Located three miles south of Miami and east of Downtown Miami is a barrier island famous for its tranquility, elegance, and extreme exclusivity – the Fisher Island. Before it became a tropical oasis, Fisher Island was once a plot of land dotted with mangroves and coconut palms in the Biscayne Bay.
Carl Fisher, to whom the island was named after, purchased the land from Dana Dorsey and started to develop it for real estate. Fisher sold a portion of the island to the Vanderbilts who built his private Mediterranean retreat on a spacious lot with lush landscaping, tennis courts, swimming pools, and enviable guest rooms.
After numerous notable owners, the island was finally operated by the Fisher Island Club in 2006. Fisher Island remains one of the richest zip codes in the United States offering exquisite island retreat for those who are looking for a secluded, private, and complete luxury club in the world.
Fisher Island’s Vanderbilt Mansion still stands as the community’s landmark that offers 15 luxurious accommodations.
To regain its early glory days, the Fisher Island Club began a $60 million project that would renovate the marina, Beach Club and Courtyard Villas. The second phase of the renovation included the Golf Club House, Spa & Wellness Center, tennis courts, swimming pools, restaurants and lounges.
Fisher Island is not connected to the mainland by any causeway or road. To get there, residents use their own ferries or boats that prohibit uninvited outsiders from entering the neighborhood. Ferries at the Terminal Island along the MacArthur causeway bring the residents to the island. Some residents ride their cars onto a ferry.
Residents have their own parking lots but most go around the neighborhood using golf carts. Many also use their personal boats to go in and out of the island, while some prefer to travel by private helicopter that they park on Vanderbilt’s former landing spot or at the soccer field.
Fisher Island has a wealth of amenities within the island. The neighborhood has eight restaurants, including fine-dining steakhouses that charge bills on resident’s expense accounts that no currencies are exchange inside the restaurants.
A 9-hole golf course and 18 well-maintained, international-grade tennis courts keep most of the residents busy. The neighborhood also has a mile long private and pristine beach with sands imported from Bermuda.
The island may be secluded but it is not entirely isolated, as it is just minutes away from Miami Beach and South Florida’s finest hotspots.
Fisher Island Real Estate
While the neighborhood has single-family mansions, many of the homes for sale in Fisher Island are multi-family condo complexes built along the private shoreline and a golf course. Buildings are several stories high with only few spacious units. Homes for sale vary in sizes and can range from 3,800 to 10,000 square feet. Apartments also feature large porches with well-maintained shrubbery. Some have pools built on rooftops.
Property valuation depends on the age and size of the house and the line of view offered, with some selling for as much as $26 million. Homes that have the best views of the ocean or the stunning sights of the nearby Miami skyline, or both are often the most sought after properties and are, understandably, the more expensive ones.
Investors expect that prices of homes for sale in Fisher Island will continue to appreciate in the coming years as it is nearing build-out.
Fisher Island is the epitome of luxury living. Condos for sale in Fisher Island cater to the wealthiest of the society who can afford an average price per square foot of more than $1,000.