Not everyone can sell paradise.

Harry Higel became a master at it.

He saw dollar signs in a backwater hunting ground on a remote barrier island off Sarasota, on Florida’s southwestern coast, where others saw nothing.

Higel saw nothing too. Nothing but fine-sand beaches, turquoise waters and sultry coastal breezes.

He knew the tropical location between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Roberts Bay to the east would appeal to wealthy snowbirds seeking shelter from cold winters. Boating and fishing opportunities were excellent too.

Higel mapped out lots on the northern tip of the island, saving a sweet spot where he would place a hotel. It was the early 1900s, about a decade before coastal areas around the Sunshine State would feel the wallop of a development boom like no other. He dumped the name Sarasota Key in favor of the more languid Siesta Key, and a desirable-destination star was born.

Today 5,000 residents live on the key, which measures just 3.5 square miles, including land and water. It’s an exclusive part of Sarasota that’s connected to the mainland by bridges (when Higel started his project, it was boat access only). And the demographic skews........

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