Miami Heat forward Mike Miller plans to auction his oceanfront mansion to the highest bidder.
Miller listed the six-bedroom home in the Hillsboro Shores community for $9 million in January. A handful of buyers came forward but didn’t think he was serious about selling, said Trayor Lesnock, president of Platinum Luxury Auctions.
So he and Platinum will auction the home June 30, regardless of price.
A so-called absolute auction usually brings market value, Lesnock said. Even if it fetches less than Miller wants, “Mike’s benefit is he’s not waiting for lord knows how long for it to sell,” Lesnock said.
Miller, his wife and three children live in the 9,000-square-foot home in Pompano Beach near Hillsboro Mile. Features include two gourmet kitchens, a cigar and wine room, a custom aquarium and a marble fireplace. Miller bought the home for $5.4 million in 2010.
Auctions were more common during the housing bust, when homes were hard to sell. Although South Florida sales have been strong recently, the market isn’t as robust for some high-end properties, said Lesnock, adding that Miller’s home is not in financial distress.
Auctions typically happen quickly, allowing sellers to avoid mounting carrying costs. Auctioneers use a marketing blitz that they say helps homes stand out from traditional listings.
“People will be drawn to the auction,” said Jim Gall, president of Auction Company of America.
In February, Gall’s company auctioned a Miami-Dade Countyhome once owned by actor Jackie Gleason for $517,000, higher than the last list price, Gall said.
Miller’s home has a line up of features: a swim-up pool bar, a new entertainment lounge, a 100-foot marble dock and two lifts for small watercraft. The property, which once sold for $12 million, has access to a private beach, according to Platinum.
Miller, whose Heat are tied 2-2 with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, considered an auction in February but then decided to postpone the event.
“We’ll see how this goes,” he said. “I’m in it to move on to the next step.”
The Miller, 32, played at the University of Florida and is known for his three-point shooting, but he has struggled with injuries in his two years in Miami.
He missed most of his first season with the Heat because of a thumb injury. He’s also battled concussion-like symptoms and had surgeries to correct a shoulder ailment and a sports hernia.
He’s under contract for $5.8 million next season, with two additional years on his deal. But the Heat can release him this summer to ease their salary-cap burden, with Miller able to collect all the money and move to another team.
Previews of the home will be held each week until the auction. The registration deadline for bidders is June 29.
The auction will be held at the home, but he won’t be there to give an autograph to the winning bidder. “No, just my signature on the contract,” Miller said.