Rolling green, palm- and oak-dotted acreage and 3-plus miles of roads wind through the Vista Royale condominium community adjacent to McKee Gardens, providing residents with expansive views and all sorts of opportunities to enjoy walking, biking, golf and the wealth of other activities their neighborly community offers.
The airy, light-filled, 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment at 39 Woodland Dr. was designed to make the very most of its 1,000 square feet. It also boasts one of Vista Royale’s most beautiful views, perfectly filling the bill as a retirement residence, snowbird nest or year-round home. Owners Bob and Karen Formont absolutely love Vero Beach and their Vista Royale neighborhood, and agree the pastoral panorama tops the list of the many things they love about the apartment they’ve enjoyed for two decades.
From their spacious second-floor enclosed porch, the Formonts look out across the 18th fairway and the ninth hole of the community’s 18-hole golf course. They say they especially get a kick out of watching their putter-wielding friends, and silently cheering them on.
A long pond (water hazard) glistens in the sun and, Karen says, strutting sandhill cranes often make an appearance. Another great feature are the gorgeous sunsets. There is nothing, Karen adds, that can quite compare to sipping a glass of wine on the porch as the sinking sun gloriously paints the western sky.
The porch also houses a very roomy storage closet.
The heart of this beautifully upgraded home – kitchen, dining room and living room – is illuminated by plentiful natural light through a trio of double windows and the glass slider wall opening onto the enclosed porch. The pale sand color of the walls and tile in the foyer and kitchen, and the white ceiling and molding, enhance the airy ambiance.
Handsome, honey-colored, wood-look laminate flooring defines the dining room/living room space.
With a broad doorway off the foyer and a pass-through to the dining room, the kitchen is its own sunny space without being cut off from the dining and living rooms. Karen points out the extra-large pass-through – one of several upgrades and another favorite feature – is not only convenient to the adjacent dining room but also open to conversation with family and guests.
The kitchen cabinetry is white wood, the countertops a toasty brown. The focal point splash is a classy assortment of brown, tan and cream glass tiles, and the wide window above the double, stainless-steel sink looks out upon robust green foliage. Karen, a nature lover, calls this sunny area her “tree house.”
The home’s smart floor plan provides privacy with a “split bedroom” set-up, separating the owner’s bedroom from the guest bedroom with a hallway. Both are carpeted and en suite.
In the owner’s bedroom, you needn’t get out of bed to enjoy the early morning view: Just raise your head from the pillow. Glass sliders with a vertical shade provide access to the porch, where the Formonts frequently enjoy morning coffee as they greet the day, the birds and the early-bird golfers. There is a roomy walk-in closet, and a sleek tan-and-white bathroom with glass front shower.
Along the hall to the guest bedroom is a linen closet. The bedroom receives lots of ambient light through wide double windows, with a nice front view of the neighborhood. This flexible room, Karen points out, can easily serve as an office or den. She has upgraded the closet with additional shelving in addition to hanging space. The guest bathroom has a tub/shower.
Bob is particularly pleased with all the services the monthly fee covers, and notes that the responses to any problems within the unit are fast, pleasant and professional.
Over the years, the Formonts have done a lot of entertaining and have often filled their home with visiting kids and grandkids, the latter of whom love to “camp,” with piles of pillows and blankets on the porch. It is most definitely, they say, a warm and welcoming family home.
Vital Statistics
- Address: 39 Woodland Dr., Apt. 207
- Neighborhood: Vista Royale
- Year built: 1978
- Home size: 1,000 square feet
- Bedrooms: 2 • Bathrooms: 2
- View: 18th fairway, 9th green, sunsets
- Additional features: enclosed porch; impact glass; split bedrooms; 1 assigned parking space; walk-in closet; tile, laminate and carpet flooring; recessed and ceiling fan lighting; appliances: range, fridge, built-in microwave, dishwasher, disposal; upgrades include: kitchen pass-through, impact windows, flooring; HOA fee covers cable TV, insurance, grounds maintenance, recreation facilities, sewer, trash, water; community laundry room just outside the front door; community recreation and social opportunities include: on-site golf course and restaurant; bocce ball, pickleball, billiards, four clubhouses with heated pools, card rooms, computer lab, kitchens, library, picnic areas, sewing and crafts rooms, tennis courts, woodworking shop, shuffleboard
- Listing agency: Alex MacWilliam Real Estate
- Listing agent: Rick Wykoff, 813-431-7758
- Listing price: $126,900
