For Sale: 20K Sq. Ft. Winnipesaukee Mansion Where Sarkozy Stayed; $13.6 Million
WOLFEBORO, NH (CBS) - For those who can afford it, a 20,000-square-foot home on Lake Winnipesaukee is up for sale.
Interested buyers just need to come with a lot of money -- about $13.6 million dollars -- and lots of family and friends to fill it.
"We just accommodated 30 people a couple of weeks ago; everybody had a bed to sleep in," said Irene Appe, who owns the home along with her husband Michael Appe, a former Microsoft executive.
The homeowners say they are downsizing, and no longer need the 11 bedrooms, movie theater, wine cellar, boat house and summer kitchen, all of which sits on 58 acres of prime lakefront property.
"Living on the water is unbelievable. Looking at the water every single days gives you a feeling of peace and lots of fun," said Irene.
The sprawling mansion received international attention when then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy vacationed here in 2007. Mutual friends rented the house for the first family of France.
The homeowners briefly met the glamorous guests.
"He was very, very nice. (Sarkozy) spent quite a bit of time with us. They had a great time," said Michael.
The real estate agents with the listing, Jodi Hughes and Michael Travis of Prudential Spencer-Hughes Real Estate, say Sarkozy's visit will definitely help attract buyers.
"It helps people know about it," said Hughes, who says the home comes "Secret Service approved".
The house prides itself on privacy.
"It is unusual to have an opportunity to design a house that sits on a site where you don't really see any other houses," said architect William Soupcoff of TMS Architects.
