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I've seen plenty of nautical-inspired homes before, but this is first time I've thought one actually looked like a boat.

Asking $799,000, the Ship Wreck House is located in Salmon, Idaho, close to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Extending over Williams Lake, it has three decks and nautical details like a captain's quarters, a bunkroom with built-in beds and a secret passageway leading to a treasure-themed chamber with a skeleton and a chest full of gold doubloons.

"From a design standpoint, I was constantly trying to walk the line between immersive and cheesy," says Kristie Wolfe, the home's owner and a builder based in Boise.

Wolfe runs the property as an Airbnb, supported by an Instagram account with 30,000 followers that she says generates $80,000 annually. She hopes the next owner continues renting the house. "I love the idea of thousands of families making memories there instead of just one."

We've got another unique home, this time in Utah. In a full-circle moment, an architect bought a 7-acre parcel atop a ridge he used to bike past as a kid. A decade after buying the site, he designed and oversaw the build of a 5,310-square-foot, four-bedroom house that zigzags up the elevation. The project took three years and nearly $3.9 million to complete.

Finally, we visit St. John's Wood, a bright spot in London's broader property market. Though long sought after by Americans, the historic neighborhood is seeing price increases driven by British buyers, helping offset weak international demand.

And before you leave: we're launching a new Historic Homes series! We know how much you enjoy exploring America's oldest and most historically significant properties, so twice a month reporter Sarah Paynter will bring us inside these storied houses.

Our first one drops Saturday, July 25 at noon.

For $799,000: A Ship-Shaped Idaho Home With 30,000 Instagram Followers

The 1,200-square-foot house has three decks and nautical details throughout.

A Utah Ridge Was His Favorite Spot as a Kid. Years Later, He Made It His Home.

An architect and his partner spent $3.9 million building a Z-shaped house just outside Salt Lake City.

Americans Still Love St. John's Wood, but Locals Are Driving a Market Comeback

British buyers are boosting prices in the historic London neighborhood, helping offset weak international demand.

What's the Deal?

Billionaire industrialist Bill Koch sold his roughly 52-acre Aspen compound for $33.515 million at auction, a steep discount from its peak asking price of $125 million.

The childhood home of the late conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. is coming on the market for $3.999 million. The Sharon property has been in the Buckley family for about a century.

Want to see more deals? Sign up for our Mansion Deals email alert to have the biggest and best luxury home sales and listings delivered to your inbox.

The Luxe Life

An American couple wanted their 452-square-foot London living room to blend contemporary styles with British influences. We go inside the $360,000 space.

Lydia Corbett, Pablo Picasso's last surviving muse, remembers posing for the Cubist. "I sat in profile on a rocking chair, which kept me from being restless. He finished each portrait quickly."

House of the Week

WSJ's House of the Week brings readers to South Carolina, where one couple built a nearly 11,000-square-foot lodge to host their big family.

At its peak, the property grew to nearly 1,000 acres. It includes a lodge, a teepee, a basketball court, a number of ponds and creeks, and several hunting stands.

Your Home

   -- Mortgage rates rose to their highest level in almost a year, as rising 
      tensions in the Middle East spurred fears of higher inflation. 
 
   -- One of the most desirable, celebrity-packed coastal stretches of 
      California has a glut of luxury homes on the market. 
 
   -- Wealthy baby boomers are increasingly upsizing their homes in retirement, 
      reversing the traditional expectation that older Americans downsize. 

About Us

Thanks for reading! Send us your comments and questions, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Kerry Barger is Mansion's senior platform editor. Say hi at Kerry.Barger@wsj.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Candace Taylor is the editor of Mansion. Reach her at Candace.Taylor@wsj.com.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 24, 2026 15:25 ET (19:25 GMT)

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