Obamas new home

Obama house: tour Barack and Michelle's new Martha's Vineyard home

(Image credit: LandVest)

The Obama house is certainly something to behold. 

Former President Barack Obama and his family have completed the purchase of a $11.75 million waterfront house situated on nearly 30 acres on Martha's Vineyard – an affluent island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. And it is stunning.

The expansive 6,892-square-foot house sits on nearly 30 secluded acres fronting the Edgartown Great Pond between Slough Cove and Turkeyland Cove, with views of the Atlantic ocean. 

Designed by Taylor Lombardo Architects in San Francisco, the home was built in 2001 by John Early, a well-known and hugely trusted Island contractor. And it's in a spot the Obamas love – it's no secret that they have enjoyed spending down time at Martha's Vineyard whenever they can.

In fact, Martha's Vineyard has been an annual holiday spot for the Obama family since their time in the White House, and now they're putting down roots in the gorgeous villa that they rented over the summer.

The home features seven bedrooms, eight and a half baths and several stone fireplaces. There is a two-car garage, a detached barn and a pool.

The property also offers direct access to the pond, and includes a boat house and a private beach front with deeded rights, as per the listing on LandVest.

Take a tour below – and when you're done, hop on over to our page dedicated to the world's best homes for more.

• Joe Biden's houses – see the impressive property portfolio of the 46th President of the United States

Tour the Obama house now – wander around the palatial home

(Image credit: LandVest)

From above, you can see how secluded and private the Obamas' new home is – with prime frontage to beaches and wooded areas.

(Image credit: LandVest)

Rumors of the impending sale have been circulating since late summer 2019, when the Obamas rented the property for several weeks. The family are often seen on the Vineyard during summer vacation.

The area has been popular with vacationing celebrities and politicians for many decades – Presidents Clinton and Kennedy both spent the holidays here with their families. However, this is the first time a former President has bought a home on the island.

(Image credit: LandVest)

• See: Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's house – see inside the Superbowl champion's former mansion in Massachusetts

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(Image credit: LandVest)

The pool area is simply beautiful, surrounded by trees and foliage – for a really private space to unwind.

(Image credit: LandVest)

The former president and his family spent part of every August on the Island for seven out of the eight years he was in office.

The family also visited the Island before, including when he was a senator from Illinois.

(Image credit: LandVest)

The Obama house is designed with entertaining in mind – there's an expansive kitchen and a dining room with wonderful views across the bay.

(Image credit: LandVest)

The family room below has plenty of space for relaxing, too. Architectural details, such as those on the ceiling of this room give the house plenty of character.

(Image credit: LandVest)

There is a stunning galleried living space with windows on three sides in the new Obama house, too.  

(Image credit: LandVest)

The property has been on the market since 2015, when it was listed for $22.5 million. The price was dropped twice this summer, first to $16.25 million in June, then to $14.85 million in July. 

The purchase price, with the Dukes County Registry of Deeds, is listed at $11.75 million. 

See more: This tiny New York apartment was Barack Obama’s student house – take the tour

(Image credit: LandVest)

Becoming, Michelle Obama's autobiography, on sale at Amazon

In her memoir, Michelle Obama chronicles her life, from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. She describes her triumphs and her disappointments, in a way that's warm, wise and revelatory.

(Image credit: LandVest)

The bedrooms also have wonderful views across the bay.  

(Image credit: LandVest)

Although the Vineyard has long been a vacation spot for visiting presidents, including former President Clinton and his family, this marks the first time that a former president has bought property on the Island.

(Image credit: LandVest)

Lots of rooms for friends and family to stay with bedrooms furnished with bunk beds.

(Image credit: LandVest)

The raised sundeck is yet another space for the Obamas to unwind, again with wonderful views across the bay.

(Image credit: LandVest)

(Image credit: LandVest)

According to the Vinyard Gazettte: 'The property sale will send $235,000 to the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, which collects a two per cent transfer fee on most arm’s length real estate transactions. 

'Money from the fees is used to buy conservation land and protect natural resources such as aquifers, scenic views and farmland on the Vineyard.'

(Image credit: LandVest)

The property was listed with property agents LandVest .

Designed by Taylor Lombardo Architects .

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What is Martha's Vineyard known for?

(Image credit: LandVest)

Martha's Vineyard is an island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA, and is famous as a summer vacation destination for Americans – and vacationers from other countries. 

What celebrities live on Martha's Vineyard?

Other than the Obama house, Martha's Vineyard has a scattering of homes that belong to – or have been rented by – the rich and famous, both past and present. They include the Jackie Kennedy Onassis house (see her former home in our dedicated feature), Oprah Winfrey (you can take a tour of her Montecito home by clicking the link), Larry David and Bill Gates.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

Barack & Michelle Obama Martha's Vineyard Mansion, House Details, Photos, Price

Update, August 4, 2021: After a media storm erupted this week over former President Barack Obama's plans to host a huge 60th birthday party at his Martha's Vineyard estate, he has abruptly canceled the event, which was to take place this Saturday. “Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends,” his spokesperson Hannah Hankins said in a statement. “He’s appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar and looks forward to seeing people soon.” According to the New York Times, a number of high profile guests on the 475-person list, which included donors, administration officials, and celebrities, were already en route to Martha's Vineyard. Although the Obamas took some heat this week for planning such a massive gathering in the midst of a pandemic, David Axelrod, the former senior advisor to the president, told the newspaper that the power couple had been concerned about the virus from the beginning and keen on taking all the necessary precautions, such as requiring vaccinations and a pre-party Covid test. "“But when this was planned, the situation was quite different. So they responded to the changing circumstances," he said.

Update, August 3, 2021: It was revealed earlier this week that former President Barack Obama is planning on throwing a blowout birthday party at his and Michelle's sprawling Martha's Vineyard estate this weekend—he turns 60 on August 4. There will reportedly be nearly 700 people in attendance, including a guest list of 475 (Oprah, Steven Spielberg, and George Clooney rumored among them) and a staff of 200. Though the fete will be outdoors and everyone will have to be vaccinated, the event has inevitably drawn controversy, especially with the alarming rise of the Delta variant and ever-changing guidelines issued by the CDC. But with 29.3 acres of pristine waterfront real estate, space—and social distancing—may not be much of an issue.

In light of this news, we're resurfacing this story from December 2019, which goes into more detail on the Obamas' Martha's Vineyard property.

It's no secret that Michelle and Barack Obama enjoy spending down time at Martha's Vineyard, a quaint Massachusetts island that everyone from the Kennedys to the Clintons has visited. It's been an annual vacation destination for the Obama family since their time in the White House, but now they're putting down roots with the purchase of a gorgeous mansion that they rented over the summer.

According to People, the 6,892-square-foot Martha's Vineyard estate was sold on Wednesday for $11.75 million to a trust. James F. Reynolds, a longtime friend of Barack Obama who also served as a member of his national finance committee during the 2008 presidential election, is named as a trustee on the deed.

The Obamas reportedly purchased the property from Wycliffe Grousbeck, owner of the Boston Celtics, and his ex-wife, Corinne Basler Grousbeck, who bought the home in 1998. The property has been on the market since 2015.

The Obamas’ new property on Martha’s Vineyard.