Awards fill the side of the kitchen island and spill over to the countertop of the bar area.
“The last two years in our category we have taken all of them, 7-8 awards in that division,” Candy Jones says, sales representative for Coral Isle Builders. “And we still have more at the sales center. We just can’t keep them all up.”
1 of 11
2 of 11
3 of 11
4 of 11
5 of 11
6 of 11
7 of 11
8 of 11
9 of 11
10 of 11
11 of 11
The Cape Coral Construction Industry Association selected the Osprey Grande model as the winner of best kitchen, best exterior, best interior, best landscape, best livability, best outdoor living, best bath and best pool design. It also won the Lee Building Industry Association’s Superior Home award three years in a row from 2018-2020.
“It’s the unique design and the ability to change it around to suit everybody’s needs,” Don Vidussi, sales manager, says when asked why the model wins so many awards. “It is an everlasting floorplan. We can make it four bedrooms. We can make it five bedrooms. We can add more closets to it. It’s price too. We do all the concrete, framing, pool. The structure we do it all ourselves, so we get a better quality for that.”
1 of 7
2 of 7
3 of 7
4 of 7
5 of 7
6 of 7
7 of 7
The Osprey Grande is a beacon of change in Northern Cape Coral. The scene of small ranch homes amid weedy fields is disappearing as developers find lucrative waterfront property to build bigger and more expensive homes. Coral Isle Builders is one such company which did that with its most upscale model.
“I think as they walk into this room, they are going to see the vastness of the openness,” Candy explains. “There is the openness of the sliders. There is 24 feet of wideness. They pocket so it is one great big room once they open it up.”
The home also has many modern luxury additions, such as the 16-inch tile, dark wood doors and window frames and deluxe granite countertops. Then there’s the pool which might be the most deluxe of all. The pool has a bar set into the side with swim-up stools around it. Fountains on either side of the bar spew water above colorful LED lights. There is also a sun shelf with chairs and an umbrella. The spa is set into the pool and glows with LED lights that match the fountains and underwater lighting. Beneath the lanai’s pine roof portion is an outdoor kitchen, a dining area and a sitting area. The developer is adding an outdoor fireplace.
Owners can be creative with the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home. On either side of the foyer are bonus rooms.
“We have two flex rooms in the front that people use for a variety of reasons,” Candy continues. “They use it for extra garage space or for hobbies. We can make the two bedrooms larger by taking one of the rooms. We are very flexible to meet people’s needs.”
Don likes selling the Osprey Grande model so much that one is being built for himself.
“It’s a real functional floor plan,” he says. “I will do some different things to it. I will use one (bonus room) as an office and one as a true dining room. In the master I will put in a big closet; a 120 square foot closet.”
Candy says the Osprey model has evolved as the company met the requests of customers.
“Years ago, one client wanted the lanai across the whole back of the house, and we did it for them and then we thought this is great and did it for the model. Someone asked for the two rooms in front and that became part of the plan. Some of the other builders … are held back. They don’t see the vision that other builders see.”
1 of 6
2 of 6
3 of 6
4 of 6
5 of 6
6 of 6
Candy says the home is constructed with four continuous steel rods and concrete tie beams making it able to withstand winds up to 200 miles per hour. The model has a window to the attic in the master closet that has a temperature gauge. The spray foam insulation in all living area ceilings keeps temperatures constant. On a recent hot morning, the guage read 69 degrees in the attic.
Granite countertops in the kitchen match the counters in the bathrooms. The master suite features a king-sized bed with views through a sliding glass door of the lanai and canal. One guest room has a queen-sized bed while the other showcases a day bed. In the model the two bonus rooms are set up as a den and a dining area.
Dan Rapoff has lived in an Osprey Grande for two years now and absolutely loves it.
“The openness. That’s what sold me when I walked in,” he explains. “I have 24 feet of glass looking out on the canal. I love to cook, and when I am cooking, I can look out. It is so open. And the cabinets; they go all the way to the ceiling. I love the split bedrooms. It’s a quality-built home.”
Dan chose to use the two bonus rooms as a dining room and a den.
“This is the nicest lanai I have seen anywhere,” he adds. “It is huge.”
Dan says he’s not surprised that the Osprey Grande won so many awards. “They should win awards,” he agrees. “It’s an awesome home.”