HOMES OF U.S. PRESIDENTS

Obama, Bush, Clinton, and More:

For each of the U.S.’ former Presidents, the most famous residence they inhabit over their lifetime is undoubtedly the big white one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But before they were elected and after they left the Oval Office, these policy makers called other addresses “home, sweet, home.” In honor of Presidents’ Day, we’re taking a look at the homes of Presidents — present and past.

Barack Obama

Prior to his current digs at the White House, President Obama lived off Greenwood Avenue in Chicago. The Obamas’ home, pictured above, was built in 1917 and features 6,199 square feet of living space. President Obama and First Lady Michelle purchased the brick home in 2005 for $1,650,000, shortly after Obama was elected to Senate.

George W. Bush

When it came time for former President George W. Bush to retire from the Oval Office, the 43rd President decided to go back to his home state of Texas, picking up a sprawling 8,000-square-foot home at 10141 Daria Pl, which was a downsize from the 55,000-square-foot White House. The Bushes also purchased the property next door but tore it down in 2008. People speculated at the time that the demolition was to expand the former first family’s yard.

Bill Clinton

Unlike many other Presidents, Bill Clinton didn’t own a home during his residency at the White House. Born and raised in Arkansas, the former President and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chose to stay on the East Coast, and purchased a home in Chappaqua, New York at the end of Clinton’s second term in office. By several accounts, the Clintons are quite popular in the small Westchester County town. Built in 1889, the Clintons’ home is situated on a cul-de-sac lot and has 5,232-square-foot of living space, 5 beds and 4 baths.

Ronald Reagan

Before Ronald Reagan lived at the White House, he lived among the star-studded hills of Pacific Palisades and Bel Air. His former Pacific Palisades property was he and wife Nancy Reagan’s home base until Reagan was elected in 1981. After two terms as the 40th President of the U.S., “The Gipper” and his wife returned to Los Angeles, picking up a prime slice of real estate in the posh Bel-Air neighborhood. The property remains Nancy Reagan’s home today.

Gerald Ford

Not one, but two of former President Gerald Ford’s homes are currently for sale — one listed in California and one in Colorado. Ford’s Vail home, pictured above, is a testament to his love of skiing and the outdoors. Listed for $9.85 million, the ski-in/ski-out home has been on and off the market starting in 2008 with a hefty price tag of $14.9 million. Gerald Ford’s other home is listed on the Rancho Mirage real estate market for significantly less. The $1.699 million listing is a mid-century ranch located on the Thunderbird Country golf course and contains some Presidential memorabilia, including a large portrait of Betty Ford hanging in the living room.

John F. Kennedy

One of America’s most famous families holds one of America’s most storied properties. The Kennedy Compound consists of 6 acres of waterfront property on Nantucket Sound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, a small village in the town of Barnstable. John F. Kennedy’s father, Joseph P. Kennedy, rented a summer cottage in Hyannis Port in 1926 and purchased the cottage 2 years later. The home, which Joseph enlarged and remodeled, became the summer getaway for the couple and their children, who enjoyed sailing on the sound. In 1956, after his marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier, Jack bought a smaller home nearby, and his brother Robert later purchased an adjacent home. Following the death of Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy, the compound was donated to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

George Washington

While we don’t have the first President’s childhood home– the one where he chopped down a cherry tree — we do have the home where George Washington reportedly slept. It is believed that the first general hung up his wig at this 1739 homestead, named the “Fowler House.” The number of nights Washington slept here is up for debate, but if you believe the historic marker on the home, he often stayed here on his way from West Point to Connecticut. The New York home is 5,800 square feet and has 5 bedrooms and 2 baths and was recently listed on the Brewster real estate market for $500,000.