Not For Sale – Florida Homeowner Refuses Massive Offers for His Home

We’ve all heard about how a man’s home is his castle, but Orlando Capote takes this to a whole different level. The Florida homeowner sits amidst a $600 million development but refuses to sell his plot to the developers. Let’s get to know Orlando better and see why he prefers living like Carl from the Pixar movie “Up.”

In The Middle of a Construction Zone

Orlando’s home sits on its own lot in the middle of Miami. When the city started developing rapidly in the early 90s, one by one, the lots on all sides of Orlando’s family home were bought up for massive sums by developers who used them to build skyscrapers.

These buildings were in massive demand as the population of Miami exploded and continues to grow to this day. It’s no wonder that Orlando’s family home, sitting in the middle of the construction zone, is now worth much, much more than his family spent building it.

Just Like The Movie “Up“

Some years ago, Pixar released a movie called “Up,” which followed the exploits of an old man, Carl Fredriksen, and a young, brave wilderness explorer/boy scout Russell. In the movie, Carl builds his family home, but his wife dies, and he becomes a recluse.

The movie shows that Carl’s home sits on a prime piece of real estate, and agents are after him to sell it. Yet he refused to because he felt he owed it to his deceased wife to keep their dream alive by holding onto his home. Orlando has a similar view of his family home.

Holding Onto the Family’s Memories

Orlando states that he won’t be selling, no matter the price, because his mom died in 2020 and wanted to keep the family home as an homage to her. Orlando is quoted as saying, “The house is my soul, so what good is it to sell your soul for all the money in the world.”

Yet it’s daunting to have skyscrapers dozens of meters high on all sides of your home. Florida’s zoning and construction laws typically prevent issues with overlapping, but they were never intended for use in this unique situation. Orlando claims that these constructions have been causing him a lot of stress.

Illegal Construction Practices Around The Family Home

Orlando has said, “You can see some of the debris that’s already falling on the site, which woZuld not happen if the buildings were actually 35 feet high or at least 50 feet away.” He claims the construction goes against the laws to protect homeowners like him.

Despite his vocal complaints, the city of Coral Gables has stated that they have found nothing wrong with the construction. The authorities claim all of the complaints have been investigated, and the construction complies with all the rules and regulations they need to.

A History Attached To This House

Orlando’s family comes from Cuba. When his father landed in Florida in 1989, he purchased the family home. Since then, it has become a fixture of Orlando’s life. When his father passed away in 2005, the house grew even more important to him and his remaining family members.

Today, because of the uniqueness of his house, people come, visit, and take pictures of the property. It’s something that Orlando would have never thought would happen to his family home. Unfortunately, neither Orlando nor Coral Gables is backing down on this issue.

“It’s Never Going to Be Peaceful“

In 2019, when construction was ongoing, Orlando’s most significant concern was the debris littering his yard. While construction continued around him, some of the buildings were completed, and the high-rise buildings and parking lots started to host residents instead of construction crews.

A cantina bar has appeared near Orlando’s property boundary. While it offered some distraction, it changed what he loved about the home. Orlando can no longer witness the sunset from his front porch, and the number of people will ensure that all around his house will always be busy.

Sometimes It’s Not About the Money

The development companies interested in Orlando’s family home have thrown vast sums at him to sell. His house sits on a prime residential lot near one of the most busy places in Miami. Any developer who manages to get his hands on this property can make a massive profit from it.

Over the years, Orlando has been approached more than sixty times with offers reaching up to $900,000 for the family home. Orlando has told them no in each instance because it’s not about the money. For him, this is about his parents’ legacy and something they can feel proud of.

A Relic From An Older Age

A glance around the skyline of Miami will show that high-rise buildings are the norm for residential construction. At the turn of the millennium, Miami’s residential approach changed, and vertical construction took over as the most desirable way to live in the packed city.

Orlando’s family home refers to a simpler time in the 70s and 80s. During this period, residential constructions dealt with detached bungalows, stand-alone houses, and townhouses. Today, these buildings are a relic of a simpler time, one that Orlando’s family home represents.

Is It An Eyesore?

One of the reasons developers have raised against Orlando’s family home remaining the way it is stems from the building being an eyesore. Yet even the residents of the high-rises don’t think it’s bad to look at. On the contrary, some find it a quaint reminder of the past.

“I think it is cute,” one resident said when asked if the building was an eyesore to them. If anything, the eyesores are the skyscrapers that surround Orlando’s lot, if you ask him. He used to get a clear view of the sky, but now it”s just concrete as far up as he looks.

What Can He Do?

As it stands, Orlando can continue to live undisturbed on his family’s property. He’s been keeping up with the taxes, but they may become too much for him to bear if they continue to rise. The developers are offering more and more money, making it an attractive prospect for any homeowner.

Any homeowner that isn’t Orlando that is. Because of his parents’ struggles to get to the US and claim this plot, he isn’t giving it up so easily. So, for now, at least, the developers will have to get used to having a relic of the past between their massive skyscrapers.