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Due Diligence: Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this home in 1952 for Ray Brandes and his first wife, Mimi. One of about 150 "Usonian" Wright houses, the single-story home features redwood cabinetry and furniture designed by the architect and concrete floors with a radiant-heating system. The house also has glass doors, floor- to-ceiling windows and a clerestory to maximize the natural light. A carport separates the main house from a studio, which the owners now use as a family room. Included with the house are its original blueprints and correspondence between Mr. Brandes and Mr. Wright, who never visited the site but consulted on its selection. Mr.

What: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in 1,900 square feet on 3.25 acres

Where: Sammamish, Wash., 15 miles east of Seattle

Amenities: Redwood furniture, radiant-heated floor, carport, studio/family room, office, gated driveway

Asking Price: $2.25 million

Opening Bid: *$1.9 million

Listing Agent: Jane Powers, Ewing & Clark Inc., 206-322-2840 ext. 817

Due Diligence: Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this home in 1952 for Ray Brandes and his first wife, Mimi. One of about 150 "Usonian" Wright houses, the single-story home features redwood cabinetry and furniture designed by the architect and concrete floors with a radiant-heating system. The house also has glass doors, floor- to-ceiling windows and a clerestory to maximize the natural light. A carport separates the main house from a studio, which the owners now use as a family room. Included with the house are its original blueprints and correspondence between Mr. Brandes and Mr. Wright, who never visited the site but consulted on its selection. Mr. Brandes, a builder, was his own general contractor on the home's construction and did much of the carpentry work himself. Current owners Jack Cullen and Deborah Vick bought the house from Mr. Brandes, Mr. Cullen's stepfather, in 1984. Ms. Vick says the house had to win her over -- "it's small," she says -- but it ultimately did; she now serves on the board of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. Like many Wright buildings, the house has had a few leaks but nothing major, Ms. Vick says. Now that their children are grown, the owners are selling, but not before granting preservation easements. "You can't have a second story added, and you can't paint it blue," Ms. Vick says.

*The opening bid is Weekend Journal's estimate of a reasonable starting point for negotiations to buy the property, based on past sales, prevailing market conditions and interviews with local real- estate experts.

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