Donald Trump in a bidding war for the Kluge Estate

The 24,000-square-foot neo-Georgian palace has 45 rooms, a spa, home theater, 3,500-bottle wine cellar, 2,000-square-foot sitting room, and a separate 1,000-acre vineyard and winery. Bank of America, which had a mortgage of $22.8 million on the mansion, foreclosed in February. Mr. Trump bid $3.6 million for the house at the foreclosure auction. Yet Bank of America bought the home back for $15.3 million.


One thing the house doesn't have, is a front yard. Donald Trump owns that, he also owns most of the driveway and the backyard, making a sale to any other buyer difficult. Trump bought the 1,000-acre vineyard and winery, he also bought 200 acres nearby, these past six months.


To make his point, Trump has erected signs on the front lawn of the mansion that read, "No Trespassing. This Land is Owned by Trump Virginia Acquisitions LLC," aimed at warding off possible buyers. He has also let the lawn go to seed.


"Maybe someone is stupid enough to buy the house," Mr. Trump said. "I wish them luck." The broker for the house, Joseph Marchetti III, responded: "We believe the house is a salable asset as it is."


Even after Mr. Trump's purchase, the house still has 95 acres.