Estate where Hollywood stars fell in love sells for $25.8 million

A waterfront Gables Estates mansion, once used in the filming of a romantic comedy starring Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, sold for $25.8 million, the second-highest price this year for a single-family home in Miami-Dade County, according to the Realtor.

The two-story, Mediterranean-style residence built on almost two acres has unobstructed bayfront views, a 200-foot dock and seawall, six bedrooms and nine-and-a-half bedrooms. Property records list the size of the home as 12,756 square feet and the owner as Steven E. and Linda Ruffe. The buyer is Egret Ventures Limited and Harbour Marine Corp., according to the South Florida Business Journal.

The home at 110 Arvida Parkway had been on the market for two years with a different real estate agency until November 2015, when Lance Ruffe, son of the property owner, and Ray Betancourt of The Keyes Company Luxury Division listed and later sold the estate.

Lance Ruffe said one year after the estate’s construction in 1993, location scouts found the property and received permission to film “Two Much,” a 1996 romance. While filming stars Banderas and Griffith fell in love in real life, he said, although now Banderas and Griffith are divorcing.

The highest single-family home sale so far this year was the La Brisa estate in Coconut Grove, purchased for $34.6 million by Ransom Everglades in June.

Following Keyes’ merger in July with Illustrated Properties, they are together the largest independently-owned real estate firm in Florida. Keyes and Illustrated have doubled their $1 million-plus property sales throughout South Florida, the companies said. Keyes annually sells $650 million in luxury homes priced at $1 million or more. The company expects to grow its annual sales in that luxury category to more than $1 billion.

This story was originally published November 4, 2016 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Estate where Hollywood stars fell in love sells for $25.8 million."