It's not unusual to see sales in the $30 million range in Sarasota commercial real estate deals—like this recent one for three downtown acres that allows 10 stories with shops, restaurants and condos. 

But when it comes to single-family homes, Sarasota sales just haven’t reached that price point yet. That may change thanks to this new construction home at 1233 Hillview Drive in Harbor Acres, which is listed for $33,825,000. It's the highest-priced single-family home listed in Sarasota County ever. 

That said, it’s one thing to list—it’s another to fetch the asking price. A spec home on Siesta Key, listed by Living Vogue, was priced at $32.5 million last year, while this Siesta Key home, listed by the Schemmel Soda Group, hit the market in January for $22 million. Although homes in this price range often move a little slower, neither have sold yet. And one that did, on Casey Key, ultimately went for $12 million as opposed to its $20 million asking price.

But if this kind of highest-of-the-high sale happens anywhere, Harbor Acres just may be the place. Just south of downtown Sarasota, home sales there have already broken records. A double-lot home built in 2005, also on Hillview Drive,  sold for $17.5 million last year, making it the highest recorded single-family home sale in our two-county area. Another home in the same neighborhood, built in 2010, fetched $15.5 million last year.

But this two-story, eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom waterfront home has the advantage of being brand-new construction. The owner, SRQ Hillview Holdings, was deeded the property by Cross State Real Estate Services—both are Atlanta, Georgia-based LLCs—for $1 after purchasing it in 2019 from local philanthropist Margaret Wise for $9.85 million.

Wise lived in a 1990 Colonial-style home on the almost acre-sized lot for 20 years that “didn't have the big, open layout and kitchen that people prefer nowadays,” says Barbara Sassen May of Michael Saunders & Co., who is representing the sellers. The current home, now British West Indies in style, was custom-built by Perrone Construction for roughly $1,200 per square foot to $1,500 per square foot—but those numbers don't include finishes and demolition. In total, the house is 11,275 square feet, bringing building costs to roughly $14 million.

So far, May says, the listing has garnered interest from the west and northeast coasts of the country, from pre-retirees to families.

“This house is really multigenerational," she says. "It has separate pods of guest bedrooms with their own lounge, en suite bathroom and entertaining space, without having to go to the main house.”

People who have toured the home note that it feels "comfortable and sophisticated, but not stuffy," May says. Even amid the top-of-the-line finishes and detailed work, "you could put your feet up and not feel bad about it."

Still, the real jaw-dropper is the view. "The view of the bridge and the water is spectacular," she says. 

The home wasn’t built on spec; it was intended to be the homeowners' second address. “But they found that with their schedules, they couldn't get here enough, and it didn't make sense," May says. "It was tough for them to put on the market. They once owned a home in Lido Shore, but the beauty of Harbor Acres is that it's walkable to Southside Village and so close to downtown."

The home has all the latest tech throughout, with mosquito spray automation, Lutron and Crestron systems. It also comes with more than 140 feet of direct water frontage.

It also has multiple bay-facing terraces, and indoor-outdoor spaces include a clubroom with a bar, lounge and media area, a multi-tiered overflow pool and spa, an outdoor kitchen, and loads of gathering areas overlooking the bay.

And one last word on that listing price: “I think we’ve been underpriced for years," May says. "When you look at Palm Beach or Port Royal in Naples, they’ve had [these price points] for a long time. There's no reason we shouldn't be there too. This is a beautiful city, full of access to the arts. If this house was in Naples, it would be $50 million.”

Interested? Call Barbara Sassen May of Michael Saunders & Company at (404) 822-9264.