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A rare real estate opportunity has presented itself that provides the perfect embrace of luxury Florida oceanfront living.

Of the lower 48 United States only Florida is blessed with two distinct coastlines. On the western side of the peninsula residents and visitors can enjoy the golden-hour sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico, while the eastern coast, or “First Coast,” as locals know it, basks in the early morning sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean.

Dennis Alter has been enjoying those Florida sunrises for more than 40 years from his spectacular oceanfront estate in Pompano Beach. Now, at age 82, he has decided to downsize and has listed the property for sale at US $27.950 million, one of the most attractive real estate listings currently available in the United States.

Alter will not miss the material presence of his beautiful estate because he retains the beautiful memories of those sunrises when his four children were quite young, when he’d watch with pride as they’d walk to the beach, each with a mug of hot chocolate, to watch the sunrise. His children are grown now with families of their own so the time is right to part ways with this treasured family compound. “The kids visit but not as often, and this is too big for one person,” Alter says emotionally. “But it is perfect for a family.”

The elegant and private bespoke estate, located at 1111 Hillsboro Mile, Pompano Beach, sits on secluded acres overlooking both the Intercoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean and rivals the great villas of Lake Como in Italy. This is a reflection of its interior and architectural designer, the internationally renowned John Saladino.

Following his graduation from Yale School of Architecture, the American-born Saladino worked with Italian architect Piero Sartogo in Rome, and that Italian influence has stayed with him throughout his lengthy career. Saladino established the Saladino Group in New York City in 1972, and since then he has served as a board member for a number of influential organizations including the New York School of Interior Design and Save Venice Inc., as well as the Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation in London. His design studio has completed numerous residential and corporate interior design projects around the world, most of which draw heavily on traditional European influences.

None perhaps more than the estate in Pompano Beach, which greets visitors with a tropical canopy that frames its long and meandering cobblestone drive to the its gracious blush-tone exterior. Saladino’s design combines rustic sophistication with his well-known preference for mixing both intimate and grand scales.

THE ELEGANT AND PRIVATE BESPOKE ESTATE LOCATED AT 1111 HILLSBORO MILE, POMPANO BEACH RIVALS THE GREAT VILLAS OF ITALY’S LAKE COMO.

His Italian influences can be seen in his material selections, which include wood beams in the ceilings that were hand-hewn with a hatchet, pewter clavos (nails) that stud the interior solid white-oak doors, plaster walls, reclaimed terracotta tile floors and an authentic Tejas Borja Centenaria Sand barrel-tile roof, which is accented by an antique kiln-dried cypress front door. Saladino’s grand scale is evidenced by the master bath, which is more like a salon, and is highlighted by a glorious solid Carrara marble Roman tub as well as a fireplace. The estate’s grand loggia is at a scale that embraces the ocean it faces and is the perfect oasis for entertaining in south-Florida style.

The home is surrounded by native vegetation and seems to fit seamlessly into its natural surroundings — one of the current owner’s favourite features of the property. “Too often you see homes that are too modern and constructed with steel and glass and are all white,” says Alter. “Although they are beautiful, they often look like they were transported from some other part of the world. This home, instead, looks like it belongs and fits into the space, the vegetation and the blue sky.”

The estate epitomizes everything that is treasured in elegant Florida oceanfront living. The house itself provides 9,855 square feet of living space and features eight bedrooms, including a separate second-floor apartment, along with nine bathrooms. Every main room provides expansive ocean views with large interior walls, perfect for the serious art collector.

The estate’s outdoor amenities include a two- storey oceanfront loggia, a 20’-by-40’ heated pool, a BBQ area with a fire-pit terrace ideal for outdoor entertaining, and a private walkway to a pristine Atlantic Ocean beach. There are also recreational spaces including a 30’-by-25’ sports court, as well as an oceanfront club/media room.

The location on Hillsboro Mile provided the perfect seclusion for Dennis Alter, a well-known financier and former CEO of Advanta, who took over the company from his father in 1971 when it had only 30 employees. With fewer than 40 homes in the neighbourhood, Hillsboro Mile is one of Florida’s most exclusive communities. It is a serene 3.2-mile barrier island with breathtaking ocean views and deepwater dockage. With its unmatched peaceful energy, Hillsboro Mile is the ultimate neighbourhood for luxury and rare ocean- to-intercoastal living.

As Dennis Alter prepares to depart this area after so many years of creating family memories, he is secure in the knowledge that he is leaving behind an elegant, secluded, private luxury estate that can be enjoyed by another family, who can greet the sunrise over the ocean each morning while they begin to create their own special memories and wonder about the possibilities of what each day might bring.

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Premier Estate Properties (left to right): Gerard Liguori, Carmen N. D’Angelo Jr. and Joseph Liguori | Photo Courtesy Of Premier Estate Properties

Q: Who is the ideal buyer for this property?
A: The ideal buyer would be from the Northeast. However, California is another possibility — in fact, we are currently working with a buyer from southern California who appreciates the detail and craftsmanship that is a signature of John Saladino, who is nationally recognized in Architectural Digest as one of the top interior designers. Also, one of John Saladino’s personal properties was purchased by Ellen DeGeneres.

Q: What is one of the most striking features of this property?
A: The estate is sited on over an acre of manicured grounds that spans ocean to Intracoastal, with permitted dockage for a mega yacht, in a no- wake zone with direct ocean access.

Q: What does your agency offer to potential buyers/sellers that is a plus, above other real estate firms?
A: We provide full concierge service that attends to every detail and need of an affluent buyer when purchasing a significant estate or ultra-luxury condominium, during and beyond the transaction. For sellers, we offer our expansive global network that results in $586 billion in annual sales. (Please see the link to our Peerless for more information: https://pepfla.com/pep-peerless/#1).

Q: How has the experience of working with Mr. Alter been?
A: It has been a pleasure personally working with Mr. Dennis Alter and his team, who have diligently addressed all our suggestions in preparation to market the estate.

INTERVIEW BY MICHELLE ZERILLO-SOSA