Former George W. Bush lawyer sells North Carolina mountain estate for $15 million

George W. Bush’s lawyer in the controversial recount of Florida ballots during the 2000 presidential election is selling his old vacation home in the North Carolina mountains for $15 million.

William Scherer Jr. led Bush’s team of attorneys during the Florida recount litigation and “personally” represented Bush in the Broward County recount, according to his biography on the website of his Fort Lauderdale law firm, Conrad & Scherer.

Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court intervened in the dispute over a portion of the punch card ballots, known as “hanging chads.” The court ruled 7-2 to halt a recount ordered by a Florida court, prompting Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore to concede the election to Bush.

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A lawyer’s legacy was a ‘labor of love’

Scherer and his wife Anne’s 350-acre estate in the North Carolina mountains includes creeks, a waterfall and 100 acres of grassland and pasture.

Their Ridges of Steel Creek estate is located at an elevation of 3,600 feet, 11 miles from Brevard.

The estate features a furnished cabin with exposed beams and posts, rough Adirondack siding, pine floors, modern appliances and a wood-burning fireplace.

“But the real magic is in the surrounding land,” and the mountain views “as far as the eye can see,” according to the listing from listing agent Billy Harris of Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Brevard South.

The estate has been “a labor of love” for the couple for 23 years, Harris said in an interview with The Charlotte Observer on Friday.

Harris said the owners prefer to remain private. An Observer review of Transylvania County public tax records revealed that the Scherers own the property.

The Scherers started with 78 acres and continued to add land and amenities over the years, Harris said. They built successful careers in real estate and law in Florida, fields in which they still work, he said.

Their children are grown and equally successful, but they have no plans to move to the estate, Harris said, which partly explains why the owners are selling.

The owners have built four kilometers of paved roads, starting at an elevation of 900 meters, Harris said.

Besides the expansive mountain views, it is also the roads, amenities, horse stables, fencing and bridges over creeks that make the estate attractive, Harris said.

“You couldn’t buy another property with these mountain views today,” Harris said.

The estate consists of a horse stable, sheds and a 500 m² workshop with a kitchen, bathroom and laundry room.

The property is adjacent to Rich Mountain Conservancy, near DuPont State Recreational Forest and Headwaters State Park.