Melinda Gates’ identify listed on Seattle house deed forward of divorce, however that doesn’t imply she purchased it

By

Seattle Times business reporter

When interest turned to Bill and Melinda Gates ‘divorce, attention quickly turned to a King County charter listing Melinda Gates’ name for a $ 1.2 million house in Portage Bay, the latest Month was sold.

Business Insider reported that Melinda Gates bought the house, and the Seattle Times initially reported the same thing. But it seems that Gates was more likely to have helped another buyer secure the house.

A guarantee letter filed in early April shows that another couple bought the house. A deed of trust filed by Melinda Gates shortly after the listing may indicate that she helped fund the purchase.

The guarantee deed listing the other couple indicates they are likely buyers of the home while Gates provided a loan to cover the costs, said Robert Pentimonti, a Tacoma-based real estate attorney. (Pentimonti was not involved in the sale.)

Typically, a guarantee deed transfers ownership of a property, while the person listed as a grantee / beneficiary on a trust deed like Gates was usually the person loaning money to the buyer, according to Jon Scherer, manager of the record at the King County Recorder’s Office

Bill and Melinda Gates announced this week they were planning a divorce and asked questions about how they are splitting their estimated $ 146 billion and what about their $ 131 million complex in Medina, known as Xanadu 2.0, will happen. The couple also own three homes in California, a horse farm of more than 200,000 acres, and other properties.

This story has been corrected to reflect that Melinda Gates did not purchase the house herself.