[ad_1]

A Sweet Home for Horses

Mr. Fabbri said Wellington’s warm winter weather (average temperatures range from the high 70s down to the mid-50s) and its proximity to three international airports—Palm Beach (24 minutes away), Miami (an hour and 20 minutes away) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (an hour away)— make it the perfect place for the ponies.

“It makes shipping the horses easier,” he said, adding that Wellington is so enamored of its four-legged winter residents that “the street signs give horses the right of way. And horses are treated as well as humans.”

The value of Wellington equestrian properties is measured by their proximity to the horse shows.

There are a number of horse farms of varying acreage as well as gated communities with horsey names, including The Equestrian Club Estates, a posh barn-less neighborhood that connects to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center grounds by a bridge and is a short golf-cart ride to the show, and The Equestrian Club, which adjoins the International Polo Club.

Other exclusive neighborhoods include Mallet Hill, an enclave of elite farms and homes that connects to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Its nickname, according to Mr. Fabbri, is “billionaires’ row.”

Ms. Jolicoeur added that “it’s probably the most valuable land near the horse show.”

Subdivisions such as Saddle Trail Park, which is 15 minutes from the equestrian center, and Palm Beach Point, a seven-minute drive away, are highly sought after by equestrians.

“Palm Beach Point, which is gated, offers exclusive country club living with golf, tennis and restaurants,” Mr. Fabbri said. “Saddle Trail Park, which is not gated, offers very high-end farm living.”

Grand Prix Village, an extremely exclusive gated community of income-producing equestrian farm compounds that Ms. Jolicoeur described as “luxury condos for horses,” features homes on three-acre lots that have multi-stalled barns, tack rooms and staff quarters.

“The area is zoned for heavy-density horse facilities,” she added. “This land also is very valuable, but its highest and best use is not residential.”

Wellington offers a variety of housing options, she said, because “each horse brings four people—everyone from the veterinarian to the blacksmith needs a house. And they all need different kinds and prices.” 

Equestrian properties, which typically are three acres, generally sell for an average of $2 million, Mr. Fabbri said, adding that the record, $24 million for a 62-acre estate, was set in April 2019.

He noted that it’s not unusual for the horses’ accommodations and accoutrements to rival those of their humans.

“In some cases, the owner’s house may be fantastic, but it’s not as grand as the barn. There are $40-million barns out there,” he said, adding that that price does, of course, include the land.

Wellington’s focus may be on equine activities, but it does, indeed, offer other options. “You can also play golf and tennis,” Ms. Jolicoeur said. “Wellington is for those who want an active lifestyle.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

[ad_2]

Source link