Feel rustic-luxe vibe of this Sierra-view home with swanky man cave

Placerville businessman Steve Stymeist didn’t buy a blank slate in the foothills outside of Sacramento — he bought a place with a killer view he couldn’t quite see yet, and then started reshaping everything around it.

“When we looked out here it was like a hill — we didn’t know we had a view,” Stymeist, founder of the former Stymeist Collision Centers, said. “(Someone) mentioned those are the snow‑capped Sierra mountains you can see, and I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve got some work to do.’”

So the tractors began moving dirt around, and now it looks like you can reach out and touch those mountains from the house.

Just minutes off Highway 50, Stymeist’s property now feels less like a home in the foothills and more like a private compound built for gatherings of all sizes. There are two parcels totalling more than 31 acres, sweeping Sierra sightlines, and the kind of resort-style backyard you’d expect at a boutique retreat, not a residence.

The estate at 4201 Irish Port Lane near Placerville is offered fully furnished for $3.25 million. Placerville is 40 miles east of Sacramento.

One-of-a-kind property

The result of Stymeist’s work is a one-of-a-kind property in the Sacramento region, according to listing agent Tiffany Kraft of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty.

“This place is spectacular,” she said. “What makes this property compelling isn’t just its scale, but how it reflects the vision and personality of someone who built both a business and a lifestyle rooted here.”

Here, the grounds are the star of the show.

“I mean, very nice home,” Kraft said, “but the outside is what sets it apart.”

The main house — about 3,007 square feet with three bedrooms and three baths — anchors the larger parcel. It’s open-concept, designed to pull the landscape into the room, with flexible bonus spaces that can pivot into a home office, theater or overflow guest use.

The primary suite is positioned like a retreat-within-the-retreat, facing the pool with direct outdoor access, plus a walk-in closet and a stone shower that leans into the property’s rustic-luxe vibe.

Sierra views

But Stymeist’s story isn’t really about square footage. It’s about what he wanted to see out the window.

“The home was here, but when you looked out this window, all you saw is a big group of rocks … I didn’t want the rocks. I wanted a pool.”

So the rocks gave way to water — an elevated pool scene with multiple water features, including a rock waterfall, plus a poolside shower and an adjacent entertainment nook built for the kind of long afternoons that turn into night. A grotto area with bar seating and built-ins keeps the party in place. Nearby, a fire pit and custom seating make the backyard feel staged for conversation even when nobody’s visiting.

But people do visit. Stymeist has hosted as many as 250 people.

“The pool has been wonderful,” Stymeist said. “We’ve had a lot of fun events here, a lot of bands. I call this a stage up here (on the grass). I have bands here, a couple bands at a time.”

Entertainment and man cave

A grassy performance area — part lawn, part outdoor venue — has hosted private concerts, the kind of detail that sounds like listing-copy exaggeration until you realize Stymeist built much of this property around hosting. The estate includes multiple guest options beyond the main house: two cabins with kitchenettes and bathrooms, and a lineup of RV stations with water and electrical hookups for visiting friends who travel with their own rooms.

“I’m an RV guy, and I have RV friends,” the owner said. “They bring their RVs up here, and we just have pool parties and bands. That’s what we do — it’s just for hanging out.”

Then there’s the part of the property that reads like a second address: a detached “man cave” structure set up for pure fun and recreation — golf simulator, bar, multiple TVs, games, gym space and room for collector vehicles — plus an adjacent shop built for serious projects, not weekend tinkering.

Stymeist talks like someone who enjoys the work as much as the finished product. He built the bunk bed frames and cabinets in the guest cabins, as well as some tables and benches in the yard near a horseshoe pit.

The owner added a flag-and-leash system and built a “mountain-lion-proof” enclosure, so his dog is always protected. He turned the fortified dog house into a standout amenity — a safe shelter with climate control.

“This might be the only dog house you’ve seen that has its own mini-split,” Kraft said.

That builder-tinkerer mentality carries across the property in surprising ways:

• A short-game golf setup with distances roughly 89 to 110 yards, including artificial turf tees, sand traps, and lighting that allows for evening practice.
• Fenced areas and water service for animals like goats and donkeys.
• A raised-bed garden with fence protection.
• Equestrian-ready space in a community where riding is part of the lifestyle.
• Ample garage space and a lift for car enthusiasts.

It’s also designed to keep running when the power goes out, with solar and a backup generator sized to support the whole operation — because a property that functions like a resort needs the behind-the-scenes infrastructure of one, too.

Now, after years of layering additions, upgrades and custom touches, Stymeist is looking ahead — past the pool, the stage, the shop — and toward a different climate.

“I’m starting a new chapter in life,” he said. “I’m moving — I don’t really like the cold and I don’t really like the heat — I’m going to a middle ground, and I’m completely starting over in life, turning the page.”

He knows he’s leaving behind a special place for the next steward.

“There is the word: magical.”

David Caraccio

The Sacramento Bee

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David Caraccio is a video producer for The Sacramento Bee who was born and raised in Sacramento. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers as a reporter, editor, page designer and digital content producer.