In 1979, Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love paid $435,000 for a 2.5-acre Lake Tahoe property; the nearly 19,000-sq-ft estate he built is now surrounded by six protected acres and listed for $43 million
Beach Boys co-founder and lead singer Mike Love has listed his large Lake Tahoe estate for $43 million, ending more than four decades of family ownership. The 83-year-old musician bought the 2.5-acre hillside property in 1979 for $435,000. Over the years, Love and his wife, Jacquelyne, built an 18,922-square-foot compound designed as both a private family home and a place for creative work. Located at 969 Fairview Boulevard in Incline Village on the Nevada side of the lake, the asking price is nearly 99 times what the couple originally paid for the undeveloped land.
Built for privacy and creative work
Instead of building directly on the busy lakefront, Love chose a higher site overlooking the water. This gave the family more privacy while providing wide views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada. To protect the property from future development, the family bought six nearby acres and placed them under permanent conservation. This legal protection keeps the surrounding pine forest and rocky landscape from being developed, preserving the views and privacy. The home covers three levels and was built with stone taken directly from the property. For many years, it was Love’s main creative workspace when he was not touring around the world. The mansion originally included a built-in recording studio with specially designed acoustic ceilings where Love wrote music. Although the studio has since been changed into a lounge and walk-in closet, the original acoustic features are still in place.
Unique design and spiritual touches
The estate includes unusual architectural and interior features influenced by Love’s long practice of Transcendental Meditation and his interest in Eastern philosophy. Visitors enter through a stone archway and a 10-inch-thick front door. Love commissioned the solid wood door from temple craftsmen in southern India. It is decorated with rubies, diamonds and pearls and carved with an image of Ganesh. A temple priest also blessed the door. Inside the foyer, a spiral wrought-iron staircase rises above a koi pond. The area is covered by a hand-painted ceiling showing a celestial scene. The main living spaces have floor-to-ceiling windows and retractable walls that open onto large terraces. The main great room features a two-story river-rock fireplace, while the formal dining room can seat up to 14 people beneath crystal chandeliers. The compound has 10 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms. The main bedroom is located in its own private wing and includes a private deck and a cathedral-shaped headboard made from reclaimed wood.
Resort-style features in a tax-friendly area
The estate was designed for large family gatherings and includes many custom recreational and entertainment features. Inside, there is a professional chef’s kitchen, a private movie theater with massage chairs and a popcorn station, a wine tasting room with a backlit agate ceiling, a poker room, an arcade, a boardroom, a gym, a cedar sauna and two elevators. Outside, the property has a swimming pool, a 10-person hot tub overlooking the lake, an outdoor kitchen with snow-melt decking, a trampoline and a custom ice-skating rink on the upper lawn. Listing agent Jeannette Harpole of Habitat Nevada at Keller Williams said the property offers a rare mix of privacy, protected natural surroundings and easy access to travel through the nearby Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Speaking to real estate outlet SFGATE about the protected surroundings, Harpole said: “There are views from every window, whether you’re seeing Diamond Peak or you’re seeing Lake Tahoe. It’s majestic out there, and it’s protected.” The listing comes as ultra-luxury home sales have increased along the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Incline Village has attracted wealthy buyers partly because of Nevada’s favorable tax system, which has no state income tax, corporate tax or capital gains tax. According to listing information published by Realtor.com and JamesEdition, Love and his wife are selling the longtime family home as their children have grown and the couple plans to spend more time travelling. The family also has strong ties to the North Shore community. They helped found the local Lake Tahoe School and supported the Incline Village Community Hospital.
