New home with special memories of the past
Dozens of pennies create a very special sink in the loft area of a new home on Matlacha. It sparkles with the copper color and with special memories. The sink is in honor of the woman who never got to move into her dream home. John and Audrey Fitzgerald were having their new home built when Audrey was diagnosed with cancer. She died before the house was complete, but her husband wanted to include a special memory of her in the new home.
“We were in Philly for three to four months (for her treatments), and every time we went out we found pennies on the sidewalk,” John Fitzgerald began. “So pennies became a thing to rally around. So the penny sink is special.”
There’s a lot more that’s special in the three bedroom, three bathroom waterfront home.
“My wife liked to take sunset pictures, so we built the crow’s nest,” Fitzgerald said. “I think that’s a cool feature.”
Matt Sinclair, owner of Sinclair Custom Homes, built the home right next to his own personal house on a quiet street on Matlacha. He said it is special to have these tributes to Audrey in the new house.
“It was hard because the whole time we were building it, we were all rooting that she was going to make it, and then we got the phone call that she passed away on Easter. It was really hard,” Sinclair said.
Sinclair knew Audrey wanted a house that her husband would be happy in, so he did his best to create a home that would be not only a tribute to Audrey, but a happy home for John.
John Fitzgerald is excited about his new house and all the special features.
“I am looking forward to the marble on the island and the office. The office is where we spend most of the time, he said. “We have a desk that is going to fit into the window. And we have a really nice bookshelf that will be seen as soon as you get into the office.”
He’s also looking forward to all the little built in conveniences.
“I know this sounds weird, but I am really looking forward to the spice rack,” he stated.
In the kitchen, slide out spice racks and shelves were created.
“I really like having two dishwashers,” he continued. “When you have a bunch of people over and have a lot of dishes, you have a whole other dishwasher. I am also excited about the pool, boat life, outdoor kitchen, and the fire pit.“
Sinclair is sad that Audrey never got to see all these features.
“She didn’t get to see it once,” he said. “We were just sending photos. I was sending photos to her phone and keeping her updated and we didn’t realize how bad it was. You are talking about a lady who was riding a bike every day. She was really active.”
That was until cancer took her away. Now the home is finally done and Fitzgerald is starting to move in. The house spans 3,144 square feet under air and a total of 4,735 square feet of space. Ninety-degree sliders open the great room up to the outdoor living section. There’s a full gourmet kitchen, a spacious living room and dining area in the great room. Just beyond outside is the outdoor living, pool and then the boat docks. Stairs and an elevator lead upstairs to the bedrooms and the den/loft area. All the bedrooms have sliding glass doors that lead to a terrace. Shell stone tile from Turkey creates the flooring throughout the house. The house also has an oversized garage that with lifts could hold up to six vehicles. A white, spiral staircase leads to a crow’s nest that offers sweeping views of the canal and beyond.
Sinclair believes that Matlacha is a hidden gem that people are suddenly starting to discover and that is making the prices skyrocket. He said an 1,800 square foot, 45-year-old house recently sold for $700,000. A tear down house that was valued at $220,000 last year recently sold for $417,000. A lot that was going for $175,000 a few years ago, is now about $400,000 to $500,000
“I think there are going to be a lot more tear downs,” Sinclair said. “I am looking for a couple more right now. People think the longer they wait the more they will get, but you have to have the perfect timing. It is a nice location for sure. It is a quiet location. It is off the beaten path.”
It is getting so popular there now that this past week when Fitzgerald was moving some items in, someone came up to him and offered him $2.7 million.
“People are catching on. They are starting to see the value of it here,” Sinclair said. “What also makes it really good is it has better boat access. It’s three minute Gulf access. And it is Lee County taxes and Lee County taxes are cheaper than Cape Coral. If you go over the canal you are in Cape Coral, but this here is Lee County.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: New home with special memories of the past
