T
he 1916‑built residence at 402 Old Locke Lane, a two‑story brick house spanning 7,400 sq ft on almost six acres, was sold by Walter and Karen Emroch for $6.3 million—making it the second‑most expensive residential transaction in the Richmond metro area this year. The off‑market deal closed last Thursday at the Richmond courthouse. The Emrochs, who had owned the property since 1989 (purchasing it for $2 million from William and Barbara Thalhimer Jr.), had just bought a slightly smaller home at 4 Paxton Road earlier in September for $2.95 million in an all‑cash transaction.

    Walter Emroch, a former state delegate and founder of the now‑renamed Walter H. Emroch & Associates (Emroch & Kilduff), has retired from the personal‑injury firm. Karen Emroch serves on the board of advisors for Historic Richmond. Their new home, 4 Paxton Road, is a 5,000‑sq‑ft French Provincial‑style house built in 1955, featuring four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and two half‑bathrooms on a half‑acre lot. The property, assessed at $2 million, was acquired from the Thalhimer family trust—representing the late Morton Thalhimer Jr., a former president of Neighborhood Theatre Inc. and chairman of Georgetown Enterprises Inc. The transaction was handled by Maria Brent of The Steele Group, with the listing originally managed by agent Debbie Gibbs.

    The buyers of 402 Old Locke Lane are Lauren and Marc Cram, who used an LLC to purchase the home. Marc is a Morgan Stanley financial advisor and co‑owner of the Short Pump wine shop, The Wine Whisperer. The Crams declined to comment when contacted.

    The Emrochs’ sale of Old Locke Lane follows a $9 million purchase in April of a 143‑acre riverfront tract at 8703 River Road, which includes a 1,100‑sq‑ft house and sits on both sides of the Kanawha Canal.

    At $6.3 million, the Old Locke Lane transaction ranks as the second‑highest residential sale in the region for the year, according to the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service.