By C.B. Scott // Photography courtesy of Hometrack Real Estate Marketing and Carol Snyder
Conquest Manor, the crowning jewel of the American dream for Norman and Linda Snyder, is now the trophy home for new owners. Famously built on 29 acres in 2004 with the proceeds of the sale of its namesake, Conquest, Inc., an IT company, the 21,200-square-foot estate has been home to the couple for the past 10 years.
Norman Snyder started Conquest, Inc. as an intelligence community IT company in his basement in 1989 and it grew to 180 employees and $250 million in contracts by 2003. He then sold the company to Boeing for an undisclosed amount. Working with architect Neil Hodges, Linda served as the general contractor to construct an award-winning custom 14,000 square foot main residence on the southern tip of Kent Island, situated along 1,000 feet of Chesapeake Bay shoreline.
The main residence is both elegant and sophisticated, and designed as the ultimate venue for entertaining. Brazilian walnut floors complement custom doors and windows from Germany. The innovative two-story home theatre, complete with balcony seats, earned the home at least one accolade, and its home automation system snagged another award. Dance floors, a stage with professional lights, and a 1,500-square-foot club made the manor a magnificent venue for large business, social, and family events.
Beyond the main home, the property includes a 6,200-square-foot guesthouse with a car showroom, and a 1,000- square-foot pool house. The grounds include a pool, hot tub, pier, and a beach.
The home was originally listed for $9.8 million in 2012. But with no buyers, the owners opted for an absolute auction with no reserve in August 2014. The sale was final in November 2014 at $4.75 million, according to Maryland public records, below the $5.1 million property tax appraisal.
The new owners are from Arizona, and will use the manor as a gathering place for East Coast family and friends. As for Norman and Linda Snyder, they are hard at work building their next dream home, this time in Severna Park in Anne Arundel County, closer to their children and grandchildren.
Source: Carol Snyder (listing agent), Vice President, Business Development, DeCaro Luxury Real Estate Auctions, Inc. and Previews Luxury Specialist, Coldwell Banker Residential, csnyder@cbmove.com, 410-647-2222, www.carolsmdhomes.com.
