The identity of the buyer of television's "Mary Tyler Moore" house between Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake has been disclosed — sort of.
A recently filed state certificate of real estate value lists the buyer as the Arrowhead Revocable Land Trust, which paid $1.45 million for the home at 2104 Kenwood Parkway in Minneapolis and closed on the deal on Sept. 19.
That's a far cry from its estimated market value of $2.345 million and also below its most recent list price of $1.7 million. It was originally listed almost five years ago for $2.9 million.
Twin Cities businessman Bernie Reisberg, who is affiliated with the buyers, said Thursday that the private land trust is "owned by a number of people" and the home will be a private residence for "a family living there from time to time." Reisberg declined to say more, including any of the people associated with the trust.
Kate Wall, a Coldwell Burnet Banker agent representing the buyers, said the land trust was formed "in order to protect and maintain the anonymity of the buyers. They are a private family, and they want to remain private."
Wall said the home's occupiers, who do not have a public profile, have no interest in opening the house to the public or bringing any more attention to the residence of more than 9,000 square feet than it already receives.
Gregory Macfarlane and Eva Wai Oi Mui paid $2.8 million for the turreted house in 2007, when Macfarlane became chief financial officer of Ceridian Corp. It went on the market for the same price in December 2012 after Macfarlane was appointed CFO for H&R Block in Kansas City.
Wall attributed the home selling far below the original list price this time around to it being "quite large, and not many people need that much space. ... We were waiting for the right buyer to come along, and the right buyer did come along."
As for the home's celebrity status affecting the price, Wall said, "It being used in a TV show is fun, but I don't think it made the house any more or less valuable."
Built in 1892, the house served as the exterior representation of where Moore's character Mary Richards lived during much of the TV sitcom's run from 1970 to 1977. Locals and visitors to Minnesota alike have long scoped out the home in one of the metro area's most luxurious neighborhoods.
The home was portrayed on the show as being broken into apartment units. In reality, the single-family residence has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, a three-car garage, private guest quarters and a sauna.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
