By all accounts, this pristine mansion in Mountain Village, CO, should have been a quick sale.
Measuring in at 23,124 square feet and listed for just shy of $18.5 million, the home has everything a buyer might need -- and many features a buyer may never need, which might be hindering the process.
The lodge-style mansion has eight bedrooms, 8.5 bathrooms, large living spaces, a chef's kitchen with high-end appliances, a bar, a media room, and a guesthouse.
There are cathedral ceilings with log beams and deer antler chandeliers. Massive rock fireplaces anchor many of the rooms.
Other features set this house apart from others, including the master suite, which is more than 1,400 square feet and has its own library, according to listing agent Matthew Hintermeister.
For contemplative buyers, there's a labyrinth outside. "It is an exact full-scale replica of the one in Chartres, France," Hintermeister says.
Location isn't an issue, because the curb appeal and locale are suited to high-end buyers. The home has immaculate gardens, a water feature, a seven-person spa, a putting green, and mountain views. Located in a gated community, the home comes with a car service, is near a ski run, and close to a golf course, according to Hintermeister.
It's not the price tag. The home is priced right for the area at $799 per square foot. Hintermeister says they couldn't go much lower without dropping below the area's average.
And while many houses at this price point have trouble with marketing, that hasn't been the case here. The home is owned by Roxanne Pulitzer and her husband, Tim Boberg, and their fame has led to the home being featured in the Wall Street Journal and HGTV's " Million Dollar Rooms."
Hintermeister hasn't let his own marketing efforts flag. "I've done more marketing for this property than any in my entire career," he says.
But despite all the positives outlined above, the home has been on the market for almost five years and the reason why might be a lesson in overabundance.
The root cause might be found in the lanes of a personal bowling alley.
"The owner bought her husband a really cool bowling alley from the Neiman Marcus catalog for Christmas one year," Hintermeister says.
To accommodate the bowling alley, the couple added a massive extension -- going from 9,000 to more than 20,000 square feet -- and filled the new extension with distinctive features. Dubbed the "entertainment wing" by Hintermeister, the addition includes a 75-foot lap pool and a commercial-grade indoor shooting range. "We think it is the only one like it in Colorado," Hintermeister says of the range.
One-of-a-kind features can be a gamble in any home at any price point. While some buyers fall in love with being at the forefront of luxury, others can have a hard time figuring out what they'll do with such specific in-home features.
The sheer size of the home could be another hurdle. "There is a market for luxury homes," Hintermeister says. "But a lot of the clientele in this area seem to be more comfortable with smaller homes in the $10 million and under range."
Despite the issues, Hintermeister believes there are potential buyers for this mansion -- labyrinth, gun range, and all -- it's just a matter of getting the opportunity in front of them. To get it done, Hintermeister has an aggressive marketing plan that goes beyond the local area to reach a larger buyer pool.
Once the right buyer sees it, we're sure he or she will be ready to roll a strike and settle down once and for all.