Twin Shores marina villas get makeover

The villas were small with just 400 square feet and simple with terrazzo floors and Formica kitchen countertops. But the Old Florida charm and prime waterfront location of the 16 marina villas at Twin Shores of Longboat Key, a 55-and-up, resident-owned, mobile-home community located mid-Key, made them a favorite winter spot of snowbirds, many of whom booked the villas year after year for decades.

“They were full every season,” said Vickie Van Meier, president of the Twin Shores Homeowners Association. “People looked forward to coming back and seeing their snowbird friends. They just had a ball.”

The rental units, originally built in the 1950s, fell into disrepair over the years, and in 2003, the homeowners association board voted to give up control of unit rentals. Board members voted to turn both sets of eight units, which are separated by a canal, into four units apiece and put them up for sale, beginning with the four northern units. Contractor issues led to a three-year delay. Finally, the association hired Whitehead Construction Inc. and Mark Dejong Builders, who completed the project’s first four units by the end of 2009. 

The completed units have been completely renovated. They range from 828 to 953 square feet, each with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, along with features such as granite countertops, 18-inch floor tile, stainless-steel appliances and custom-maple cabinets.

The units are listed by Marc Turner, of Wagner Realty’s Longboat Key office, with prices ranging from $269,000 to $375,000. Construction of the southern portion of the villas will occur after the first four sell.

“They’re priced right for the Longboat Key market,” Turner said. “It’s new construction, they were well-built, and they’re positioned with the ability to have a boat right next to the villa.”

The units include one year of free boat-slip rental with purchase.

“You can have a boat right in your backyard,” Turner said.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]