5811 North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33127
FOR SALE $3,500,000 SOLD $3,100,000
Ready to own the most haunted house in Miami?
This little gem recently went on the market in the Little Haiti neighborhood and is waiting for a new owner to see its investment potential. Don’t wait too long, though. The real estate market in Florida has been smoking hot in recent years, and that usually means properties don’t linger for too long.
What is lingering, though, (or who, rather) is Paula, for whom the villa is named.
The home was built in 1926 for Domingo Milord, the first Cuban consul to Miami. He named the home after his wife, and they moved into the home in 1927. All of the construction materials were imported from Cuba, and it is believed Villa Paula is the last Cuban government structure remaining in Miami.
In 1976, a seance was held at the Villa, and quite a bit of activity was reported. There were/are reportedly four ghosts haunting the villa — Paula, a tall thin man in a top hat, a woman in a red dress, and a crying woman. Paula seems to be the most active, as it was her house, after all.
There have been reports of shelves shaking for no apparent reason and a chandelier that fell from the ceiling. Dishes and silverware have been known to leave their cabinets and drawers and find themselves scattered across the kitchen.
The smells of strong coffee and roses have permeated the house when there was no one brewing coffee and no flowers in the house. One resident reported hearing the sound of high-heeled shoes clacking on the tile floor and piano music playing throughout the house. There have even been knocks at the front door but no one to “come in.”
After the Milords left the home in 1930, the home remained a private residence until the 1970s. Ownership changed several times, and the home was briefly a senior citizens’ residence before becoming a private home again. In 1987, the home was sold to a pediatrician and used as a doctor’s office, and then in 2003, it became a private art gallery with new owners.
Villa Paula was designated a historic site in 1983.
Property Type: Single family or commercial
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 3
Square Foot: 2,200
Lot: city lot; unknown size
Year Built: 1926
Price per Square Foot: $1,590
Other Interesting Details: The sale includes the house and several small neighboring lots that can be developed.
Contact Sotheby’s International Realty to schedule a visit.
Haunted House Hunting 