Apparently, ex-auto mogul Denny Hecker's former lakeside retreat was simply too extravagant, too excessive — and too pricey — to find a buyer for the $8.5 million property on the market since 2017.
So the current owner split it into three lots "to get the price down and attract more buyers," said Chad Schwendeman, the Exit Lakes Realty Premier agent in Baxter who has the listing.
The northern Minnesota getaway on Cross Lake boasted a 11,880-square-foot split-log home along 800 feet of sandy shoreline on a five-acre site. When Hecker hosted parties, his guests had plenty of room at two smaller homes and apartments above garages.
Now the sprawling lodge-style residence is priced at $4 million, sitting on just under three acres with 440 feet of sandy lakeshore.
Inside, the rooms were designed with quality materials and craftsmanship, from the split-stone fireplace to the dramatic second-story catwalk. It was built to impress, said Schwendeman. "Mr. Hecker wanted to create that 'wow' factor when people walked in."
All the furnishings are negotiable, including a life-size Elvis statue and Wurlitzer jukebox, which were left behind, he said.
Hecker built the vacation home in 2007, two years before he filed for bankruptcy. He served more than seven years in prison for fraud and was released July 2018.
The current owner bought the expansive compound in 2010 for $5.4 million from TCF Bank, which acquired it through foreclosure.
