Captain Burke’s Miami Beach Castle

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Passing by this totally unique property while out boating this weekend, I was thinking about how many secret or strange hideaways we have in Miami Beach. This particular Miami Beach abode has all the makings of a castle, with iron gates, gargoyles, turrets, towers, parapets, a draw bridge, sculptures of knights and dragons, and a 65,000 gallon salt water moat filled with sand sharks. It is located at 4462 North Bay Road and I encourage you to Google the address to see it from a satellite view.

This castle was the creation of the Captain Michael Burke, the founder of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. According to sources that have visited the castle, the inside of the castle is as Gothic as it could be. There is a grand entrance hall with a huge fireplace and a seating area that replicates King Arthur’s Excalibur. The dining room boasts its own round table, which was also inspired from King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. The media room is a blend of medieval architecture with modern technology featuring a circular aquarium and stained glass. Outside the bewitching medieval gloom is a heated, lagoon-style pool extending into the house with a twisting 30-foot slide.

According to public records, in early 2007 Captain Burke sold his infamous medieval castle to Antonio Rodriguez for $7.6 million. The new owner was able to borrow $5.0 million from Washington Mutual in the form of a 12 month MTA Option ARM with a1% start rate. Wow!

Now I don’t know about you, but I would love to see the comps on that appraisal.