Big deals? Palm Beach had ’em in 2022, with 15 real estate sales topping $39 million
Darrell Hofheinz
USA TODAY NETWORK
Sales may have slowed over the past six months in Palm Beach, but make no mistake: Plenty of houses changed hands in 2022 at prices that soared as high as any New Year’s Eve skyrocket.
In all, 21 single-family houses and two residential vacant lots on the island sold at prices recorded above $30 million over the 12 months.
The year also saw the most expensive estate ever sold in Florida — and although it wasn’t in Palm Beach, it was nearby. Manalapan, Palm Beach’s tony little sister to the south, was the site of that eye-popping sale in June with a price that topped $170 million, according to courthouse records.
Of the 23 Palm Beach sales that crossed the $30-million threshold as of Dec. 29, 15 recorded at $39 million or more, compared to 18 in 2021. What follows is a rundown of the 2022 Palm Beach sales in the latter rarified price category.
But first, a little more about that record-setter in Manalapan. For starters, the size of 2000 S. Ocean Blvd. — about 22 acres, including a slice of nearby Bird Island — dwarfs the Palm Beach properties on this list. The ocean-to-lake estate straddles the coastal road near the Boynton Beach Inlet and was owned for many years by the Ziff publishing-and-investments family. The Ziffs sold it in early 2021 for a recorded $94.37 million to an entity controlled by former Palm Beacher and Netscape billionaire Jim Clark.
This past June, Clark flipped the estate to software billionaire Larry Ellison of Oracle, who paid a recorded $173 million for it. Broker Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates handled both sides of the sale.
A Florida record-setter:$173 million sale near Palm Beach sets a state ‘most expensive’ residential record
Who is Larry Ellison?Billionaire Ellison, among world’s richest people, bought Florida estate for $173 million
Back in Palm Beach, all but two of the sales that hit the $39-million mark closed during the first half of the year. Here’s the rundown, which includes prices and dates documented with the deeds and previously reported by the Palm Beach Daily News. The transactions were confirmed by sales reports issued by the Palm Beach law firm Rabideau Klein.
$85.98 million, 901 N. Ocean Blvd.:
After selling new in August 2021 for $64 million, an oceanfront mansion on the North End underwent interior renovations and upgrades before changing hands again in June in a private deal. The seller was a limited liability company controlled by an investment group led by Moens, who had an ownership stake in the property. Moens also represented the sellers, who included private-equity specialist Scot French. Corcoran Group agents Dana Koch and Paulette Koch represented the buyer, The 901 NOPB Trust.
$72.85 million, 102 Jungle Road:
Fashion designer Tomas Maier in May sold the landmarked, 1920s-era oceanfront house he and his husband, Andrew Preston, renovated and restored after Maier bought it in 2014 from the late Ivana Trump, ex-wife of former President Donald Trump. Maier and Preston sold the Estate Section house to an entity linked to French and Toronto residential-and-commercial developer Rob Montemarano. Moens handled both sides of the off-market sale.
$66 million, 6 Via Los Incas:
Via a deed recorded this week, an oceanfront house built in 1981 on the North End changed hands privately after selling in June 2021for a recorded $35.43 million. Delaware-registered limited liability companies were involved on both sides of the most recent sale. The buyer was TT 47th LLC and the seller was Sunshine Home 5 LLC, an entity linked to private-equity specialist Josh Harris. Broker Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate confirmed he represented the seller. Multiple sources confirmed that Douglas Elliman Real Estate agents Phatavanh and Derek Olsen represented the buyer. The Olsens would neither confirm or deny their involvement.
$56 million, 325 Via Linda:
In June, a company controlled by businessman Warren B. Kanders bought this lakefront house, which was built in 1993 on the North End. It was sold by Pamela A. Applebaum as trustee of trusts linked to her late parents, Marcia and Eugene Applebaum. Moens handled the seller’s side of the private deal. Angle represented Kanders and his wife, Allison.
$53 million, 854 S. County Road:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband, private banker Joel Kassewitz, in February sold their Estate Section house on two lakefront acres to developer Todd Michael Glaser, who bought it with unnamed investors. The estate includes a main residence, a pool cabana and a detached guesthouse. Agent Gary Pohrer of Douglas Elliman Real Estate represented the Kassewitzes. Moens acted for Glaser and his investors.
$53 million, 854 S. County Road:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband, private banker Joel Kassewitz, in February sold their Estate Section house on two lakefront acres to developer Todd Michael Glaser, who bought it with unnamed investors. The estate includes a main residence, a pool cabana and a detached guesthouse. Agent Gary Pohrer of Douglas Elliman Real Estate represented the Kassewitzes. Moens acted for Glaser and his investors.
$48.5 million, 1030 S. Ocean Blvd.:
In April, a trust was on the buyer’s side in the purchase of a recently completed oceanfront mansion developed on speculation near the Mar-a-Lago Club in the Estate Section. The mansion was sold by a real estate investment group through a company managed by residents Nedim Soylemez and George P. “Beau” Taylor. The listing agent was Chris Deitz of Compass Florida, who marketed the house with its furnishings. Angle brought the buyer.
$46.4 million, 460 Worth Ave.:
Sotheby’s International Realty agents Heidy Wicky and Jean Lembcke represented the sellers in the private sale recorded in April of this lakeside Midtown mansion. Billionaire home builder Dwight C. Schar bought the house through a trust and was represented by Moens. The house was sold by Immohome AG, a Liechtenstein-based corporation for which Klaus Andresen holds the title of president and Gerhard Oehri sits on its board of directors.
$46 million, 662 Island Drive:
In an off-market deal in June, private-equity specialist Jeffrey C. Walker and his wife, Suzanne, sold their waterfront house built in 1996 on Everglades Island. Agent Suzanne Frisbie of the Corcoran Group negotiated for the Walkers opposite Angle, who represented the buyer, the 662 Island Trust.
$45.36 million, 1330 N. Lake Way:
An entity linked in courthouse records to Princess Alia Bint Al Hussein, daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, in March sold this lakefront estate built in 1996 to a Delaware-registered limited liability company. Agent Shelly Newman of William Raveis South Florida held the North End listing, and agent Chris Leavitt of Douglas Elliman Real Estate handled the buyer’s side.
$44.93 million, 5 Golfview Road:
In March, Canadian businessman and Fiji Water co-founder David Harrison Gilmour sold his 1920s-era house as trustee of a trust in his name. His wife, Jillian, joined him in the off-market sale. The buyer was a Delaware-registered limited liability company that property records suggest is linked to Illinois food-and-beverage billionaire David “Duke” K. Reyes and his wife, Pamela A. Perri Reyes. Sotheby’s International Realty agents Lisa and John Cregan represented both sides in the sale. The house stands on a half-acre site abutting the Everglades Club Golf Course in the Estate Section.
$44.88 million, 2315 S. Ocean Blvd.:
Private-equity specialist Bryan C. Cressey in July sold this beachfront mansion, one of the rare single-family homes on the South End. The buyer of the award-winning house built in 2010 was a Florida limited liability company named after the property’s address. Moens handled both sides of the private sale.
$44.375 million, 1320 N. Lake Way:
An investment group sold this updated lakeside house on the North End in May after buying it in late 2021 for a recorded $33.41 million. In this year’s deal, businessman Brett Overman and his wife, real estate agent Marley Goodman Overman of Illustrated Properties, were behind the trust that bought the 2002 house. She handled the buyers’ side, with Moens representing developer Glaser, who oversaw renovations, and his investors, Miami developer Jonathan Fryd of Fryd Properties and developer Scott Robins of Scott Robins Cos. in Miami Beach.
$39.9 million, 1020 N. Lake Way:
In June, shortly before Warren Kanders’ ownership company paid $56 million for 325 Via Linda, Kanders used the same company to sell this 1998 lakefront house on the North End. A revocable trust named after the property’s address was on the buyer’s side. Angle had the listing, and Paulette Koch and Dana Koch handled the buyer's side.
$39 million, 7 Ocean Lane:
This vacant half-acre beachfront lot sold in Februaryto an entity managed by developer Carl M. Sabatello of Palm Beach Gardens-based Sabatello Cos. He bought the North End property from a Florida limited liability company affiliated with an investment group, led by Soylemez, that had initially planned to develop a house on speculation. Representing the seller was agent Margit Brandt, who was at the time affiliated with Compass Florida but is today with Premier Estate Properties. Agent Bill Yahn of the Corcoran Group acted on behalf of Sabatello.
