What do these 5 Beach Views Cost?

With about thirty buildings on Marco Island's famous beach, we have condominiums to suit a wide range of budgets. Today, we're going to look at five popular condos and give you some idea of how much bang for the buck is in each one. We'll look at a recent sale in each building that we think is representative of an average unit.

South Seas Towers - 2BR/2BA  $480,000 (public record)

There are four beachfront towers in the South Seas development. While they may all look the same there are some significant differences between them. Most significantly are the minimum lease periods of each. If you choose to rent your unit to snowbirds and vacationers, this may be important. Towers one and two, the two southernmost, require that leases be a minimum of 30 days. This is typical of most condos on Marco Island. Towers three and four only require a seven-day minimum. Generally, your gross income will be higher with weekly rentals since this allows you to rent to families wanting to take a week's vacation in the summer. For all South Seas listings currently for sale, click here.

As far as views are concerned, you'll either face southwest along Marco Beach or northwest towards Tigertail beach. Both of awesome. This unit faces Marco Beach.

Admiralty House - 2BR/2BA $400,000 (public record)

Admiralty House is one of the classics on Marco Island. Easily recognizable by its sky blue tile accented edifice, Admiralty makes a great winter home and is very suitable for year-round living, too. The lobby and hallways were renovated in 2012, so this affordable building looks luxurious and fresh. The pool is one of my favorites on the island and the views are spectacular, beachfront or island-view. To view all Admiralty House listings, click here.

This particular unit is sold in May after 46 days on the market. Since it's an end unit, it offers great island and beach views.

Sandcastles - 2BR/2BA $655,000 (public record)

I picked this one in Sandcastle II to show you the view from a lower floor. Most people initially focus on upper floors in search of the best view but the lower floors offer a special vibe. They feel more like a beach house since you can hear the waves crashing and beach goers enjoying themselves. The two Sandcastles are located near the middle of Marco Beach. They offer all the standard amenities and the grounds are absolutely beautiful. Check out the current Sandcastle condos for sale here.

Princess del Mar 3BR/3BA - $1,350,000 (public record)

We have royalty on Marco Island. There are three luxury condos in the middle of Marco Island's famous beach that offer stunning views, both to the north and to the south. They are called Prince, Princess del Mar, and Duchess. This particular unit on the eighth floor of Princess features 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 2 lanais. Its 1900 s.f. are thoughtfully organized for efficiency and comfort. You'll have trouble pulling yourself away from the friendly poolside chairs. In the price range, it's hard to surpass Princess del Mar. See all of the current Princess listings here.

Madeira 3BR/3.5BA - $3,200,000 (public record)

Now we're getting into the luxury condos on the island. There are really three ultra-luxury developments on the beach. I'm mean world-class luxury on par with anything they've got in Miami or Sarasota. They are the buildings of Cape Marco, Hideaway Beach and this one, Madeira. 

Madeira is the centerpiece of Marco Beach. Units are between 3000 and 7000 square feet and feature private elevators, the finest finish details, and quality amenities. Recent sales have ranged from $3,200,000 to over $6,000,000 for a 5BR/6.5BA unit. See the current Madeira listings here.