Unique Homes Blog

When Jane Broyles-Smith’s husband took a new job in Jupiter, Fla., the couple had a tough decision to make. They didn’t want to part with their home in Houston because Broyles ran an interior design business there. So rather than exchange one home for another, they sought out a Florida condo with turnkey amenities.

When they saw The Resort at Singer Island, it was love at first sight.

“It’s such a family friendly place, which is great for our grandkids,” Broyles says of the quiet, upscale condo/hotel high-rise near Palm Beach. “The condos have everything you could want, and the resort has quite a few children’s activities. It’s really ideal.”

Prime property is not easy to come by in Palm Beach County, and the resort’s developer, Florida-based WCI Communities, Inc., made the most of its opportunity. Lying between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, the resort offers 239 hotel suites and 66 residential condominiums with amenities such as private terraces and full kitchens with washers and dryers.

Built in 2007, the resort stands in contrast to the area’s super-glitzy boutiques and restaurants. Its earth-toned finishes harmonize with the surrounding island, creating a Caribbean-getaway effect.

“There is so much high-level craftsmanship with the exotic woods and onyxes, yet those things don’t lend themselves to a pretentious, cold feeling where you don’t want your kids to touch anything,” says James Schumaker, senior project manager for WCI East Coast.

Schumaker, the father of two young children, says the child-friendly restaurants, full-service Kids’ Club and family lagoon pool appeal to families. Parents magazine named the resort one of the 20 best family beach resorts in its May 2008 issue. But the resort offers unmistakable sophistication, from its concierge service to its acclaimed restaurant, Solu, which infuses Caribbean cuisine with Asian themes.

Condominium residences range from $995,000 for a three-bedroom to $4.6 million for a penthouse; while most are sold, a few were on the market at press time. The resort has a rental program for seasonal or part-time owners. Owners enjoy other amenities such as private beach access, a parking garage, a movie theater and 24/7 room service.

“Because of the hotel staff, private residence owners receive much more personal service than would be possible at a standalone boutique condominium,” says Dermot O’Brien, both a sales agent for the resort and a condo owner there. “For example, you can rent 4,000 square feet of conference space from the resort. My wife is planning to hold a writing workshop there and she’ll host a cocktail party that the hotel will cater.”
—Jennifer Martin

Going Global

Under most circumstances when looking for a second home, it might be unsettling to discover the neighbors are animals. At the Limpopo-Lipadi Game and Wilderness Reserve, though, that is the attraction.

Obviously, we are not talking about the crude, loud, party-till-the-break-of-dawn couple next door; here, residents share the lands with the likes of lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, hippos, and more than 400 species of birds. Plans also call for the reintroduction of endangered species.

The reserve is located on 80,000 acres in the Tuli block of eastern Botswana, just north of the border with South Africa, approximately 280 miles northwest of Johannesburg. The first of six fully managed lodges, River Camp, was completed in March. The facility is made up of furnished two- and three-bedroom units, all with views of the Limpopo River, that offer the option of privacy or community living.

Investors buy fully tradable shares, starting at $195,000, in a public company that operates the reserve. There are three levels of membership. This is an exclusive neighborhood; the development footprint is not to exceed 0.01 percent of the land. The last two years, the project has received the Gold Award from Homes Overseas magazine, as the world’s best sustainable development. Residents receive wilderness training and can explore the land with experienced rangers, or study to become rangers themselves.
—Ken Weingartner

Fabulous Finds

Not far from the spot on the banks of the Delaware River where legend says William Penn brokered the first land deal that laid the groundwork for the development of Philadelphia, one can now sit and gaze at the city from a vantage point that would likely amaze its founder.

The Penthouse at Waterfront Square, thanks to occupying the entire 24th floor of the Peninsula Tower, provides a stunning 360-degree view of Philadelphia and the Delaware River. This opulent home covers more than 6,500 square feet and features five bedrooms, six full baths (plus two half baths), a great room, formal dining room, kitchen and breakfast room, family room, two private sun terraces, and a private elevator lobby.

Perhaps the most enticing feature is the spacious master suite, which includes his-and-her marble bathrooms and two fully appointed walk-in dressing room closets.

The Penthouse features an elegant yet modern interior design scheme.

“It’s one of the most unique units on the East Coast,” says George Cahill, the broker associate who has the listing for Coldwell Banker Realty Corp. “The views are spectacular, and the layout and furnishings are fabulous. You’re not overwhelmed by the size; it’s still intimate.”

Among the Waterfront Square amenities are 24-hour security and valet parking (the Penthouse comes with four parking licenses), 24-hour concierge, complimentary shuttle service to Center City, a pool and spa, plus a putting green.

“Waterfront Square really is a community to itself,” says Cahill. “And there are projects in the pipeline that are going to stimulate the area.

Property values are really going to explode on the Philadelphia waterfront.”
—Ken Weingartner

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