Three Florida Properties Are Poised To Shatter Real Estate Records

Three residential properties in Florida are expected to break price records for the most expensive properties to be sold in their locations if they sell at asking prices, or even higher. From the Florida Keys to Fort Lauderdale, these are the contenders that are vying for their day in the sun.

94100 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida

Listed for $24.5 million, the contemporary oceanfront estate is poised to set a price record in the Florida Keys, where the biggest residential sale remains a 2015 deal for $13.5 million. The sprawling property, located in the Tavernier community, stands at the center of nearly 13 acres of forested grounds. 

The home is ideal for indoor-outdoor living with two private white-sand beaches at the edge of Florida Bay. It showcases an elaborate waterfall, rock garden and covered terrace that leads directly out onto the beach. 

The listing is held by Audrey Ross of Compass Florida and Arline Tarte of Compass New York. Both agents brokered the sale of the current record holder in 2015.

Meridith Baer Home’s distinct and luxurious style is on display, connecting the home to its surroundings. The prestigious home staging and interior design firm’s vision for the property centered around contemporary styling, clean lines and a neutral color palette designed to highlight the open floor plan and breathtaking views.

By showcasing the stunning floor-to-ceiling glass windows and views of the ocean and Everglades National Park, the company created a relaxed yet refined space that’s perfect for large-scale entertaining and taking advantage of indoor-outdoor living. 

The compound includes three structures: the main residence, a one-bedroom, one-bath guest cottage and a freestanding three-bedroom, three-bath cottage with a private boat dock beneath it.

Upon entering the expansive main house through the porte cochere, Ross said one begins to feel the essence of the property as you cross a bridge overlooking white sandy beaches, waterfalls, koi ponds and lush greenery that give the home a peaceful, Zen feeling.

“Throughout the property, there are meandering trails and beautiful trees lining either side with orchids growing in the trees, and they are absolutely wonderful,” she said. “You feel as if you are in a bit of a paradise.”

“When you drive through the long greenery to get to the house, it’s just special,” added Tarte. “The word unique applies too. And I am from New York where I’m used to a very fast pace, and I could stand there and feel peaceful. The whole thing is gorgeous. Everywhere you look, you see the beautiful water, 2.5 acres of beachfront.”

Ross explained, “This is an ideal spot for a family retreat or a corporate retreat, or in the case of the previous owner, a couple that simply wanted privacy and wanted to retreat from the world. It is really magic. The kitchen is state of the art because in addition to having all the latest appliances, there’s a beautiful place where one can serve breakfast lunch or dinner, overlooking the beach and see the sunset. It’s very dramatic.”

She added, “In the master bedroom suite, there are his-and-her bathrooms, his-and-her walk-in closets, an en-suite sitting room and also an en-suite spa room where you have a beautiful, huge Jacuzzi, two massage tables, a lounge area, and all of that overlooking the white sandy beach.”

The distinct qualities of the property lend an abundance of praise. Ross shared the observations of a recent prospective buyer: “The last person I showed the property to, and the person is very familiar with the Florida Keys, said ‘this is truly unique. It’s one of the most spectacular properties I’ve ever seen. I had no idea that anything like this existed in the Florida Keys’.”

2480 Coco Plum Drive, Marathon, Florida

With an asking price of $19.5 million, this tropical property has record-breaking potential. It’s set at the end of the road on Fat Deer Key, an island in the Middle Keys of Florida in the town of Marathon. The expansive residence includes three floors with concrete and steel construction and sits over 12 feet above mean high tide, making it one of the highest residential homes in the entire Florida Keys. 

Listing agent Kim Thaler of Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty said the priciest property ever sold in the area was for $5.25 million in neighboring Key Colony Beach, and that was in July 2017. 

“This sale would certainly be record breaking by a landslide for Marathon and the entire Florida Keys,” said Thaler. “The second highest was for $5.075 million, also in Key Colony Beach, in May 2016. As far as current listings, as of today, it’s the second-highest listed home in all of the Florida Keys.” 

Bask in the sun-drenched surroundings as you enjoy 340-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean from the wrap-around balconies of this idyllic property. The 11,894-square-foot home includes seven bedrooms and seven full bathrooms, 7,649 square feet of covered patios, 552 square feet of a covered driveway portico, along with four-plus  garage spaces for a total of 22,069 square feet of enclosed and covered areas.

Brazilian doors set the tone for the entire home, which is designed with custom copper, aquatic works and paintings. 

“This property is distinctive in so many ways, especially to the Florida Keys,” said Thaler. “Not only is it the most expensive for the area but this magnificent estate offers the entire package. It features the largest residential pool in the Keys. It has 350 feet of private beach along with an abundance of deep water for all types of boat docking. Most homes in the Keys with that kind of private beach access do not offer deep-water dockage. The interior space of the home will leave your breathless. It’s nearly 12,000 square feet with over 25-foot ceilings, a commercial elevator that you would find in a department store and windows with views from every nook.”

The estate has more than 300 feet of private sandy beach with a direct beach access road. The exterior is just as luxurious as the interior with a xeriscape yard encompassing hundreds of natural tropical plants and trees with natural stone, mulch and sand areas to maintain privacy. 

Other amenities include more than 400 feet of concrete and steel seawall built to military standards, a concrete and steel dock with a 16,000-pound boat lift, rooftop helicopter landing pad and deep-water channel with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. The seller will accept a partial trade with high-end classic and exotic cars plus cash.

Four Seasons, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, the first five-star development in Fort Lauderdale, is making a real estate splash with its recent listing of a record-breaking $35 million penthouse, which would more than triple the priciest condo sale ever recorded in the city. 

Called SkyHome, the five-bedroom, six-bathroom penthouse residence spans nearly 19,000 square feet of interior and exterior space, including a nearly 7,000-square-foot private rooftop park with a pool and putting green. 

The residence features an outdoor pool surrounded by sweeping waterfront views, a private fitness center, home theater and wine-tasting space with temperature-controlled storage. There are also immense walk-in closets, a private laundry room and private elevator entry.

Douglas Elliman’s Fredrik Eklund of the Eklund Gomes team has been tapped to handle the sale of the residence.

Residents enjoy world-renowned Four Seasons service and access to the development’s curated amenities, including two pools with luxury cabanas, a state-of-the-art fitness center, beach butler service, signature Four Seasons spa, yachting services and a pet concierge with an on-call veterinarian. The development is well over 60 percent sold, and first occupancy is scheduled for 2021.

Eklund was quoted in The Real Deal as saying that “I like to set records, what can I say? All jokes aside, there hasn’t really been anything like this in Miami, in Fort Lauderdale. There’s hardly anything like this in New York or L.A. either.”

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.