Luxury home sells for $4.6M, sets new mark

LAKEWOOD RANCH — A Tuscan-inspired east Manatee County estate with 13,000 square feet of living space has sold for $4.6 million — a record price for Lakewood Ranch and The Lake Club, according to the listing brokerage.

Sarasota-based Michael Saunders & Co. listed the property, through Realtor Barbara Najmy, according to a statement. There have only been two other non-waterfront homes in Sarasota and Manatee counties that have sold for more than $4 million the last 15 months, the brokerage adds in the statement.

“It is always a pleasure to announce a record sale, as it indicates growing strength in the east county luxury market and the desire of buyers for the best in quality and distinctive design,” says Michael Saunders & Co. founder and CEO Michael Saunders in the statement. “It also demonstrates the depth of our amazing agents and the unparalleled knowledge and expertise they provide for our clients.”

The estate, named Villa Lago Eterno, has four bedroom suites, five bathrooms, three half-baths, five fireplaces and a five-car garage. The master retreat is 1,500 square feet, with a spa-inspired bathroom and expansive walk-in closet with glass-top jewelry showcases and a hidden seasonal mini-closet, the statement adds.

Outside the main home, a two-story guest casita with a state-of-the-art gym, study, bar and bathroom overlooks more than one acre of native Tuscan-planted grounds. The estate also features an open courtyard with a pool, spa and fully-equipped kitchen.

The Lake Club in Lakewood Ranch has cobblestone streets, stone bridges and fountains and a vineyard that produces its own The Lake Club wines. The second-highest sale in The Lake Club took place in March 2016, the release states, with a sale price of $3.98 million.

In addition to this record sale, Michael Saunders & Co. recently represented both the buyer and seller in the sale of the highest-priced Longboat Key condo. The company also just announced the highest-ever listing of a single-family home in Sarasota, Charlotte and Manatee counties combined - for $26.5 million.

“We have started off 2017 with a number of record sales and listings in the luxury space, exciting milestones for our company and for Florida's Gulf Coast,” says Michael Saunders & Co. President Drayton Saunders. “We are encouraged with the early uptick in luxury sales, and we look forward to this momentum continuing.”