The 6,300-square-foot Rancho Mirage, Calif., house that Gerald and Betty Ford commissioned in the '70s has officially hit the market for $1.699M. The Fords originally bought the 1.37-acre property from their friend Leonard Firestone, former United States Ambassador to Belgium and a board member of the Firestone Tire company, and commissioned a flat-roofed compound from architect Welton Beckel. It was here where the former president lived after leaving office; the place has six bedrooms, 4.5 baths, separate his and hers offices, and a pool that Ford made good use of. Sited on the 13th hole of a golf course, the home enjoys views of the desert and the mountains; true history buffs can negotiate in the original furnishings separately. (Sadly, interior photos haven't hit the MLS yet.) Note that another of Ford's properties—the one in Beaver Creek, Colo.—is also on the market, as is a 5,200-square-foot place in Rancho Mirage that he considered his "official office."
· Gerald Ford Compound Hits Market for $1.7 Million [AOL Real Estate]
· Ford Compound Up For Sale For $1.699 Million [Palm Desert Patch]
· 40471 Sand Dune Road, Rancho Mirage, Calif. [HK Lane Real Estate]
· Gerald Ford's Former Home Listed by Proud West Point Grad [Curbed National]