Indian River Club is so captivating owners often sell their homes and then buy again in the same community.
That’s what Joan Frazier – who owns 945 Wood Haven Lane SW, a 3,400-square-foot home that has gotten a little too big for her – is looking to do. She’s planning to retire in December and wants to pare down her living space. “All the homes in Indian River Club are kept up and I want to be here. People take such pride in their homes and yards and the people here are wonderful – so friendly.”
She’s looking forward to joining her friends and neighbors in volunteer work, the Indian River Club having two main organizations. The Head, Heart and Hands Community Outreach organization is continually reviewing and changing how it gives, and about 70 volunteers have “adopted” the nearby elementary school, Indian River Academy.
Listing agent Peggy Hewett, with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, is also an Indian River Club resident. “You would never know this is a 21-year-old development it is so well maintained,” she said. “But even new houses look like they’ve always been here, because a certain number of mature plantings are required, even for new construction.”
Frazier loves the area because it is almost a natural preserve. The original 1995 development refined and retained existing habitat, curving and winding the roads around hummocks and live oaks, preserving wetlands and low hills.
The house is on a “premier street,” Hewett said, “an interior street which overlooks the golf course and not other homes. It’s an Audubon Signature Sanctuary championship golf course, their highest designation.”
The view from the back of the house is unique, including two bodies of water, a canal and a lake. Beyond them are graceful swards, golf greens and sand traps sculpted into the rolling land, punctuated by grouped trees and wild vegetation.
The canal drew a family of otters last year, Frazier said, and “the leaning pine tree is where the osprey hangs out.”
Frazier’s house is actually two separate buildings connected by a covered walkway. The main house is an open floor plan – the living room, sitting room, dining room, kitchen and informal dining area all flowing into and around the each other.
Off the central area are two wings, one devoted to the master bedroom, which has two full baths and two walk-in closets for her and him. The other wing has two guest bedrooms, also with full baths. The guest wing can be shut off by a heavy sliding door and a separate entrance adds further privacy.
The biggest selling point of the property, however, is the separate two-story building that contains a garage below and a big room above. Frazier, often traveling to other states for business, has a capacious “home-base office” on the second floor, which gives her the psychological and physical separation she needs between work and home relaxation.
The half bath could be made into a full bath, Frazier said, “by connecting the dormer windows.” The storage area could also easily convert into an elevator to accommodate an elderly family member.
The room above the garage also has “man-cave” written all over it, Frazier said, since it’s big enough for a large-screen television, bar and pool table with a large deck perfect for drinks with a lakeside view.
The garage fits two cars and a golf cart. There is a separate door on an opposite wall for the golf cart, making it convenient to pop off onto the course or hop over to the fitness center and pool or even to the clubhouse for dinner and drinks.
The functionality of the house is enhanced by the rich finishes. The central area is floored in Brazilian cherry wood. The bathrooms and kitchen are stone tile, the countertops granite or marble. Tall ceilings, crown molding, pillars, arches and heavy wooden doors give a palatial feel to the home. The many chandeliers, wall sconces and plantation shutters are an update of the southern belle époque.
Frazier, like other residents in Indian River Club, moved there after living “on the water” with an ocean view. “The salt, the sand, the preparation for hurricanes, made for much more work and preparation,” she said. The high-impact glass, concrete block and stucco construction at Indian River Club “made me feel really safe and protected during the recent hurricane and the preparation was nothing,” she said.
“This area was so safe and secure it was the go-to place for many people who live on the barrier island,” Hewett said. “They came here to stay with their friends to weather the storm.”