Tucked behind a navy blue Treasure

Coast Sotheby’s “for sale” sign

just south of The Dunes in South

Beach is a gate which leads to an

ultra-private, equestrian oceanfront

retreat just waiting for a new owner,

some horses and some tender loving

care.

With grandfathered-in rights to

keep horses in a residential neighborhood

and a three-acre expanse

of oceanfront land, this compound

presents a truly unique project for

a buyer searching for a distinctive

residence or even for an investment

in property to be subdivided in the

future.

“The big deal is an equestrian compound

in the middle of all this development,”

said broker-owner Michael

Thorpe. “Nobody has any idea what’s

back here behind the gate.”

Thorpe said the zoning density is

three units per acre, which would

permit a cozy wooded enclave of single-

family homes to be constructed

on the property.

“Whether they live here, or even if

they look at it as an investment, to

develop 10 or 20 years down the road

into a subdivision,” Thorpe said. “It’s

close to everything in the community,

it’s close to amenities and it’s

close to St. Edward’s School, but with

a sense of ambiance and country living.”

Spanning 1,500 feet back to the

sea grape-covered dune and sandy

beach, the lushly landscaped estate

invites the visitor in via a winding

path through old oaks and palms,

past horse paddocks and a path

through the jungle leading to four

stables and a utility building with

kitchenette and bathroom.

The guest house appears first, built

in 1949 with wood-paneled walls

and hardwood floors. The charming

2-bedroom cabana was the original

house on the property before a larger,

two-story main house was constructed

in the 1980s closer to the beach.

Thorpe said there has been a trend

of barrier island residents purchasing

equestrian properties west of town

in order to have the dual beachside

and pastoral lifestyles. The property

he has listed for sale serves both of

those purposes in one parcel, complete

with a loop of trails for riding

and opportunities to ride horses on

the beach.

“If he wants a beach house and

she wants horses, this place can help

them come together,” he said.

Thorpe’s business partner Kimberly

Hardin said recent buyers have

recognized the value and the nearly

extinct nature of this plot of wooded

oceanfront.

“We’ve had a flurry of activity and

several offers,” Hardin said.

Thorpe said the sellers reduced

the price from $7 million to $5 million

when his brokerage took over

the listing. For comparison, Thorpe

said parcels of unimproved oceanfront

property in the South Beach

area are selling for $1.5 to $2 million

for one-half acre of land. The lot

boasts about 100 feet of oceanfront

and then expands out to about 200

feet wide the closer you get to State

Road A1A to accommodate a brisk

walk or to exercise the horses.

The current owners carefully

planned out the space to preserve

the seclusion of the main residence

and guest house while providing

enough space to house and care for

their horses. They constructed individual,

large horse stalls and a few

outbuildings for storage and convenience.

Should the new owners

wish to hire someone to look after

the grounds and the horses, there is

plenty of space to erect another small

residence for a caretaker’s quarters.

“You could keep or even board

horses here,” Thorpe said.

After living on and keeping horses

on the land for nearly eight years,

the family who once occupied the

compound relocated to a home they

owned in South Florida after the 2004

hurricanes.

“They evacuated and there was

some hurricane damage when they

returned, they had some interests

down south of here and decided to

Due to the hurricane damage, the

property is being sold “as is.” Despite

the cracked windows, broken sliders

and overgrown foliage, the lovely

wood-planked ceilings in the main

house and the hardwood floors in

the guesthouse appear to be in good

condition. The massive coquina rock

fireplace in the main house graces

the great room and a stone fireplace

also makes the vintage guest house

more homey and comfortable.

A spiral staircase in the main

house closest to the ocean leads to

a spacious loft and a catwalk which

overlook the heart of the home – the

living and dining area with panoramic

views of the ocean from the second-

floor perch. The kind of house

which absolutely invites a party and

a crowd of friends or family, the main

residence has a large, unfinished

kitchen with pantry which opens

onto the great room. A wraparound

deck offers spectacular views of the

ocean, but the home is set back a fair

distance from the ocean with a buffer

of native vegetation to provide some

shelter for the wood-frame building.

Near the guest house is a pool

with separate spa and a small fish

pond. Adjacent the pool is a covered,

screened cabana perfect for daytime

or nighttime entertaining.

The guest house has a full open

kitchen and two bedrooms. The

main house could be configured as

two bedrooms with the loft as an entertainment

room or as a three-bedroom

setup. The master suite has a

his and hers bathroom and two walkin

closets. The guest bedroom downstairs

also has its own full bath and

there is a third full bathroom awaiting

a tub.

The home is built above a two-car

garage, covered patio with brick barbecue

nook and generous covered

parking area, with additional parking

space for a recreational vehicle, boat

or other watercraft.