A quaint, 37-home neighborhood an hour from Miami is attracting moneyed residents, including actor Mark Wahlberg, despite not having a private golf club or coastline—instead its major selling point is privacy and a well-trained security staff of former military and police.
Stone Creek Ranch, located in Delray Beach, Fla., is one of the hottest new neighborhoods for the ultra rich, but it didn’t always start out that way. The development was first created in the early 2000s a stone’s throw away from the marshy land of the Arthur R. Marshal Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
Senada Adžem, the executive director of luxury sales at Douglas Elliman, said before she started selling homes in the development, prices averaged around $6 million.
Adžem broke the mold when she put a house up for sale in the neighborhood for $20 million in 2018. It took her two years to sell it for the first time, but it then sold several times after that. Just last month the same property, now remodeled, sold to Wahlberg for $37 million.
The neighborhood’s privacy and security was part of the reason for that sale, as well as the $43 million sale of two properties to Rockstar Energy Drink founder Russell Weiner, who recently changed his legal name to Russ Savage.
Most of the houses have 2.5 acre lots, about the size of two football fields, and sit on the edge of an artificial lake, giving each home its own bubble of privacy. There is no golf club so people aren’t coming in and out, said Adžem. Plus, the neighborhood isn’t on the beach, so outsiders can’t peep residents’ backyards from their boats.
In addition, the neighborhood includes guarded entrances and 24/7 security made up of armed ex-military and police, which saves residents money.
“The clients who can be on the ocean and can afford to pay 100 million-plus for a property will actually have to hire security personnel just for themselves, because, as you know, Florida beaches are public beaches,” said Adžem.
In a development with such large lots and few houses, it’s possible to build impressive manors. Wahlberg’s new home at 9200 Rockybrook Way, fully remodeled by developer Aldo Stark, spans 18,206 square feet. It sports seven bedrooms and 10 full baths, as well as myriad amenities such as two powder rooms, a home theater, cigar lounge, wine cellar, gym, sauna, guesthouse, and a 170,000 resort-style pool.
Stark also included custom agate and onyx pieces that came with the fully furnished home. It also came with a fully stocked fridge for good measure, said Adžem.
“This home is a really great value for $37 million—you get a lot of house, you get a lot of property, and of course, you get all of these other things,” Adžem said. “A house like this on the ocean would cost $137 million.”