Lake Travis mega-mansion has Harry Potter-style chessboard, helipad

One of the priciest homes on the market in Austin was featured Friday in the Wall Street Journal, and I have a breathtaking slideshow to share — from stunning overhead views of the $22.9 million mansion bordering Lake Travis to the serene paths that transverse the 31-acre site.

Styled like an English country manor, the property is likely to inspire a range of nobility — there's equestrian facilities, a boat dock and party deck, helipad, waterfall and koi pond, formal gardens, pool, spa, tennis courts and sports court.

 

The overhead view of Commander's Point Estate shows the main house, seven-car garage and… more

Click on the photo to see the slideshow of the property.

The main residence is 10,500 square feet and the guest house is 2,932 square feet — larger than a majority of homes in Austin. There's another manager's house for the horse facilities and a seven-car garage.

The most whimsical feature may be the Harry Potter-styled giant chessboard in the gardens, which captured the notice of the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom.

Gary and Michelle Dolch, agents with Kuper Sotheby's International Realty in Austin, have the listing.

The home is owned by philanthropists Philip and Donna Berber. A former tech entrepreneur from Ireland, Philip Berber moved his family to Austin in the mid-1990s after four years in Houston. Today, they operate the nonprofit organization A Glimmer of Hope Foundation, which supports impoverished people of rural Ethiopia.

The couple's children are growing up and it's time to downsize, Gary Dolch said.

The Dolch's new listing is one of three priced at more than $20 million. They are also representing the sellers of Barton Canyon Ranch, a 128-acre estate just a few minutes from Downtown Austin, which I previously wrote about. It's priced at $25 million.

The Star Creek Ranch, an historic 500-acre cattle ranch with a spectacular collection of rare antiques, is also in the Dolch's listing portfolio, which collectively approaches $159 million.

"We have a very strong network both locally and nationally made up of private wealth managers, trust attorneys, financial and fund managers and top brokers in our feeder markets.," Dolch said. "It's these relationships that help us to position our properties in front of our target buyers with incredible accuracy and efficiency."