Orca Opulence: Oprah Winfrey Sells Her Orcas Island Estate

Oprah’s Orcas Island Getaway Swims off the Market

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has decided to sell her Orcas Island estate after owning it for just three years. Winfrey purchased the home for just over $8 million in 2018 and quietly sold it for $14 million this year. The reason for selling off this impressive property? “[Oprah’s]  too busy and never going to really use it,” said Winfrey’s Broker, who was interviewed by Puget Sound Business Journal.

Orcas Island Estate Overview

Nestled between Victoria, British Columbia, and Bellingham, Washington, is Orcas Island, a relaxing Pacific coast retreat surrounded by Douglas firs and Sitka spruce. The 43-acre waterfront compound was bought sight unseen three years ago. The property was rarely used in the three years that Winfrey owned it, and it was sold for a profit of $6 million. Beyond being a media mogul, Winfrey knows a real estate deal when she sees one.

The compound was built in 2007 and comprises two waterfront properties that equal just over 3,000 sq. ft. The 7,303-sq.-ft. main house has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and stands three stories tall. The exterior of the main home features a striking copper and slate roof. The interior finishes are made of rare reclaimed wood, such as floorboards that were actually reclaimed from the former Sears building in Chicago. With luxurious details like these, this property is anything but rustic. 

There is also a 2,948-sq.-ft. guest house on the property sporting 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, set on a high cliff overlooking the private beach. 

The property also boasts a teahouse, an Asian garden, private hiking trails, water features including a pond and stream, and more than half a mile of pebble-stone beach. A large barn houses a woodworking studio on the upper floor, and there’s a gym and yoga studio on the ground floor. 

Seattle Metro Area Real Estate Market

Orcas Island is adjacent to Seattle, which has one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. The median sales price in Seattle is currently $800,000, which is an increase of 8% compared to last year. This high median sales price is thanks largely to competition driving up bids. The demand for housing has pushed the median number of days on market down to just 6 days, a 25% decrease year-over-year. 

To stand out and remain competitive, more buyers are moving to all-cash offers and dropping contingencies on appraisals, taking on bigger risks in the process. Between January 2021 and April 2021, 24% of home sales in the Seattle area were all-cash offers. 

Oprah Winfrey’s Net Worth

Winfrey has a net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The icon generates so much wealth that she could purchase the Orcas Island home hundreds of times over. Winfrey makes over $300 million a year, creating a rock-solid foundation of capital to invest in luxury properties like these. She owns more than $200 million worth of real estate globally, flipping homes all over the world for a pretty profit.