When I pulled Martin County listings for this video, I found a four-bedroom pool home in Jensen Beach listed at $620,000 and a three-bedroom condo overlooking the St. Lucie River in Stuart listed at $590,000. The condo’s asking price was $30,000 lower, but its two association fees totaled $2,099 a month. The pool home’s HOA was $90 a month. Over a year, that’s a $24,108 difference in association fees alone.
That’s why, when a buyer tells me they have about $600,000 to spend on Florida’s Treasure Coast, I want to know two things. What do you want to be able to do from home, and what are you comfortable spending each month to live there? Someone who wants to swim in their own backyard is going to give me a different answer than someone who wants to take a boat out through the St. Lucie Inlet.
In this episode of Florida Explained, I compare seven Martin County properties, from a newer single-family home in Stuart to a Hutchinson Island condo with deeded beach access.
Seven Martin County homes listed around $600,000
These were the asking prices and association fees shown in the MLS when I prepared the video. The monthly figures apply to the individual properties I reviewed.
| Property | Asking price | Monthly association fees | What came with the property |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gated single-family home in Stuart | $625,000 | $280 | Built in 2024, with four bedrooms, two baths, just over 2,000 square feet, concrete-block construction, impact glass and a two-car garage. |
| Single-family pool home in Jensen Beach | $620,000 | $90 | Built in 2000, with four bedrooms, two baths, just over 2,000 square feet, a private pool, a metal roof and a generator. |
| Summerfield in Stuart | $600,000 | About $204 | Four bedrooms, more than 2,300 square feet, a private pool and spa, and a golf-course view. |
| Jensen Beach Country Club | $595,000 | $360 | More than 2,500 square feet, three bedrooms plus flexible space, a first-floor primary bedroom, community pools, tennis, pickleball and optional golf. |
| Indian River Plantation on Hutchinson Island | $595,000 | $1,260 | A two-bedroom condo with about 1,450 square feet, a lake view and deeded access to the Atlantic beach. |
| Harborage Yacht Club in Stuart | $590,000 | $2,099 combined | A three-bedroom condo with marina and river views, a clubhouse, fitness center, pools and waterfront walking paths near downtown Stuart. |
| Mariner Cay in Stuart | $575,000 | $1,628 | A waterfront townhome with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and navigable water with no bridges between the community and the St. Lucie Inlet. |
What do the HOA and condo fees actually cover?
The two $595,000 listings are a good place to start. At Jensen Beach Country Club, the house offered more than 2,500 square feet and a primary bedroom downstairs. At Indian River Plantation, the condo was roughly 1,450 square feet, but you could walk to the Atlantic. Its $1,260 monthly fee included cable, internet, water, sewer, trash, security, pool service and a contribution to reserves. If that were your shortlist, I’d put the bills you’d pay separately at the house alongside the services covered at the condo.
For a boater, I’d ask a different set of questions. At Harborage Yacht Club, the MLS showed two monthly charges of $1,378 and $721. At Mariner Cay, the route to the inlet was one of the townhome’s most appealing features. Before counting either one as a place to keep your boat, I’d want to know whether a slip comes with that particular unit, what dockage would cost and whether the water depth works for your boat. A marina view answers none of those questions.
How much should you budget for property taxes and insurance?
The annual property tax bills shown for the single-family homes in this comparison ranged from about $3,100 to more than $8,600, even though their asking prices were relatively close. A longtime owner may have a homestead exemption and years of Save Our Homes assessment protection. A more recent buyer may have a very different assessed value. Before you put the seller’s tax bill into your monthly budget, run an estimate for your purchase price and circumstances using the Martin County Property Appraiser’s tax estimator.
I’d also get insurance quotes for the specific homes you’re seriously considering during your due-diligence period. The 2024 Stuart home had complete impact glass. The Jensen Beach pool home had a metal roof, while another listing described a tile roof and only partial storm protection. Construction, roof age and condition, storm protection and location can all affect the quote. If there’s flood exposure, ask what flood coverage would cost for that address as well.
Where would I start a $600,000 home search?
If you want four bedrooms and a backyard pool, I’d start with the single-family options in Stuart and Jensen Beach and include Palm City and Hobe Sound in the search. If you want to walk to the ocean most mornings, I’d spend more time on Hutchinson Island. And if you’re buying for the boating, I’d work backward from where you want to keep your boat and how you plan to reach the water.
I’d also think about the day you sell. With a condo, I’d look at the association’s reserves, upcoming expenses and restrictions a future buyer will need to consider. With a house, I’d look at the roof, pool equipment and other items that could be coming due for replacement. Those details matter twice, once when you decide what to offer and again when a buyer asks you the same questions.
If you’re working with a budget around $600,000, tell me what you want to have outside your back door and what you’d like your monthly housing expenses to be. That gives us a much better place to start than a price filter alone. Contact Maria Wells at Lifestyle Realty Group or watch more Treasure Coast neighborhood tours on YouTube.