Casa De Shenandoah, Former Home of Wayne Newton, Hits Market for $30M

Posted on: August 27, 2020, 12:48h. 

Last updated on: August 27, 2020, 01:01h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Wayne Newton, Mr. Las Vegas, hasn’t lived at Casa De Shenandoah since 2010. But the sprawling complex located southeast of the Strip is once again on the real estate market, this time for nearly $30 million.

Wayne Newton Casa De Shenandoah Las Vegas
For just shy of $30 million, you can live in the former estate of Las Vegas icon Wayne Newton. (Image: Casino.org)

The house, located at 6629 S. Pecos Road in Las Vegas, sits on more than 39 acres, and features approximately 57,000 square feet of living space. The property comes with the main mansion, as well as seven additional homes, a car museum with capacity to hold 100 vehicles, several lakes, koi ponds, tennis and basketball courts, helipad, stationary Fokker F28 jet and terminal, 16-stall horse stable, and equestrian training grounds.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own 39+ acres and the most famous estate in Las Vegas,” says real estate broker Zar Zanganeh, whose Luxe Estates is the listing agent. The Casa De Shenandoah name — an ode to Newton’s Virginia roots — has been changed to Sunset Springs Ranch.

The “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” is a bit misleading. The compound has been up for sale several times since Newton sold it in 2010 for $19.5 million. In 2013, Casa De Shenandoah was put on the market for a whopping $70 million (it didn’t sell). It was listed the next year for $30 million, and again,  no dice.

Newton purchased the vacant land in 1966, and the main mansion was completed in 1978. Over the next three decades, additions and features continued to be implemented across the 39 acres.

Storied, Sad Past

Wayne Newton is synonymous with Las Vegas. The 78-year-old has been entertaining visitors in Southern Nevada for longer than most can remember.

But while the legend has made a fortune dazzling Las Vegas casino showrooms, he’s also encountered numerous financial difficulties throughout his career. Newton first filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1992, at the time the celebrity reporting some $20 million in debts.

He was sued in 2005 by the IRS on allegations of $1.8 million in back taxes and associated penalties.

Facing bankruptcy again in 2010, Newton sold Shenandoah to a development company, but retained a 20 percent stake in its operations. The new company began renovating the property into a museum, and in 2015 it opened for public tours featuring his memorabilia.

But the flocks of visitors needed to make the venture worthwhile never arrived. Shenandoah is not within walking distance for the average Las Vegas tourist, as it’s more than five miles southeast of the Strip.

After being open to visitors for three years, Shenandoah closed in 2018 and the parent company filed for bankruptcy. According to Realtor.com, it was sold to a corporation titled Smoketree LLC last year for $10.53 million.

At $29.9 million, with a $6 million down payment, potential buyers would still face an estimated monthly mortgage of approximately $152,000 (utilities and upkeep costs excluded).

Newton’s New Digs

Prior to Shenandoah opening as a tourist attraction, Newton and wife Kathleen “downsized” into a $3 million, 9,000-square-foot estate in 2013.

In June of 2018, upon returning from his “Up Close and Personal” show at Bally’s, the Newtons encountered burglars inside their home on E. Oquendo Rd. The famous duo added increased security in response to the break-in. They were not injured in the home invasion, and the trespassers fled upon their entrance.