Indian Rocks Beach home sells for $7.5 million
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 13, 2023

A waterfront home on Indian Rocks Beach has sold for $7.5 million.

The home at 2 18th Ave. sits on just over a quarter acre. The property includes a guest house and totals eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms between both structures. According to a deed filed in Pinellas County, the sale closed on Dec. 6. It appears to be a cash transaction, as a mortgage has not been filed.

The buyers are Kevin and Laura Bense, according to property records. The seller was an entity linked to Pensacola-based SNS Realty Inc.

The main house is 5,507 square feet, and the guest cottage is 1,407 square feet. In total, the sales price breaks down to approximately $1,085 per square foot for the combined homes. The property last sold in January 2022 for just over $6.49 million, according to property records

Martha Thorn with Coldwell Banker Realty represented the seller, and Nancy J. Baird with Baird Realty Group represented the buyers.

The home was built in 1998, rebuilt in 2009 and heavily renovated in 2022. The recent renovation brought it up to the “highest construction standards,” according to the listing, including poured concrete with steel reinforcement, a whole house generator and impact windows and doors. The home also received upgrades like hardwood hickory flooring and custom iron railing.

The great room has 25-foot ceilings, and the rest of the home features 14-foot ceilings. The house has an open floor plan, a chef’s kitchen, a formal dining room with a wet bar and wine cooler, a workout room and an elevator. Upstairs is an owner’s suite with a walk-in closet and steam shower. The guest rooms have individual sitting areas and private porches.

The main house has five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, and the guest house has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The property also includes a three-car garage and seven additional parking spaces.