A quaint swing bridge separates secluded Casey Key from the mainland. The exclusive island is home to schools of dolphin, an impressive variety of bird life and a collection of discerning homeowners who do not mind paying a price for privacy. The houses are breathtaking and the views even better. Celebrities, native Floridians, business executives, retirees, families, artists and architects make up this eclectic neighborhood featuring some of South Florida's most spectacular residences. And they're getting bigger all the time; the last couple of years have seen two mega-homes of over 20,000 square feet built.

NUMBER OF CASEY KEY PROPERTY OWNERS: 400

NUMBER OF SALES, 7/2003-7/2004: 33

SALES PRICES FROM 7/2003-7/2004: $540,000 to $4.6 million

SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THOSE HOMES: 450 to 4,200 square feet

SAMPLE SALE

This 4,531-square-foot Gulf-to-Bay residence at 2555 Casey Key Road was listed at $4.25 million and sold for $4.1 million. Built in 1982, it has a private beach, dock and pool on three beautiful acres. Martin Doyle of Prestige Realty Sarasota, Inc. was the listing agent; Tony DiCerbo of Heritage Oaks Golf & Country Club Realty was the selling agent.

SAMPLE LISTING

Palazzo della Luna, at 3601 Casey Key Road, offers 6,817 square feet of Tuscany-styled luxury living on the Gulf of Mexico. Multiple patios, terraces and loggias offer views of lushly landscaped grounds, a salt-system swimming pool and a private 300-foot beach. The home has six bedrooms and seven baths, an elevator, a dumbwaiter to a dining terrace overlooking the Gulf, wood-paneled library, media room and wet bar. Pecky cypress ceilings abound. Offered for sale at $6.9 million by Deborah Beacham of Coldwell Banker.

MLS statistics courtesy of Deborah Beacham of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. MLS records transactions and listings by members of the Sarasota Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

Top of the Market

A 7,200-square-foot Tuscan-styled residence in the beachfront enclave of the Longboat Key Club claims top spot for recent sales. The home, at 70 Lighthouse Point Road, was listed at $7.5 million and sold for $6.35 million. It fronts on both the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay with magnificent views of city skyline and far horizons. Four bedrooms, two guest suites, a home theater, exercise room, elaborate master bath with separate dressing room, and three fireplaces are included. As expected at this price point, fine details abound, including custom cabinetry, elaborate woodwork, granite, butler's pantry and climate-controlled three-car garage. Ronald Baldwin of Ron Baldwin & Associates, Inc. was the selling agent; the property was listed with Coldwell Banker.

(Sales information provided by Kim Ogilvie of Michael Saunders & Company.)

Celebrity watch

Re/Max realtor John Atkin, who hails from Great Britain and regularly charms potential buyers with his proper accent and impeccable manners, has a "fabulous" listing offering 7,600-plus square feet in Siesta Key's private Sanderling Club. "The custom design is contemporary, adjacent to the lagoon on almost one complete acre," he says. "It's ideal for a secluded hideaway and would be perfect for someone famous because it offers gated security, peace and quiet, total privacy and expansive living space. This is the real deal."

Living Large

Another opportunity for high-profile living is the spectacular 10,000-square-foot Siesta Key home offered by Marcia Salkin and Pauline Soublis of Michael Saunders & Company. This residence was custom-built in 1997 by M.L. Collingwood for owners from Los Angeles and features a full gymnasium, two swimming pools, expansive guest suite, enormous kitchen built for entertaining and a 12-seat state-of-the-art home theater. A protected deepwater basin and boat dock overlook Sarasota Bay within a very private setting. Speculation is that this property will go to a buyer in the entertainment or sports world. Calls are already coming in from New York, California, Miami and Chicago with keenest interest from buyers who like to see and be seen. The residence is listed for $5.995 million.

Lasagna capers

Barbara Dumbaugh of Michael Saunders & Company was pleased when notified that her listing was being shown for the second time to a very interested buyer. But her satisfaction turned to incredulity when the realtor called to thank her for going the extra mile and baking a delicious homemade lasagna during the showing. That touch, he went on, made the sale, because the buyer grew up in an Italian family and associated the fragrance with wonderful memories of home.

"I sat there listening to him go on and on, praising me for the effort, and finally I interrupted to explain that he must have me confused with someone else, or he showed a different house because my listing was vacant," explains Dumbaugh. "The seller was living in California! I mean, sure, I had gone into the house and placed props around here and there to make the interior more attractive because I always do that with empty houses, but nobody was home cooking."