California’s Governor Gavin Newsom is back to Bay Area real estate business as he closes on a $9.1 million purchase for a high-end Kentfield site, previously held by billionaire Daniel Pritsker heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune. After living in Sacramento for three years, the move signals a hybrid existence because he is expected to share time between the state capital and Marin County where his kids already go to school.
Public records reveal Newsom and his wife, the filmmaker Jennifer Siebel-Newsom bought the property through a private LLC. The buyer’s final price was roughly $600K over asking, after the property first listed for just under $11.5 million in mid-2023. The price dropped a couple of times, finally reduced to a last listed price of $8.5 million. Kentfield is a well-known destination for privacy, views, and high profile residents looking for a personal base in proximity to SF.
Midcentury Design and Modern Comfort
Their home of over 5,600 sq. ft., built in 1948 and recently remodeled sits on just shy of an acre of wooded land, with towering trees framing the tree-like landscape. You have three stories of architecture – the vintage character of the home is blended with contemporary updates, clothed in wood siding with large pane windows with views of Mount Tamalpais. Inside the house offers a layout with six bedrooms and six bathrooms, complemented by quality hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and strategic finishes throughout.
Prominent home features include the sunken living room and adjacent built-in wet bar and see-through fireplace, sleek dining room just up a few steps, and a high spec kitchen with stainless appliances, eat-in island, and informal breakfast nook. The warm weather family room features folding glass doors to the outdoors, along with a series of living areas for entertaining.
Resort Ambience and Political Implications
The exterior space feels like a resort rather than a home. There is a sparkling pool and spa, surrounded by a wooden deck, fire pit and mountain views, framed with outdoor sculptures for seating and living room spaces, ready for entertaining or a quiet evening. There is a detached guest house separated from the main home, and a generous motor court leading to the three-car garage. Newsom is now a real estate owner and, on a timely balance, political observers have speculated the possible implications of Newsom’s purchase with respect to a potential presidential run in 2028.
While he still owns a $3.7 million home in Fair Oaks, a Sacramento suburb with trees situated closer to the State Capital, this purchase in Marin indicates possible shifting priorities—personal, political or both. With the pending status of his last gubernatorial term, Marin also positions him closer to donors, media and cultural capital of California’s hierarchy of power.
