Music legend Jimmy Buffett was beloved for his tunes about beachside escapism, but his real estate ventures made him a true mogul. According to Forbes, Buffett’s music and businesses cemented his billionaire status at the time of his passing.
Buffett died Sept. 1, 2023, and he left behind quite a legacy. He had a knack for tapping into good vibes with hits like the iconic “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”
He was also a savvy businessman, with an empire that was built on licensing those song titles. Hotels, restaurants, and bars bear the Margaritaville name, while consumers can also buy beverages, furniture, and apparel with Buffett’s imprint. He even licensed his name to a number of 55-and-older beach communities known as Latitude Margaritaville.
Beyond his penchant for large-scale, themed communities, Buffett was active in residential real estate. His portfolio included private residences in Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Daytona Beach, and New York’s Sag Harbor.
We decided to take a look at some of the many properties where the singer-songwriter might have been found nibblin’ on spongecake or watchin’ the sun bake. After an extensive search of real estate records and news clips, we found that the crooner had whittled down his lavish collection of homes over the past several years.
But he held on to a range of properties, from multimillion-dollar mansions to sweet cottages. Some of them he’d owned for decades, and all of them proved to be excellent investments. Let’s take a look!
Beverly Hills, CA
Purchased in 2014 for $8,250,000
Built in 1963, this four-bedroom, midcentury modern home was remodeled shortly before Buffett bought it. Much of its period style remained intact.
The single-story, 4,300-square-foot residence has a wide-open floor plan, with a living room, family room, kitchen, and dining room that open to the outdoors via glass walls and floor-to-ceiling sliders.
The backyard features a saltwater pool and spa, plus a generous patio with a four-stool wet bar that can easily accommodate multiple blenders.
Sag Harbor, NY
This is one of Buffett’s most private properties, located on exclusive Actors Colony Road, where compounds come with multimillion dollar price tags.
Richard Gere once owned a neighboring property that he sold to Matt Lauer for $36.5 million in 2016. Buffett was reported to own two large, adjacent lots nearby
This serene spot in the Hamptons is where he chose to spend his final days. According to his official website, he was “surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs” at the time of his death.
Palm Beach, FL
Not much is known about this small abode in one of Florida’s most exclusive neighborhoods. It had three bedrooms and 3.5 baths spread across 2,007 square feet when Buffett purchased it two decades ago. At one time, the property was used as a duplex.
Something tells us it has been spiffed up and expanded over the past 20 years. A Google Maps street view photo reveals that the residence is surrounded by a cute little white picket fence with a robin’s egg blue gates and plenty of lush landscaping for privacy. Situated just a couple of blocks north of the historic hotel, The Breakers, the house also offers easy toes-in-the-sand access.
Daytona Beach, FL
Purchased July 2018 for $427,850
Buffett owned another small bungalow, this one in Latitude Margaritaville, one of the 55-and-older communities dedicated of the laid-back tropical lifestyle he sang about, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
The two-bedroom, 2.5-bath, tropical cottage measures 2,522 square feet. This single-story concrete-block and stucco house has an asphalt-shingle roof, a finished three-car garage, and cozy front porch. Covered with shiplap siding, the home has complementary aqua shutters.
The News-Journal reports that upon hearing about Buffett’s death, community residents gathered outside the singer’s home and created a makeshift memorial, complete with surfboard, flip flops, a straw hat, bottles of tequila and beer, beach balls, and a shaker of salt.
303 Sunset Rd, West Palm Beach, FL
Purchased in March 2012 for $560,000
Currently estimated to be worth more than $3 million, this dwelling was a solid investment for Buffett.
The two-story, three-bedroom, 2,070-square-foot home in the El Cid Historical District was originally built in 1935. Completely remodeled in 1995, it’s several blocks from the beach and even closer to Palm Beach restaurants and shops.
Former homes:
Buffett was born in Pascagoula, MS, and received a BA from the University of Southern Mississippi. He had an affinity for the Palm Beach area, where he bought and sold several homes. In reviewing the places he unloaded prior to his death, one thing stands out: Buffett had a knack for buying low and selling at the top of the market.
Palm Beach, FL
Purchased in December 2011, for $4,950,000
Sold in November 2020, for $6,909,000
This contemporary, 4,783-square-foot home features three bedrooms. Built in 2003, it had been substantially updated with a “Zen-like retreat feeling,” according to listing details.
Some of the home’s finer features include soaring ceilings and massive, mahogany-framed, glass doors and windows that fill the home with natural light and views of the garden and pool from every room. The home is ideal for entertaining—it has deeded beach access and a guest suite above the two-car garage.
Palm Beach, FL
Sold in 2010 for $18,500,000
The grandest of them all, this trophy property on esteemed Ocean Avenue boasts 300 feet of ocean frontage. It’s reported that Buffett actually lived in this eight-bedroom, 12,241-square-foot mansion for a time.
After he let go of the place, the home’s new owner sold the property in 2014 as part of a $43 million package that included two other Palm Beach properties.
Franklin, Tennessee
Buffett sold this historical gem back in the 1980s, but it proves that he knew a treasure when he saw it. This estate, known as “Old Town,” was built in 1846 and restored in 1991.
It includes two guesthouses, a large barn, and a three-bedroom main house. There’s also a modern pool and some original log cabins.
But perhaps the home’s most inviting feature is the 34-acre, wooded lot that includes a river. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was last sold in 2015 for $3.1 million.
A version of this story was published on Realtor.com, a real estate and rentals site. In addition to homes for sale, you can find rentals like Scottsdale apartments, Austin apartments, Tampa apartments and more.
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