A waterfront retreat on Little Gasparilla Pass in Boca Grande – once offered for $13.5 million, currently listed for $10.9 million – will hit the luxury auction block January 10, 2019, without a reserve. Top bid wins the property.
Risky business, auctioning off multimillion-dollar homes, as one last year illustrates.
The winning bid for Villa Palladio, an opulent four-story Italianate villa on Casey Key, reached $4,375,000 – a tad less than half of the original list price of $8.9 million. The final purchase price went up a bit, to $4.5 million, Sarasota County records show – but it’s not like the property fell under the radar. The luxury auction marketing campaign for Villa Palladio generated over 1,600 prospects, over 60 qualified showings, and eight registered bidders.
The Boca Grande place, on North Shore of Gasparilla Island in Charlotte County, is impressive. I talked to the owners back in June when the property reached the market.
Bob and Miryam Knutson will be leaving more than a home when a sale closes. “We love the land, the privacy, the location,” Bob said for that earlier column.
They bought the property at 16160 Sunset Pines Circle in 2004 for roughly $3.3 million. They immediately ripped the house down to its core for a total makeover that took three years.
“It was basically new construction,” Bob said.
Miryam grew up in the Caribbean, enjoying the turquoise waters that touched the beaches. “And I was used to that color of water,” she said. She found that same hue off her home’s 260 feet on Little Gasparilla Pass, a rare water color she only found elsewhere in the country off Key West.
The 1.43-acre property sets a varied stage for an outdoor lifestyle. A 12-by-40-foot heated pool and spa serves as the centerpiece of the estate’s courtyard. Striking features include mosaic tiling, a small koi pond, and a cascading water wall made up of artifacts from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
Flowering plants accent the courtyard. A cabana, with a steam shower, a built-in lounge area and bar also surround the pool. An al fresco dining area and outdoor kitchen have marble countertops.
Grapefruit, orange, key lime, pineapple, passion fruit, and banana trees; native plantings, including silver buttonwood, palmetto, and cabbage palm; starburst clerodendrum and coconut palms; ficus hedge; and butterfly garden plantings create a lush landscape — which can be enjoyed from the 3,560-square-feet of terraces and balconies.
The extensive dock, rebuilt after Hurricane Irma, allows Bob to continue his passion for fishing for snook, bluefish, and flounder. “It’s a great fishing spot,” he said.
He’s got all the angling accoutrements: air-conditioned marine room with built-in fishing-rod racks, fly-tying work area and built-in cabinetry; a fish cleaning and equipment station; a baitwell; a boat lift, and an underwater camera.
The tri-level interior’s 7,500 square feet under air also impresses. The single-family home has seven bedrooms, all with balconies right outside, six full bathrooms and three halves.
Just one of the two master bedrooms, both 35-by-37-feet, is about the size of my condo.
Compare that with the 25-by-32-foot living room. Suffice to say the kitchen appliances all sport high-end brand names. Just brief descriptions of the property’s custom features cover four pages of small text.
The home’s living quarters are on the second and third floors, leaving the ground floor open to storm surge, should that occur. Hurricane-strength windows, a metal roof and an emergency generator provide more protection.
Carol Stewart of Michael Saunders & Co., the listing agent and a Boca Grande resident, described the luxury estate as
“Orchestrated to impress and inspire … crafted for both grand social occasions and family memories.”
Platinum Luxury Auctions, Miami-based high end real estate auction firm, will stage the live auction. Concierge Auctions, formerly of Sarasota but now based in New York City, held the Casey Key sale.
Want to bid? Register to bid on a luxury auction here.
Related Articles:
Sprawling Boca Grande Waterfront Retreat Up for Luxury Auction
Sources:
- Herald Tribune – Chris Willie
