Bird Key home sells for $11.25 million, sets record for island

The two most expensive residential real estate sales ever recorded on Bird Key sold on a single day, June 1.

A waterfront estate at 626 S. Owl Drive sold for $11.25 million, confirmed Susan Fox, the Compass Florida LLC Realtor who represented the sellers. It was listed in March at $12 million. Roger Pettingell, a Coldwell Banker Realty agent and broker, represented the buyers.

The two-story home was built in 2021. It has five bedrooms, eight bathrooms and more than 6,500 square feet of living space. It also boasts a pool, a wine room and two Tesla car chargers in the garage.

“We’re seeing things in that $10 million range come to market and the market be really accepting of it,” said Pettingell. “It kind of checks every box that we think buyers are looking for. Buyers are valuing time as much as money, to not have to go through the process of building.”

Earlier that same day, the neighboring house, 622 S. Owl Drive, sold for $9.75 million, briefly making it the highest residential sale ever recorded on Bird Key before slipping to second place, said Bruce Myer, who represented the sellers of the waterfront estate. Myer is a global luxury specialist affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty.

Courtesy of Dan Madole, Nobles & Heroes

“I think I had the record for maybe a second. Ours closed in the morning and theirs closed in the afternoon,” said Myer.

The home at 622 S. Owl has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. Its waterfront position on the bay offers views of Big Pass, Lido and Siesta keys and the Gulf of Mexico.

“We didn't have the frenzy as you might imagine last year,” said Myer. “We had it on the market for about three weeks and I’d guess we had eight to 10 showings. About half the people who looked at it already owned on Bird Key and were looking to update from their garden or canal home.”

Myer has a long history with both properties on Owl Drive. In 2002, Myer represented the buyers of 622 S. Owl Drive and the neighboring lot, 626 S. Owl Drive. In 2021, 622 S. Owl Drive was offered for sale and Myer represented the new buyers, Stephen and Julie McGue, who purchased the home for $6 million. 

Julie McGue is the award-winning author of the book “Twice a Daughter.” Her memoir about searching for her birth family struck a chord with adoptees who yearn for answers and connection with biological relatives. She has written two additional books, “Belonging Matters” scheduled for publication in November of 2023 and another to be published in 2024. 

“It’s a great house and a great location. If it’s renovated and people can walk right in — that’s what gets the most attention,” said Myer. “There are only so many waterfront properties on Bird Key that enjoy this positioning. It’s that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live the ultimate Sarasota lifestyle.”