This Sonoma County Ranch Just Sold for a Record-Setting $38.5 Million

Sonoma County is perhaps best known for its wine. But don’t sleep on its real-estate market.

A record-setting sale just took place in the scenic Northern California enclave, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Tech entrepreneur Don McKinney nabbed $38.5 million for his 1,100-acre spread, known as the Summit. The previous most expensive sale in the county was $30 million back in 2010.

“This sale represents a clear vote of confidence in the Wine Country,” the listing agent Kristie Eddy told Robb Report. “Sonoma and Napa Country offer something increasingly valuable: privacy, space, and a remarkable quality of life in the heart of the Bay Area.” (Eddy held the listing alongside Michael Dreyfus at Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty.)

McKinney, who founded the network-consulting and security-services provider International Network Services, originally snapped up the Sonoma ranch in 2014 for just $12 million. Over the years, he poured $33 million into the estate, both on preservation and upgrading the living quarters. Last year, he first priced the Summit at $50 million while shopping it off-market, before Sotheby’s listed it for a smidge under $40 million in May.

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In August, an anonymous buyer snapped it up relatively quickly for less than $2 million under asking. While we don’t know what the new owner does, they could also be involved in tech: Eddy attributed some of NorCal’s eye-popping sales of late to the AI boom taking place there. “We are seeing significant wealth move north from San Francisco and Silicon Valley, including wealth connected to the AI economy,” she said.

The Summit is anchored by a 15,000-square-foot main house dating back to 2016. The farmhouse-style abode is all white-washed, sun-filled interiors. Wide-plank wood floors connect the living spaces, which run from a fireplace-warmed living room to an ample chef’s kitchen. A particular highlight is the outdoor-adjacent bathroom, where a serene soaking tub is surrounded by rustic wood-and-glass walls.

The main house is accompanied by additional detached residences, totaling 10 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. There are also several spacious barns and greenhouses, many of them set up for entertaining. And among the rolling grounds, you’ll find meadows, lakes, swimming holes, oak groves, and more. All that’s missing is the vineyards you may expect to find in Sonoma.

Click here to see all the photos of the Sonoma ranch.