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    A Private Island Francis Ford Coppola Called Home Has Hit the Market for $2.2 Million

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    It’s not every day a private island makes its way onto the market. One that housed a Hollywood great is an even rarer find. Coral Caye, Francis Ford Coppola’s dreamy resort in southern Belize, has hit the market. The self-sustaining private island is set up with a main house, two rustic cottages and a dock. And the best part? It’s positioned behind the Belize Barrier Reef, so its surrounding turquoise-blue waters serve as an incredibly scenic home base for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking or paddleboarding. With all these welcomed distractions, it’s hard to imagine anyone would want to give the isle. But one legendary filmmaker’s loss could be your gain—for a cool $2.2 million.

    For the past six years, the director and his family have been leasing the two-and-a-half-acre island, currently owned by Los Angeles-based lawyer Terry Tao, notes Mansion Global. Tao was said to have bought the enclave 10 years ago, which is when he put up the main house. Coppola later had the two cottages built, in addition to a large pier that stretches out over the water. Altogether, the property can host up to 10 guests. “He had everyone from his close friends to movie stars and writers to Saudi princes come to the island,” Corcoran agent Peter McLean tells the listing site. 

    A private island in Belize known as Coral Caye just listed for nearly $2.2 million

    Terry Tao/The Corcoran Group

    Coral Caye is currently part of the filmmaker-turned-hotelier’s collection of Coppola’s Hideaways. But now, you can make Coral Caye your own tropical getaway. The newest residence to hit the island has been dubbed Coral Cottage and it offers a king bed, sleeper sofa, living area, front porch and hammocks. There’s also a full bathroom with an indoor and outdoor shower.

    On the other hand, the Seahorse Cottage is located near a mangrove and comprises two queen beds, two twin beds, an indoor bathroom and another outdoor shower. In terms of entertainment, turn to the Great House which has been outfitted with a full bar and sound system, plus a kitchen, dining area and game room. 

    Formerly used as a retreat by Francis Ford Coppola, the director had two cottages installed on the island to complement the main house

    Terry Tao/The Corcoran Group

    “Coral Caye has been a joyous retreat for me and my family,” Tao told Mansion Global. “The tranquil ocean and the warm sunshine were a sanctuary for us all and a deep breath of life in this fast-moving world.” To be sure, that’s an amenity far more valuable than the island’s price tag.

    Click here to see all the photos of Coral Caye.

    Terry Tao/The Corcoran Group More

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      Home of the Week: Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s Private Island in the Bahamas Lists for $35 Million

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      We’re not in Nashville anymore. Gin-clear turquoise water lapping on sugar-white sandy beaches. Palm trees gently swaying in the breeze. Clocks firmly set to “island time.” Only the sound of squawking parrots disturbs the tranquility.
      When country music power couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw went looking for a slice of paradise to chill on in 2003, they found it in the heart of the Exuma island chain in the Bahamas.

      At the time, L’île d’Anges—or Angels’s Island— was a 20-acre chunk of uninhabited and undeveloped rock. Nine long years later, they had transformed it into a laid-back, easy-going family escape.

      The “best place in the world” is how the duo describes the island. “Every time we land the plane and walk on to the beach up to the house, we turn to each other and say “This is the best place in the world,” McGraw told Architectural Digest for a 2017 cover story.
      What you’ll see from the sea plane as you fly in.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Now, 17 years after snapping up L’île d’Anges, the two have decided to sell, listing it with international brokers Knight Frank with a $35 million asking. Potential buyers should take flip-flops for viewings.
      “It really is heaven on earth,” listing broker Edward de Mallet Morgan tells Robb Report. “Flying in by seaplane, seeing the color of the water and then having your toes in the sand is just the start of the tropical-living lifestyle that L’île d’Anges offers.
      The front entrance and lookout tower.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      “While there are a number of islands in the Bahamas for sale, it’s rare to have one totally turn key. The owners have kept it as their own five-star resort, ready at the drop of a hat for them to arrive.”
      The 6,500-square-foot main house sits high in the center of the island, just steps from sandy beaches on either side. Architecturally, it comprises eight separate pavilions, each connected by a series of breezy, open-air tiled walkways.
      Designed by Tennessee-based architects Bobby McAlpine and partner Greg Tankersley—they worked on the Hill-McGraw’s homes in Nashville and Franklin, Tenn.—the pair created a home designed for indoor-outdoor living.
      The pool terrace.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      As Hill told AD:” We wanted to feel connected to the outside. When the breeze comes through the room, it’s just life changing. It really is! It’s something for the soul.”

      That means full, side-to-side-opening glass windows in each of the four bedrooms and a massive full-width, glass-paneled, roll-up door in the main living area, with jaw-dropping views across the pool to the sea.
      The tucked-away primary suite opens to the elements on two sides and features soaring ceilings with dramatic cross-hatched beams. A huge private patio comes with its own outdoor soaking tub.
      The kitchen opens to the dining area.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      One especially cool feature of the home is its overflow accommodations. During the long, difficult build process, two large, yurt-style tents were erected on a beachside teak deck. The couple stayed here during site visits and decided to keep them.
      “Kids love them, as do the adults. Water is literally lapping at the front door,” explains Knight Frank’s Morgan. “And they’re pretty serious structures having gone through a couple of hurricanes.”
      The spacious chef’s kitchen is meant for entertaining.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      For outdoor fun, the island features 1.3 miles of ocean frontage—perfect for kayak or snorkeling adventures—while a private dock accommodates a few fishing boats and jetskis. Want to look for pirates of the Caribbean? The home’s Moroccan-style observation bell tower provides 360-degree views.
      Because L’île d’Anges has to be totally self-sufficient, the northern end the island is dedicated to generators and water desalination facilities. They’re serviced by a small staff who live on the island full time in three stylish cottages. Fuel and provisions come in by barge.
      The living room.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Of course, if you run out of Dom Perignon on any given visit, you could try calling your neighbor, magician David Copperfield, who owns Musha Cay, a quick speedboat ride away.
      As for getting to L’île d’Anges—also known less glamorously as Goat Cay—it’s a 90-minute flight from Miami to Exuma International or a 60-minute seaplane ride from Nassau.
      “The beauty of L’île d’Anges is that it’s available today and livable today,” says Morgan. “Many people dream of an island but don’t want to spend the next 10 years developing it.” Take a video tour of the island here. 

      The cozy family room.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The primary bedroom suite.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The primary suite has its own private patio with soaking tub.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The compound consists of eight living pavilions.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      It doesn’t get more private than this.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Inside one of the guest yurts.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The yurts sit right at the water’s edge.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Another of the estate’s pavilions.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The perfect place to toast the sunset.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The home surrounds the outdoor space.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Angel’s Island.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Your jet skis await.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

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      in Luxury

      Home of the Week: Inside Golf Legend Greg Norman’s $60 Million Florida Island Paradise

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      The lawns of this eight-acre estate are as green as a golf course, which should come as no surprise considering the owners: golfing great Greg Norman and his wife, designer Kristen Norman. And the best part is that the grassy yardage stretches from one side of Florida’s Jupiter Island to the other, from the Intracoastal waterway to the the sandy beaches of the Atlantic. Even before looking inside, this place seems to earn its price tag of $59.9 million.

      The compound consists of seven buildings, including the main house, with plans for one more. Garages accommodate up to 12 cars and the employee parking lot can park 30 more. That there is even an employee parking lot tells you something about the vastness of this estate and the beauty of its landscaping.

      Those seven buildings make up 31,800 square feet of living space across a main house, coach house, pool house, tennis house, boat house, carriage house and beach house, also known as the Shark Shack. There are a total of 10 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms, 12 of them full baths. The main house is a completely new, recently built structure. And while the exterior of the house is in a Cape Cod cottage style, it’s hardly a cottage. Kristen (Kiki) Norman was inspired by the work of French architect and designer Christian Liaigre in designing the home and its finishes, from the lacquered teak and high-gloss mahogany to the wire-brushed, custom oak floors to the brass Waterworks and Drummonds fixtures.
      The main house  Photo: Shawn Hood Media

      You won’t find any Florida kitsch inside either. Instead, the look is serene and modern with more trophies than seashells. It has every amenity you might expect from a nearly $60-million property: two 1,900-bottle wine cellars; gorgeous long corridors that are well lit and inviting, nothing of the dark cave you may expect; a cinema room, entertaining space; a bar with water views;  and a trophy room and gallery. The home also has a formal dining room, a SieMatic kitchen, a catering kitchen, a dining area, a butler’s pantry and a mud room. And there’s an elevator connecting it all. Two guest bedrooms occupy the first floor, but the second floor is dedicated to the primary living quarters. Spacious and airy, they include a large outdoor deck, a den, dual offices, bathrooms and closets, an accessory room, luggage room, linen room, kitchenette and, yes, the bedroom.

      The two-story coach house includes another two beds and two baths, a kitchen, a dining room sun room and garage space for six. The pool house is another of the newly built structures on the property and includes a vast open and covered patio, an outdoor kitchen as well as a bathroom and outdoor shower. It sits beside the main pool, which is 14 feet deep, and the plunge pool and hot tub.
      The tennis court and pavilion  Photo: Robert Stevens

      A US Open-sized tennis court graces one lawn area, with its own convenient hub for entertaining, including a bar and bathrooms, shaded space and an equipment room. The carriage house is the other main fitness site on the estate, including a gym and cardio rooms, equipment room, as well as space for guests with three bedrooms and full baths, plus another garage. A dog kennel, located in the generator house, rounds out the amenities to include even the four-legged family members.
      Along the Intracoastal, the boat house has an office and plenty of room for water toys, a tender and yacht equipment. The dock can accommodate a vessel of up to 150 feet.
      The kitchen and eating area in the main house has a few nautical cues.  Photo: Robert Stevens

      On the opposite shore is the 3,200-square-foot, elevated Shark Shack, the last of the newly constructed buildings. It faces the rolling waves of the Atlantic and includes two more bedrooms and baths, a full kitchen, dining and living room. The sand is right there, and the lack of nearby public parking makes the 172 feet of beachfront feel exceptionally private.
      “Having grown up on the beach in Australia,” Greg Norman says, “my search for the perfect property in America allowed me to incorporate all my needs, from privacy, security, a dock for my boats and direct access to the ocean was fulfilled when I was blessed enough to come across Tranquility in 1991.”
      The elegant trophy room  Photo: Shawn Hood Media

      His wife says, “I designed this estate to feel luxurious, but also warm and casual. It caters to our ‘barefoot-elegance’ lifestyle.”
      The Normans have also been trying to off-load their vast Colorado ranch property, taking the price down to $40 million last year.

      The listing for Tranquility is held by the Jills Zeder Group, an affiliate of Coldwell Banker Realty.
      The wrap-around bar leads out to the patios.  Photo: Robert Stevens

      The basement-level wine storage and tasting area  Photo: Robert Stevens

      The movie theater with boucle-upholstered seating  Photo: Robert Stevens

      One of several terraces on the property  Photo: Robert Stevens

      The main pool and pool house  Photo: Shawn Hood Media

      The oceanfront Shark Shack.  Photo: Robert Stevens

      The deck of the Shark Shack leads right to the sand.  Photo: Robert Stevens

      A rare parcel that has waterfront access on both the Intracoastal and the Atlantic.  Photo: Shawn Hood Media More

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      in Luxury

      Home of the Week: Star Athletes Caroline Wozniacki and Dave Lee List Their Island Condo in Miami for $17.5 Million

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      Downsizing is typically what happens when the kids leave home, Medicare kicks in and the yard work becomes too much.
      But for tennis great Caroline Wozniacki, 30, and her former NBA All-Star husband David Lee, 37, the decision to list their spectacular five-bed condo on Miami’s super-exclusive Fisher Island, is all about size. Seems 8,430-square-feet is just too much space.

      “They are staying on Fisher. They just didn’t need as big of a unit,” says Jill Hertzberg, broker and cofounder of the Jills Zeder Group at Coldwell Banker Realty, which holds the listing.

      Of course, for the newly-retired couple—Wozniacki called it quits last year and Lee in 2017—it might also have something to do with the $208,077 in annual property taxes and the $10,254 monthly association dues. Living on the ultra-private enclave of Fisher Island is far from cheap.
      Not that its roughly 800 residents likely worry too much. The island, reached only by private ferry, has the distinction of being one of the wealthiest zip codes in the US.
      Miami’s Fisher Island can only be reached by private ferry, boat or chopper.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      Here home owners include a host of celebs, captains of industry and investors. Canadian billionaire and Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll just last month sold a four-bed condo, formerly owned by Oprah, for $20 million.
      If the couple sells the sprawling eighth-floor pad for close to the $17.5 million asking, it should result in a tidy profit. According to records, they bought the place in 2018 for $13.5 million.
      Views from the media room.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      The home itself is part of the 10-story, Palazzo Del Sol building, which was completed in 2016. The 46-unit tower claims “six-star” concierge service with such luxuries as a butler-staffed aperitivo bar and lounge, hair and makeup salon, massage room and world-class gym.
      In addition to the condo’s 8,400-square-feet of living space, it has 2,500 square feet of covered terraces providing no fewer than six outdoor living areas.
      One of six terraces.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      The balconies provide jaw-dropping views of Biscayne Bay, the Miami Beach Marina, the main cruise-ship alley that’s Government Cut, and the crashing Atlantic.
      A private elevator whisks you to the home’s grand entrance and into its open-plan layout. Ten-foot-high, floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with light. The vast west-facing living room offers views of the sunset and twinkling downtown Miami skyline.

      The spacious living room.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      The room flows into the home’s sleek, gourmet kitchen with its Gaggenau and Sub-Zero appliances and large marble-topped island. Steps away is a formal dining room, media room and rec room with pool table and bar.
      In total, there are five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms. Without doubt, the highlight of the spacious primary suite is its huge dual walk-in closets.
      The dining area.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      Listing photos show Wozniacki’s impressive shoe, handbag and designer sunglasses collection, along with Lee’s extensive display of trainers. We stopped counting at 60 pairs.
      Additional owners’ suite features include Statuaria book-matched marble and Starphire glass in the bathrooms, Apure lighting by Porsche Design, along with premium Dornbracht and Duravit fixtures.
      And, if you like the look of all the furniture and furnishings, you’re in luck: They’re included in the asking price.
      The sleek kitchen.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      As for the 216-acre Fisher Island itself—reached only by private ferry, boat or helicopter—there’s no shortage of five-star amenities. They include a beach club, spa, gourmet market, fine restaurants, two deep-water marinas and even a private school that offers Mandarin classes.
      It also features a nine-hole golf course, as well as the Fisher Island Racquet Club with its 17 tennis courts, one of which is named after Wozniacki, who still plays there.
      The games room.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      Before retiring in January 2020, the Danish tennis pro is credited with winning a total of 30 Women’s Tennis Association singles titles, a Grand Slam in 2018, and holding top ranking for a combined total of 71 weeks. She’s ranked fifth in all-time prize earnings of more than $35 million during her 15-year career.
      Husband David Lee is a two-time NBA basketball All-Star who played for the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors.
      As for the couple’s next Fisher Island home, they have their choice—right now there are no fewer than 89 listed on Zillow. They range in price from $750,000 for a teeny 890-square-footer to $29.5 million for a whopping 10,000-square-foot rooftop penthouse.

      The primary bedroom suite.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      One of two walk-in closets in the primary suite.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      The other walk-in.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group

      One of the five full bathrooms.  Photo: Courtesy of The Jill Zeder Group/Lifestyle Production Group More