Jilliane Hoffman’s home for sale
Author’s mansion priced at $3.85 million
FORTLAUDERDALE— Whenever Jilliane Hoffman sat down to write at her wooden desk at 517 Isle of Palms Drive in Fort Lauderdale, she’d draw from experience. Before embarking on a crime writing career that’s stretched across two decades, she spent close to five years prosecuting felons for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
After a stint as a legal adviser to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Hoffman decided to leverage her experiences to focus on writing novels. The decision paid off. Her first book, “Retribution,” became a top three bestseller in the United States andwas nominated for an Anthony Award, an honor for mystery writers.
Since then, the Long Island, N.Y., native has written five more books, gaining inspiration at her five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom mansion.
Built by Benchmark Development in 2006 and purchased by Hoffman the same year, the twostory home is now up for sale. Listed by ONE Sotheby’s affiliate DND Associates, the asking price is $3,849,000.
A pair of wooden doors greets visitors, opening to reveal dual hardwood staircases, floor-to-ceiling windows and Mexican tiling. Beyond the foyer lie a temperature-controlled wine room, a home theater and a travel-themed study.
Awell-appointed kitchen is adjacent to the dining room. Boasting custom wood cabinetry, granite countertops and an exposed brickwall, the kitchen is home to a stainless steel, dual-oven Viking Professional gas range.
Standing in view of the family room TV, a granite-topped standalone bar provides a retreat for cocktails.
Three separate pools— a chlorinated resortstyle pool, a hot tub and a splash pool— greet guests in the backyard, sandwiched between expansive loggias and a private dock big enough to accommodate a yacht. Situated on100 feet of deepwater inlet, the home provides hassle-free access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Stranahan River.
All five bedrooms, a laundry roomand the lofted office where Hoffman plies her writing trade, are on the second story. The spacious master bedroom suite takes up the entire north wing of the floor and features hand-painted-walls, a morning bar and a sunk-in bathtub.
The second floor also lays claim to a rare feature not typically found in South Florida homes. Rather than constructing multiple balconies, developers built a single structure that runs the length of the house.
Accessible from-multiple points on the second story, the balcony offers both shade and sun, offering loungers a prime spot to catch a sunset.