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        <title>Destin Real Estate News and Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.browsedestin.com/blog/2020-07/</link>
        <description>Read news and information about Destin real estate and the Emerald Coast.  Topics include homes, condos, statistics, new listings, sold homes, and other relevant news.</description>
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    <guid>https://www.browsedestin.com/blog/rare-four-mile-village-beachfront-estate-for-sale-on-over-an-acre.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.browsedestin.com/blog/rare-four-mile-village-beachfront-estate-for-sale-on-over-an-acre.html</link>
        <author>DRE@BrowseDestin.com (Tim Shepard - Broker)</author>
        <title>REDUCED Rare Four Mile Village Beachfront Estate for Sale on Over an Acre</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
REDUCED Among the Largest Gulf Front Properties in Walton County, Florida


205 W Village Beach Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 | MLS 850521





For anyone who has ever dreamed of owning a beachfront getaway on Florida's Gulf Coast in an unspoiled paradise - you can stop searching. This is the elusive property you've been looking for. One of the largest privately owned gulf front parcels in Walton County, this 1.58 acre beachfront property with 265 feet of Gulf of Mexico waterfront is simply a coastal utopia. Read more about the fascinating history of Four Mile Village, Miramar Beach


View the complete Four Mile Village listing now


Quick Facts




Price: $6,500,000  $5,900,000


Gulf Waterfront With View: 265 Feet


Acreage: 1.58


Lot Size: 265 x 242 (68,825 Sq.Ft.)


Beach House design from 1996


2 Stories, 2,838 Sq.Ft.


3 Bedrooms, 2 Full Baths, 1 Half Bath


2 Garage Spaces with auto garage opener


Elevator from garage to main level


Lexan hurricane shutters


3M UV protective glass





View video of Four Mile Village Listing






The Kitchen


This kitchen was designed for efficiency, and perfect for a couple, or churning out large family dinners. There's tons of cupboard space including three bright windows by the sink area and an open window looking into the office.





The 3-seat breakfast bar extends into a butler's pantry with additional cupboards and a wine rack. Appliances include dishwasher, refrigerator with ice maker, electric stove, trash compactor, washer and dryer.






Living/Dining Area


Whether you're having a bowl of cereal at the breakfast bar, enjoying a family dinner in the dining room, or chatting casually in the living room, the open design ensures everyone is part of the action.





A dedicated wall of floor-to-ceiling windows offers 24/7 panoramic Gulf views for all.





 



Bedrooms &amp; Baths


Situated Gulf front, the master bedroom features a large wall of windows with french doors opening to the patio. There's room for additional seating for reading or just enjoying the view. 





The master bath features an expansive double vanity, single make-up vanity with mirror, separate shower, whirlpool bath and walk-in closet.





There are 2 additional bedrooms including a bonus room access from the main entrance, or via a sliding door in the 2nd bedroom.









Exterior and Balcony


The stucco exterior was repainted and re-sealed in 2016 and the metal roof was also replaced. Other exterior upgrades include Lexan hurricane shutters, 3M UV protective glass and a positive Ion system for lightening diffusing. There is also an outdoor shower and sprinkler system.


The back of the home has balcony / patio access from most rooms, with completely unobstructed Gulf views. Designed for open-air seating, the roof covers most of the gated back deck with a screened in area of about 160 Sq.Ft.. 





 The gate opens to a stairway leading to a private walkover to 2,200 feet of white sand beach.





 



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 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2020 15:32:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.browsedestin.com/blog/four-mile-village-miramar-beach-a-step-back-in-time.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.browsedestin.com/blog/four-mile-village-miramar-beach-a-step-back-in-time.html</link>
        <author>DRE@BrowseDestin.com (Tim Shepard - Broker)</author>
        <title>Four Mile Village, Miramar Beach ... A Step Back in Time</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Four Mile Village, a Beachfront Paradise





Just off Hwy 98 amid the bustling malls and resorts of Miramar Beach, Florida is a hidden gem that even some locals have yet to explore. In fact, traveling down the densely forested Village Road and through the gates of Four Mile Village is like taking a step back in time. Four Mile Village a beachfront paradise, is reminiscent of the old Florida before the big hotels and condos. When people came to the area to truly get away from it all, surround themselves in nature and relax. Days were filled with fishing, walking the white sand beaches, and splashing in the Gulf with the kids. 


Designed for quality not quantity, Four Mile Village has fewer than 50 homesites, each sitting on oversized lots with height restrictions to preserve gulf views throughout the neighborhood. Here, you'll see houses carefully situated around tranquil Lake Fuller, or sitting beachfront with completely unobstructed views of the Gulf of Mexico. Other houses, still just moments from the water, are peppered among wooded areas with canopied oaks and dense shrubs. Some of the original residences, inspired by the design of famed architect Walter Gropius and his pupils, still exist today.


Bordered on the east by Coffeen Nature Preserve, a large portion of the community is protected and will never be developed. To the west is Topsail Hill Preserve State Park a 1,643-acre natural expanse of undeveloped forest with three miles of white sand beach, fronted by lofty dunes. The gulf-front neighborhood features beach access for all homeowners. The gulf access is called “the gap” and is the size of an entire lot, an expensive rarity in this area.


Although you may feel as though you're off the beaten track, Tops’l Beach and Racquet Resort and Grand Boulevard Mall are just five minutes away. 


Rich in Florida History


Contribution to War Effort


Rich in history, this little piece of Florida paradise has withstood the ravages of war to finally emerge as the Four Mile Village we know today. It all began just prior to the second World War when Massachusetts Attorney General, Robert Bushnel purchased 2,000 acres of land from the Choctawhatchee Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. This purchase included the acreage which would eventually become Four Mile Village.


Robert's sister, Dorothy Coffeen, wrote an article about Four Mile Village in The DeFuniak Springs Herald-Breeze from June 24, 1976. Here she describes their first impressions of the area:


&quot;When they first saw the land and bought it, it was so beautiful that it seemed like a special gift from God, unlike any coastal region anywhere, and entirely unspoiled by man's peculiar instincts toward destruction.&quot;


Before Bushnel could begin to enjoy this incredible area, the war effort intervened. Nestled on an elevated ridge amid rolling sand dunes, and close to the Eglin Air Force Base, this was the ideal testing site for the emerging JB-2 missile. These motives were unbeknownst to Bushnel when he leased the land to the military for a price of $1/year, to be used in a top-secret operation.


Without haste, roads were constructed, along with four missile launch ramps, four bunkers, an observation tower and housing for the military personnel. No longer a tranquil setting, an estimated 600 missiles were deployed over the Gulf of Mexico, as far as 150 miles. Today, you can actually view remnants of the iron-track launch ramps, bunkers, and some of the historical buildings.





A JB-2 missile prepares to deploy over the Gulf of Mexico. Photo courtesy Coffeen Nature Preserve.





WWII Bunkers as seen today in Four Mile Village





WWII Barracks as seen today in Four Mile Village


The Emergence of Four Mile Village


Finally, in 1945 at the end of the war, the land was returned to Robert Bushnel. He formed a partnership with his family and incorporated as Four Mile Village Inc. Its very survival was probably due to Dorothy Coffeen, Robert's sister. Hell-bent on conserving as much of the property in its natural state as possible, her conservation efforts have resulted in the pristine, beachfront community that you see today. 


The devastation was immence. But under the wreckage, the land wasn't completely destroyed. Ravaged, and covered by rotting buildings and debris, but still there, somewhere. It was this hope that motivated them for eighteen months, scouring through the ruins and trying to make some sense of what could be salvaged. The mess hall re-purposed as the Coffeen family home, is still standing today. 


An Important Discovery


Sometimes devastation can expose that which was previously hidden, leading to new discoveries. One such occurrence, happened here in Four Mile Village, forever securing it as an important part of our ancient history. Before human intervention, TopSail Bluff was once the tallest point between Panama City and Pensacola. The bluff was bull-dozed to remove new growth, instigating erosion of the sandy soil beneath. After several years, about eight feet of the surface had blown away, revealing a stunning archeological find. 


Dorothy Coffeen describes the discovery -


&quot;The coals of three fires laid in triangular formation with Indian artifacts around them, just as they had been left.&quot;


After having the coals analysed, they learned that the fires dated back six or seven hundred years before Christ. 





View from the sand dunes overlooking the Gulf at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park


Coffeen Nature Preserve


In order to sustain their investment, the family eventually sold off some of the property north of Hwy. 98 (to become Sandestin Resort), and along the waterfront, but not before Dorothy instilled strict building requirements for the developer (Ed Walline). Height restrictions were put in place to ensure the view was never obstructed.


She transferred two hundred acres to the Sierra Club Foundation (part of the Florida Audubon) to ensure its natural use for future years. Since 2004, the 210-acre Coffeen Nature Preserve has been owned and managed by the non-profit, Coffeen Land Trust (an environmental organization). Dorothy Coffeen still watches over her beloved Four Mile Village to this day, buried in one of her favorite pine groves.


The preserve is privately run by local couple Susan and Bruce Paladini who act as caretakers and run both the educational tours and vacation rentals on the land. Contact them at (850) 622-3700 to make a reservation for a guided tour. You can find them at 146 Coffeen Hill Rd, Santa Rosa Beach, FL, 32459.


When you visit Four Mile Village and the Coffeen Nature Preserve, enjoy peaceful walks through the pine forest trails, pass an 80-acre coastal dune lake, and explore the raw, natural beauty of the Emerald Coast. Watch for local wildlife such as white-tailed deer, raccoon, fox, opossum, bobcat, armadillos and alligator.


You'll be transported back in time when you hear the stories and view the rare artifacts from the Second World War. Explore the remaining bunkers and military ruins, and walk along side the metal tracks used as launch ramps for the missiles. When you arrive at the beach, remnants of civilization in the form of Sandestin condos can be seen far off in the distance, but for the most part, it's expansive crystalline beach and emerald-green water as far as the eye can see. The thundering barrage of discharging artillery remain as echoes in the past.


These words quoted by Dorothy Coffeen perfectly describe her vision for Four Mile Village:


 “A place of peace and quiet and a haven for all God’s creatures. It is a place where Nature can take precedence over the superficial, and where those who can appreciate Nature in her various moods and forms can find a haven; where all of God’s small creatures can live their lives without molestation, suffering neither man’s indifference nor pursuit.” – Dorothy Coffeen, 1968






This video does a lovely job of presenting Four Mile Village as you see it today:








Search Homes &amp; Land for Sale in Four Mile Village, Miramar Beach



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    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2020 12:31:00 -0500</pubDate>
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