John McCain’s Houses Number 6 — No, 8… Maybe 11?
By: Diane Tuman, Zillow Content Manager | August 27, 2008
Republican presidential nominee John McCain took a lot of ribbing a week ago when he botched the question, “How many houses do you and Mrs. McCain have?” His answer landed somewhere between “I don’t know” and “I’ll have my staff get that for you.”
In his defense, McCain couldn’t give a straight answer because it’s complicated. One main reason is because his wife, Cindy Hensley McCain, the multi-millionaire beer distributor heiress (she’s a Budweiser gal), is the one with all the money and the houses (they are under holding companies or trusts controlled by Cindy). Also, they have purchased a couple of condos in the same buildings and in one case, combined them into one uber property, which also leads to the confusion. Even media sites and blogs are at odds:
New York Times: 11
Politico: 8
Politifact: 7 8
The Swamp: 8
Washington Post: 6
So, their real estate empire is a bit difficult to sort out. But, here’s an attempt to break it down, state-by-state:
ARIZONA
(3 properties):
2211 Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ
2211 Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ
Unit 1105 and 1106
See more Phoenix, AZ real estate
Overview: This is a 12-story luxury condo complex with 90 units in the Biltmore area of Phoenix known as “The Residences at 2211 Camelback.” Self-described as “a sanctuary within the heart of the city’s preferred cultural district, teeming with couture boutique shopping, exquisite dining, world-class resorts and spas, championship golf, and a liberal array of fine and performing arts venues - heralds Phoenix’s newest landmark of sophisticated urban living.”
The Scoop: This 7,000-sq-ft home is considered to be the McCain’s primary residence. They purchased a high-floor apartment for $4.67 million in October 2006 and then, another unit was purchased for $830,000 in Aug. 2007 and the two units (1105 and 1106) were combined. This combination could add to the confusion as to how many homes the McCains own.
4325 N 25th St., Phoenix, AZ
4326 N 25th St, Unit 102, Phoenix, AZ
See more Biltmore Lofts for sale
Overview: Known as the Biltmore Lofts, these are described as “ultra-modern architectural design.”
The Scoop: According to property records from Maricopa County, Arizona, the McCains purchased this loft (with cash) for $700,000 in June 2007 for their daughter, Meghan (who writes McCainBloggette.com) before they put it on the market for $730,000. It’s owned by Wild River LLC, and is listed as rental property on McCain’s 2008 Senate Financial Disclosure Report.
Sedona Ranch
11455 E Hidden Valley Ranch Rd., Sedona, AZ
See more Sedona, AZ real estate
Overview: Regarded as McCain’s answer to W’s Crawford ranch, this retreat is where McCain likes to barbecue, ride ATVs, and generally spend time wining and dining guests.
Sedona BBQ
The Scoop: The McCain ranch poses a dilemma to document since public records for Yavapai County, Arizona, show three adjacent parcels that belong to the “Cindy Hensley McCain Family Trust” including parcel 407-24-004P and 407-24-004H and 407-24-004L. While it is referred to as his ranch in Sedona, many dispute it by saying it’s actually located in Cornville, AZ, or Page Springs, AZ.
See more Cornville, AZ, real estate
See more Sedona, AZ real estate
CALIFORNIA
(3 properties):
8263 Camino del Oro, La Jolla, CA
8263 Camino Del Oro (Unit 379), La Jolla, CA 92037
See more La Jolla, CA real estate
Overview: This property is held in the Hensley Survivors Trust, according to public records.
The Scoop: This is the property where the McCains ran into tax trouble by failing to pay their tax bill for four years. Our Zestimate values it at $963,000 (as of Aug. 26). According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the 1,429-square-foot condo has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage, and was built in 1972. County tax records indicate Cindy McCain’s parents, the Hensleys, bought it new. Also, the condo has an annual tax obligation of $1,574 because it is assessed at $140,855, a value kept low by tax-limiting Proposition 13.
1710 Avenida del Mundo
1710 Avenida Del Mundo, Coronado, CA 92118
(Units #802 and #204 — for sale!)
See more Coronado, CA real estate
Overview: This monstrous complex, called the Coronado Shores Condominium Association, sits right on the beach and consists of 10 buildings, each 15 stories high with as many as 140 units in each structure.
The Scoop: According to PolitiFact.com and McCainvMinnesota.com, the McCains own two condominums in the complex under the name Dream Catcher Family LLC. One unit (#802) was purchased in 2004 for $2.6 million and the second unit (#204) was purchased in March 2008 for $2.1 million. What’s interesting is that unit 204 appears to be for sale, with the sale including unit 205, which is owned by the Stephen F. Kasbeer Trust, the same folks who sold unit 204 to the McCains. Here’s a Prudential, CA, video tour of the property. (Looks like Kasbeer and his wife donated some money to McCain in 2000).
VIRGINIA
(1 property):
1300 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA
1300 Crystal Dr (#1702S), Arlington, VA 22202
See condos for sale at 1300 Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA
See more Arlington, VA real estate
Overview: Yes — yet another condo and one would imagine, the place where John McCain holes up when he’s in town doing his work on Capitol Hill as a U.S. Senator.
The Scoop: According to public records, this 2,089-sq-ft, three-bed, three-bath condo was purchased by the Cindy Hensley McCain Trust back in 1993 for $375,000. Our Zestimate is $883,000.
CINDY McCAIN’s CHILDHOOD HOME
7110 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ
7110 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020
While the McCains no longer own this home, it is worth noting due to its celebrated history. According to an AZcentral.com article by Wall Street Journal’s Christina S.N. Lewis, this was Cindy McCain’s childhood home and the home the McCain family shared for 20 years. The McCains sold it in 2006 for $3.2 million to real estate investor Jane Popple. It is now listed for sale for $12 million. Yowza! Architectural Digest did a big photo spread of this McCain residence back in 2005. In the master bedroom, the initials “MC,” for “McCain,” were hand-carved into a mantelpiece, which was made in Guadalajara.
So, there you have it, 7 homes owned by the McCains — that we know of — with two for sale.
Fun stuff:
- Take a Flickr tour of John McCain’s Mansions
- Go on a Google Earth tour of McCain’s houses by Jed Report
- See Wonkette’s map of McCain properties
Comments, corrections, additions, and submissions are welcome. Please send to celebtips@zillow.com
- Stumble it!
- Categories: Celebrity Real Estate
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John McCain Losing Track of Homes he Owns | Zillow® Blog on August 27, 2008 3:54 pm
[...] Update: We put together a blog post that lists all the homes John McCain owns. [...]
DallasDirt » Blog Archive » John McCain’s Homes on August 27, 2008 4:28 pm
[...] my husband go without me — way too vocal of my feelings, imagine that. Anyhow, I love the work Zillow did on Mr. McCain’s homes. And I have to give him credit for at least asking docs around the country what they think the [...]
Sara on August 28, 2008 6:24 am
Wow, this must have taken an incredible amount of work for you to pull together. Thanks for the comprehensive reporting!
GOP solves all our problems. Moves on to complaining about Mile High Stadium. « Illinois Reason on August 28, 2008 8:54 am
[...] asked, candidate McCain may be unsure if any of his homes are designed in the style of a Greek temple; although at least one of his “modest” [...]
Zillow Meets John McCain | Property Portal Watch on August 29, 2008 1:13 am
[...] The blog entry is well worth a read. Check it out at http://www.zillowblog.com/john-mccains-houses-number-6-no-8-maybe-11/2008/08/ [...]
rick on August 29, 2008 11:02 am
With so many condos it is no wonder he didn’t know. He could have taken a guess. All of his wife’s money sure helps his campaign.
John McCain’s Many Houses | Personal Insights on Web 2.0, Blogging, and Business on September 1, 2008 6:11 pm
[...] Seriously, John McCain has a lot of houses. [...]
CoRE #106 - We have A WINNER! | Seattle Real Estate ~ Rain City Guide on September 2, 2008 1:47 pm
[...] WINNER of the CoRE. Well Greg, we do not disappoint you this week. Diane Tuman’s post on John McCain’s Houses was by far the clear cut winner, with no close second. Congratulations Diane and Zillow [...]
CoRE #106 - Rain City Guide | Carnival of Real Estate on September 2, 2008 2:18 pm
[...] edition of the Carnival of Real Estate is now live over at Rain City Guide. In addition to the pick of the week, there are 9 honorable mentions highlighted by the editors at Rain City Guide. Head on over and [...]
Carnival of Real Estate #106 | Zillow® Blog on September 2, 2008 4:34 pm
[...] Republican Presidential nominee John McCain trying to figure out how many he owns. We now know John McCain owns 7 houses thanks to our own Diane Tuman who researched the McCain conundrum and thus ran away with top honors [...]
Jim Reppond on September 2, 2008 4:38 pm
At least now we understand why this is a complicated question to answer. I’m sure John Kerry would have had the same problem with Teresa Heinz as a wife.
Ardell fell for Zillow’s charm in this … | 4realz Hotlist on September 2, 2008 9:55 pm
[...] fell for Zillow’s charm in this week’s Carnival of Real Estate: John McCain’s Houses Number 6 — No, 8… Maybe 11? [...]
Wasilla, Alaska Real Estate and Sarah Palin’s House | Zillow® Blog on September 8, 2008 3:00 pm
[...] own some other undeveloped land with family friend Scott A. Richter. Not as many as running mate John McCain’s 7 houses, but they certainly love their land in [...]
Pasadena CA Real Estate on September 9, 2008 9:46 pm
Good old John. I randomly came across this post and found it very interesting!
Call to Action: Wealth Care on September 11, 2008 1:42 pm
[...] when we’re sitting at one of our kitchen tables, we shouldn’t be forced to decide between that new private jet, a second luxury beachfront [...]
McCain Admits He’s “Divorced from the Day-to-Day Challenges People Have” « 4&20 blackbirds on September 13, 2008 8:22 pm
[...] not surprising. With what? - 8 homes? 11 homes? - hell, even he doesn’t know….but yeah, it probably is hard for Republican presidential [...]
Barack Obama’s Chicago House | Zillow® Blog on September 17, 2008 8:15 am
[...] See John McCain’s 7 houses [...]
A Clarification « Piece Of Mind on September 24, 2008 3:05 pm
[...] not surprising. With what? - 8 homes? 11 homes? - hell, even he doesn’t know….but yeah, it probably is hard for Republican presidential [...]
Monticito on September 29, 2008 9:21 pm
Thanks for the info. Great stuff.
Great to see how the “Elitist’s” live.
Heard that Cindy McCain bought the Coronado condo because she wanted a place to recupurate after having her heart attack.
Former McCain House in Phoenix to be Auctioned Off | Zillow® Blog on October 1, 2008 10:12 am
[...] we reported in this blog post about out how many homes John McCain owns, this home was Cindy’s childhood home and where she and John raised their children. [...]
QueTal on October 1, 2008 2:01 pm
Quit worrying about it…Let’s don’t worry about how many homes John McCain and his wife own. How about worrying about how the hell you are going to be able to live with Obama in office. Spike in taxes, along with that Universal HealthCare, sure will burden everyone’s wallets. How about give Cindy and her family some credit for what hard work will do for you. Democrats sure will take what you work hard for, give no credit, and worry about what you have worked for. This woman and her family have worked for what they have, and John McCain has worked his entire life for this Country!
Barack Obama » Blog Archive » The seven houses of John and Cindy McCain on October 2, 2008 4:23 pm
[...] over how many houses John and Cindy McCain really own, this Zillow blog post was written for you. Zillow’s Diane Tuman counts up the McCain properties and stops at seven (three in California); she also notes that the New York Times counted up to 11, Politico counted eight, and the Washington [...]
Recent Links Tagged With "jed" - JabberTags on October 6, 2008 8:20 am
[...] public links >> jed John McCain’s Houses Number 6 — No, 8… Maybe 11? Saved by jfontich on Sat 04-10-2008 Is Jed Bartlet backing McCain? Saved by llahteinen on Thu [...]
Lily on October 20, 2008 1:12 pm
oh McCain got served!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Odinstyr on October 31, 2008 5:22 pm
This won’t even be an issue if Obama wins, because half of the properties will be taken. Then section 8 qualified for 3rd generation welfare recipients to live in. Got to spread that wealth around. Then they won’t have to worry about mortgage payments, gas for the car or groceries.
The McCain family earned their money; it is really nobody’s business what they do with it. If you got a problem with how many houses they have, then go build a business and donate your money to a good cause. Because last I checked most of the big corporations donate billions to noble causes. While the media demonizes corporations they are actually doing something worth while.
Cheryl Hanron on November 1, 2008 9:41 pm
I agree with Odinstyr!
The McCain’s are true Americans and this is the American way!
I love the fact that they own 7 homes! What self-respecting, Real Estate Agent wouldn’t? They have been very sucessful and have EARNED EVERYTHING. More power to them! They have given back in a very big way and deserve everything they have. If you don’t like it, go out and earn it yourself.
And the Winner Is… Sarah Palin! | Zillow® Blog on November 4, 2008 9:32 am
[...] of the presidential and vice presidential nominees, starting with Joe Biden’s home, then John McCain’s homes, then Sarah Palin and finally, Barack Obama. If page views are an indicator of popularity, well, [...]
Teia VanHorn on November 4, 2008 2:19 pm
Wow! That is pretty neat, I am surprised they dont have more homes. If I made 100,000,000 dollars a year I would have more houses, and houses in other countries.
B. T. O'Sullivan on November 14, 2008 3:25 pm
I suppose if you had been fortunate enough to have had parents who built a very successful business on mostly borrowed money you wouldn’t be so jealous. My guess is that the McCain’s have given more to charity than you’ll ever see in your pathetic little life. Do you know anyone who doesn’t value their land?
bto on December 11, 2008 5:35 pm
When we took
joe on March 13, 2009 6:31 pm
can i have the ranch house
joe on March 13, 2009 6:34 pm
how much did the ranch house cost
100 Mortgage on August 14, 2009 9:26 am
Wow the curved building is breath taking.
100 Mortgage on August 14, 2009 9:26 am
Ooh and the ranch
Finance on August 30, 2009 5:59 am
I don’t if they make 100M/year, how much they make now?
Nokia on August 30, 2009 9:45 am
Imagine making 100M per year! ooh what do I need to do?!! all tips welcomed
Freedebt on August 30, 2009 9:50 am
Sounds like the perfect life style.
Newmortgage on August 30, 2009 9:52 am
If he is lucky enough to be able to do this, people who criticise may simply be jealous, good luck to him.