When real estate Broker/Co-owner of Coldwell Banker Paradise Linda Schlitt Gonzalez grew up, her father Ed Schlitt was already paving the way for the family’s real estate business in Indian River County. Real estate is in her genetic makeup. When she wanted to find a perfect home for her family she had plenty of choices, but the property at 2170 6th Court SE in Riverpoint felt like a vacation location in her own hometown.
Realtors are constantly presented with new subdivisions and opportunities to match the perfect property with families looking for a new place to call home. When Schlitt Gonzalez found her dream location along a canal in southeast Vero Beach all it took was a cruise to the property in the family boat to convince her husband Alex that it would be ideal for their family.
“We used to have a vacation home in the Keys but we could not get down there enough to justify keeping it,” said the busy Realtor. “We were living out west of town and someone mentioned that they had developed this area, which was the last channel that General Development put in (years ago) but for some reason had never developed it.”
There were just 24 lots in the beautiful gated neighborhood tucked behind Vero Shores, and at the time only five homes had been built so it was still basically untouched. It had the feel of a tropical resort yet was conveniently located between John Carroll High in Fort Pierce, where her two sons went to school, and Vero Beach High, which her daughter attended.
“I drove in with my secretary one day and when I looked at it I knew my husband would just love it and he did,” said Linda. “Then we came in by boat up this canal and it was all just wildlife, completely natural. We pulled down this channel and that was it. There were not even any lots on the market but we found a seller finally and bought this lot.”
That was in 2000, and since the Schlitt family is jam packed with home service professionals, Linda called her cousin Mike, owner of Michael Schlitt Construction, immediately. He designed and built their four-bedroom, two-story home with beautiful quality details throughout, including crown molding along the top of the volume ceilings, matching base boards and unique moldings around all the windows and doorways. He even managed to find charming sunbeam railings for the front porch which reflect the sunny Florida ambiance inside.
There are large picture windows and glass French doors throughout which make this a fabulously airy and bright home, and the décor only increases that feeling with light, tropical colors and white trim throughout.
Upon entry from the covered front porch through French doors, the home immediately opens to a formal living room and dining room to the left and a half bath and den/guest room to the right. Walking around the corner into the kitchen one enters a sunny Florida room with a built-in entertainment center, open kitchen and eat-in dining area that connects to the back porch and pool area.
The kitchen was updated a year ago with stainless Whirlpool appliances; the white cabinetry and Corian counters with a breakfast bar and under-counter seating are in fabulous condition. An island prep area offers additional storage as does the large pantry closet with custom built-in shelves. One of Linda’s favorite things about the kitchen is the picture window above the sink with a stunning view of unspoiled canal where fish jump and boaters pass by, heading out for a day on the river.
The porch leads to a patio along the water and a lovely pool with heated spa with a pathway to the dock, boat lift and fish-cleaning station.
“We have manatees all the time and you can hear them snorting in the river,” said Linda. “We also have dolphins, porpoises, tons of water birds of all kinds and great snook fishing. We throw the crab traps out at the end of the dock and then beyond the channel there is great flats fishing. I don’t think we have ever gone out without catching a trout.”
The master suite on the second floor also takes in this lovely view from a private porch, which is accessed through French doors. The master also features two large walk-in closets along with a spacious bathroom with a deep garden soaking tub and glass-enclosed walk-in shower.
The other two bedrooms share a large bathroom and both have custom wood shelving in the roomy closets. One of the things that the household finds most convenient is the upstairs laundry in the hall.
“At first I wasn’t sure about it being installed upstairs but it is perfect since all your linens and clothes are up here,” Linda said. “It worked out beautifully.”
The family has loved living in this stylishly elegant home, which has been perfect for entertaining their large extended family, but with children grown up, the empty nesters are looking for a new adventure in homeownership.
“Our favorite thing about this house was that the kids’ friends would just cruise up to the dock and they would go out on the boat, kayak, or jet skis and head out to spend the day on the river, but now we think we want to find a place just a walk away from the ocean which is not quite as large just for the two of us.”
There are very few homes available like this along the river with this much peace and tranquility in such a friendly, close knit community.
If you would like to see this bright, beautiful, superbly maintained home in a quiet gated subdivision, please contact Linda Schlitt Gonzalez at: 772-559-7367.
