Sold Price: $3,700,000
Property Size: 650 Acres
Location: Melrose, FL
Category: Hunting & Recreational Land
Improvements:
2,800 SF Low Country style cabin
Property Description
Prairie Oaks is one of those places that you always remember the first time you saw it. The place is simply stunning. North-Central Florida is known for its’ rolling hills and some of the most remarkable southern live oaks in the country, making the land between Gainesville and Ocala some of the most valuable undeveloped land in all of Florida. Prairie Oaks Farm might be the most impressive example of this landscape I’ve seen. From the highest point on the farm, you overlook Levy’s Prairie from the wrap around porch of a beautiful lowcountry style cabin. The farm has an abundance of natural wildlife that moves in out of its numerous hammocks and pastures, enjoying the vast protection of the 1,500 acre Levy’s Prairie. Turkeys and deer are especially abundant here, and when a late summer hurricane arrives and floods the prairie. Area landowners say the duck season is spectacular. The hilltop overlooking the prairie provides miles long views taking in many adjoining landowners, including the renowned 9,600 acre Ordway Swisher Biological Preserve owned by the University of Florida. Ordway is the University’s flagship environmental and conservation research property and serves as an ecological anchor for the area. The Waddell family plans to permanently protect Prairie Oaks with a conservation easement ensuring it will remain a special place in this corridor forever.
“Hunter exceeded my expectations, providing great advice, thorough due diligence, and expert negotiating. I wasted so much time looking for the perfect legacy tract for our family before contacting Hunter. Driving all over the place, just to find out they didn’t work for me. I knew what I was looking for wasn’t on the market, I’d seen everything on the market in my area. I was very specific about what I wanted, but Hunter identified several off market properties through his relationships that we could look at. Hunter understood exactly what I was looking for and found it. I couldn’t be more grateful for his expertise. Thanks Hunter!!!”
Bradley Waddell – New Owner
Broker Comments:
"Prairie Oaks is simply stunning. Centuries old southern live oaks and rolling hills are about as Florida as you can get and Prairie Oaks has them in an embarrassing abundance. It is the quintessential north-central Florida ranch with a perfect low country style cabin in the middle of an old cracker hammock with a country mile view. These places are a treasure and a unique part of Florida history and are not easy to find. We are so happy for the Waddell family and look forward to hearing about all the memories to be made there!"
Hunter Brant, President & Broker
Oakwood Realty Group