With decades of experience in real estate, Robert Boykin, former chief executive of Boykin Lodging, and his wife, Paula, an interior designer, made sure no details were overlooked in building their home on Lake Norman in Mooresville, North Carolina, in 2007.
"The house is just tastefully put together. We were inspired a lot by Robert A.M. Stern," Mr. Boykin said, referring to the famed architect who has in recent years designed many luxury residential towers in New York, including 15 Central Park West and 70 Vestry.
That sometimes meant importing stones from Chicago, Turkey or wherever the building materials could be found. It also meant thoughtful floor layout to maximize the spectacular lake views.
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Completed in 2009, the 13,000-square-foot home features four bedrooms, four bathrooms and five powder rooms, a great room, formal living and dining rooms, a study, an art studio, a fitness center, a billiards room with wet bar, a home theater, a 1,500-bottle wine cellar and parking garages.
"We wanted the garage to be reminiscent of an antique car dealership," Mr. Boykin said. It features tin ceilings, brick floor, schoolhouse lighting and carriage doors. In there, the family have a rotating selections of cars and motorcycles.
The air-conditioned garage also doubles as an entertainment room for family get-togethers or fund-raising events.
The home’s backyard has 650 feet of shoreline and offers a large entertaining and lounging space, with a salt water infinity pool as its centerpiece. It also includes a 12-person hot tub, a generous pool-side seating area with a three-story stone fireplace, and a boat dock with room for three water crafts.
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As Mr. and Mrs. Boykin found themselves spending more and more time in Naples, Florida, they put the house on the market for $9.5 million in 2010, making it one of the most expensive homes for sale in North Carolina at the time. They dropped the asking price to $7.95 million in 2015 and again to $7.45 million in 2016. The last listing was June 2017, with Trump International Realty, for $7.45 million, listing records show.
Now that they want to set a deadline for the sale, they have decided to take a different approach—auctioning, which will take place Oct. 21.
"This property has the best views and best location in the Mooresville, where many billionaires and NASCAR celebrities spend their summer boating, fishing and enjoying lakefront living," said Randy Haddaway, president of Elite Auctions, which is handling the auction.
The two-acre property is located in a gated community, The Point, which features homes with a New England beach house feel, according to Mr. Boykin. His own home has an exterior with stone and wood cladding, a gray shingle roof and a signature sky blue front door, gaining the property its nickname: "The Blue Door Inn."
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Luxury amenities at The Point include the Trump National Golf Club, which was designed by pro-golfer Greg Norman and features a lakefront ballroom, a racquet club, a playground, a pool with a two-story waterslide and a lakeside boardwalk.
The amenities require additional membership and fees, according to Elite Auctions.
The home is selling without reserve, meaning the owners are obliged to sell to the highest bidder. Bidders need make a refundable deposit of $50,000 in advance and bid on the spot or via phone and mobile app.
Previews of the property are being arranged over the next three weekends.