The luxurious Martha’s Vineyard estate once rented by Barack and Michelle Obama—fondly dubbed the “Summer White House” during their presidency—is now on the market for nearly $40 million.
The First Family’s Getaway
The Obamas rented the estate, known as Blue Heron Farm between 2008 and 2012, using it as a retreat away from Washington, D.C. The compound offered the former first family comfort, privacy, and space to raise their daughters, Sasha and Malia, away from the spotlight. The two-home private island in Chilmark became a sanctuary for the family. The current rent is for $50,000 a week but there seems to be no record how much the Obamas paid for rent.
Though the Obama daughters—Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23—have since moved to Los Angeles, the legacy of their time on the Vineyard remains part of the property’s allure.
Now listed for $39 million, Blue Heron Farm could become the most expensive residential property ever sold on Martha’s Vineyard, surpassing the $32.5 million sale of Katherine Graham’s estate in 2019, according to Travel Noire.
The 7,000-square-foot main residence includes eight bedrooms, while the island also features a five-bedroom Cape Cod-style guesthouse—ideal for hosting family and friends, Architectural Digest reported. The private land boasts a tennis court, basketball court, equestrian facilities, and an apple orchard, as reported by Boston.com. The estate spans approximately 30 acres and the main house features a classic white clapboard siding and a wraparound porch. The property also features a boathouse, a 150-year-old horse barn relocated from Pennsylvania, a riding ring, landscaped gardens, and a private section of shoreline along Tisbury Great Pond, Elle Decor reports.
Originally purchased in 2011 for $22.4 million by British architect Lord Norman Foster—of Foster + Partners, the firm behind London’s Gherkin and the redesigned Wembley Stadium—and his wife, Lady Elena Ochoa Foster, the estate has since undergone significant upgrades. Before this, it was owned by Mollie and William Van Devender, who rented it to the Obamas.
