Built to Withstand 200 MPH Winds: ‘Hurricane-Proof’ Florida New Build Lists for $6.85 Million

A newly built home on a golf course in Boca Raton, Florida, that promises to be hurricane-proof hit the market on Tuesday with a $6.85 million price tag.

The house, which was completed this year, is entirely made up of steel supports and poured concrete and was constructed with insulated concrete forms, which allows the home to withstand winds stronger than 200 miles per hour, said the home’s developer Meir Kroll.

“There’s this picture [of the west coast of Florida after Hurricane Michael in 2018] of all these homes on the beach totally decimated, and then there’s this one house that’s standing. That house was an [insulated concrete form] home,” Kroll said.

The pool overlooks the golf course.
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Senada Adzem of Douglas Elliman, who brought the home to market on Tuesday with her colleague Brian Ross, said the potential environmental impact on a property has become increasingly important to her clients.

“They want to know that they’re safe. They want to know that if they’re travelling in the summer, … their home is going to be there when they come back,” she said.

Kroll moved to Boca Raton in 2021 from Los Angeles, where he worked as a luxury developer and built homes for sports agent Rich Paul and MLS player Javier Hernandez. Kroll bought the property to build his first Florida project in 2022 for $840,000, according to public records.

With its contemporary-style white exterior and dark wood accents, the nearly 7,000-square-foot home stands out in the country club community of Boca Grove, where many homes were built in the 1980s and ’90s and sport tiled roofs and a Mediterranean-inspired style.

Instead, working with Spanish architect Jorge Bibiloni Studio, this home draws inspiration from the villas of Mallorca, where Bibiloni is based.

“His design aesthetic is warm contemporary but minimalist,” Kroll said. “There are a lot of spec projects in Florida that are eccentric and over-designed. I think there’s beauty sometimes in subtlety.”

The sleek style with wood accents continues inside the two-storey home, which has five bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and one half-bath. The primary suite has two large walk-in closets and a separate formal sitting room.

Sliding-glass doors on the first level lead out to a covered patio with a full summer kitchen, an outdoor dining area, and a heated pool and spa. A sundeck runs along the length of the second level, overlooking the golf course.

The spring property market is shaping up as the most active in recent memory, according to property experts Two Red Shoes.

Mortgage brokers Rebecca Jarrett-Dalton and Brett Sutton point to a potent mix of pent-up buyer demand, robust seller confidence and the First Home Guarantee Scheme as catalysts for a sustained run.

“We’re seeing an unprecedented level of activity, with high auction numbers already a clear indicator of the market’s trajectory,” said Sutton. “Last week, Sydney saw its second-highest number of auctions for the year. This kind of volume, even before the new First Home Guarantee Scheme (FHGS) changes take effect, signals a powerful market run.”

Rebecca Jarrett-Dalton added a note of caution. “While inquiries are at an all-time high, the big question is whether we will have enough stock to meet this demand. The market is incredibly hot, and this could lead to a highly competitive environment for buyers, with many homes selling for hundreds of thousands above their reserve.”

“With listings not keeping pace with buyer demand, buyers are needing to compromise faster and bid harder.”

Two Red Shoes identifies several spring trends. The First Home Guarantee Scheme is expected to unlock a wave of first-time buyers by enabling eligible purchasers to enter with deposits as low as 5 per cent. The firm notes this supports entry and reduces rent leakage, but it is a demand-side fix that risks pushing prices higher around the relevant caps.

Buyer behaviour is shifting toward flexibility. With competition intense, purchasers are prioritising what they can afford over ideal suburb or land size. Two Red Shoes expects the common first-home target price to rise to between $1 and $1.2 million over the next six months.

Affordable corridors are drawing attention. The team highlights Hawkesbury, Claremont Meadows and growth areas such as Austral, with Glenbrook in the Lower Blue Mountains posting standout results. Preliminary Sydney auction clearance rates are holding above 70 per cent despite increased listings, underscoring the depth of demand.

The heat is not without friction. Reports of gazumping have risen, including instances where contract statements were withheld while agents continued to receive offers, reflecting the pressure on buyers in fast-moving campaigns.

Rates are steady, yet some banks are quietly trimming variable and fixed products. Many borrowers are maintaining higher repayments to accelerate principal reduction. “We’re also seeing a strong trend in rent-vesting, where owner-occupiers are investing in a property with the eventual goal of moving into it,” said Jarrett-Dalton.

“This is a smart strategy for safeguarding one’s future in this competitive market, where all signs point to an exceptionally busy and action-packed season.”

Two Red Shoes expects momentum to carry through the holiday period and into the new year, with competition remaining elevated while stock lags demand.

Built to Withstand 200 MPH Winds: ‘Hurricane-Proof’ Florida New Build Lists for $6.85 Million

The Mallorcan-inspired home stands out with its contemporary style in its golf course community

Buyer demand, seller confidence and the First Home Guarantee Scheme are setting up a frantic spring, with activity likely to run through Christmas.