“Project Hail Mary” author Andy Weir snags another $6.8M mansion in Winnetka

Science-fiction author Andy Weir has bought a six-bedroom mansion in Winnetka for $6.8 million, adding another high-value property to his growing North Shore real estate portfolio, according toCrain’s Chicago Business.

The off-market purchase gives Weir and his wife, Ashley, a second home in Winnetka, the report confirmed. The couple moved from California to the Chicago area in 2022 and have bought and sold several properties in Winnetka and nearby Northfield since then.

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A custom-built Winnetka home

According to the Chicago Tribune, the two-story brick and limestone house was built in 2016 and sits on a half-acre corner lot. It includes six bedrooms, 6½ bathrooms, and roughly 6,100 square feet of living space, per property records and real estate websites.

The sellers, Christopher and Mary Freeburg, purchased the site in 2013 for slightly less than $1.29 million before completing construction three years later, Crain’s confirmed. Jena Radnay of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate represented both sides of the transaction.

Radnay said that the home “fit exactly what (Weir) was looking for,” the Tribune reported. She added that Weir values the North Shore and appreciated finding a finished custom home in a walkable location.

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Family, schools and a changing real estate history

According to Crain’s, Weir still owns a seven-bedroom, 8,800-square-foot Winnetka mansion on Indian Hill Road. He and Ashley bought that property in 2022 for about $4.42 million and later listed it for sale, but it remains in their ownership, per county records.

Weir told Crain’s that the family wanted their son to attend public school and specifically sought the Crow Island Elementary School district. He also said the new house better meets the family’s needs than the Indian Hill property.

The couple previously bought a Northfield home for nearly $2.4 million and sold it for just under $2.5 million, Crain’s confirmed. The report also mentioned how they purchased a large Winnetka mansion in 2023 for $4.51 million, then sold it the following year for $3.36 million after extensive renovations.

Weir is best known for “The Martian” and “Project Hail Mary.” Both novels became major films, extending the author’s profile from publishing into Hollywood.