The House That Re/max Built

 

OWNERS: David and Gail Liniger, founders of Re/Max International Inc., the third-largest real-estate brokerage company in the United States

SITE: Two and a half acres in a private development outside Denver

UNUSUAL FEATURES: "Hunt" room, casino, spa, shooting range, view of Pikes Peak

ARCHITECT: John Knudson, Knudson Associates P.C.

COST: Around $625,000, based on county assessment

About the only thing missing from this place is Little Joe Cartwright.

Inside: Leather upholstery. Antique poker table. Slot machines. Walnut bar. Shooting range. A great stone fireplace, 20 feet across. Walls lined with wildlife art and a collection of modern firearms, including rifles, shotguns, and pistols.

Outside: Deer and antelope and elk roam freely but for the occasional cougar.

Welcome to the New West.

"Gail and I love the outdoors, and that really ties all this together," explains Dave Liniger. "We hunt, fish -- all of that. We love country living."

Country, but hardly homespun. Here's a house that accommodates 200 for a party several times a year without anyone moving a stick of furniture. Inside, count seven bathrooms, three wet bars, six refrigerators, and staff quarters. Outside are two golf courses and a 24-hour security patrol. The commute to Denver -- and Re/Max headquarters -- is only 20 minutes.

Sound perfect? Almost, David Liniger says. But, to a real-estate veteran like Liniger, there's no such thing as the ultimate house; he's seen too many.

"You keep seeing, thinking, and being shown other ideas that are really unique," he says as he contemplates the small improvements that could make his next project -- probably a vacation getaway -- even better.

"There's a saying in the real-estate business, among people who build homes, that you have to build three houses and live in them yourself before you get around to building one that's really perfect for what you want," Liniger muses. "I don't know whether three houses is enough."