Four new luxury homes are coming to the heart of Melbourne Beach. The single-family attached houses will be built at 406 and 408 Ocean Avenue, one lot west of A1A, within easy walking distance of the river and ocean.
Developed and built by Commercial Building Corporation, one of the most active and successful builders on the barrier island, the two-story homes separated by breezeways appear in a rendering supplied by the developer to be in a tropical transitional style, with nicely blended Old Florida and British West Indies architectural elements.
The houses will be going up on the MLS in the next week or so, with prices starting at $669,900, according to Carola Mayerhoeffer, who is co-listing the properties with fellow Treasure Coast Sotheby’s agent Renee Winkler.
“They start at 2,730 square feet of living area, with two-car garages, and have the option of a guest house above the garage,” says Winkler. “There is a pool option as well.
Units 1 and 4 – the end units – will be 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath homes with a study on each floor and 2,730 square feet of living space, plus the 2-car garages, and will be offered for $669,900. If the buyer opts for a guest suite above the garage, the homes will have a total of 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths and cost $729,900.
Middle units 2 and 3 will be 3-bedroom 3.5-bath homes with a study on each floor and 3,052 square feet of living space, plus 2-car garage, and will be offered for $699,000. A guest suite over the garage will bump the price up to $751,000 and give the residences a total of 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.
Mayerhoeffer says the desirability of the homes is enhanced by their location. Besides being just two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the same distance from the Indian River Lagoon on the other, residents of the boutique development will be a short stroll from two parks, the town library, the town government center, a full-service grocery store and dozens of shops and restaurants, including both casual and fine dining.
“It is a huge advantage to be able to walk to all those places,” says Mayerhoeffer.
The setting is charming as well as convenient, with a number of historical homes, 4-star B&Bs, a town fishing pier, and lots of towering palms and mature shade trees.
The seaside village is less than two miles from the Melbourne Causeway, a quick route to Melbourne’s historic dining and shopping district and other mainland amenities and services.
Commercial Building Corporation, better known as CBC, bought the .67-acre lot where the homes will be built for $700,000 in 2016, according to county property records. CBC owner Dan Winkler says it took about a year to get all the needed permits and approvals. Construction will start as soon as one unit is sold.
Winkler and his partner Jeff Parker, vice president of CBC, have built approximately 300 homes between the Sebastian Inlet and Indialantic, including some 175 in Aquarina Beach and Country Club where the partners have two active subdivisions nearing sell-out.
“It is noteworthy that Dan and Jeff have achieved most of their success in a small, close-knit community,” says Mike Brown Jr., a banker with 26 years of experience in development financing who has funded a number of CBC projects.
“With so many former customers all around, you have to be outstanding to pull that off.”
Brown, executive vice president and chief lending officer at Harbor Community Bank in Fort Pierce – which was recently acquired by CenterState Banks, Inc. – calls the developers “innovative and passionate,” and says they “have a great partnership – Dan as the design innovator and Jeff as the guy that brings CBC’s ideas to reality.”
“Lots of builders do single homes in existing subdivisions, one-offs, but Dan and Jeff have a stellar track record of developing fine, architecturally-themed communities,” says Michael Thorpe, co-owner of Treasure Coast Sotheby’s International Realty.