- April 26, 2024
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The property at 2627 John Anderson Drive spans 6,571-square feet. Courtesy photo
The waterfront property includes 1.6 acres of land with 200 feet of river frontage. Courtesy photo
The house at 2627 John Anderson Drive is listed by Patrick Meyer with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. Courtesy photo
Listed for $4.5 million, the property is scheduled to auction with a $2.75 million reserve. Courtesy photo
The house, which has vaulted ceilings, also features a gourmet kitchen. Courtesy photo
A historic Ormond-by-the-Sea home on land that was formerly part of town founder John Anderson’s estate is on the market for $4.5 million, and is scheduled for auction on June 8.
The 1.6-acre property at 2627 John Anderson Drive, which includes 200 feet of frontage on the Halifax River, will be sold to the highest bidder by the end of the auction, conducted by Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions and ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, on June 14 at Sotheby’s New York. Bids will also be accepted virtually, with a $2.75 million reserve.
Listing agent Patrick Meyer, with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, said that if the 6,571-square-foot home — which has five bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, a heated saltwater pool, separate carriage house, three garages, private dock and 10,000-pound boat lift — was located in south Florida, it would be sold for $20-$25 million.
The Ormond Beach real estate market is different, Meyer said.
“It’s a well-kept secret, and I’m seeing more and more people starting to move to the gem called Ormond Beach,” he said.
Construction on the house began in 1987 after Gordon McCarthy bought the land the year before with a plan to build an estate of his own.
Known as “the captain” in the community, McCarthy anchored a World War II-era tugboat at the property as he worked on the house. He died in 2014, and the tugboat, named the Tutahaca, was removed in 2017.
McCarthy never did finish the home before he died.
Lisa Passi bought the home in August 2017 for $550,000. She described it as a concrete shell. McCarthy was an expert in building with concrete.
“There was no running water,” Passi said. “There was no plumbing. There was no electricity. I mean, people have a hard time understanding that he just built the frame of the home in all concrete, and then I took it from there.”
Passi, who restores and renovates properties, didn’t balk at the challenge. She purchased the home five hours after seeing it for the first time.
“When I walked into the space and I could see the soaring vaulted ceilings, I just imagined how incredibly wonderful it would be to have this as your space to entertain, to enjoy,” Passi said.
She worked with master craftsmen, architects and designers to establish a plan for finishing the project, which she said was the biggest she’s ever taken on.
“It was such an incredible gift to be able to take a property like this,” she said. “... It’s been called the ‘Mona Lisa’ because it really is an architectural masterpiece. It’s incredibly constructed and to be able to build on that was such an incredible experience for me.”
Passi completed the work on the house in 2021. It was always her intention to sell it afterward.
“I had always planned on it being something that I could work on and then turn it over to a family to enjoy,” she said.
Meyer said he’s seen waterfront property all over Florida. When he first saw the house in person, he knew it was a standout. Photos didn’t do it justice.
“It takes a lot to kind of dazzle me, and when I walked in, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve never seen anything like this,’” Meyer recalled.
Partnering with Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions is a fairly new sale method for Sotheby’s International Realty, Meyer added. It opens the sale worldwide.
“Everybody knows this property, but it’s the kind of town where you don’t have a lot of high-end buyers like you have in Palm Beach County,” Meyer said. “So when this home sells, it’s going to set the standard.”
