The six-bedroom, 10,286-square-foot English manor-style mansion in Northbrook that former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon owned until 2009 is coming on the market today for $4.599 million.
The now-retired McMahon, who is 65 and lives in Florida, owned the mansion from the time it was built in 1988 until selling it for $2.85 million in 2009 to a neighbor who spent more than two years renovating and updating it. That neighbor then sold it for $4.25 million in 2013.
Now, the 2013 buyers, Crown Bakeries CEO Yianny Caparos, and his wife, Annette, intend to sell the Northbrook house. They haven’t made significant alterations to the mansion, other than fixing the pool and redoing the patio. Annette Caparos also told Elite Street that “there were only minor changes to the decor and nothing structural since the person who bought it from Jim had already redone it and never lived in it.”
The Caparos family did once meet the famed quarterback and received a signed pair of golf shoes from McMahon, who left behind his tanning bed and goggles, Annette Caparos said. While the mansion is steeped in two decades of ownership by a legendary Bear, she noted that she actually is a Minnesota native and a fan of the Minnesota Vikings.
“So that was the big joke that we moved into a former Bear’s house,” she said.
Now, with the Caparos family being empty-nesters and looking to downsize, they are selling the mansion. They have purchased a condominium in Nashville to be closer to their business.
“It’s going to be hard to let something this beautiful go, but we know there is a family waiting to enjoy it as we did,” Annette Caparos told Elite Street. “Our kids loved to have friends over and we entertained a lot as this house is made for sharing with friends and family. It’s a very safe neighborhood (with) great neighbors. The home is 10,000 square feet but it never felt too big. It was warm and inviting and everyone could come over and relax and enjoy.”
The mansion’s six bedrooms all are en-suite, including a teenage room with loft access, and the home also has nine bathrooms, a primary bedroom suite with a fireplace, dual walk-in closets and a coffee station with a built-in mini-refrigerator. Other features include a sport court with high ceilings that can be used for racquetball and basketball, a private movie theater and a spa/workout area with a dance studio, steam shower, sauna and locker rooms.
“We have a beautiful staircase and that’s what sold (us on) the house,” Yianny Caparos said. “I could envision my daughters taking pictures on their wedding day. We also hosted many high school dance pictures as well.”
Outside on the 3.28-acre property are a circular driveway and a multi-level back yard with an in-ground pool, an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue spit, a putting green, a TV lounge and outdoor speakers.
The mansion had a $102,985 property tax bill in the 2023 tax year.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
