For more than three decades, members of the Linus auto dealer family of Vero Beach used a five-acre property off Roseland Road as their weekend and holiday destination, saving drive time to maximize the fun to be had frolicking and relaxing along the shore of the South Prong of the St. Sebastian River.
But kids and grandkids grow up and get busy with life and work and school and the riverfront acreage has gotten mighty lonely the past few years, so the family is offering a package deal of two homes – their casual but elegant main residence and a rare lodge-style home built of Georgia pine and brick – plus two docks, a barn and space for horses for $1,495,000.
The homes, both constructed in the late 1970s, offer drastically different lifestyles. Each house has four bedrooms and three baths, fireplaces and river views. The kitchens and baths were recently renovated and upgraded with the same neutral granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Both have a cozy atmosphere and homey feel, but they express that sense of welcome and comfort in two completely different ways.
The larger, more contemporary residence could be located in any gated community on the barrier island. The second residence on the property, if plucked out and relocated to more northern climes, would be right at home way up in the mountains with deer and bears roaming the nearby woods.
The spacious, 2,800-square-foot main house includes all the high-end features found in other million-dollar homes like soaring tongue-in-groove ceilings and crown moldings and tile throughout the living areas. The well-appointed bathrooms feature roomy showers, a garden tub, a charming, old-fashioned claw-foot tub and his and hers vanities.
The lodge-style home is covered from baseboard to ceiling with Georgia pine – not paneling, but planks of solid wood, giving every room incredible warmth and character, and convenient touches like built-in shelving in the bathrooms. The separate living room and family room create distinct spaces for socializing with family or for curling up with a good book, mounting a challenging board game or tackling a sewing or knitting project. Should the home be rented out to vacationers, the split floor plan, three levels and bunkhouse bedding in the guest bedrooms would make it ideal for two or even three families vacationing together with a brood of active children.
The kitchen in the lodge-style home has a cottage feel with creamy, off-white upgraded cabinets and a comfy breakfast bar with stools. Over in the main house is a gourmet kitchen with cherry finished cabinets, lots of workspace, huge cupboards and a wonderful, L-shaped island opening out onto the living and formal dining areas in the great room and looking out onto the sun room and ultimately the peaceful river.
The South Prong of the St. Sebastian has a different character altogether from the vast artery of the Indian River Lagoon. The St. Sebastian narrowly winds its way through the backcountry that amazingly exists just minutes from the heart of the Sebastian Highlands. The banks and islands of the South Prong are narrow and appear untouched by time, teeming with water birds and wildlife and a haven for adventurous canoeists and kayakers.
Listing agent Robin Raiff of Re/Max Crown Realty of Sebastian described her experience of being out on the St. Sebastian River as a feeling “like being in a whole different world,” and that’s the way the Linus youngsters must have felt on their escapes from Vero Beach, like they’d gone to summer camp just a few miles from home.
Raiff noted some of the home’s nicest selling points, including “beautiful, light vaulted ceilings, crown molding, and skylights add extra elegance to this magnificent space. A rear patio faces the waterfront, perfect for entertaining, relaxing, and enjoying views of Florida’s natural beauty.”
Just a few steps away, the second home on the more than five-acre, gated estate has a large, decked porch off the rear of the home fronting the river and a second-story balcony overlooking the river from the upstairs vantage point.
About the three-level pine, lodge-style home, Raiff said “two fireplaces give an extraordinary inner complexion to the home and leave living spaces aglow.”
As laundry happens even on holiday, both homes have laundry facilities, with the main residence having side-by-side washer and dryer in the large utility room and the pine, lodge-style home having convenient stackable washer and dryer in a large utility closet off the kitchen, under the staircase.
The property’s neighbor to the north is Dale Wimbrow Park, and across the river is an island on which the Linus family owns the tip, which serves as a backdrop for the river view.
Despite all this rustic charm, lush wooded landscaping and green space, the property is a short hop from the interstate and from shopping, and only about 15 minutes from some of the area’s most beautiful beaches and surfing opportunities. It would be a perfect vacation destination for a buyer with a private airplane, as it’s right around the corner from the Sebastian Municipal Airport. Golfers will love that it’s less than a mile from the highly rated Sebastian Municipal Golf Course.