Buyers on the beach often weigh an older building with character and a lower price against something newer. With county sales recorded through August 2026, we looked at how resales compared by the year each home was built, across Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates.
Resales by year built, 12 months through August 2026
These are resales where the county’s living area describes the home as it was sold, grouped by the year built on the county record. Most are condos.
| Year built | Resales | Of which condos | Middle recorded price | Middle price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1975 | 143 | 99 | $500,000 | $461 |
| 1975 to 1989 | 115 | 107 | $605,000 | $466 |
| 1990 to 2004 | 75 | 71 | $1,367,000 | $704 |
| 2005 and later | 32 | 20 | $1,105,000 | $589 |
Homes built before 1990 made up most of the resales, 258 of 365, with middle prices of $500,000 for those built before 1975 and $605,000 for those built from 1975 to 1989. Price per square foot was almost the same for the two older groups, at $461 and $466.
Homes built from 1990 to 2004 stood out, with a middle price of $1,367,000 and $704 a square foot across 75 resales. Homes built in 2005 or later had a middle price of $1,105,000 and $589 a square foot, from just 32 resales.
Condos only
Because condos make up most of these resales, here are the same groups for condos alone, with the middle living area from the county record:
| Year built | Condo resales | Middle recorded price | Middle price per sq ft | Middle living area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1975 | 99 | $415,000 | $403 | 1,155 sq ft |
| 1975 to 1989 | 107 | $575,000 | $466 | 1,363 sq ft |
| 1990 to 2004 | 71 | $1,300,000 | $707 | 1,800 sq ft |
| 2005 and later | 20 | $1,025,000 | $589 | 1,782 sq ft |
Condos built from 1990 onward were larger, with middle living areas of about 1,800 square feet, compared with 1,155 square feet for condos built before 1975. That size difference explains part of the gap in middle prices, though the newer groups also sold for more per square foot.
New construction
New construction is left out of the table, because the county’s living area for a newly built home may not describe it as it was sold. In the same 12 months, the county recorded 36 sales of newly built homes in the area, all in one condominium recorded as CW Condo Hotel Resort, with a middle recorded price of $837,100.
How to read this
Year built is only one thing that differs between these groups. Each group is a different mix of streets, buildings and unit sizes, so the figures describe what sold rather than the value of age itself. The 2005 and later group is also small, so a few sales can move it.
Age does matter in other ways. Under section 553.899 of the Florida Statutes, condo buildings three stories or taller need a milestone structural inspection by December 31 of the year they reach 30 years of age, and every 10 years after that. Our milestone inspections page explains what that means for buyers and owners of older buildings, and our condo buyer’s guide lists the documents to request.
Older buildings can be great value, and many have been well maintained for decades. The key is to look at each building’s own records rather than assuming anything from its age.
Questions to ask about an older building
- When was the milestone inspection done, and were any repairs required?
- Has the association completed its structural integrity reserve study, and how well funded are the reserves?
- Are any special assessments approved or planned?
- When were the roof, windows, elevators and plumbing last replaced?
- What does the master insurance policy cost and cover, and has it changed recently?
What it means for you
- Buyers: older buildings offered the lowest entry prices, but read the association’s inspection, reserve and assessment history carefully.
- Sellers: compare your home with sales in your own building and of similar age, not the area as a whole. Our guide to pricing with recorded sales shows how.
For the latest monthly numbers, see our August 2026 market report, our 2026 market trends summary and the market statistics page. Our condo building guides go building by building. Thinking of selling? Start with our home value estimator.
Sources
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser qualified sales for Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates, file dated October 5, 2026, sales from September 2025 to August 2026. Resales are those where the county living area describes the home as it was sold, grouped by the year built on the county record. New construction counts every qualified sale of a home built in or after the year of sale. The middle recorded price is an actual recorded sale at the middle of the list, not an average.
- Florida Statutes, section 553.899, milestone inspections.