RYE — Straws Point has produced another member of the exclusive eight-figures single-family home club.

A five-bedroom, nine-bathroom residence on the Atlantic Ocean at 17 Straws Point has sold for $18.5 million, the second-highest-priced single-family home sale in New Hampshire history, according to Seacoast Board of Realtors statistician John Rice. 

In December 2022, the nearby home at 30 Straws Point sold for $25 million in an off-market closing, more than doubling the state record at the time, according to Rice. 

The waterfront Rye neighborhood has now claimed the top two spots in New Hampshire.

“I think this price point says more about the location and quality of the construction,” said Jim Giampa, co-owner of Carey and Giampa Realtors, whose firm brokered the transaction. “Just because a home is in the Seacoast region doesn’t mean it will command big dollars unless the location and property are exceptional. This area has plenty of room for buyers and sellers in all price ranges.”

The owner of 17 Straws Point originally listed the property last August for $25 million, attempting to fetch the same total as its former neighbors at 30 Straws Point. A listing price drop then brought the property down to $22 million. 

What is known about buyers of Straws Point homes in Rye

County deed records show the buyer of 17 Straws Point is Granite Shoals LLC. State business records do not identify the owner of the LLC, which was created at the start of May. Portsmouth attorney Douglas MacDonald is listed as its registered agent.

The seller of the estate was 17 Straws Point LLC, for which Michael Millward is the principal, according to state records.

More Seacoast real estate news: Newington home sells for record $5.25M while still under construction

A deed for the sale was filed with the county on Friday, May 17. 

A non-disclosure agreement prevented Giampa from identifying the buyers of 17 Straws Point. Giampa also represented the buyers of 30 Straws Point, Mary Lou and Peter LeSaffre, in late 2022.

“This is a really special home that was designed and constructed to take advantage of the amazing ocean views from Kittery to the Isle of Shoals to Cape Ann,” he said of the property. “Most of the custom features were crafted on-site by Houghton Builders so the quality of construction is extraordinary. It is equipped with everything you could want in an oceanfront estate (with) a gym, movie theater, wine cellar, infinity pool and more.”

The 17 Straws Point residence was built over the span of two years and was completed in 2018. The 10,000-plus-square-foot house contains a pool table, a wet bar, a fireplace, cathedral ceilings, a bathhouse, an outdoor patio and an elevator.

Rye property records show the town’s last assessment of the home valued it at almost $7.1 million.

Rice, statistician for the Seacoast Board of Realtors, cited New England Real Estate Network data to identify 17 Straws Point as the second-highest-selling single-family home in state history. He cautioned that those records do not account for properties sold by homeowners without the assistance of a licensed broker. 

Annual taxes on the property exceeded $48,000 in 2022, according to the listing. 

“Each room in this architectural gem showcases meticulous attention to detail, radiating sophistication and class,” the listing adds.

According to Rice, the current third-highest-priced single-family home sale in New Hampshire came in June 2023, when a Meredith residence on Lake Winnipesaukee sold for $14 million in an off-market deal.

“I’m waiting for someone to shout ‘Bingo!’”

That’s how one journalist covering President Joe Biden’s visit to the Westwood Park YMCA in Nashua described the scene as a quiet crowd awaited an appearance by the leader of the free world.

It’s not a fair comment, of course.

Bingo is actually fun.

Fun was not in evidence in the hushed, half-filled hall of the Westwood Park Y on Tuesday. The crowd was subdued, almost funereal. Elevator music seeped softly out of the sound system, and people spoke in low tones around the room.

In the back of the room, where cynical reporters, tech crew, and political hacks hang out, someone snarked, “Maybe Biden died?”

“How could you tell,” came the reply.

Even more odd: The venue wasn’t full. An event starring the president of the United States, and the hand-picked attendees were scattered around the room like estranged cousins at a family reunion.

“Are they still practicing social distancing?” quipped state Rep. Keith Ammon (R-New Boston) on X.

When the program started and Biden shuffled toward the lectern, there was none of the excitement associated with a political candidate rousing his supporters. Biden spoke for just 12 minutes. He said nothing memorable or inspiring. The crowd clapped politely (though infrequently) and then it was over.

The point isn’t that Biden failed to meet the Trump standard for a public appearance, though he certainly did. There were more people lined up along the road outside the Y, waving Trump flags and chanting “Let’s Go, Brandon!” than listening to Biden speak.

Biden’s never going to compete with Trump as a political showman. When it comes to stage presence, Biden only has two speeds: Angry, and addled.

But he’s still the president. And when you’re the president of the United States, and you walk into a room, it’s supposed to matter.

Trump, Obama, Bush — did they ever give a speech on the stump to a crowd that looked like it was waiting to be pitched a time share in Florida?

Nothing about Biden’s New Hampshire visit made sense.

When the White House announced he was coming, the reaction in Granite State political circles was puzzlement. Why is Biden, who rarely treks outside the D.C.-Philly-Delaware triangle, schlepping up to the Granite State, with just four Electoral College votes and a nearly-perfect track record of backing Democrats for president?

When the word came that he was giving a speech celebrating the PACT Act — a law passed in 2022 making it easier for veterans exposed to toxic compounds to get VA health care — again people were puzzled. Sure, supporting veterans is great, but who is anti-veteran? How is this a hot political topic? What’s the point of differentiation with Trump?

Then came the NHJournal poll showing Biden tied with Trump in the state, and the motive for Biden’s visit appeared to become more clear. His team must be seeing similar polls and they’re coming up to lock this state down.

But wait — if Biden really is in danger of losing New Hampshire in November, how did his snoozefest of visit to Nashua help?

After Biden’s speech, he worked the small crowd, taking photos and donning his iconic aviator sunglasses. There was none of the celebrity buzz that big-time politicians usually inspire. Democratic operatives gossiped in corners. Karine Jean-Pierre was texting distractedly on her iPhone. Asked about the new poll showing Biden in trouble in New Hampshire, she said she couldn’t address something so overtly political and suggested Rep. Annie Kuster, who was standing nearby.

Kuster was a “no comment,” then quickly fled.

And so it went. No rallying cry from Biden urging patriots to embrace his cause. No “The only poll that matters is on Election Day!” No “New Hampshire is Biden Country.” Just political hacks dodging questions and looking for the nearest door.

“That was really bad, wasn’t it?” one confused reporter asked when it was all over. “What was the point?”

Many New Hampshire political professionals find it nearly impossible to believe that a Democrat could lose New Hampshire to Donald Trump.

But after half an hour with Biden and his fans in Nashua, and a Trump victory didn’t just seem possible. It seemed all but inevitable.

CONCORD, NH — Attorney General John M. Formella and State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall announce that this morning, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, members of the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit—in conjunction with New Hampshire Department of Justice investigators, the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit, the Claremont Police Department, and the Newport Police Department—began executing court-authorized search warrants in Newport, New Hampshire. The search activity poses no danger to the public and consists of a search for physical evidence.

Investigators are continuing their search at this time and anticipate that these efforts will be ongoing throughout the day. To preserve the integrity of these investigations, no additional information will be released at this time.

While today demonstrates the State’s dedication to investigating unresolved cases, the Attorney General cautions against speculating or drawing any conclusions from these efforts. Officials ask that the public respect the privacy of residents in the area and stay off private properties in and around the search activity as the investigation continues.

This story was originally published by InDepth NH.