Behman Zakeri, the Superfan Who Recently Bought the Goonies House, Discusses His Plans for the Storied Property

In the mid-’80s, a group of boys who would grow up to be Oscar contenders (Sean Astin, Josh Brolin and Ke Huy Quan) filmed an adventure movie at a place that became one of Astoria’s greatest concentrations of cinematic history: the Goonies House.

In The Goonies, it’s easy to see why real estate developers plan to buy up the Goon Docks and force the Goonies and their families to move away. Astoria has a reputation for being picturesque, and the Goonies House, perched atop an unpaved cul-de-sac with panoramic views over the town, river and ocean, is no exception. Still, the film’s fictional developers would surely have been stunned after seeing how much the house sold for in December 2022: $1.7 million.

For several years, starting in 2015, when the film celebrated its 30th anniversary, previous owner Sandy Preston made a point of posting signs prohibiting fans from approaching the house, in response to overwhelming swarms of visitors. She reversed course in 2022, but by the end of that year, she had sold the house to a new owner with a new perspective.

Now the house belongs to Kansas City entrepreneur and Goonies superfan Behman Zakeri. His plan is to preserve the house as a shrine to the film, and he encourages tourist foot traffic.

Though a neighbor did put up a “Goonies Not Welcome” sign like Preston might have done a few years ago, Zakeri’s old friend Michael Eakin responded with a sign reading (in Goonies-style lettering) “Ignore Karen” on the house in between, which he himself has purchased.

Zakeri told KGW, “The reason I’m buying this is for the community.” If fortune favors him, it won’t be his last time buying a landmark from a beloved ‘80s film classic, as he’s also expressed interest in buying the McFly home from Back to the Future, located in the Los Angeles suburb of Arleta.

For now, though, Zakeri’s focus lies on making this Astoria house a dream come true for all his fellow Goonies. WW spoke to him about his plans for the property, including his hopes for a Goonies sequel or series.

WW: When did you first see The Goonies and what impact did it have on your life?

Behman Zakeri: In the summer of 1985. The movie inspired me from the day I saw it, and subconsciously set the path for my life and business career.

How long had you been thinking about buying the Goonies House?

Since I was a kid, but I got serious about buying it when we visited the Goonies House for the 30th anniversary celebration in Astoria in June of 2015.

Is it tricky to balance the desires of fans and of neighbors?

It’s definitely a challenge, but we have so much support from friends, family and neighbors that we will manage well.

What can you tell us about the planned citywide treasure hunt you’re hoping to host?

No specific details right now, but we would like to see this happen someday soon!

What kind of hopes do you have for a Goonies sequel, and what role would the house play in it?

I will be doing everything in my power to push for either a Goonies sequel or a series (similar to what they did with the Cobra Kai series and the Karate Kid movies). I have to believe that if they do either, the Goonies House will play a big role in the sequel or the series.