Stunning Michigan castle near Detroit hits market for $2.3M - with its own ... trends now
A house fit for a king!
A la 'Game of Thrones', a literal castle has hit the market in the US - though instead of King's Landing, it can be found nestled in suburban Michigan.
Located just north of Detroit, the home is anything but modest - custom-built by a lifetime Michiganite for his wife a decade before his death. It has since changed hands only once, after a retired mechanical contractor took an interest in 2015.
Noticing the old owner was struggling to make payments, he offered to loan him $900,000 as a favor - on the condition he be repaid in monthly installments.
The ex-owner agreed, but quickly defaulted on those payments before passing away in 2022.
Now for sale for some $2.3million, the 26-room abode harks back to a lost age, and comes complete with a moat, drawbridge, hidden passageways, and a dungeon (with a fully operational hot tub) - as well as bragging rights over your peasant pals.
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Like something out of ' Game of Thrones ', a castle has hit the market - and instead of King's Landing, it can be found a few miles Detroit. It costs roughly $2.3million
The 26-room, five-story fortress can be found hidden in the woodlands of Rochester, Michigan, in a ritzy gated community
Brent Gatecliff, the current lord of the manor, revealed to DailyMail.com this week how he came to own the property.
When jokingly asked if he was the lord of the manor, the 66-year-old who is eager to make a sale quipped: 'I am, but hopefully not for too long.'
Before explaining how he accepted the Medieval-style manse as collateral for a loan back in 2015, he revealed how he got more than he bargained for after taking on the property once the agreement fell through.
'What was I thinking, right?' he joked, recalling how when the old homeowner, 72-year-old James Carter LeBlanc, failed to make a single repayment, he had to step in.
'I was house flipping at the time, and a realtor put me onto the home, which at the time he was looking to sell,' he said over the phone.
He went on to recall how LeBlanc - an entrepreneur with several successful businesses to his name in his day - built it in 1991 as an engagement present to his wife, 22 years after he promised her a castle when he couldn't afford a ring.
The ensuing undertaking took a total of six years, during which LeBlanc spared no expense to get it done.
He brought in experts from all over the world, and fitted the place with hidden halls, fireplaces, and other authentic amenities that cost more than $10million - some of which Gatecliff said are still being uncovered today.
'He lived there just a few years before dying in May 2022 at 72,' Gatecliff said.
Estate agents have been listing the opulent property on and off since about three years ago, but they have yet to find the 'king or queen of the castle'
The structure features turrets, a moat, portcullis, a drawbridge, and a massive 763 lbs. front door
Photos also show elaborately done rooms — plus at least one suit of armor inside, guarding the home
It even boasts a carefully curated hall of mirrors - presumably to confuse the future liege lord's enemies
Brent Gatecliff, the current master of the manor, revealed to DailyMail.com this week how he came to own the property, and how he was forced to take possession
That left the costly creation behind, and Gatecliff to pick up the pieces.
Finishing the necessary renovations that LeBlanc did not, Gatecliff quickly spent an additional $200,000 getting the property up to snuff, he said.
Now out more than $1million, he's asking for $2.299million to guarantee a sale - less than a quarter of the money LeBlanc put forth to get it off the ground.
Despite a steady stream of interest seen since, he has yet to finalize a deal, he admitted.
'It’s a great house,' he told DailyMail.com days after almost closing a deal for the desired amount. 'But it’s a specific house that only a specific buyer is going to be interested in.'
For the first six months, he recalled: 'I kept finding hidden passageways and secret doors' - one which led to a de facto dungeon'.
However, this subterranean cell comes Equipped with a Tudor-style pub, faux stalagmites and a hot tub - a bit more ritzy than the underground rooms from which it was inspired.
That said, LeBlanc did leave behind a prop to make the underground room more 'authentic', Gatecliff revealed, telling DailyMail.com: 'He hung up a pair of shackles on the wall.'
He added of the previously unseen room, which has a full bathroom: 'If we're talking kings and castles, it's a good place to hide from your captors,'
'Nobody would know where you were,' he added, laughing off the discovery.
When jokingly asked if he was the castle's king, the 66-year-old - eager to make a sale - quipped: 'I am, but hopefully not for too long'
Despite the lack of a sale, the home is one of the most talked about homes to hit the market, and emanates a unique opulence any lover of history would appreciate
Before explaining how he accepted the Medieval-style manse as collateral for a loan in 2015, he revealed how he got more than he bargained for after taking on the property once the agreement fell through
Finishing the necessary renovations, Gatecliff spent an additional $200,000 getting the property up to snuff, he said - installing heaters, air conditioners, a new boiler, and more to ensure a successful sale
Now out more than $1million, he's asking for $2.299million to guarantee a sale - less than a quarter of the money LeBlanc put forth to get it off the ground
'It’s a great house,' he told DailyMail.com days after almost closing a deal for the desired amount. 'But it’s a specific house that only a specific buyer is going to be interested in.'
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