Located atop a giant rock, Lake House feels like it’s ‘floating over the water’

An architectural marvel atop a giant bluff overlooking an Idaho lake has hit the market for just under $10 million — more than five decades after the mastermind behind the property pulled off an engineering feat to bring the vision to life.

Located on the edge of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Harrison, the 2,190-square-foot “House on the Rock” features enormous walls of glass that provide panoramic views of the water, making it feel like you’re “floating” on top of the lake, albeit without ever having to worry about motion sickness.

“It literally feels like you’re on a boat, but you’re not moving. You have views all around you and it’s so breathtaking, even on bad weather days. It’s just absolutely the best water view I’ve ever seen,” said listing agent April Gunther with eXp Realty in North Idaho reveals.

It’s the kind of property that’s both enticing and confusing in equal measure; At first glance, it seems almost impossible that the house could have survived on its rocky site for so long without sliding into the water that surrounds it on three sides.

Still, Gunther notes that while the property’s location may seem uncertain, it has undergone rigorous rounds of engineering that will ensure the lot will remain in use for many years to come.

“[It’s] engineering. It was anchored in the rock and had to go through a technical process,” she explains.

“Everywhere you look, you feel like you’re in the middle of the lake. The water completely surrounds you. Normally you have to travel quite a distance to get to the water, and with this you’re living on the water, so it’s a completely different feeling. It’s so hard to explain unless you actually experience it.”

The home, which hit the market on May 27 with an asking price of $9.49 million, is configured with three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

However, the current owners, who connected the house to the main sewer, did so Also added two cabins that each have two walls of glass and offer their own spectacular views over the water.

“They are so cute,” says Gunther. “They’re just little bedroom cabins.”

Although the house itself is only fifty years old, the 3.5-acre lot on which it sits (and even the rock itself) has a rich history dating back to the late 19th century, when the Fort Sherman military post was built on the shores of the lake.

“The soldiers there would board steamboats and go across the lake and there was just kind of a platform that was built on top of that rock and they would dance,” Gunther explains, adding that the Spokane Symphony would also sometimes steam to the venue to play.

“The soldiers brought their ladies and danced all night and then they got back on the steamboat and went back across the lake.”

After the military post was abandoned in the early 20th century, the site became home to a boys’ camp, until the land was purchased by the mastermind behind the house.

“He envisioned building a guesthouse on top of that rock and he did that in the 1970s,” Gunther says. “He built that boarding house and it has evolved a few times and it has changed since he originally built it.”

Plans for further evolution have already been drawn up by architectural firm Olson Kundig, which has drawn up a vision for a redesigned main building And an ADU. These plans will be transferred upon sale.

The residential area is over 3 hectares and has a water frontage of 100 meters with a jetty.

“The grounds behind the house are just flat and lush and beautiful, so you really get the best of both worlds,” Gunther continues. ‘You get this beautiful country attached to it [the rock house] and then you live in the lake.

The property also includes freehold land within the ultra-prestigious Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club, whose members or property owners are Wayne Gretzky, Mark Walhberg, Chris Pratt, Justin BieberAnd Kim Kardashian.

“To join Gozzer, you must own the property in Gozzer, so there are very few waterfront homes with that access and availability to Gozzer,” Gunther explains.

“I can really imagine this buyer wanting the Gozzer lifestyle, but also wanting the waterfront lifestyle and being within walking distance of the lake club.”