Imagine Dragons Bassist Ben McKee Hangs a $1.3 Million Price Tag on His Longtime Bay Area Retreat
Almost 10 years ago, Ben McKee acquired a Tuscan-inspired home at the end of a secluded road in the hilly Montclair Village area of Oakland and proceeded to create “some pretty incredible memories.” The bass player for the Grammy-winning rock band Imagine Dragons composed music as a gentle breeze blew in from the open doors, celebrated the marriage to his wife Mary with a photo session in the beautifully terraced garden, and invited friends over for numerous game nights and dinner parties. The culinary enthusiast also recorded segments for his YouTube cooking show, whipping up meals in the “professional quality kitchen” alongside the likes of Ming Tsai and Paris Hilton.
But the moment this Sonoma County native enjoyed the most? “Simply to sit outside on the front porch and watch the sun set behind the San Francisco skyline as the red-tail hawks left their perches for the day and were replaced by the great-horned owls that call to each other into the night,” he said in a statement.
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Now, more than a decade and a lot of fond recollections later, the 39-year-old musician is ready to part with his longtime home and is putting the property up for sale, asking a speck under $1.3 million, around $145,000 more than he paid for the place back in summer 2014. But the premises have been extensively renovated during his tenure, most notably with an expansion that included the addition of two decks, a lower-level bedroom and bath with its own entrance, and central air-conditioning.
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Built back in the early 1990s, the brown wood-shingled structure is tucked away on a terraced and garden-laced parcel of land spanning almost one-third of an acre within the affluent Montclair Village neighborhood pocket. Inside, three bedrooms and an equal number of bathrooms are spread across nearly 2,700 square feet of multi-level living space, which is adorned throughout with blonde hardwood floors and soaring ceilings dotted with wood beams and skylights.
Especially standing out is a spacious living and dining area flanked by built-in seating and boasting sliding glass doors spilling out to an expansive wraparound deck overlooking sweeping views of San Francisco Bay. An adjacent kitchen has been updated and outfitted with a butcher block-topped island, high-end stainless appliances, and a walk-in pantry. Elsewhere is a primary suite flaunting a private deck and easy access to an outdoor hot tub, as well as a walk-in closet and a spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a spa tub, and an open rainfall shower.
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“It is a very special place and I will never forget the time that we spent there,” McKee told listing agent Sharon Ho of Compass. “I’ve never lived in a place like it and I know that I will never find another place like it. From the thrill of watching the Blue Angels buzz the house for Fleet Week to counting the stars from the hot tub after a long day, our time there and all of the memories we’ve made will be something that we treasure for the rest of our lives.”
Click here for more photos of Ben McKee’s Oakland Hills house.
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