Originally published January 5, 2017 | Updated August 2026

Few homes in the Chicago suburbs have a history quite like Frank Thomas’ former Oak Brook mansion.

Built for the Chicago White Sox legend in the 1990s, the enormous estate at 3312 Midwest Road in Oak Brook, Illinois, became known not only for its size and amenities, but also for a remarkable series of record-setting sales, foreclosures, legal troubles, and renovations.

When we originally wrote about the property in 2017, it had just sold for a fraction of what it commanded at its peak. Nearly a decade later, the story has continued.

Here is what happened to Frank Thomas’ former Oak Brook mansion — and where things stand today.

Frank Thomas Builds One of Oak Brook’s Most Extraordinary Homes

Frank Thomas, nicknamed “The Big Hurt,” spent the majority of his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago White Sox and eventually became a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

During the height of his career, Thomas built a massive custom estate in Oak Brook, one of DuPage County’s best-known luxury-home communities.

The property at 3312 Midwest Road was built in the late 1990s on approximately 3.3 acres.

Depending on the source and how finished space is calculated, the home has been described as approximately 26,000 to 27,400 square feet.

This was no ordinary suburban house.

The property included features such as:

  • 9 bedrooms
  • 13 full bathrooms and multiple half bathrooms
  • Multiple fireplaces
  • Indoor and outdoor swimming pools
  • Indoor basketball court
  • Large home gym
  • Theater
  • Pool house
  • Extensive garage and underground parking
  • More than 3 acres of private grounds

Even by Oak Brook luxury-home standards, it was an enormous property.

Frank Thomas Sells the Oak Brook Mansion for $7.95 Million

Thomas eventually put the estate on the market and sold it in 2003 for approximately $7.95 million to real estate developer Ronald Scarlato.

At the time, the transaction established a DuPage County residential sales record.

That record would stand for more than 20 years.

The remarkable part of the story, however, is what happened to the home’s value afterward.

From Nearly $8 Million to Foreclosure

Scarlato eventually went into foreclosure.

The mansion returned to the market as a bank-owned property in October 2014 with an asking price of approximately $2.5 million.

Despite the home’s complicated history and highly specialized design, it quickly attracted interest.

The property went under contract within weeks and ultimately sold in December 2014 for approximately $2.71 million.

The buyer was Tahir Iqbal.

Less than a year later, the mansion returned to the market with an asking price of about $4.5 million.

After several price reductions, the asking price fell to approximately $3.9 million, but the property did not sell.

Then the story became significantly more complicated.

Fraud, Forfeiture and Another Sale

Iqbal became involved in a federal fraud case along with Shaukat Sindhu.

The two pleaded guilty in connection with a scheme involving fraudulent real estate transactions and bank financing.

The Oak Brook mansion was ultimately forfeited to the federal government.

The government placed the property back on the market in late 2016 for approximately $3.3 million.

It didn’t take long to find a buyer.

The estate sold for approximately $2.3 million in December 2016.

Think about that for a moment.

A property that had sold for nearly $8 million in 2003 changed hands roughly 13 years later for only $2.3 million.

That was the point at which we originally published this story.

But the mansion’s history didn’t end there.

What Happened to Frank Thomas’ Oak Brook Mansion After 2017?

The property’s subsequent history is another reminder that ultra-luxury real estate operates very differently from a typical housing market.

The Mansion Sold Again for $4.5 Million in 2021

On November 30, 2021, the estate sold again, this time for approximately $4.5 million.

Property records and real estate portals describe the home as having roughly 27,000 square feet of living space on approximately 3.35 acres.

That represented a significant recovery from the $2.3 million sale five years earlier, although it was still well below Thomas’ record-setting 2003 sale price.

A Major Renovation Followed

By 2023, the mansion was undergoing another major transformation.

The home’s owner at the time, Syed Ali, reportedly embarked on a substantial renovation of the exterior and interior.

Plans included architectural changes such as updated rooflines, additional balconies, an expanded second level, a redesigned covered entrance and more traditional windows.

Some of the home’s signature recreational amenities, including the gym and outdoor swimming pool, were retained.

It was another chapter for a property that had already gone through several dramatically different eras.

Is Frank Thomas’ Former Oak Brook Mansion for Sale Today?

As of 2026, major real estate portals list 3312 Midwest Road as off-market.

Online automated valuations vary considerably — which isn’t surprising.

A 27,000-square-foot custom mansion with extensive amenities, several acres of land, and a unique ownership history is extremely difficult for an automated home-value model to compare with conventional properties.

That is particularly true in the upper end of the Oak Brook real estate market, where relatively few comparable properties sell in any given year.

Frank Thomas’ DuPage County Sales Record Was Finally Broken

When Thomas sold the mansion for approximately $7.95 million in 2003, it established what would become a remarkably durable DuPage County record.

The record lasted for more than two decades.

In 2023, a luxury home in Naperville sold for approximately $8.1 million, finally surpassing the price paid for Thomas’ Oak Brook estate.

Interestingly, Thomas’ former mansion remains an important benchmark when discussing the history of high-end residential sales in Oak Brook and DuPage County.

What Is Frank Thomas’ Former Oak Brook Mansion Worth?

That’s a much harder question than it sounds.

The property’s history demonstrates one of the realities of extremely high-end real estate: size and construction cost don’t necessarily translate directly into resale value.

A highly customized mansion can cost millions of dollars to build but appeal to a relatively small pool of buyers.

Factors affecting the value of a property like this include:

  • Location
  • Acreage and privacy
  • Architectural style
  • Condition and renovations
  • Property taxes and operating costs
  • Number of qualified luxury buyers
  • Availability of comparable properties
  • How specialized the home’s design and amenities are

The mansion’s transaction history illustrates that point perfectly.

It sold for approximately:

2003 — $7.95 million

2014 — $2.71 million

2016 — $2.3 million

2021 — $4.5 million

Those numbers are an extraordinary example of how dramatically values can fluctuate in the ultra-luxury market.

Is Frank Thomas’ Mansion the Same Property as Bear Manor in Oak Brook?

No.

This is worth clarifying because people searching online for Bear Manor in Oak Brook are increasingly finding information about Frank Thomas’ former home.

Frank Thomas’ former mansion is located at 3312 Midwest Road.

Properties and records associated with the Bear Manor name are located in a different area near 31st Street/Oak Brook Road.

They are not the same property.

Oak Brook Remains One of the Chicago Suburbs’ Premier Luxury Markets

The story of Frank Thomas’ mansion may be unusual, but the location isn’t.

Oak Brook has long been one of the western suburbs’ premier destinations for luxury homes, offering large residential lots, custom estates and convenient access to Chicago and surrounding DuPage County communities.

The area includes everything from traditional luxury homes to sprawling custom estates that rarely have true comparable sales.

That’s one reason working with a real estate brokerage that understands both the local market and unusual luxury properties can matter.

If you’re considering buying or selling a high-end property in Oak Brook or elsewhere in the Chicago area, learn more about Lucid Realty’s luxury home sales services.

Frequently Asked Questions About Frank Thomas’ Oak Brook Mansion

Where is Frank Thomas’ former mansion?

Frank Thomas’ former mansion is located at 3312 Midwest Road in Oak Brook, Illinois, in DuPage County.

How big is Frank Thomas’ former house?

Different property records report slightly different measurements, but the estate is generally described as approximately 26,000 to 27,400 square feet on roughly 3.3 acres.

How many bedrooms does Frank Thomas’ Oak Brook mansion have?

The home has generally been listed as having 9 bedrooms and more than a dozen bathrooms.

How much did Frank Thomas sell his Oak Brook mansion for?

Frank Thomas sold the property in 2003 for approximately $7.95 million. At the time, the sale established a record for a residential property in DuPage County.

What happened to Frank Thomas’ house after he sold it?

After Thomas sold the estate, it changed owners several times, went through foreclosure and federal forfeiture, sold for approximately $2.3 million in 2016, sold again for approximately $4.5 million in 2021 and later underwent a major renovation.

Is Frank Thomas’ old Oak Brook house currently for sale?

As of 2026, major real estate websites list the property as off market.

Does Frank Thomas still live in the Oak Brook mansion?

No. The Oak Brook estate discussed here is Frank Thomas’ former home. He sold the property in 2003.

Is Frank Thomas’ former mansion Bear Manor?

No. Frank Thomas’ former estate at 3312 Midwest Road and the Oak Brook property or area associated with the name Bear Manor are separate properties.

Looking for Homes in Oak Brook?

From remarkable estates like this one to more traditional single-family homes and condominiums, Oak Brook continues to be one of the Chicago area’s most distinctive suburban real estate markets.

Browse Oak Brook homes for sale and learn more about living in Oak Brook.

If you’re planning to purchase a home, you can also learn how Lucid Realty helps buyers save through our buyer commission rebate program.

Gary Lucido is formerly affiliated with Lucid Realty, a Chicago-area real estate brokerage serving buyers and sellers throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.