T
he most expensive homes sold last year in Washington featured luxurious amenities, private locations, and a prized waterfront feature. The top five sales were all mansions along the shore of Lake Washington in Medina, Bellevue, and Mercer Island, with one deal reaching nearly $40 million.

    Waterfront properties on the Eastside dominated the list of most expensive homes sold in 2024, despite tepid activity in the broader real estate market. High home prices and elevated mortgage rates have squeezed everyday buyers, but luxury home values rose faster than more affordable homes as well-off buyers were less affected by mortgage rates.

    Fourteen single-family homes in Western Washington sold for $10 million or more last year, down from 16 sales in 2023 and 19 in 2022. Luxury home values across the country rose faster than those of more affordable homes in the first half of the year, according to a Zillow analysis.

    The buyers behind these high-end deals often worked to shield their identities, with four of the five homes sold to limited liability corporations or trusts. However, public records reveal that buyers included Microsoft Chief Operations Officer Carolina Dybeck Happe and LLCs linked to Thomas Fairbanks, chairman of VECA Electric & Technologies.

    The most expensive home sold was a $38.9 million mansion in Medina, which appears to have been sold without a public listing. The property features an indoor pool and spa, as well as 117 feet of waterfront along the Gold Coast. The buyer is an LLC registered in Delaware.

    Other notable sales include a five-bedroom Mercer Island home with six-and-a-half bathrooms, a billiard room, and wine cellar that sold for $28.5 million; a Bellevue mansion previously owned by former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson that sold to a trust for $21.25 million; and two Medina mansions sold for north of $17 million each.

    Agents note that the value of these properties lies not just in their luxurious features, but also in their prime waterfront locations.