Another ‘Home Alone’ house for sale

In the case of Old Man Marley, the mystery makes the man.

In the film “Home Alone,” not much is known about the eerie neighbor turned hero, leading Buzz McCallister and company to give him a sinister — and baseless — moniker: the South Bend Shovel Slayer.

The dynamic makes Marley an iconic character in holiday film history, and a piece of that history is on the market for the first time in about 20 years.

The home of Old Man Marley — 681 Lincoln Ave. in Winnetka, which makes only a brief and partial appearance in the movie — is up for sale. Listed for $4.2 million by At Properties’ Annika Valdiserri, the century-old home has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, an in-ground swimming pool and more on a two-thirds-acre property.

Like in the film, the home is next door to the famous McCallister house, which coincidentally was also on the market this year — but not for long. It sold within a week.

Valdiserri said she is continually surprised at how many people visit the Lincoln Avenue block to join in the “Home Alone” fun, which makes the Marley home not for everyone. But its original architecture and advanced features also make it a special home for the right person or family.

The owners “always enjoyed” being a part of the “Home Alone” activity, and she enjoys being the home’s agent.

“I always love it when something is different and new,” she said. “It’s wonderful and it’s fun and you can really work marking it in different ways. I love it.”

That’s why Valdiserri contacted Crain’s Chicago, a publication with dedicated real estate reporting that was the first to report the home was for sale.

In the film, Old Man Marley is the next-door neighbor to the lead character, Kevin McCallister, and his family. The home is visible when Marley is introduced, a scene that features Kevin, Rod and Buzz McCallister looking through a bedroom window at Marley, who is salting his walkway. The property can also be seen near the end of the film when Marley is reunited with his family.

The home’s connection to “Home Alone” is just a small part of its charm, Valdiserri said. It was designed by renowned architect Benjamin Marshall, a former Wilmette resident who also designed ornate and grandiose hotels and theaters.

Additionally, the property’s secluded yard includes professional landscaping, a screened-in porch, a half-basketball court and a putting green.

Valdiserri said beside’s the home’s proximity to downtown Winnetka and the beachfront, a big draw is its private atmosphere.

“You sit in the back of the house and you feel like you’re in the country. You don’t know you’re in Winentka; that’s the real beauty of it,” she said.

The home’s owners purchased the home in 2003, are retired and are selling following a move to North Carolina, Valdiserri said.

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