UPDATED: Jul 17, 2024
If you’ve ever dreamed of living like royalty, you might’ve wondered if it’s possible to kick back and relax in a castle that’s all your own. With the beautiful grounds and gardens, magnificent castle walls, elaborate staircases and opulent architecture, who wouldn’t want one to call home?
Buying a castle is very possible and perhaps a more attainable goal than you think.
The term “castle” is often used somewhat loosely – it could refer to anything from a perfect replica of Cinderella’s Castle to a modern home with four stone walls and a tower. The most generally agreed-upon definition of a castle is this: a fortified private residence, one that usually has some form of defensive walls.
Castles were first widely used during the Middle Ages to house and protect feudal lords and monarchs, and that’s why they’re often associated with tall, sturdy walls as well as other defensive features. There’s no definitive description of what makes a modern castle a castle, but this type of home – even today – generally comes with thick walls, battlements, towers and maybe even a moat.
Buying a castle is as easy as finding a castle and purchasing the property – and you don’t have to be the long-lost heir to a throne to purchase one. You may have a perhaps surprising number of options, too. Throughout Europe are old castles and chateaus that sometimes cost little more than luxury homes in the U.S.
Europe isn’t the only place you can find castles for sale, though. Many castles and medieval-style manors are available throughout the U.S., too. They typically lack the age and history of the European castles across France and the English countryside, but they certainly don’t disappoint in the area of architectural splendor.
Just like traditional houses, for-sale castles are typically listed on a multiple listing service, or MLS. That means you could potentially find a castle for sale right here on Rocket HomesSM.
One way to find a castle on home listing sites is to make use of home search filters. By seeking homes built before a certain year and that have five or more bedrooms and more than three acres of land, you can narrow your search and hopefully find the magnificent castle you’re wishing for.
Castle homes are rarer than your standard single-family house, so it can be hard to find these listings organically. That means you may have to get a little more creative with your home search.
You can use social media to find royal lifestyle enthusiasts who are passionate about buying and selling castles. Accounts such as “Zillow Gone Wild” regularly share unique home listings on Facebook, Instagram and X that can point you in the right direction.
There are also websites that aggregate castle listings from across the U.S. If you’re having no luck online, consider contacting a real estate agent. You may be able to find a REALTOR® who specializes in unusual or unique properties and can help you track down the castle of your dreams.
The price of your dream castle can vary significantly depending on its size and where it’s located. French listing site Le Figaro has hundreds of castles for sale at prices ranging from $300,000 to nearly $30 million. Depending on how recently built and upgraded the castle is, its price can vary significantly. Many castles are comparable in price to luxury homes with similar numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms, so that’s a good place to start your financial research.
This 8-bedroom, 9.5-bath castle in Fort Worth, Texas, is worth nearly $8 million. Non-castle luxury homes in Fort Worth with a similar number of bedrooms regularly go for $3 – $7 million. So, if you’re trying to get an idea of what a castle might cost you in a certain area, take a look at luxury home listings near you.The cost of any castle will likely determine how you go about financing it. The conforming loan limit for a one-unit property in 2024 is $766,550, broadly speaking, but it can go up to $1,149,825 for a one-unit property in Alaska, Hawaii and areas of the continental U.S. designated as “high cost.” If the castle you’re eyeing is a multiunit property, the loan limit will be higher.
In general, though, if the property you want to buy costs less than the conforming loan limit, you can get a conventional mortgage to finance it through most lenders. If it costs more, however, you may have to get a jumbo loan.
A jumbo loan can help you finance a home that costs more than the conforming loan limit, which varies with the part of the country where you live. At Rocket Mortgage®, you can get a Jumbo Smart loan for up to $3 million on 30-year fixed loans, or up to $2 million on 15-year fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs.) Jumbo loan limits differ from lender to lender.
If your dream castle costs more money than you can get a jumbo loan for, your best option may be to buy it in cash. Not every home buyer is wealthy enough to purchase a $10 million home upfront, though, so your budget will be important to keep in mind.
Is royal living really all it’s cracked up to be? It’s time to consider some of the advantages and disadvantages that can come with being the crown ruler of your personal medieval fortress.
Castles, manors and chateaus are unique properties that tend to require a lot of work to live in and cost a pretty penny. So, if you’re thinking about buying a castle, keep your budget in mind and research all the potential costs before making a decision.
Castle or not, if you’re ready to buy your dream home, you can with Rocket Mortgage.
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