Almost 1 acre of property directly on Sarasota Bay with a prestigious Bay Shore Road address. This single-family home is zoned Estate (RSFE) which means it is oversized as are many of the nearby bayfront properties. You enter through a dramatic tree canopy which creates privacy and an “Old Florida” mystic but then emerge on to the sun-washed waterfront with views south to downtown and Lido Key, southwest out New Pass to the Gulf of Mexico and directly west over Longboat Key. Year-round sunsets and cooling westerly breezes are why people have been living in this very spot for thousands of years. More recently, Bay Shore Road has become an eclectic location for the grandest homes in Sarasota. In modern times this has led to sales well over 5 and 6 million dollars and have exceeded 15 million. But you could not put a price on the most spectacular neighbor, Ca' d Zan. John Ringling's gilded Venetian palace anchors the neighborhood to the north and downtown Sarasota is just 2 miles south. Our oldest and most important cultural institutions can also be found on the north side. Of course, there is the familiar Ringling Museum of Art, but we also have the Asolo Theater of Performing Arts, the Sarasota Ballet, New College of Florida and more. Elements of the original home on property evoke a nostalgic mid-century era with pecky cypress siding and plenty of outdoor living space surrounding the bay front pool. Inside is an open plan with a fireplace where the owners have entertained for years. But time marches on. Land values increase. Building codes change and new construction requires higher elevations. If this is the house for you, it will require an understanding of current building code and FEMA regulations. But if this is the location for your dream home, you may not find better views on a larger parcel.