AROUND $10M

1) Established Non-Waterfront Single-Family Homes

Water surrounds Sunset Islands, but a $10 million purchase doesn’t necessarily bring it into your backyard.

In fact, current options in this budget are interior properties, which means you get an island address, a private lot, and an established home with its own history.

The verified listings offer four bedrooms and roughly 3,500 to 4,000 square feet of living space, giving you room to settle in without moving into something that requires directions to the guest bathroom.

However, these homes come from different eras, so their condition is more useful for comparison than bedroom count alone.

A house built in the 1930s and one built in the 1990s may both suit your plans, but you’ll want to know how each has been maintained and what has been replaced.

From there, you can separate changes you would enjoy making from work the property needs regardless of your taste in countertops.

At this level, an attractive interior doesn’t tell you whether the roof, wiring, or plumbing will need work after closing.

Ask for records of completed improvements, then use the inspection to put a realistic number beside anything still on the list.

You’re already paying a substantial amount to own on these islands, so the best fit is a home whose next round of expenses leaves you comfortable with the purchase.

AROUND $20M

1) New-Construction Interior-Lot Estates

Keeping the island address and losing the renovation projects is an appealing proposition, especially after your third conversation about moving a wall.

And at $20 million, the current example, a newly built interior estate on Shelter Avenue asking $19.75 million, proves you can skip all that on Sunset Islands.

Its six bedrooms and approximately 5,768 square feet provide more space than the established homes in our first tier, while a pool and private elevator add to the package.

However, this remains a non-waterfront purchase.

You’re paying for the new construction, additional room, and the convenience of having major design decisions made before move-in.

That convenience earns its premium when the finished layout works for your everyday life, so spend as much time considering room placement and storage as you do admiring the materials.

Otherwise, you could pay to avoid a project while giving yourself one in the process.

New construction also needs an independent inspection, along with a clear explanation of warranties and any unfinished items the builder will address.

Since this tier is supported by one verified listing, treat it as a specific opportunity to compare closely with your needs, rather than a promise of several similar choices.

The extra money is worth it when the completed home saves you work you would otherwise need to do—and delivers space you’ll use.

AROUND $100M+

1) Trophy Waterfront Compounds

A separate waterfront residence for guests is a generous solution to the question of where everyone will sleep after an evening of food, drinks, and laughter.

It also helps explain why Sunset Estates, a $110 million offering on Sunset Island III, belongs in a different tier from the interior properties.

The compound brings together multiple residences on more than 32,000 square feet of land, with approximately 187 feet of combined waterfront.

It offers room to host people while giving them space beyond a bedroom down the hall.

But the appeal extends beyond accommodating visitors, as the combined land and shoreline are central to what the seller is asking buyers to value.

However, note that this is an exceptional property, and its price should not be read as the normal cost of buying a waterfront home in Sunset Islands.

It represents the upper end of the verified current selection, with one offering supporting this tier.

For a buyer considering it, don't forget to investigate how the residences work together, how much privacy their placement provides, and whether the waterfront suits the intended boating plans.

Those answers should come from examining the property, including its docks and shoreline structures, rather than assuming that a nine-figure price has settled every practical detail.

A compound earns its place on your list when you have a reason to own and maintain the whole arrangement, well beyond having enough bedrooms for the holidays.

THE REAL COST OF BUYING ON SUNSET ISLANDS

So, which budget works best on Sunset Islands?