Jeanna Wolfe’s spacious home has sliding glass doors that lead to a humongous lanai with a pool and spa overlooking the Gulf. That might not seem unusual unless you know that Wolfe lives in a condo.
“We didn’t want to be in a condo building, but this is like a house on the beach,” Wolfe stressed. “The terrace has stairs right to the beach. It really feels perfect for the person that wants a house on the beach, but the ease of a condo.”
It is the only one of the 19 condos in The Vanderbilt with its own terrace and pool and that terrace spans 5,793 square feet and includes the large deck with its pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, sitting and dining areas and garden. That is almost as much as the interior which is 6,141 square feet under air. The entire property is 12,640 square feet.
“It was lived in by the developer of this building, and we met them and became friends, and we told them if you are ever going to sell let us know and that was 2012 and we have been here ever since,” Wolfe explained. “It is just our unique place. Nobody knows it exists. We have spent many years here and have loved it here.”
Wolfe’s beloved husband, Jeff, recently passed away and Wolfe now wants a change and is selling her dream home for $13,995,000.
“This is just too big now for one person,” she explained.
Wolfe says she will miss living there and has great memories of this unique place.
“My husband loved to have his coffee in the hot tub in the morning and in the evenings, it was with a Coors Light,” she described. “He was a hot tub guy. He also loved the pool. We were in the pool so much. We had a lot of years enjoying the sunshine and the just spending the day, all day, on the beach. And we grilled out all the time. We took advantage of it. This was our happy place together.”
The 11-story building was constructed in 2005, but Wolfe’s home was recently remodeled in 2023-2024. It has three bedrooms that are all suites, and all have access to the outdoor deck. There is a spacious den and three full and one-half bathrooms.
The condo also comes with another apartment on the same floor just across the hall. That one-bedroom, one bathroom apartment has a kitchen and living room and sliders to the terrace. Wolfe said that extra apartment is perfect when her mother comes for long visits.
The condo has a private two car garage, that can hold additional vehicles with the lift. A private elevator leads into the home. Sliding glass doors open to the huge lanai. Walls of windows showcase sweeping views of the beach and the Gulf. The chef’s kitchen features gas cooking, refrigerated drawers, dual dishwashers, climate-controlled wine storage and Cristallo quartzite waterfall countertops.
Leah Ritchey, a global real estate advisor with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Vanderbilt office, was surprised when she first saw the place.
“I just remember thinking how have I been here my whole life and not known that this existed?” Ritchey questioned. “This is just a unique hidden gem. I was just blown away by every aspect of it.”
Ritchey says it is a great family home and will appeal to parents and grandparents.
“I think it is going to be someone with several children and grandchildren that wants the ease of being able to go to the beach and use the unit with ease,” she said about potential buyers. “I think it is going to be someone who wants to be able to enjoy something immediately, because it was recently renovated.”
Wolfe says the location is also a big attraction. She enjoys walking to the Turtle Club and to the Ritz and Wiggins Pass.
“This is a boutique building, so we don’t have 200 residences on top of you,” she added. “This is a little more laid back. Also, we are really close to the beach. The big high rises have to be set back, but this is closer. We were originally looking in Port Royal, but when this became available it was a different option for us and we absolutely loved this place.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Naples ‘house on the beach’ condo lists for $13.9 million
Reporting by Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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