Dan and Ada Rice also maintained a luxurious winter home in Florida, reflecting their affluent lifestyle and the common practice of wealthy northerners spending winters in a warm climate. The Florida estate was located on Indian Creek Island in Miami Beach, Florida. Indian Creek Island is an exclusive, ultra-wealthy enclave often cited as one of the richest zip codes in the U.S., essentially a private island with a limited number of estates and a private golf course.
Description of the Estate: The Rices’ Florida home was on Indian Creek Island by the 1960s (possibly earlier). Indian Creek Village records show Dan F. Rice owning a property there in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The estate likely sat on a large lot (Indian Creek lots are several acres each, fronting Biscayne Bay). It was certainly a mansion, though details are scarce. Given Ada’s taste at Danada and Palmer House, one could expect the Indian Creek home to be elegantly furnished and fit for entertaining. Photos are not publicly available, but anecdotally, neighbors considered it one of the significant homes on the island.
After Dan’s Death: Dan Rice was at the Indian Creek house in winter 1975 when he fell ill and passed away (he died at the Miami Heart Institute after entering the hospital January 15, 1975, from complications post-surgery). After his death, Ada initially retained the property (she spent some time in Florida still). However, in 1978 or 1979, Ada sold the Indian Creek house to a very prominent buyer – Julio Iglesias, the internationally famous singer. Iglesias was building his real estate portfolio; he purchased the Rices’ mansion as well as the adjacent lot (the record in the snippet says he bought the Rice home, then later bought next door for $15.2 million).
Iglesias apparently demolished the Rice mansion in 2008. He was known for buying and flipping properties on Indian Creek. The snippet from the site indicates Iglesias was living in one house while constructing a new mansion on the Rice lot. Eventually, Iglesias sold his Indian Creek properties (one of which was reportedly to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in 2020). So, unfortunately, the Rice house in Florida no longer stands.
Significance: The Florida estate underscores the high social circle the Rices occupied:
- Indian Creek Island’s residents over time include billionaires, celebrities, and royals. The Rices were among early prominent residents, putting them in proximity with the likes of Prescott Bush (in earlier years) or later golf legend Raymond Floyd.
- Ada’s presence in Miami society is evidenced by her art pursuits – she painted in Miami and won an award from the Surf Club Art League, as noteddailyherald.com. The Surf Club (in Surfside, FL, not far from Indian Creek) was/is a posh private club; Ada displaying paintings there shows she was integrated into the social fabric.
- Dan enjoyed Florida not just for leisure but also as an investor: he was on Hialeah’s board and loved racing at Gulfstream Park and Hialeah in the winters. He also had business interests (branch offices in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, as listed in his firm’s expansion). So the Florida home served both pleasure and perhaps a bit of business (networking, etc.).
Other Florida Property: The query mentions Florida estates (plural), suggesting possibly the Rices had more than one Florida property. While Indian Creek was the main home, it’s possible they also owned a condo or suite in downtown Miami or Palm Beach at some point. However, no specific evidence of multiple Florida homes is noted in our sources. It might simply refer to the Florida estate’s story over time (house, then sold, then demolished).
To avoid confusion, “Florida Estates” as titled on the site likely focused on the Indian Creek Island home. If any other Florida real estate is known, it would be minor; the Indian Creek mansion was the centerpiece.
In conclusion, Dan and Ada’s Florida estate was their winter haven – a place of sunshine, art, and continued love of horses (they surely hosted fellow racing friends during the Hialeah meet). The sale of that home to Julio Iglesias adds a remarkable postscript, showing the home passed from one type of celebrity to another. Though the physical structure is gone, Indian Creek Island’s lore still includes a chapter about the Rices – one of its early power couples who enjoyed the good life under the Florida palms.
(Fun fact: When Ada died in 1977, her estate sale made news with the auction of some of her Florida possessions – including artworks and jewelry – indicating the Indian Creek house was filled with fine items. Collectors in Miami at the time got a chance to purchase pieces of the Rice lifestyle.)
