NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

BACK TO NATURE AT SILVER OAK

Silver Oak, in the 10,000-acre master-planned community of Palmer Ranch, features million-dollar Mediterranean homes overlooking 115 acres of lakes and nature preserves. It has attracted a former U.S. senator, a sports star, a famous author, the owners of several popular Sarasota restaurants, physicians who enjoy the proximity to hospitals, young families and affluent retirees for whom these are second homes. Residents enjoy a lifestyle oriented toward the outdoors. Palmer Ranch offers miles of biking and hiking, and the county's new "Rails to Trails" pathway is right behind the neighborhood.

Number of Silver Oak properties: 179

Number of sales 2/2005–2/2006: 15

Range of sale prices 2/2005–2/2006: $770,000 to $1.55 million

Average sale price 2/2005–2/2006: $1,175,179

Range of square footage: 3,209 to 5,042

Sample Listing

This new four-bedroom home at 8958 Wildlife Loop is on the market for $1,525,000. The Todd Johnston Providence design has a home theater, office with bamboo floors, gourmet kitchen and large, formal living and dining rooms. The heated pool, spa and summer kitchen have unobstructed views of a private lake and nature preserve. A separate entrance to a mother-in-law suite with a partial kitchen provides ideal guest quarters. Robert and Maripat Flood of Michael Saunders & Company are the listing agents.

Sample Sale

A luxurious Mediterranean home with soaring two-story ceilings sold recently for $1.4 million, after an original list price of $1,495,000. The residence, at 8874 Bloomfield Blvd., was built by John Cannon in 2002 and offers four individual bedroom suites, five bathrooms and an office. Extravagant finishes include a faux art ceiling, travertine bath counters and disappearing glass doors. The gourmet kitchen serves up all the bells and whistles. A large upstairs game room and huge caged lanai with heated pool and summer kitchen offer expansive entertainment space. Helene Hyland of Coldwell Banker was the selling agent.

MLS statistics courtesy of Maripat Flood of Michael Saunders & Company. MLS records transactions and listings by members of the Sarasota Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

Top of the Market

A 5,344-square-foot masterpiece at 773 N. Manasota Key Road recently commanded the area's highest sale price: $5.05 million, after an original list price of $5.99 million. Built in 1991, the five-bedroom Gulf-to-bay residence is highly contemporary, with curved lines like a turtle shell and vast expanses of glass to reflect sky and sea. Vaulted ceilings and skylights let in the sun, while black granite counters and travertine floors provide a stunning contrast. The sparkling pool, lush plantings and private beach create the ambiance of a remote, exotic island. Joseph James of Michael Saunders & Company was the selling agent.

Sales information provided by Kim Ogilvie of Michael Saunders & Company. 

 

FINDER'S FEE When Lynn Robbins listed the home of a Sarasota physician going through a divorce, she reassured her client that she would find the perfect person to purchase his home. Robbins made good on her promise and found him a buyer. She then went beyond the call of duty and found him a wife.

"He was a lovely person, and when we met I immediately thought of my friend, a wonderful woman and successful stockbroker who just happened to be single," says Robbins. "When the time was right, I introduced the two of them." Some months later, Robbins received a telephone call from the woman, asking her to list her home. This was followed by a second call from the doctor, asking Robbins to place his new house on the market.

"They both wanted to sell their existing homes because they were getting married," Robbins says with a laugh. "So I sold their houses and then sold them their new home as well. With their joyful marriage and all the business thrown my way, we are all living happily ever after."

GUESS WHO? A celebrity who cannot be named at this time is expressing a great deal of interest in the last bastion of buildable land on Siesta Key. The panoramic bayfront parcel at 1450 and 1456 Point Crisp Road offers enough space for two large estates and can be sold as two separate lots. "The property is like an island," explains Karen Chandler of Michael Saunders & Company, co-listing agent with partner Bill Hackett. "You have incredible views for 360 degrees and are completely surrounded by water. The privacy aspect is very appealing to my prospective buyer, who's very well-known." Should the anonymous celebrity decide to live in Sarasota, the purchase price for this slice of paradise is $7.95 million.

A VERY SPECIAL SOMEPLACE One of the most expensive houses ever built in Sarasota—constructed at just under $1,000 per square foot—is for sale on Hillview Avenue in Harbor Acres. The waterfront residence offers more than 10,000 air-conditioned square feet and 20,000 square feet under roof, counting all the verandahs, terraces, garage space and outdoor living areas.

The home required nearly three years to complete, and the price per square foot blows Sarasota's most lavish spec house right out of the water. "Technically," explains Marty Benson of Prudential Palms Realty, "this is not a spec home. A buyer purchased the property from me and created plans for this amazing house, with Jeff Smith of Tampa as architect. During the three years that it took to plan, design and build the home, the owner changed plans, and now the home is for sale."

A departure from the typical Spanish Mediterranean mansion, the residence is constructed to standards close to commercial grade. Brick and stone are used for exterior elevations with an interior that boasts elaborate carved woodwork and Australian cypress flooring. Benson's listing is offered for $9.95 million.

BABY YOUR BOAT Only a half-dozen residences in Sarasota come with a concrete-block boathouse, and zoning regulations prohibit building any more. So when the home at 315 S. Washington Drive was about to be torn down to make way for a new residence, someone had the presence of mind to halt the bulldozer.

"This St. Armands property is on a quiet canal and perfectly suited for a beautiful new home," says Ed Haggerty of Prudential Palms Realty. "The old house was a teardown, and it seemed logical to raze the boathouse at the same time. But when it was discovered that just six of these boathouses are left in existence in Sarasota, the builder decided to keep the structure." Roughly eight feet wide and 20 feet long, the boathouse offers shelter for a modest vessel, and the view from the deck on top of the boathouse is very attractive. The boathouse was painted and the deck on top cleaned, which made it look more in keeping with the new house.

"The new house is a 3,000-square-foot ranch with traditional lines and gorgeous finishes," says Haggerty. "There are four bedrooms plus a den, and a spacious screened porch along the back of the house. The interior features marble floors in the living areas and bamboo floors in bedrooms, and the builder used all solid-wood doors." There's a very spacious screened porch along the back of the house. List price: $3,295,000.