UPDATED: Dec. 29, 1:00 p.m.: The town of Palm Beach had the largest residential deals in 2018, topped off by the $41.3 million sale of a lakefront estate on Billionaires Row.
Only one property in Miami made the tri-county cut: a Coconut Grove estate owned by the family of Charles Deering, which sold in May for nearly $40 million.
The Real Deal’s ranking is based on property records from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties and MLS data between Jan. 1 and Dec. 21.
Private equity CEO Thompson Dean pays $41M for Palm Beach mansion
Avista Capital Partners CEO and managing partner Thompson Dean and his wife, Caroline, paid $41.3 million for the lakefront estate at 1485 South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach in June.
The mansion belonged to the late investment banker Damon Mezzacappa, a former vice chairman of Lazard Freres in New York. He died in 2015, the same year the property was listed for sale at $67.5 million. It sold at a nearly 40 percent discount off the original asking price.
Roman Martinez IV sold the 22,160-square-foot home on behalf of Mezzacappa, according to property records.
The Mediterranean-style, two-story mansion features a fireplace, temperature-controlled wine room, 300 feet of water frontage and a gym.
Charles Deering family sells Coconut Grove mansion for $40M
The family of Chicago industrialist Charles Deering sold a Coconut Grove mansion he owned at 3370 Royal Road.
Co-trustees John Rau and Stephen Strachan sold the 10,000-square-foot home, which sits on nearly 9 acres overlooking Biscayne Bay. It was built in 1926 and includes 12 bedrooms and a pool.
Deering lived farther south at the Charles Deering Estate, which is now open to the public as a Miami-Dade County park.
The new owner of the Coconut Grove estate is 3370 Royal Road II LLC, a company managed by Chicago attorney Jared Cloud.
Hedge funders buy late billionaire’s Palm Beach oceanfront estate at a discount
Strand Partners hedge fund managers William Powers and Marianne Elaine Elmasri are the new owners of the Palm Beach estate previously owned by the late billionaire Bruce Halle.
The oceanfront house at 1473 North Ocean Drive sold in March for $39.4 million. It previously sold for $41.5 million in 2012. The nearly 2-acre property includes a guest house, more than 150 feet of water frontage and a pool and cabana. Cristina Condon with Sotheby’s International Realty was the listing agent.
Halle founded the tire and wheel retailer Discount Tire. The late entrepreneur had an estimated net worth of $5.2 billion, according to Forbes. He died in early January at 87.
Powers, co-developer of Miami Worldcenter, and Elmasri founded Strand Partners’ subsidiary Aspen Highland Partners.
Mary Montgomery trust sells Palm Beach home at a discount
A trust in Mary Montgomery’s name sold an oceanfront estate on Palm Beach’s Billionaires’ Row for $37.4 million — 19 percent below its original asking price.
An entity shielded by prominent Palm Beach attorney Maura Ziska, 1800 South Ocean LLC, picked up the 20,900-square-foot compound at 1800 South Ocean Boulevard from the Montgomery trust, controlled by Hilda Santana and Northern Trust, property records show.
Mary Montgomery, a philanthropist, built the home with her late husband Bob Montgomery, who was known for litigating State of Florida v. American Tobacco Co., which resulted in an $11.3 billion settlement to the state.
Premier Estate Properties’ Jim McCann, previously with Corcoran Group, was the listing agent. A. Whitney McGurk and Liza Pulitzer of Brown Harris Stevens represented the buyer.
Tommy Hilfiger sells Palm Beach estate for $35M
Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger cashed out of Palm Beach.
Hilfiger and his wife, Dee Ocleppo, sold the house at 100 Casa Bendita for $35 million to Russian banking executive Vladimir Stolyarenko.
That’s $1 million more than what Hilfiger and Ocleppo paid in 2017 when they bought the home from the estate of the late English businessman Lord Anthony Jacobs and his late wife, Lady Evelyn.
The five-bedroom mansion has nearly 10,600 square feet of living space, and more than 200 feet of beach frontage.
In February, Hilfiger and Ocleppo listed their Golden Beach mansion for sale for $27.5 million with Coldwell Banker’s the Jills, but it was later taken off the market.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the price and parties of a sale at 100 Casa Bendita.
The top 5 South Florida residential sales of 2018
| NAME | 551 West 21st Street | PRICE RANGE | From $7,250,000 to $50,000,000 |
| ADDRESS | 551 West 21st Street | SIZE RANGE | From 2,773 Sq Ft to 6,265 Sq Ft |
| TYPE | New Building | AVG PPSF | $3,647 |
| TOTAL UNITS | 44 | TAX ABATEMENT | No |
| DEVELOPER | Scott Resnick | AVG COMMON CHARGE | $1.69/sf |
| BROKER | Brown Harris Stevens Development Marketing | FINISHED BY | 2015 |