More homes for sale in Palm Beach County is good for buyers but they are also more expensive

Kimberly Miller, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
3
A Mediterranean-style, ocean-to-lake estate measuring 2.14 acres at 1040 S. Ocean Blvd. has entered the market at $89 million, having that last sold for $25.75 million in early 2021.
A Mediterranean-style, ocean-to-lake estate measuring 2.14 acres at 1040 S. Ocean Blvd. has entered the market at $89 million, having that last sold for $25.75 million in early 2021.

Welcome to The Dirt! I’m real estate reporter Kimberly Miller with the latest developments in the sizzling market.

Hello, hello? Is anybody out there? Or is everyone still in a Christmas coma? It's 2 p.m. already! Time to shake off the eggnog hangover.

With all the hustle-bustle in Palm Beach County real estate news these days, it's not often we get to spend time with a Cold War-era spy who at 84 years old is protecting what could be southeast Florida's last beach town.

Got a few minutes? You know you do! Give it a read. For anyone who remembers Iran-Contra (I do! Am I dating myself?) Anyway, Alan Fiers is the guy at cocktail parties who everyone is gathered around because his stories are real-life Jack Ryan.

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Also, money is flowing into Palm Beach County like a tsunami on top of a hurricane storm surge king tide with Related Cos. billionaire Stephen Ross pledging $8 million to help economically disadvantaged (poor) kids prepare for college.

In other Related news, the (unrelated to Stephen Ross) Miami-based Related Group lost a vote for a 25-story tower on the shores of the Lake Worth Lagoon in West Palm Beach. Shocker! No really. But the city Planning Board gave the developer a bit of a road map on how to proceed to make the project more palatable so to be continued....

It's flip this mansion in Manalapan

With an elaborate seawall, the house at 1040 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan faces about 200 feet of oceanfront. The water frontage measures the same on its lakeside parcel. The estate is listed at $89 million.
With an elaborate seawall, the house at 1040 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan faces about 200 feet of oceanfront. The water frontage measures the same on its lakeside parcel. The estate is listed at $89 million.

Is there a grander word than "mansion" because I feel like the word just gets thrown around willy-nilly these days and some of the homes we're seeing lately just deserve more than mansion. Luxury estate? Island Valhalla? Too much? It still doesn't do justice to this joint in Manalapan that is on the market for $89 million.

And it's a flip. It last sold for $25.75 million in 2021. Why the price hike? It's been "very well maintained", oh, and, the world has gone insane.

A charcuterie board of homes to choose from in Palm Beach County

Sale pending at a home for sale in West Palm Beach, Florida on June 30, 2022.
Sale pending at a home for sale in West Palm Beach, Florida on June 30, 2022.

We've been yada-yada-yadaing about how housing inventory has been in the dumps for two years but, lo and behold, everyone is listing their homes this fall. The number of existing homes on the market shot up to nearly 4 months in November.

Don't get too excited. It's still a seller's market. To figure out whether now is a good time to buy, you should consult your financial advisor, mortgage broker and Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo. 👱‍♀️ There's also 1-800-Psychics.com.

Stephen Ross wants everyone to go college

Real estate mogul and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross announced Monday, Dec. 11 that he is giving $8 million to help West Palm Beach's children prepare for and attend college.
Real estate mogul and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross announced Monday, Dec. 11 that he is giving $8 million to help West Palm Beach's children prepare for and attend college.

Billionaire real estate mogul and full-time Palm Beach resident Stephen Ross has been building up West Palm Beach for two decades. Now he's building up educational opportunities for the city's children with The Stephen M. Ross Emerging Scholars Program at Palm Beach State College.

Sure, college is great and all, but have you hired a plumber lately? That $8 million donation will barely pay for a service call. Bah humbug on college.😑 But wait! PBSC offers classes on heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, carpentry, plumbing and more! Scratch what I said. Yay college!

West Palm Beach Planning Board tells it like it is

The Related Group of Miami is proposing to build a 25-story condominium tower in West Palm Beach's waterfront that the Northwood Harbor Historic District opposes.
The Related Group of Miami is proposing to build a 25-story condominium tower in West Palm Beach's waterfront that the Northwood Harbor Historic District opposes.

I probably don't even need to write about this because you were all watching the nail-biter of a meeting late Tuesday about Related Group's project on North Flagler, right? Right? Oh, you had better things to do? Well, lucky you have me. 🤣

The city's Planning Board voted against the 25-story tower on the waterfront lot, but told opponents that the vote was likely just delaying the inevitable. With a few small tweaks the plan meets city requirements and it's off to the races!

Live lightly.

Kimberly Miller is a veteran journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross donates $8 million to west palm beach education fund