Living in Casa Marina, Key West

Where Casa Marina is and what gives it its name

Casa Marina sits on the south side of the island, along the Atlantic, east of the historic core. The name comes from the Casa Marina resort, a large waterfront hotel built in the 1920s that still anchors the shoreline there. Higgs Beach and the White Street Pier are on this side of the island.

The neighborhood is mostly residential. Streets are wider than in Old Town and the blocks feel less crowded, though you are still a short bike ride from Duval Street. Zillow's boundary for Casa Marina may not match the way every resident draws it, so use the index as a guide to the area rather than a price for a specific street.

The homes: bigger lots, bigger houses, mixed eras

Compared with Old Town, Casa Marina has more detached houses on larger lots, more pools and more off-street parking. You find early 20th-century frame houses, mid-century block homes and newer houses rebuilt or raised to current code, along with some condos near the water.

That variety makes the typical value a loose guide. A renovated, elevated house with a pool and parking can sell far above $2,014,505, and a smaller older home or a condo far below it. Price each home against recent sales of the same type on nearby streets.

Some parts of the area may fall inside the historic district, where exterior changes go through the Historic Architectural Review Commission. Check whether your address is inside the boundary before you plan a renovation or a rebuild.

Inside, larger older houses here often carry decades of additions. Ask the seller for permits on each addition, enclosed porch and guest cottage, and have the inspector compare the floor plan with the property appraiser's record. Unpermitted space can affect insurance, appraisal and resale.

How Casa Marina prices have moved

Zillow shows Casa Marina up 1.1% over the past year and 35.7% over five years. Only the Historic Seaport, at 41.7%, gained more over five years among Key West neighborhoods on the list. The city as a whole rose 24.8% over five years and 0.3% in the last year, so Casa Marina has outpaced the island.

Neighborhoods closest in price:

• Historic Seaport: about $1,717,231
• Truman Annex: about $1,607,191
• Duvall Street: about $1,539,373
• The Meadows: about $1,354,802

At the other end, New Town's typical value is about $807,528, so a buyer choosing Casa Marina is paying roughly $1.2 million more than the typical New Town home for location, lot size and the Atlantic side. The upper third of the whole Key West market starts around $1,930,373, which tells you Casa Marina's typical home sits inside the top tier of the island.

What to check on a high-value home near the Atlantic

• Flood zone and elevation. Homes near the shore can sit in higher-risk coastal zones. Get the elevation certificate, and know that a house below current flood elevation can be expensive to insure and restricted in how much you can renovate before you have to raise it.
• Wind and roof. A wind mitigation report showing roof shape, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection can cut the premium noticeably. Ask for the roof's age and permit.
• Insurance limits. At this price, check that the coverage available matches the rebuild cost. Some buyers end up with several policies: homeowners, wind, flood and excess flood.
• Pools and outbuildings. Inspect pool equipment, decks, guest cottages and any additions, and confirm each one was permitted.
• Salt air. AC condensers, metal railings and hardware near the ocean wear faster. Price their replacement.

Taxes and the annual cost of owning here

Property tax on a $2 million purchase is significant, and the assessment resets to market value after you buy. If Casa Marina is your permanent home, homestead removes up to $51,411 from assessed value in 2026 and caps yearly increases at 3% or CPI. On a house at this price, the cap is worth more over time than the exemption itself.

As a seasonal home, there is no exemption and a 10% yearly cap on non-school levies. Many Casa Marina buyers are part-time residents, so model both scenarios before closing. Your hurricane deductible, set as a percentage of dwelling coverage, is a larger dollar figure here than anywhere else on the island. This isn't legal or tax advice.

Who Casa Marina fits

Casa Marina fits buyers who want more house and more quiet than Old Town offers, with the ocean side of the island close by and the historic core still reachable by bike. It fits less well for anyone working to a tight budget, since insurance and taxes scale with price, or anyone who wants to step out the door onto Duval Street.

Part-time owners should also plan who checks the house after a storm or a long power outage while they are away. Buyers who like the area but not the price often look at The Meadows or Midtown. If Casa Marina is the target, a shortlist that shows each home's elevation and flood zone next to the price is where I would start.