Sports lover buys Arlington luxury house near Cowboys Stadium for $2.23 million - Star-Telegram - December 17, 2009

Some sports lovers buy a luxury suite to be on the 50-yard line.

Then there are guys who’ll pay $2.23 million for a luxury house that’s five minutes from Cowboys Stadium.

That’s what an anonymous Houston buyer paid at auction Tuesday for a 9,370-square-foot French modern house in northeast Arlington. The property, dubbed La Maison Des Fontaines (House of Fountains), was on Tarrant County tax rolls for $2.6 million.

Owners Michael and Marty Reiswig decided to sell the property via an "absolute," auction, meaning there was no minimum reserve price. It could have been risky, but not to worry.

"On auction day we ended up with 11 registered bidders," said Pat Kirby, who handled the sale for Grand Estates Auction Co. He said he received 222 inquiries from as far away as British Columbia and 123 groups toured the 3.35-acre spread, at 2712 Mark Twain Court.

"The seller was actually thrilled," Kirby said. The closing is set for Jan. 14.

Jamie Adams of MVP Agents in Arlington said that while the sales price amounts to a nifty $238 per square foot, that isn’t a historic high for a previously owned residence in Arlington. He said he recalls one going for $254 per square foot in 2005.

But it’s pretty strong, given the local economy, Adams said, who listed the house for a year and saw three deals blow up before the Reiswigs decided to auction it.

"He decided to roll the dice," Adams said the decision to auction the property. "He got very fortunate."

According to Monika Weymouth, a spokeswoman for Grand Estates Auction Co., the buyer is a hard-core sports fan. "Prior to owning this house, he flew in every weekend for professional or college games," Weymouth said. "He just said it’d be a perfect second home."