North Sarasota estate sells for nearly $1.5 million

Michael Saunders & Co. closed a sale Oct. 30 of the Villa Cedro estate on Hidden Forest Drive in Sarasota for just less than $1.5 million.

Represented and marketed by Realtor Elizabeth Van Riper of the company’s Main Street Sarasota office, the home at 4637 Hidden Forest Drive sold in less than five months. The sale was between trust-agreement benefactors Mary Myerson and Robert Partridge, who sold to Dale Ott of University Park, Fla.

The home, a 6,000-square-foot inland residence on 2 acres, was designed by Carl Abbott, a leader in the Sarasota Modern movement. The style integrates modernist architecture with Florida landscape and emphasizes sunlight, airflow and views of nature.

The property was built in 1984 and includes five bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms and a pool, which was added to the home in 2010.

“I knew this home would have special appeal to those with appreciation for the iconic value of this Sarasota Modern style and its Eden-like landscape, and I was able to tap into that particular segment of buyers,” Van Riper said in a press release. “While it often takes time to find a buyer for a unique home such as this one that is priced above the typical value for its neighborhood, we found a buyer in just over four months. Our expanded marketing definitely made a difference.”

According to figures by MLS data tracking service Trendgraphix, luxury sales of properties of more than $1 million in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties are up 13% from this time last year.