A 14-bedroom compound on nearly two acres of Anna Maria Island Gulf-front sold on Oct. 18 for $8,825,000, setting a record price for Gulf properties on that coastal island.

Local media have reported that the property, at 105 White Ave., was purchased by a business management firm that represents country singer Garth Brooks. Previously owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway Company, it had been used as a private resort for company employees. The compound has 190 feet of direct Gulf frontage, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and tennis courts as well as the main 9,087-square-foot building.

Judie Berger of Premier Sotheby’s International Real Estate represented both the buyer and seller.

The previous record for Gulf-front Anna Maria Island property was $5 million for a home at 102 47^th St. that sold in August 2018.

And on the same day in the Wells Bay Harbor neighborhood of Anna Maria, a new-build custom residence at 816 South Bay Blvd. sold for $4,075,000, breaking the previous bayfront record of $3,275,000 that took place in May in nearby Key Royale. The home has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths in 3,902 square feet of living space, with open bay views of the Sunshine Skyway bridge, Passage Key and Egmont Key. Roberta Tengerdy of Premier Sotheby’s International Real Estate represented the seller; Jason Sato of Sato Real Estate was the listing agent.

“Luxury buyers are very savvy and can’t deny the value to be had on Anna Maria Island versus similar Gulf or bayfront properties in Naples, Miami or Palm Beach,” Tengerdy commented in a release. “My buyers love Anna Maria Island for its authentic beach lifestyle and laid-back way of living. Interested buyers are coming from all over the world to find their piece of paradise here on Anna Maria Island.”