Estate in Longboat Key's Lighthouse Point sells for $7.9 million

The sale of a waterfront estate on the southern tip of Longboat Key closed Wednesday for $7.9 million.

“The White House” is a five-bedroom, 7½ -bathroom estate built in 2002 at the end of Lighthouse Point Drive.

The Ackerman Group of Coldwell Banker Realty founder and president Barbara Ackerman represented the seller of the home. She said the property is desirable because of its proximity to the Longboat Key Club and the beach.

Bright Realty agent Janet Coughlin — the realtor representing the home’s buyer — echoed Ackerman’s sentiments.

“I always look further and harder to find the perfect place for my buyers,” Coughlin said in a news release. “I knew this home and the community suited their needs and also fulfilled their wish list in beauty and function.”

The sale is the highest-priced single-family home sold in 2020 on the Sarasota County side of Longboat Key. It is the second-highest sale this year on Longboat Key, behind July’s sale of a $13,000,001 home located on the Manatee County side of the island.

The estate became the third sale of more than $7 million this year in Sarasota County, according to the Bright Realty news release.

The 9,157-square-foot home at 15 Lighthouse Point Drive sits on 1.2 acres has 450 feet of waterfront with unobstructed views of Sarasota Bay and Sarasota’s skyline.

The outdoor area has more than 4,000 square feet with a heated pool (a 50-foot lap lane, water features and spa); an outdoor kitchen with Sub-Zero refrigerator and gas grill; two boardwalks and a fire pit.

All bedrooms have an attached bathroom; the guest suite adds a wet bar, laundry closet and balcony; there is a 540-square-foot gym with professional-grade fitness gear, free weights and a steam shower; a game room with a wet bar; a boat dock with lift and fishing pier; elevator and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The home initially went on the market for $9.995 million in 2018 but was relisted earlier this year at $8.25 million, records show.

The estate sold in December 2003 for $6.6 million. An MLS on the home shows annual taxes for the home cost $78,727.

Ackerman said business has been “amazing” despite any concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re off the charts and ahead of last year, which was a very good year because last year in 2019 we were the top small team in the state of Florida,” Ackerman said. “So, if we’re ahead, it’s like, whoa.”

There are currently eight active properties of more than $7 million on Longboat Key and 10 in Sarasota County.