Indies West

Indies West is 80 condominium homes in twenty buildings on the south side of Doctors Pass, on Gulf Shore Boulevard North in the Moorings. The buildings went up in 1968 on about six acres, and there are no houses among them.

What changes the decision here is timing: the big building work is ahead, not behind. The roofs went on around 2006, and in March 2026 the association's long-range planning committee reported that "the next significant investment items on the horizon are raising the marina seawalls, roof replacements and some membrane work on the lanais. We believe the expenses will come in the 2028 to 2031 timeframe".

What are the homes like at Indies West?

Two-bedroom and three-bedroom condominiums, four to a building on two floors, each with a balcony at the front and another at the back.

Parking is one space per home in the building's garage, which all four homes share. The stall comes with an enclosed storage closet, and the association counts that closet as its own. That matters if anyone has remodeled it, because an owner who alters the closet takes on its repair and rebuilding for good. The duty passes to every later owner and has to be disclosed at sale, so ask whether the closet with the home you want has been altered.

What's on the property?

On the association's site map, buildings A to D line the Gulf beach, buildings I to O run along Doctors Pass, and the Great Lawn fills the middle. Paths between buildings A and B, B and C, and C and D lead to the sand. Each one ends at beach steps with a tap for rinsing off.

The pool sits behind the office building, which also holds the association's common room, the Yardarm, with books, a TV and a fully stocked kitchen. Owners book the Yardarm and the grill area through the association's calendar. The association's own full-time property manager and maintenance staff work from the office near the entrance turnaround, and the office is open on weekdays.

Does a boat slip come with a home?

No. The association runs a 20-slip marina in a basin inside the property, and its slips are leased: a home doesn't come with one, and there are 80 homes. Anyone buying for the boat should weigh that arithmetic before any floor plan.

The slips take boats up to 28 feet, with no bridge between them and Doctors Pass, the inlet out to the Gulf. There's a rack at the marina for paddleboards and kayaks.

What big costs are coming at Indies West?

Roofs and seawalls. To meet Florida's condominium reserve law, the association had engineers study all twenty buildings and work out what keeping them sound will cost. Their November 2024 study is posted in full for anyone to download, work schedule and funding plan included.

The roofs, put on around 2006, are stone-coated metal on the slopes and a membrane on the flat sections, which got a protective coating around 2018. In 2023 the walkways and stairs were re-waterproofed and the buildings repainted, and the main electrical disconnects and meters were replaced across 2023 and 2024.

The study puts new flat roofs on every building in 2028, but it covers the buildings only, and the marina seawalls aren't among its items. It's also a plan, not a record of what the board went on to adopt. Before an offer, get these from the association:

• First, how raising the marina seawalls will be paid for.
• The reserve balance and the budget.
• Any structural inspection reports.

Windows, sliders and exterior doors belong to each home, so the study sets nothing aside for them. Replacing them is the owner's cost, and any change needs the building committee's approval first.

What are the rules on renovating and renting?

The association's remodeling guidelines print the calendar in capitals: "REMODELING IS PERMITTED FROM MAY 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 31 ONLY". Buy between November and April with renovation plans, and you'll be starting in May. Plans need the building committee's approval first, structural changes go to the association's engineer at the owner's expense, and a refundable security deposit is due before work starts.

Earlier owners' work stays with the home, so you inherit whatever the seller and the owners before them built. Under the guidelines, the future cost of maintaining, removing and reinstalling owner-installed work falls on the owner and every owner after, including when the association has to get at the structure behind it.

Leasing is allowed, and every lease goes through the association: owners file each lease with the office, and its Admissions committee reviews incoming renters. No more than six people may occupy a home at once.

What does it cost to own at Indies West?

Homes in the twenty buildings have sold from around $1.5 million to around $1.7 million. For the assessment, budget around $2,600 a month, a planning figure set near the top rather than what a typical owner pays: most homes come in under it. The association bills quarterly, with a budget year that begins April 1, so ask what the exact home you want is billed each quarter.

The original plans for Indies West, drawn by Bauchspies and Reeves Architects, carry the date September 1967. The twenty buildings, lettered A to T, went up the following year.