Jawdropper of the Week: Take a Look Inside the Most Expensive House Ever Listed in Avalon
This truly outstanding residence offers unique style in an equally unique location. And yes, it’s worth its breathtaking price.
It should be clear from the moment you lay eyes on 5499 Dune Drive, Avalon, NJ 08202, that you are looking at a house like no other at the Jersey Shore. That’s also true on the inside. / Exterior renderings: Asher Slaunwhite + Partners; interior photographs: Jack Vizzard, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
I’m not in the habit of quoting real estate marketing copy, but one sentence in the description of this inimitable Avalon dunetop modern house for sale just begs to be quoted:
“If you ever played ‘King of the Hill’ as a child, this home will take you back to that feeling — because here, you truly are on top of the world.”
Or at least on top of the highest dune on Seven Mile Island, which will do in this case.
This house, designed by Asher Slaunwhite + Partners, the foremost architects working at the Shore today, makes the most of its site. Actually, the foundation does not sit directly atop the dune but rather just below its peak.
That siting produces the four-story house you see from its landward side, as rendered above. What one sees from the ocean side is this:
Exterior, ocean view
Only the top two floors poke above the dune. And the combination of the siting, the height of the dune and the height of the house mean that this is the only house on all of Seven Mile Island from which you can see both the sunrise over the ocean and the sunset over the bay.
Primary bedroom
The top-floor primary bedroom suite is designed to take advantage of this.
Primary bathroom
Its bedroom and bathroom both face the ocean and open onto a deck overlooking it. Outside the bathroom you will find a hot tub that seats four. Inside it, you will find dual vanities, dual toilets, and a curbless shower built to accommodate two.
The top floor also includes a sitting room with a fireplace and a big-screen TV that descends from its ceiling. The deck next to this room faces southwest so you can take in the sunset.
You can’t see the sunset from the main floor below this, but you can see everything else from the deck that spans the width of the floor. Two en-suite bedrooms take up one side of the floor.
Main floor, view from living room
The main living area takes up the rest.
Main floor, view from dining room
It contains a living room with a seven-foot-wide fireplace and an adjacent dining room, both of which face the wall of windows and sliding glass doors next to the deck. Windows in the dining room also offer views to the northeast.
Kitchen
Next to the dining room, a fully loaded kitchen designed by Blue Bell Fine Cabinetry & Design includes a walk-in pantry, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, a six-burner Wolf gas range, a built-in microwave and convection oven, and marble all over the place, from the backsplashes to the countertops. The island has a waterfall one as well as bar seating for four.
Family room
One floor below this you will find the foyer and three en-suite bedrooms, one of them designed for two bunk beds. The first floor also contains a family room with a big-screen TV and room for a billiard or game table. A full bathroom between the family room and bedrooms serves guests both inside and outside on the duneside deck.
Fitness center gym
Finally, the ground floor contains a two-car garage with an epoxy floor and a fully equipped fitness center with rubber flooring. A sauna and steam shower sit next to the gym. And an elevator serves all four floors.
You may recall that we featured this house back in 2023, while it was still under construction by J.G. Popper Builders. In that article, I noted that Mark Asher, the Asher in Asher Slaunwhite, brought a knowledge of the traditional Jersey Shore vernacular to the partnership, while Karen Slaunwhite provided a modern sensibility.
You may also recall that the interior renderings in that listing included a more traditionally styled main floor with higher ceilings. It looks like in the end, Slaunwhite won out thanks to a simpler design with clean modern lines produced by interior designer Fury Design.
No matter, for you will win out anyway if you buy this Avalon dunetop modern house for sale. Not only will you be King of the Hill, but you will have a palace worthy of a modern monarch. And it will be worth every penny you paid for this most expensive house ever listed in Avalon.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 6
BATHS: 7 full, 1 half
SQUARE FEET: 7,240
SALE PRICE: $26,500,000
5499 Dune Drive, Avalon, NJ 08202 [Jack Vizzard | The Jack Vizzard Group | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]
Updated April 7th, 9:05 a.m., to credit the builder and interior designer of this project. Updated April 8th, 5:04 p.m., to update the name of the firm that designed the kitchen.
