A Superfan Bought ‘The Goonies’ House for $1.65 Million—and He’s Kept the Movie Magic of the Home Alive for a Year

Entrepreneur Behman Zakeri loves the 1985 movie “The Goonies”—so much so that he turned a childhood dream into a reality by snapping up the iconic home from the classic film. 

Zakeri first watched the coming-of-age classic when he was 8 years old and has since viewed it more than 100 times.

“The Goonies taught me what friendship is about and also made me dream as a kid of maybe someday finding a buried treasure,” says Zakeri. “But first, I would need to somehow, some way, buy the ‘Goonies’ House, so I could go up in the attic and find a treasure map!”

The superfan from Overland Park, KS, bought the 1896 house in Astoria, OR, last year for $1.65 million—and is now celebrating his first anniversary as its owner.

“As soon as I saw the house was for sale, I went after it,” says Zakeri. “But the highest bid was actually six figures higher than mine.”

Luckily, Zakeri had heard that the seller, Sandi Preston, only wanted to sell her famous home to the “right person” who would do what’s best for the ‘Goonies’ community.

“So more money wasn’t necessarily going to get the house,” he says.

Once Zakeri communicated what a big fan he was, and how he planned to restore the 1896 home to its cinematic glory, his bid was accepted.

“I think that the seller believed that I was the one who she could pass the torch to and keep the ‘Goonies’ magic alive,” he says

But first, Zakeri had to come up with the cash.

“I called my banker and asked if I could get some loans,” Zakeri recalls. “After getting three loans and using a mountain of savings I had saved for a rainy day, I was able to make it happen.”

Keeping the home’s legacy alive

Only a true ‘Goonies’ fan could be trusted to preserve, maintain, and protect the iconic house that’s inspired so many, according to Zakeri.

Although he’s not allowed to turn the home into a museum due to local zoning laws, he believes “Goonies” fans all around the world should feel welcome to visit the house, “as long as they are respectful to the neighbors and the neighborhood,” Zakeri says.

He compares owning this house to owning the Statue of Liberty, since a few hundred people come by the house a day on average to pay homage and take pictures.

During the multiday celebration around ‘Goonies Day’—which is celebrated annually on June 7, the movie’s release date —more than 1,000 people typically visit the property per day.

Neighborhood watch

But not everyone is thrilled about the ‘Goonies’ house being in their neighborhood.

In fact, one disgruntled neighbor even put up a banner last year that said, “Goonies Not Welcome.”

Then another neighbor put up a sign responding to that banner, saying “Ignore Karen.”

Despite this drama, most of the neighbors are now cool with the influx of visitors, according to Zakeri, who has worked with the city, the neighborhood, and the local chamber of commerce to help keep the peace.

“The city has now posted signs in the neighborhood instructing ‘Goonies’ fans where to park, and this has helped out tremendously,” he explains.

For love or money

Although Zakeri says turning the home into a short-term rental might be possible someday in the future, he reveals he and his wife, Liz, haven’t made a dime off the house so far.

“It has been a huge money pit ever since we bought it,” he admits. “It’s all good since we love it so much, but it’s definitely very expensive and time-consuming to maintain.”

Although the home is already worth $80,00o more than they paid, Zakeri says this isn’t just a financial investment for them—it’s “also a dream come true.”