A gated lakefront estate on Fox Street in Orono, Minnesota, built by former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, is being offered through a co-ownership auction by DeCaro Auctions. Six of the home's eight fractions are available, with bidding opening at $1.55 million per fraction. The property, valued at about $15 million, sits on Maxwell Bay of Lake Minnetonka and was Rudolph's family home until he sold it in 2023.
The estate offers privacy that is rare on the lake, according to Matthew Rollins, partner and chief marketing officer at DeCaro Auctions. "Security is a big deal for this kind of owner, and a lot of the homes around the lake don't have it," Rollins said. The house is set back from the water and above it, reached through a private gate and wooded drive that opens onto a broad lawn, resort-style pool and private dock. "You're perched above the lake, so people boating by can't look in your windows, but you're still right on the water," Rollins added.
Rudolph spent years planning and building the home, and its layout reflects both his athletic career and his focus on hosting. The lower level includes an indoor half court for basketball, pickleball and hockey, a professional-grade gym with free weights, power cages and machines, a cold plunge and sauna, a golf simulator, a home theater, a family room and a second kitchen. Outside, covered seating areas and large decks surround the pool, and the lawn runs down to the shoreline and dock. The house and grounds can host hundreds of guests without feeling crowded.
The decision to offer the estate through co-ownership rather than a traditional whole-home sale is designed to broaden the buyer pool. "By lowering the entry point, we greatly expand the buyer pool," Rollins said. "We're not talking about $15 million anymore. We're talking about $1.55 million to own part of this property." Mario Vargas, partner and CEO of DeCaro Auctions, sees co-ownership as a smarter way to hold a vacation home, even for buyers who could afford the whole thing. "Somebody may have always wanted a place on the lake but decided it wasn't a smart use of their money when they'd only be there a few weeks a year," Vargas said. "Co-ownership lets them own it, enjoy it and split the costs that come with it."
This is co-ownership, sometimes called fractional ownership, not a timeshare. Each owner holds a fraction of the entire home rather than a set week or a particular room, and the owners divide carrying costs such as maintenance, taxes and insurance. A professional management company handles scheduling, cleaning and upkeep, so the house is ready on arrival and reset after each stay. A bidder who wants the entire estate can still win it by outbidding the combined total of the bids on the fractions, a structure laid out on DeCaro's process page.
Bidders register at decaroauctions.com, where they can review the property's due diligence documents, including inspections and disclosures. To qualify, they review the auction terms, submit proof of funds and place a $10,000 deposit. Auction dates will be announced on the property's page. DeCaro works alongside the home's listing agent and cooperates with buyers' agents throughout.
The offering matters beyond this single property. Lake Minnetonka has drawn executives and business owners for generations, helped by the number of major companies headquartered in the region. "It has always been known for summers, but it's quickly becoming a year-round destination," Rollins said. Fall brings color around the bays, and in winter the frozen lake turns into a rink for skating, pickup hockey and ice fishing. For buyers who want a lakefront presence without committing $15 million plus taxes, insurance and upkeep for part-time use, the fractional auction represents a lower entry point into one of the lake's most private properties. For the luxury real estate market, it signals a growing willingness to use co-ownership structures to sell high-value homes that might otherwise linger on the traditional market.
