Checking and double-checking revealed that it was in fact Dumbaugh's vacant listing, and that news prompted an investigative search. She met the selling agent at the scene and they discovered a very sheepish neighbor coming out the back door with a pan of freshly baked lasagna. Seems the neighbor's oven was broken, a dinner party was in the works and he discovered a way to unlock the sliders and access the kitchen of the empty house next door.

"This particular seller was probably one of the most meticulous women I have ever met, and she was extremely concerned about who had access to her house," explains Dumbaugh. "I had the slider locks repaired and refrained from any mention of the incident until after the closing. Then I told her the lasagna story and went on to say that her presumptuous neighbor had, in fact, helped close the deal. Even after the fact, she was not amused."

Breaking records

Barbara Ackerman of Coldwell Banker Previews International Longboat Key office has sold the highest-priced condominium ever recorded by the Multiple Listing Service on Longboat Key: $5.999 million for a 5,100-square-foot penthouse at L'Ambiance. Previously, the highest-priced Longboat Key condominium was another L'Ambiance penthouse that closed at $4.999 million.

A spiff-up for the Selby House

The original 1920s-era home of early Sarasota philanthropists Bill and Marie Selby, on the grounds of what is now the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, will undergo restoration thanks to a $215,500 grant from the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation. The 4,000-square-foot Mediterranean Revival home, built in 1921, has beautiful views from its site overlooking Sarasota Bay. Groves of mature banyan trees and giant bamboo that shade the property were actually planted by the couple, who, despite their great wealth, lived simply and loved outdoor pursuits-fishing, horseback riding and gardening-above all else. Currently, the Selby house is used for community education programs and exhibits and also houses Michael's In the Garden Café. Grant monies will be used to replace windows, construct ADA-accessible restroom facilities and make general structural improvements.