Orbitz Founder Lists Mansion For $1 Million Below Last Sale Price

LAKE FOREST, IL — The founding chief technology officer of internet travel company Orbitz and his wife last week listed their Lake Forest mansion for more than $1 million below the price they paid for it a decade ago.

Located on 1.4 acres just north of Half Day Road in the southwest side of town, the property backs up to Windridge Pond. Built in 1989, the home includes six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and nearly 7,000 square feet of aboveground living space.

With "lush landscaping" and an expansive backyard, the home is move-in ready and ideal for outdoor entertaining, according to its listing. The front door opens to a spacious foyer with a curving staircase, leading to a living room with a stone fireplace and walls of windows. Its kitchen has granite countertops, custom cabinets and an eating area surrounded by views of the back yard.

"It allows for resort-like feel in a totally private setting," said listing agent Andra O'Neill. "It's really got a nice floor plan, a nice living space, lots of bedrooms and a finished basement with a theater and another bedroom and bath with a sauna in it. It's just a beautiful property."

An upstairs master suite has its own fireplace, walk-in closet and a large bathroom, while the 3,400-square-foot finished basement includes a wine room, theater room, additional bedroom and recreation room. There is one shared bathroom and one en-suite for the other three upstairs bedrooms.

The backyard includes an in-ground pool, hot tub, gazebo and cabana with an outdoor kitchen.

There's also an attached two-car garage and another detached garage with an upstairs storage room with space for two more cars. The gated property also includes a fountain in front.

Alex Zoghlin, 49, and his wife Deann, 50, purchased the Windridge Drive home in May 2009 for $2.925 million. It was listed Saturday for just under $1.9 million.

Before founding the Chicago-based travel site two decades ago, Zoghlin started the web development company Neoglyphics, according to Crain's Chicago Business. Shortly after Zoghlin resigned from Orbitz as chief technology officer about 15 years ago, his shares in the company were estimated to be worth nearly $10 million, Chicago Magazine reported in 2009.

After that, he headed up Des Plaines-based real estate marketing company VHT Studios. Then Zoghlin went on to spend six years as a vice president in charge of technology for Hyatt Hotels, leaving earlier this month to form Machine Learning Ventures, a new firm he described as aiming to back startups driven by math and science. He did not immediately respond to a query about the property.

According to the Lake County Assessor's Office, the estimated market value of the property for taxing purposes is under $1.7 million. Its annual property tax bill is more than $28,000.

• Address: 1826 Windridge Drive, Lake Forest
• Built: 1989
• Price: $1,895,000
• Square Feet: 6,929 (3,429 in basement)
• Bedrooms: 6
• Bathrooms: 5 full, 2 half

Listing information originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.