Explore the Lake Kerr Estate

Whoever said “you can’t have everything” had never seen this magnificent waterfront estate, set in the pristine natural beauty of Ocala National Forest. The unique custom home is built in authentic Southwestern style with the finest quality materials inside and out. The spacious estate offers every imaginable amenity within its own secure boundaries, yet it’s within an easy drive of fine dining, shopping and cultural offerings in nearby Ocala, considered the capital of America’s thoroughbred horse farming.

If you dream of escaping from the ordinary, here are all your fantasies come true. What’s your pleasure? Boating, fishing, lazing about the pool, tennis, riding your own horses, cooking in a kitchen the envy of a professional chef? In this remarkable retreat, you can have whatever your heart desires without ever leaving your very private paradise.

From the outside in: Style, solitude, security.

 Whether you’re an ordinary citizen who enjoys peace and quiet or a public figure who’d like some shelter from the public glare, this lakeside property is a secure refuge that will protect your privacy.

The estate is not just spacious and serene – it abounds in security features, including an outer gate, a bullet-proof entry to the courtyard, safety lighting, a security system and a safe room.
 The estate home adheres to the highest standards in structural safety, too – if ever a house could be call “storm-safe,” this one would deserve the title. Features include concrete block poured with rebar, steel plate through bolted ceilings, steel I-beams, ceiling welded to tie-downs, a safe room and a generator.

And the amazing thing is, the family home – adjoined by a courtyard with summer kitchen, bar, heated pool and spa -- is just the beginning of what this astonishing estate has to offer. What an amazing inventory: a large guest house with garage, screened porch and deck; a boathouse and lakefront dock with motorized lift that can accommodate speedboats or jet skis; a three-stall barn big enough to hold an RV as well as the horses; and everything for the gardener from an irrigated garden, a potting shed, a plant nursery and a variety of fruit trees. What else could you possibly want? Oh, right – we forgot to mention the tennis court that is waiting to make you work to fall in “love/love” again.

Estate History

When the Dykes family was ready to build an international estate-size family retreat on their rare stretch of valuable lakefront property, they wanted something more innovative than the Mediterranean-style homes so common in Florida. They had long admired the beauty and craftsmanship of Southwest architecture and wanted to bring a little of the Southwest’s style to the heart of Florida. With a commitment to quality without compromise, they were able to create a custom home that embodies the Southwest spirit, from the beamed ceilings to built-in, adobe-style seating to an enchanting courtyard that extends the home’s livability into the outdoors.

Inner beauty: A quest for the best

From the moment you enter this estate home, you can’t help being struck by the perfect balance between elegance and comfort. Its soaring ceilings throughout (10 feet in most rooms, 17-18 in the bedrooms, 20 in the family room) are beamed with solid pine built in the Southwest style, the floors are of quarried tile, and almost every room includes custom-built storage and art niches that display cherished treasures. Its many windows, French doors and skylights open the home to expansive views of the lake and fill the rooms with natural light.

Whether you prefer intimate family gatherings or more elaborate entertaining, you’ll find the mix of formal and informal spaces allows you to do either, from the living room with its gas-or-wood-burning fireplace, built-in bookshelves and bar to the completely private master retreat and hedonistic bath.

The amazing kitchen has top-of-the-line professional appliances including a commercial Wolf six-burner gas range and SubZero side-by-side refrigerator, as well as three ovens, refrigerated drawers and so much more -- it can easily handle two chefs at a time. These features -- combined with the wine room, wet bar, summer kitchen, irrigated garden and plant nursery -- will enable the gourmet to fully embrace the hot new trend of providing the family with organic and locally produced food.

The home also embraces cutting-edge technology with its five-zoned air conditioning to conserve energy, re-circulating hot water throughout the house, central vacuum, and satellite receiver for high-definition television anywhere in the house, including a built-in 72-inch Sony and top-level electronics with surround sound.