NC mountaintop estate lists for $50 million, most expensive home for sale in the state

With a croquet court, a cliff-side spa and meticulously landscaped English gardens, a mountaintop estate in Western North Carolina not only has expansive views of the Blue Ridge Mountains but comes with a record-breaking price tag.

Sagee Manor, a 40-acre estate located just seven minutes from downtown Highlands, has listed at nearly $50 million, making it the highest price of any North Carolina home currently available on multiple listing services. If sold at that price, it would be the most expensive home sale in Western North Carolina history.

Designed by Atlanta-based architect Keith Summerour, the 2005 estate includes a primary manor house alongside a guest cottage. The home features a total of seven bedrooms, where guests and residents can see views of three states from the mountaintop property.

The listing for the property states that the home returns to the real estate market after a "decade-long enhancement reflecting the world's finest materials and artisan craftsmanship," with recent additions to the property that include a private helipad, which has its own reception pavilion and a "tiered gala amphitheater," according to its listing.

Outdoor features include English gardens designed by Rosemary Verey, who is "one of the most acclaimed English landscape designers of the 20th century" the listing notes. The property also features a "pool pavilion" that includes a spa, heated pool, and full bath.

The property has been listed by Christie's International Realty and is being sold by Broker Steve Castellaw. The company has previously sold and listed some of the most expensive homes in the WNC Region, including a $5.5 million property featured by the Citizen Times in September.

In addition to being "perched breathtakingly" above Highlands, the property features a garden room, a library, a climate-controlled wine cellar, over seven fireplaces, a media room and a butlers pantry.

Located in Macon County, the parcel that contains just the manor and guest cottage has been assessed by county officials at nearly $20 million. The estimated property tax is $96,531 a year, according to the listing.

Highlands was recently listed as being the "Best Small Mountain Town" in America by Travel and Leisure Magazine for its variety of dining, resorts and views in the area. The town is about an hour and 40 minutes from Asheville.

The home's listing price bests that of other luxury home listings in the region, including Asheville's $25 million Deerhaven Gardens estate. Asheville's most expensive home sale was a Biltmore Forest property that sold in 2023 for a record $9.6 million.

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.