See inside this $170 million Miami Beach compound, with three houses and a private park, that’s on the market as the most expensive home for sale in Florida

Look for the most expensive homes for sale in the US right now, and you’ll find at least one of them in Florida.

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That property would be 18 La Gorce Circle in Miami Beach.

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Though the oldest structures on the compound date back to 1936, this is the first time it’s ever hit the market. With a price tag of $170 million, it sure is making a splashy debut.

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If it sells for that price, it’ll be Florida’s most expensive home sale ever.

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It’s on the exclusive, guard-gated La Gorce Island, which is in Miami Beach, and has 600 feet of waterfront property.

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There are approximately 60 homes on the island, roughly half of which are on the waterfront.

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It’s “the largest assemblage of land currently available for purchase” in Miami Beach, according to its listing.

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“There is nothing like it anywhere in Miami,” says Jill Eber, one of the estate’s listing agents, of The Jills Zeder Group, which is affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty. “Such a unique assemblage in an in-demand city is something that rarely occurs, and for such an assemblage of land on prestigious, pristine guard-gated island like La Gorce to become available is even more unusual.”

“Scarcity of land has the value of land escalating in South Florida,” says Jill Hertzberg, the compound’s other listing agent, also of The Jills Zeder Group. “A discerning buyer, who desires to own a large piece in a landscape that is mostly single lots, has the opportunity for a grand estate, potentially multiple homes or two very large pieces. Normally, a buyer would need to coordinate different sellers and get an agreement by all of them to put together a piece as extraordinary as this one.”

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This estate consists of four adjacent waterfront properties at 16, 18, 22, and 24 La Gorce Circle. It is roughly 125,161 square feet, or nearly three acres.

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There are houses on three of the parcels, each of which has its own private dock. All told, the compound has 12 bedrooms, 16 full bathrooms, and nine partial bathrooms.

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Here’s the first: 16 La Gorce Circle.

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It has an expansive driveway to accommodate several cars.

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It’s a two-story home.

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It has five bedrooms, including this one with a ceiling mural…

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…as well as seven full bathrooms and three half bathrooms.

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Here’s the kitchen…

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…the living room…

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…and the dining room.

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There are also two rooms…

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…fit for use as offices or studies.

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Outdoors, you’ll find a pool and cabana.

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All told, 16 La Gorce Circle boasts five bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and five half bathrooms.

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The middle property is much smaller.

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It’s, you guessed it, 18 La Gorce Circle.

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Of course, it’s still bigger than an average US home.

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It has two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and one half bathroom.

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There’s also a guest house and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, which was converted from a garage.

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Now for pool #2:

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From the pool, you’ll find sweeping views of the downtown Miami skyline and nearby Biscayne Bay.

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And here we have the third and final home on the estate: 22 La Gorce Circle.

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With its manicured lawn, it has more greenery than the first two homes.

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What else is unique to this third home?

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Its movie theater, complete with posters of classic films.

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The sunset from the most expensive home currently for sale in Florida, 18 La Gorce Circle in Miami Beach

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This home appears to have the most modern interior design of the three houses.

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Here, you’ll find more massive windows overlooking the water.

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The estate’s fourth and final parcel, 24 La Gorce Circle, is where you’ll find the private park.

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It has a French name: Domaine de la Paix et de l’Amour. In English, that’s “the realm of peace and love.”

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The park is dotted with fountains and statues.

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It also has a marble gazebo facing the bay.

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Its greenery includes various flowers and shrubs, as well as palm, oak, and banyan trees.

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As with each of the three homes on the estate, the park also comes with its own private dock.

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As for the estate’s history, the compound previously belonged to a late doctor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist named M. Lee Pearce, who built and owned hospitals, other medical facilities, and banks.

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Pearce first bought the two-bedroom home, 18 La Gorce Circle, in 1983. He paid $550,000 for it, a far cry from the current asking price.

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He went on to purchase the three other lots in the late 1980s.

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At the time, there was a home on the fourth lot.

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Pearce had that fourth home torn down to build the private park. He used the two five-bedroom homes on the compound for entertaining and as staff quarters.

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He renovated 16 La Gorce Circle around 2010 and subsequently moved in. He lived on the estate until his passing in 2017.

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Now, it remains to be seen who will be the compound’s next owner. “It is a unique opportunity for a buyer who would be an end user who desires a piece of paradise with endless possibilities on a wonderful island that is exclusive but close to all major amenities of a large international city,” said Eber. “For a developer, it opens up many possibilities pending zoning and development approvals from the city.”

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“This is a prized, trophy compound that many of the most discerning buyers have been waiting for years to come onto the market,” said Hertzberg. “This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful locations in South Florida.”

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