Affordable beachfront is not an oxymoron. It’s simply a matter of perspective.
Say you want to live on one of the most exclusive barrier islands in Florida, home to Stephen King, Rosie O’Donnell and a host of admirals of industry.
But perhaps your bankbook is slightly thinner than theirs.
No problem. Instead of approaching Casey Key from Blackburn Point Road, from where you can turn left for some of the grandest Gulf-view mansions in the region, or right for some of the most private and pricey plots of sand, head south to Albee Road in Nokomis. That will take you to the south end of the 7-mile- long island.
The prices head a bit south, too.
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You can find your slice — an “I’m on a diet” slice — of paradise for $1.5 million, the list price of a 3,900-square-foot house on a sliver of sand. Other recent sales on the beach have ranged from $1.5 million to $5.8 million for a Guy Peterson-designed mansion on the beach, a record for the south end of the island.
Recent sales on the bay side of south Casey Key have been short of $1 million. A current listing there is $997,000.
“There’s a huge contrast” between the south end of the key and the north end and mid-key, said Deborah Beacham of Michael Saunders & Co. “That section has the most contrast, neighbor-for-neighbor,” where tiny old cottages can be found scrunched between large newer homes.
Linda Dickinson and Kelly Quigley of Michael Saunders have a unique new listing — the enclave that artist Betty Altman put together, encompassing a house and guest house on the beach side and two vacant lots on Lyons Bay, totalling 3.2 acres. The package, at $6.8 million, has never been on the market.
“What it offers is, someone could build a grand home on 200 feet of beachfront; they could sell 100 feet of beachfront and one of the bay lots and have a gulf-to-bay lot; or you could have four houses,” said Dickinson.
“It is very attractive.”
Dickinson said the Guy Peterson house next door to the guest house sold two years ago in a “despondent market.”
“We just haven’t seen the best of what is to come for South Casey,” she said. “When you go out on the dock, you look to your right and you can see the Venice Jetty. So the boating there is excellent.
“It is a secure beach. They have not had some of the issues with erosion that other beaches in our area have had. The houses are set back from the road, so there is room for parking.”
Beacham, a Casey Key resident, said South Casey Key is “starting to come into its own.
“We’ve had some good sales there in past two or three years,” she said.
“There are fewer homes; newer construction has not been robust; and land values are perceived to be less,” she said.
The negative for South Casey is traffic to and from Sarasota County’s North Jetty Park, which is being updated.
On the other hand, said Beacham, “Quick access to the Gulf is great, with deep water.
“If you are a true boater, that is the better part of the key.”
