By Ann McCreary
Tice Ranch, the expansive 305-acre working ranch that has hosted international gatherings and celebrities, will be auctioned on Oct. 16 by J.P. King Auction Company, which specializes in premier, luxury properties.
The ranch features a 15-bedroom, 20-bathroom lodge, two smaller guest lodges, a caretaker’s residence, a swimming pool and heart-shaped Jacuzzi, horse stables, orchards and a stocked fishing pond.
The ranch, located on Highway 20 southeast of Twisp, is being auctioned with all furnishings and ranch equipment.
“Ideal for a turnkey working ranch, corporate retreat or family gathering place, Tice Ranch will both impress and inspire with its modern amenities and breathtaking scenery,” according to a description by the auction company.
The Tice Ranch property was purchased and developed in the 1970s by Diane and Lou Tice, founders of the Pacific Institute, a Seattle-based corporation specializing in leadership development and promoting a better world.
As part of the institute’s activities, Tice Ranch hosted national and international gatherings and celebrities, including Fortune 500 executives, the Seattle Mariners, NASA, Mexican President Vicente Fox, singer Reba McEntire and the U.S. soccer team.
Lou Tice, a motivational speaker, died in 2012, and the Tice Ranch was subsequently listed for sale until Diane Tice decided to auction the property.
The property was previously listed with Realogics-Sotheby’s International Realty at $4.5 million, but that figure “is out of date and did not include furnishings or the farm equipment and irrigation system,” said Craig King, CEO of J.P. King Auction Company, which is based in Alabama.
J.P. King is conducting the auction in cooperation with Sotheby’s, and is offering tours by appointment beginning Friday (Oct. 10).
Bidders are able to register and submit bids online prior to the Oct. 16 auction day, or beginning an hour prior to the 1 p.m. auction at the ranch, according to information from the auction company.
“It is from amongst those bids that will determine the opening bid,” said Stacy Smith, spokesperson for J.P. King.
Cashier’s check needed
Bidders do not pay to register but must show a cashier’s check for $50,000.
King said several appointments for tours have been scheduled. The auction is being advertised internationally, but primarily in the Pacific Northwest. “Response to date has been good and we are still early in the process,” he said this week.
A buyer may bid in person, through a representative with power of attorney, or by phone with prior arrangement, King said.
“The seller makes the final determination of the price she is willing to accept,” King said. “The client is highly motivated yet reserves the right to accept, should the market not respond for some reason. The seller is going to auction to find the market value,” he said.
“The property has been on the market and the client is ready to turn the property over to a new buyer. The auction process accomplishes this efficiently and in a timely manner,” King said.
Among the features of the ranch described by J.P. King are:
• A 20,000-square-foot main lodge, furnished with turn-of-the-century antique furniture from London.
• An 1876 English pub that was transported and installed in the main lodge.
• A great room that seats 30 guests around a fireplace made of large stones found on the property.
• A Western saloon stocked with gifts from clients and friends over the years.
• A half-mile of waterfront on Beaver Creek.
• Organic fruit orchards.
• 100 acres of irrigated hay fields and transfer of water rights.
• Expansive mountain views.
The auction information also notes that the ranch is only 7 miles from downhill skiing (at Loup Loup Ski Bowl) and even closer to groomed cross country ski trails.
The auction company adds, “The nearby airport accommodates commercial jets, making coming and going a breeze, no matter where you’re from.”
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