Palm Beach set a record in 2020 for sales recorded at $20 million or more
Marked by the deadly coronavirus pandemic, civil unrest and a contentious presidential election that divided the nation, 2020 was a year that many Palm Beachers will be happy to bid farewell to when midnight arrives Thursday evening.
But the tumultuous year has had an upside for Palm Beach real estate agents and brokers — an onslaught of buyers that shook the island’s real estate market.
Just compare the residential sales that hit or exceeded $20 million this year to 2019. Last year, there were 10 of those transactions. As of the middle of this week, there had been 21 deals in that price category recorded by the Palm Beach County Clerk’s office — an annual record for the island.
Here’s a roundup of the single-family property sales — houses and land — that hit the $20 million mark, based on deeds recorded at the Palm Beach County courthouse as of Wednesday. The prices listed are those recorded with the deeds.
$71.85 million — In June, a renovated landmarked estate at 8 S. Lake Trail set a lakefront price single-sale record when it changed hands in a private deal. Robb E. and Lydia Turner sold the estate they renovated to SL Trail LLC, a limited liability company said to be linked to discount brokerage billionaire Charles Schwab. The Daily News was unable to confirm if any real estate agents were involved. The same month, the Turners bought, for $21 million, 220 EL Vedado Road, the longtime home of Edith Dixon and her late husband, philanthropist F. “Fitz” Eugene Dixon Jr. Agent Christopher Deitz of William Raveis South Florida was on the buyer’s side opposite Brown Harris Stevens listing agent John O. Pickett III.
$70 million — A company controlled by Jane Goldman in June sold the oceanfront estate known worldwide as President John F. Kennedy’s winter White House at 1095 N. Ocean Blvd. On the buyer’s side of the off-market deal was the 1095 North Ocean Trust, an entity linked to Carl D. and Mary Jane Panattoni. Broker Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates represented the buyer and Goldman, who extensively renovated the property,
$55.15 million — The lakeside estate of the late Kathleen DuRoss Ford at 300 N. Lake Way changed hands for $55.15 million via a deed recorded this week. The estate was sold by attorney Frank L. Chopin, acting as trustee for Ford’s estate, according to preliminary information about the sale posted early Wednesday afternoon on the Palm Beach County Clerk’s website. The buyers were David and Constance Littman. Moens had the listing and broker Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate acted on behalf of the buyer.
$51.42 million — Dr. Norman and Nassrine Traverse in July sold their ocean-to-lake custom estate at 1744 S. Ocean Blvd. to a limited liability company, 1744SOL LLC. Douglas Elliman Real Estate agents Ashley McIntosh, Christopher Leavitt and Gary Pohrer handled the seller’s side of the off-market sale opposite Moens.
$46.75 million — In May, the landmarked ocean-to-lake estate of the late A. Alfred Taubman changed hands at 1820 S. Ocean Blvd. The buyer, White Birch Farm Inc., is linked to Peter Brant. Moens was the listing agent opposite agent Alan Quartucci of Brown Harris Stevens.
$43.25 million — In the same week in February, billionaire Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and founder of Quicken Loans, used a limited liability company to buy two houses in sales totaling $43.25 million. Gilbert’s company paid $24.5 million for an oceanfront house at 100 El Bravo Way and $18.75 million for a lakeside home at 670 Island Drive on Everglades Island. Agent Kevin Spina of The Keyes Co. negotiated for the buyer in both sales. The house on El Bravo Way was so
ld by a limited liability company managed by attorney Michelle M. Porter in Washington, D.C., and represented by agent Suzanne Frisbie of Premier Estate Properties. Paul Shiverick and Betsy Shiverick sold the Island Drive house, which was co-listed by agents Cristina Condon and Kevin Condon of Sotheby’s International Realty.
$43 million — In July, Jeffrey A. and Nicola Marcus sold their oceanfront estate at 1075 N. Ocean Blvd. to a limited liability company controlled by rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi’s company simultaneously sold, for $19.847 million, the custom home Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea Hurley, had recently completed at 230 S. Ocean Blvd. Both properties were listed for sale by broker Angle, who also represented the buyer’s side at No. 1075. A trust named after the property’s address was on the buyer’s end at No. 230, represented by Leavitt and McIntosh.
$37.25 million — English insurance magnate and real estate developer Sir Peter Wood in March sold a never-lived-in oceanfront house he developed on speculation at 530 S. Ocean Blvd. in the Estate Section. The buyer was a limited liability company associated with Brenda and Ric Elias. Angle had the listing, and agent James Kenny of K2 Realty Inc. handled the buyer’s side.
$36.08 million — In October, an oceanfront house once owned by the late Beatles singer John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono sold at 720 S. Ocean Blvd. Cindy and John C. Sites Jr. and a trustee sold their renovated estate to the 720 South Ocean Boulevard Land Trust. Angle was the listing agent, negotiating opposite agents Paulette Koch and Dana Koch of the Corcoran Group.
$35.375 million — Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone was behind December’s purchase, through the The Southpaw Trust, of a lakefront estate at 1480 N. Lake Way. Angle handled the buyer’s side, with Moens acting on behalf of sellers Ronald G. and Cindy McMackin.
$32.2 million — In April, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson used a Delaware limited liability company to buy a never-lived-in house developed on speculation at 446 N. Lake Way. On the seller’s side was luxury homebuilder Mark Pulte of Mark Timothy Inc., who was represented by Moens. Agent Jim McCann of Premier Estate Properties acted for the buyer.
$28.57 million — In February, Carl D. and Mary Jane Panattoni bought an oceanfront house at 965 N. Ocean Blvd. from the estate of the late industrialist Raymond Perelman and his late wife, Ruth. On the sellers’ side was the Perelman Family Trust Co. LLC, for which Ron Perlman — one of the Perelmans’ sons — and daughter Debra Perelman served as trustees. Moens handled both sides of the sale.
$28 million — Via a deed recorded in October, Donald A. Burns sold his oceanfront mansion at 1021 N. Ocean Blvd. to a limited liability company named 21 Palms LLC, which acted as trustee of the 21 Palms Trust. The Daily News was unable to confirm if any real estate agents were involved in the off-market sale.
$25.37 million — In April, the home of the late philanthropists Morton L. and Barbara A. Mandel at 1063 N. Ocean Blvd. sold to a Delaware-based limited liability company linked to the Lauder family through the New York City headquarters of the Estée Lauder cosmetics-and-fashion empire. McCann handled both sides of the sale.
$24.24 million — In June, Christopher A. and Margaret Sinclair sold their custom home facing the ocean at 516 S. Ocean Blvd. The 516SOB Trust was on the buyer’s end of the deal. McCann was the sole agent involved.
$24 million — In January, Peter and Janet Tigges sold their landmarked house at 800 S. County Road, which was designed by noted society architect Addison Mizner. The buyer was Ann DesRuisseaux, who acted as co-trustee of the DesRuisseaux Land Trust. Condon and her Sotheby’s International Realty colleague Jean Lembcke were the co-listing agents. It’s unclear if any real estate agency or agents were involved on the buyer’s side of the deal.
$23 million — In June, an ownership company controlled by developer Mark Pulte sold a vacant lakefront lot of a little less than an acre at 445 N. Lake Way. The buyer in the off-market sale was PB Coastal LLC . McCann confirmed his involvement in the off-market deal.
$20.75 million — In October, Mark E. and Mary Freitas Mary sold their house at 201 El Vedado Road in the Estate Section to the 201 El Vedado Road Land Trust, for which West Palm Beach attorney Mark D. Kairalla serves as trustee. William Raveis South Florida handled both sides, with Deitz representing the sellers and broker David Fite handling the buyer’s side.
$20.2 million — In December, a landmarked house at 124 Via Bethesda sold to a New York-registered limited liability company with an address matching Rockefeller Capital Management, a firm headed by Gregory J. Fleming. The seller was 124 Via Bethesda LLC, a Florida entity for which attorney Maura Ziska of Kochman & Ziska signed the deed. Angle acted for the buyer. Leavitt, who represented the seller, had co-listed the property with McIntosh.
$20.2 million —On Tuesday, a vacant half-acre beachfront lot with about 100 feet of shoreline sold at 7 Ocean Lane. A trust affiliated with Janina K. “Asha” Radtke sold the lot to a limited liability company named after the property’s address and linked to a real estate investment group. Radtke, an agent at Sotheby’s International Realty, was the listing agent and Deitz acted on behalf of the buyer.
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Darrell Hofheinz writes about real estate in his weekly “Beyond the Hedges” column. He welcomes news items about Palm
Beach real estate for this column. Email [email protected], call 820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz.
