Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Purchasing Home in Exclusive Lake Wales Neighborhood

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has decided to move his residence to Lake Wales. He placed an offer to purchase on a home in the exclusive Mountain Lake neighborhood , and the closing is expected to take place in September. The purchase of the home is contingent upon the approval of the membership of the Mountain Lake Club.

Courtesy State of Florida

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is planning to purchase a home in the exclusive community of Mountain Lake in Lake Wales, with closing expected to occur in September.

DeSantis is a two-term governor who is term-limited and will leave office January 5. He currently resides in the state executive mansion in Tallahassee with his wife Casey. The couple has three children, all under 10 years old. It is unknown if the family expects to make the area their year-around residence after he leaves office.

DeSantis’ purchase of the home, designated as number 61, follows a visit earlier this year during a dedication of a statue of former President Calvin Coolidge at the adjacent Bok Tower Gardens. At that time DeSantis was a guest in the home of a resident and toured the lushly-landscaped enclave established in 1914 and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr, who also designed Bok Tower Gardens.

DeSantis has served two terms as Florida’s governor, He was a 2016 candidate for the United States Senate but withdrew after the then-Senator Marco Rubio ended his presidential candidacy to hold his senate seat. He then switched to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 6th congressional district, which he represented from 2013 to 2018.

News file photo

The exclusive Mountain Lake community features estate homes situated at the foot of Iron Mountain, the hill which hosts Edward Bok’s famous Bok Tower Gardens. Bok was among the many well-known residents who have lived in the gated enclave. The area features beautiful views of the tower, and the sound of the 60-bvell carillon is often audible echoing across the waters of the namesake lake.

The formal approval process from the Mountain Lake Club membership is expected to be completed soon after the Independence Day holiday. DeSantis was nominated by resident and former Florida Senator JD Alexander, and recommended for membership by several current residents who wrote letters of support. Homes in the community sell for prices starting well above $1 million.