Florida can't be counted on for a lot, but it's a good source of private islands and eye-popping real estate prices. Those two currents came together this week when a mansion in the intracoastal waterway in Palm Beach became the most expensive home on the entirety of Zillow.
The 11-bed, 15 bath British Colonial mansion is situated on its own manmade island in between the city proper of West Palm and the barrier island that gives Palm Beach its name. It can be reached by boat or via a small road that also connects the larger Everglades Island to Palm Beach.
The 2.2 acre island was built out of dredged material in the 1930s and it includes one of the few illuminated tennis courts allowed in the city. The house was completed in 1939 by noted area architect Howard Major. Major eschewed the then-popular trends of Italian and Spanish reproductions, arguing frequently that colonial cottages of the Caribbean were the most suitable homes for South Florida's climate and temperment.
The island was sold earlier this year for $85 million. But before you go thinking the price tag is just more evil house-flipping without an ounce of effort, you should know the price tag includes a massive renovation of the island's central structure. $210 million includes a partial demolition of the 12,000-square-foot original structure in service of a newly built 18,000-square foot addition. The renovation would add six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a garage and two swimming pools.
If that project is a bit too rich for your blood, the property is being offered as-is for $125 million. The listing is represented by Lawrence Moens.
Photos via Realtor.
