Teardown home inside Mar-a-Lago’s security zone asks $18.9M

A Palm Beach teardown near Mar-a-Lago, inside the presidential security zone, has hit the market for $18.9 million.

Despite the high price, there is a bit of flexibility for this property’s future.

“It could be viewed as a new-construction opportunity or a gut-renovation project. But it is [an] oversized lot in the estate section within the security zone,” said a source familiar with the listing.

These days, that’s priceless.

“This is an extremely rare find under $20 million in the estate section of Palm Beach in the last 12 months,” said listing broker Margit Brandt, of Premier Estate Properties.

The presidential security zone is “probably just a quarter mile,” as Gimme Shelter previously reported. Brandt previously said “that it has become a desirable stretch for people who value privacy and security. It’s like you’re part of a private, secret club.”

It’s closed by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office in coordination with the Palm Beach Police Department and the Secret Service. It is about seven streets long and covers the width of the island. It shuts down to non-local or unapproved traffic and pedestrians on weekends during the Palm Beach winter season when President Trump is in residence or preparing to be in residence. It’s open during the summer off-season and sometimes during the week in the winter months if Trump is at the White House.

The 5,276-square-foot home is at 145 Clarendon Ave. It features five bedrooms, five baths, a pool and a gazebo. Built in 1951, by renowned architect Marion Sims Wyeth, the Bermuda-style home sits on .55 acres — just steps from the ocean and the Intracoastal.

Inside, there’s a living room, a family room, a study, a den and a kitchen with a butler’s pantry. Design details include high ceilings, wood floors and well-proportioned rooms.

“We have seen historically low inventory. This home offers the ability to live in paradise with the safety and security of the presidential security zone,” she added. There’s also easy access to the beach.

The listing is part of a “post-presidential boom” in area real estate, Brandt told Gimme, which over the last year has been called the “Trump bump.” She added that at least six homes in the presidential security zone have sold since Trump was elected president last November. Their closing prices span $12 million to $27.5 million, according to reports.