Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a state-of-the-art custom home on the market in O’Hara.

Retired homeowner, civil engineer and general contractor Lou Marsico originally kicked off construction on the more than 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom residence in 2022.

At that time, the house was intended for Marsico’s adult daughter and her large family with four children.

“My daughter ended up relocating to Fox Chapel much earlier and found another home,” Marsico said. “And I didn’t care about the time it took to finish this home. I wanted it done correctly.”

The home is located at 1502 Powers Run Road and listed at $2.3 million by Howard Hanna.

The high-tech home is finally ready for a buyer and Marsico is hopeful it attracts a tech-savvy new owner with a penchant for quality construction and a need for plenty of space.

“I’d like to see a nice, big family move in here,” said Marsico, father of six adult children and married to Mary Ann Marsico for 49 years.

The Marsicos have lived in O’Hara for more than 50 years and Lou grew up in Aspinwall.

Marsico said he’s fielded occasional inquiries from some local residents who were left wondering when the home would be finished.

Howard Hanna Realtors and co-listing agents Scott Umstead of Sewickley and Molly Finley of Fox Chapel assisted the Marsicos in completing the home’s interior and Marsico collaborated with every individual contracted worker during each building phase.

“Every detail was designed by me and I made every carpenter do a mock-up before we ordered materials,” Marsico said.

Much of the custom woodwork was completed by Pittsburgh-area wood craftsman Michael Secor, including an open wooden staircase connecting all three levels.

O’Hara resident Lou Marsico inside his custom-built state-of-the-art home, listed for $2.3 million, located at 1502 Powers Run Road in O’Hara. (Joyce Hanz | TribLive)  

The property occupies one acre with four and one-half baths and the three-car garage features a dog-washing sink, air conditioning and heat.

There’s a five-zoned HVAC system, remote-controlled attic stair access, a fresh air exchange system that updates hourly, heated flooring/tiles in the master bathroom, two fireplaces and 9-foot ceilings.

The wood flooring is a standout feature.

“All the trim work was milled particularly to my design. It’s solid poplar wood and all the hardwoods are red oak. The cabinets were built by the Amish,” Marsico said.

Marsico is beyond pleased with the final results of the building process and said it was worth the wait.

“I wasn’t in a rush,” he said, noting supply-chain issues during the pandemic slowed down obtaining custom materials and building efforts and later, Marsico’s hectic schedule with other housing projects put completion of the craftsman-style home on the back burner.

Umstead said finding a new construction home of this caliber in terms of materials and craftsmanship is rare in today’s market.

“He’s meticulous and he’s a detail-oriented guy,” Umstead said of Marsico’s attention to every detail of the home’s construction. “I’m over the moon with excitement with this listing.”

Finley described the high-end quality of the materials as “perfection.”

“This is at the top. It’s luxury,” Finley said.

A state-of-the-art antibacterial light inside a bathroom at 1502 Powers Run Road in O’Hara. (Joyce Hanz | TribLive)  

A homeowner’s app controls features such as the heated tiles in the master bathroom and the anti-bacterial lights in the bathrooms and laundry room.

The high-end Anderson windows throughout are synced with an app that will notify the homeowners if any of the windows are opened or closed.

The rear of a custom luxury home located at 1502 Powers Run Road in O'Hara. (Courtesy of Allyssa Richards/Exposure It)  

Power outages are a problem of the past thanks to a whole-house generator controlled via a mobile app.

The refrigerator and all of the appliances are by Jenn-Air and the microwave is in a pull-out drawer at waist level.

“This is a smart home,” Umstead said.

The quartzite kitchen island is oversized on purpose.

“I designed the kitchen island to be big enough for six people,” Marsico said.

The lower level differs from a traditional basement and offers an open floor plan with a full bath and access to a multi-level sandstone deck area and a level backyard suitable for a sports court or pool.

More than 50 pine trees are slated for planting on the grounds.

The property has 22 strategically placed outdoor daylight and night-vision cameras offering 24/7 security, all monitored from one’s smartphone.

“This level of buyer will appreciate this level of security,” Finley said. “If they’re out of town, they can check on their home.”

“I just love gadgets,” Marsico said.

The house is in the Fox Chapel Area School District and was previously listed in 2024 when it was unfinished and the buyer could choose the interior features.

Howard Hanna Realtors Scott Umstead and Molly Finley photographed on Dec. 9 in the custom kitchen at 1502 Powers Run Road in O’Hara. The five-bedroom, new construction home is listed for $2.3 million. (Joyce Hanz | TribLive)  

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