MATES BEACH
Homes for Sale in Little Torch Key, FL
True comps, carrying-cost math, and listings before the portals.
Market Heat
Mates Beach sits in Little Torch Key, Monroe County — deep in the Lower Keys, where inventory is thin and every closed sale carries outsized weight. Seven closings in the tracking window is a small sample, and buyers and sellers should treat the median sale price of $938,000 as a directional signal, not a precision anchor. What that figure does confirm is that this is unambiguously a seven-figure market at its midpoint, and most of that value lives in land position and water access rather than square footage — the median home here is just under 1,200 square feet.
The market-heat score of 55 and a median days-on-market of 66 days describe a market that is neither a frenzy nor a buyer's haven. Properties are moving, but they are taking roughly two months to close, which means motivated sellers price carefully and patient buyers occasionally find room to negotiate. The year-over-year price movement of 24.2 percent and the long-run gain of 257 percent since 2012 reflect the enduring scarcity of Keys real estate, but past movement is descriptive, not predictive.
MATES BEACH right now
🟢 Still climbing. The trailing-12-month median ($938K) is up 24.2% from the prior 12 months ($755K) and up 257% since 2012. With about 7 sales a year, a single closing can swing this number, so read the level and the decade, not one year's move.Momentum Research, record-level floridakeys closed sales, 12-month windows ending July 27. Confidence: Low (7 and 4 sales in the two windows).
Jump to: Price history & scorecard · Homes for sale · Schools · FAQ
Updated July 27, 2026 · Live data: floridakeys, refreshed twice daily · MLS facts carry their source; interpretation lines are Momentum Research · Data sources & freshness
The 60-Second Overview
MATES BEACH market snapshot (as of July 27, 2026): the median sale price is about $938K, and a median 66 days on market for closed sales. The trailing-12-month median is up 24% from the prior 12 months and up 257% since 2012, computed from record-level floridakeys closed sales (7 closings in the current window).
MATES BEACH is a community of 130 homes in Little Torch Key, Monroe County, built between 1938 and 2024 (median 1989), with a median living area of about 1,188 square feet. 30% of parcels are homesteaded, the owner-occupancy proxy in the Florida DOR assessment roll (2025 roll, public records).
Mates Beach is a small, established community of roughly 130 homes spanning construction from 1938 through 2024, a spread that puts restored vintage Keys cottages and newer elevated builds on the same street — pricing within the community varies considerably based on age, condition, and lot configuration, even though the only market-wide figure available is the median.
Who MATES BEACH is best for.
Best for
- Buyers whose primary goal is water access and Keys lifestyle, with a budget at or above the $938,000 median and the patience to spend 60-plus days in due diligence.
- Second-home or vacation-property buyers who want a foothold in the Lower Keys and can carry the property through periods of non-use, including navigating Monroe County's rental regulations.
- Buyers who prioritize land and location over finished square footage, and who have the resources to renovate or elevate an older structure to modern storm standards.
Probably not for
- Buyers whose budget is at or near the median but who have not fully modeled annual insurance, flood mitigation, and maintenance costs — the median price is the starting conversation, not the total cost.
- Buyers who need HOA-managed amenities, community facilities, or formal common areas — none were identified in current MLS listings for Mates Beach.
- Buyers seeking a primary residence who require substantial living space; the median footprint here runs under 1,200 square feet, and larger options will price well above the midpoint.
Price History: What Homes Here Have Actually Sold For
Median sale price over the trailing 12 months ending July 27 of each year, from record-level floridakeys closed sales. Same methodology as every appreciation figure on this page: the 2026 point ($938K) IS the median in the snapshot above, and the move from 2025 ($755K) IS the +24.2% one-year change.
Windows contain 3 to 15 sales each (7 in the current window); every figure carries its sample size, and thin markets swing on single closings. Listing data provided by Florida Keys MLS, Inc. Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed by the MLS to be accurate. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
The MATES BEACH buying strategy.
If we were buying in MATES BEACH today, this is the order of operations we would run for our clients.
Underwrite the condition first. Price the roof, HVAC, and systems honestly before judging any list price; condition swings value here more than square footage alone.
Match the home to real comps. Recent sales of similar condition and lot, not the asking price, tell you what a home is worth.
Move deliberately, not desperately. Neither side has a decisive edge, so a well-prepared, fairly-priced offer wins without overpaying.
Line up financing and inspection early. A pre-approval and an inspection plan let you act fast and negotiate from evidence.
Keep an agent in your corner. The listing agent works for the seller; we represent you and prepare a hand-built valuation before any offer in MATES BEACH.
Small Footprints, Large Price Tags, and What Drives Both
The median living area of 1,188 square feet tells you something important about Keys real estate economics: buyers here are not paying for interior space. They are paying for the right to be on the water in the Lower Keys, where developable lots are constitutionally and environmentally constrained. A home that would be entry-level by square footage in most Florida markets commands a near-million-dollar median here precisely because of location scarcity. Condition, elevation, dock access, and storm resilience are the levers that move individual prices above or below that midpoint.
With a median year built of 1989 and construction dates ranging from 1938 to 2024, due diligence on any specific property requires close attention to roof age, HVAC systems, flood zone designation, and insurance costs — all of which can shift the true cost of ownership materially. The homestead exemption rate of 30 percent indicates that a significant share of the community functions as second homes, investment properties, or rentals, which affects everything from neighbor availability to HOA dynamics — though no formal community amenities were identified in current MLS data.
The location and the amenities are priced into every listing in MATES BEACH. The deal is won or lost on condition, the comps, and the renovation math.
Momentum Buy Score.
Our proprietary 0 to 10 read across the factors that decide how a home in MATES BEACH buys, holds, and resells. Momentum Research; not an appraisal.
Momentum Intelligence Scores are our proprietary, qualitative assessment on a 0 to 10 scale, built from the record-level market data on this page. They are a framework for comparing communities, not a guarantee of future value and not advice on a specific home; unlike an automated value estimate they do not price your home, they grade the community on evidence you can inspect. Composite is the plain average of the 4 factors (7.4). Basis: Long-Term Appreciation +257% since 2012; Recent Direction +24.2% year-over-year; Owner Commitment 30% owner-occupied; Pricing Power 94.7% sale-to-list. Refreshed with each data update.
Why work with Momentum here
Monroe County real estate operates under a distinct regulatory environment — ROGO permit allocations, FEMA flood map overlays, and insurance market conditions that differ sharply from the mainland. With only seven closings in the recent tracking window, comparable sales analysis requires experience reading thin data sets without over- or under-weighting any single transaction. Momentum brings Northeast Florida market discipline — honest underwriting, no inflated list-price promises — to a market where the cost of a mispriced offer or a missed inspection item is measured in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
MATES BEACH in 15 seconds.
HOA, CDD & Fees
- Mandatory HOA — confirm current dues
- Any club/amenity membership is billed separately
Confirm the current HOA dues, exactly what they cover, and any CDD bond or special assessment for a specific address before you offer.
Tools for a MATES BEACH buy.
Free calculators to pressure-test the real cost before you tour.
Selling here is won on condition and pricing to real comps, not an automated estimate. The right number comes from closed MATES BEACH sales matched to your home.
Price it to the comps and condition, not an automated estimate.
If you are thinking about selling in MATES BEACH, the right list price comes from recent comparable sales matched to your home's condition and location, not an automated estimate.
What is your MATES BEACH home worth?
Get a no-obligation home value based on real comparable sales in MATES BEACH, not an automated guess. Tell us about your home and we will personally prepare your numbers and a pricing strategy. No obligation, no spam.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median home price in MATES BEACH?
How long do homes in MATES BEACH take to sell?
How many homes are in MATES BEACH?
What share of MATES BEACH is owner-occupied?
When were the homes in MATES BEACH built?
Do cash buyers compete in MATES BEACH?
Have MATES BEACH home prices gone up?
Who is the best real estate agent for MATES BEACH?
How do I find a top Little Torch Key real estate agent who knows MATES BEACH?
Can Momentum Realty connect me with an agent for MATES BEACH?
Should you buy in MATES BEACH?
An honest fit check. We will tell you when it is not your community.
Data sources & freshness
| Community market stats | floridakeys closed sales, 12-month windows ending July 27, 2026 |
| Housing stock & ownership | Florida DOR 2025 assessment roll (street-list match (8 streets, ZIP 33042)) |
| Historical depth | Closed-sale records back to 1999 (124 transactions analyzed) |
Verify the primary sources yourself: Florida DOR · U.S. Census · FEMA flood maps · Citizens Property Insurance.
Momentum Research figures are our own analysis of floridakeys records; MLS data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Methodology: how Momentum market scores are computed. Market metrics describe homes for sale and recent sales, not residents.
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The numbers on this page move markets in the aggregate. The number that matters to you is what a buyer pays for your address. Momentum sells for 1.25% above the floridakeys member average and 8 days faster, and we’ll price yours against live your area comps.
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More Little Torch Key & The Florida Keys & Monroe County guides
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