5 million through Chase International Realty’s listing agents Susan Lowe, Mike Dunn, Shari Chase and Kerry Donovan.

The estate is on course to set a record for the Tahoe area. The current record, set in 1998, is Del Webb Corp.’s $56 million purchase of the Whittell Estate, including the historic Thunderbird Lodge.

“Nothing has surpassed that sale,” Lowe said. “We’ve had something close at $48 million.”

The inimitable estate is nothing short of an architectural triumph, but it is more than a showpiece. It is the realization of Stuart (Stu) and Geri Yount’s dream, who meticulously designed it down to the finest detail. The entire estate is a personal reflection of the couple, who for the last 24 years called it home.

“One of the greatest compliments is when someone who knows us well comes into the home and says, ‘I can see you here,’ ” Geri Yount said. “It reflects our personality and desires.”

The couple’s distinct character is reflected within the warm, inviting classic Tahoe design enveloping the floor-to-ceiling windows, custom-designed fireplaces, wood vaulted ceilings, grand wood pillars and customlighting. It is also expressed by the intricate detailing throughout.

“I’m a very detailed person,” Geri Yount said. “As we went room by room I insisted nothing be the same anywhere. Everything in the house is unique to its own space.”

Crystal Pointe received its name from the home’s architect, Jeff Lundahl. As a symbol of the prominent namesake, the couple purchased a sizeable crystal to display in the grand entry. They discovered the stone hidden in a dark shed behind a gem store while attending an Arizona Gem, Mineral and Fossil show.

“It was sitting on a bale of hay,” Geri Yount said. “Once we saw it, we knew immediately we needed to purchase it.”

They commissioned an artist from Colorado to design and custom build a unique display base for the approximately 700-pound crystal, which required an engine puller to lift into position.

“One little requirement we had for the base was if all our grandkids ran into it at full speed,” Stu Yount said. “They wouldn’t knock it over.”

The couple moved to Crystal Bay in the early 1990s seeking a better quality of life. They eventually moved the headquarters and 11 families of their building materials company, Fortifiber Building Systems Group, from Southern California to Incline Bay.

After purchasing the property in 1994, it took over five years to complete the main residence. The couple engaged Reno-Tahoe-based Q&D Construction as its general contractor.

“He’s the largest commercial builder in Northern Nevada, who builds only a few of the area’s homes,” Stu Yount said in an email. “Using the best of materials, appliances and craftsmanship, all to commercial standards to last ‘500 years.’ ”

Sited close to the shoreline, the beach house required an additional 10 years to complete due to permitting issues. After finally breaking ground in 2014, the contractor completed construction two years later. The lack of road access required the use of amphibious barges and helicopters to transport materials and workers daily to the site.

“Everything had to be brought that way,” Geri Yount said. “We even had our own on-site concrete batch plant. It was amazingly challenging and expensive to build.”

Crystal Pointe is considered a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, designed to blend into the forested landscape.

“We designed our home to follow the natural contour of the land,” Geri Yount said. “We wanted to let the breathtaking views be the main inspiration.”

The estate encompasses 5.1 private acres sited across two lakefront parcels. It offers 525 feet of lakefront with a terraced beach, four buoys and a newly acquired pier permit. Selected during a recent Lake Tahoe pier lottery, the property’s asking price reflects future pier construction. Entry into the property flows through lush, custom-designed gardens, filled with flowering plants, trees, ponds, waterfalls and a meditation area. Custom wood animal sculptures indigenous to the area are found throughout the space, including serving as the garden’s centerpiece.

“A local artist took three years to carve a tree that had died,” Geri Yount said. “He carved animals out of the trunk, and they’re actually part of the tree. It’s an amazing work of art.”

From the moment of entry, the main residence’s gallery-style layout displays spectacular views from every room, except the movie theater.

“You walk into the main living of this house, and it feels like you’re floating above the lake,” Mike Dunn said. “I’ve never been in any home that has given me that perspective. It’s just stunning.”

In addition to the stunning views, the distinctive property features eight bedrooms, 12 baths, formal dining and living rooms, 13 fireplaces, primary bedroom office with leather door inlays and a Brazilian mahogany library, an old English pub-inspired billiards room with bar, 1,687-bottle wine cellar, game room and caretaker’s apartment.

“Creating warmth in large spaces is not always easily achieved,” Geri Yount said. “But I believe we did because it’s a common comment we get that it feels so warm and comfortable.”

The retired couple said they enjoy the unhurried nature of life on the lake. They relish spending leisurely days enjoying coffee in the great room and nights in the theater watching movies.

The movie theater’s unique design, including a 16-foot screen, and custom down-filled leather seats, captures a heightened viewing experience.

“We’ve watched many movies in that room,” Stu Yount said. “It’s definitely a highlight in our home.”

The couple hired a California-based acoustical designer to engineer the theater’s acoustics, resulting in enhanced sound and picture quality. The solutions for optimal noise control involve using transparent Indian silk metallic fabric on the walls, springs in the ceiling and spacing the floor joists at a specified length from the center.

“Everything about the theater is designed for the sound and picture quality,” Geri Yount said. “It’s amazing.”

The theater’s custom handpainted ceiling expresses the sky, which transforms from day to night as the theater lights dim. The nighttime ceiling reveals the Milky Way and other celestial bodies.

The years at the lake provided an abundance of memories with family and friends including weddings, Christmas parties, birthday celebrations, themed-catered events and sing-alongs around a campfire. A special event the couple holds every fall is their annual Harvest Moon party.

“We delight in watching the full moon as it rises across the lake and shines, seemingly just at us,” Geri Yount said. “It’s magical. Everybody talks about it all yearlong.”

Considered the “crown jewel” of the property, the beach house offers a seamless indoor-outdoor living wall-to-wall retractable door system that opens to an expansive deck overlooking the water.

“The beach house is designed for entertaining,” Geri Yount said. “It’s probably our favorite venue if we had to pick one.”

Crystal Pointe has played a significant role in Stu and Geri Yount’s lives, but the couple is ready for a change. They plan to downsize and move closer to their grandchildren.

“We lived in our dream home for over 24 years,” Geri Yount said. “And have so many happy memories with family and friends. Now, we feel it’s time for us to begin a new chapter. We love being with our grandchildren. That is a priority at this stage of our life.”