The "R" Report: A Guide to Westport's Waterfront

In this tough economic market, Westport waterfront properties have held their value.

January and February of this year has seen an increase in demand for waterfront.  More special properties have come on the market that have not been available for sale in years.  This provides a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of this buyer's market . Westport is home to several water communities, the largest which is Compo Beach.

At Compo Beach, prices for homes listed with the Consolidated Mulitple Listing Service,(CMLS), are now ranging from a 1930s cape asking $574,000 up to $9.9 million for a very chic beach home on Compo Mill Cove.

A lot of construction in the past five years has changed the look of the small cottages located on the side streets at Compo to a combination of chic Newport shingle-style and modern architectural designs.

Areas close to Compo include our Gold Coast homes, featuring some of Westport's most magnificent estates. A new listing on Beachside Avenue with pool and tennis court is asking $5.4 million. Another waterfront area, Burying Hill Beach, is just around the corner.

The Covlee Association is a lesser known private beach association with a fabulous enclave of homes in Westport . Many of these homes even have a large basement which is very unusual for a water area. City sewers are promised in the Fall of 2010 so this is an area of great value. Residents and members enjoy a private beach, playground and mooring for a small boat at an extra fee. There are many homes here on the lagoon that have their own pool and/or private dock. One newer beach residence for sale in the Covlee Association is a Toth Builders home, designed by Roger Bartels for $2.3 million.

Saugatuck Shores is another waterfront location. Here you will find two private yacht clubs and a private beach club. Architectural styles here are a mixture of contemporary and shingle-style homes. Prices for homes currently for sale on CMLS range from $999,999 for a beach cottage to $5.1 million for a large waterfront estate with pool and private dock.

Always changing the look of our coastal shores with new homes popping up in the past years, the waterfront communities continue to thrive, increase in value, and attract new residents to our community.

JuliaBroder is a Realtor with The Riverside Realty Group and shares a weekly column with Susan Albright. She can be reached at 203-247-7500 or by e-mail at  Julia@JuliaBroder.com. For more information, click here.