Actor Burt Reynolds, who died earlier this month at a Jupiter hospital, called the area his home for many years. It’s been announced that the 153-acre estate he once owned is going to be turned into a development containing multiple upscale homes.
Reynolds used to let local kids play and ride horses at Jupiter Farms. He also allowed his neighbors in Palm Beach County to use the property for fundraising events for various local organizations.
His show business friends could regularly be seen visiting. He even had studios on the property, where some parts of his films and television shows were filmed. He had a chapel built on the property, which is where he tied the knot with Loni Anderson 30 years ago.
The property, where Al Capone was rumored to have lived at one time, has been through a couple of owners in the past two decades. The Palm Beach County School District bought it from Reynolds when filed for bankruptcy back in 1999. The plan was to build a middle school. However, the area didn’t have enough residents to justify that, so the district sold it to a developer, K Hovnanian Homes.
The developer is dividing the property into 30 lots. The homes being built on them reportedly will be priced starting at $1 million, with some selling for up to $1.5 million. They’ll likely be marketed to homeowners with horses who can build stalls on their property and ride on trails throughout the land. Reynolds’ nephew still runs a local feed store on the property.
One local real estate agent whose family also owned a local store says that while Reynolds hasn’t lived on the property in a long time, “his presence will always be here.” She says “Everybody loved him. He was a very nice person. Just like in the movies. But it wasn’t acting.”
Florida real estate transactions can be tricky undertakings. Whether you’re buying or selling a home or business, the advice and guidance of a South Florida real estate attorney can help you avoid costly problems later on.