Why buy a condo or townhouse on Mercer Island?
Mercer Island’s condo and townhouse market offers several great advantages: 1) proximity to downtown amenities; 2) a low-maintenance lifestyle; 3) a strong sense of community; and 4) a more affordable housing option compared to the single-family home market. As such, a Mercer Island’s condo or townhome property may be a fantastic option to consider for your local housing needs or as an investment purchase. Additionally, Mercer Island’s condo and townhome residents have easy access to Mercer Island’s Park-and-Ride Lot and soon will be able to enjoy the East Link Light Rail, when Mercer Island’s station opens in the spring of 2025.
Local Developments
The number and variety of condo and townhome communities on Mercer Island may surprise you, since many of these developments are quietly nestled along the edges of town center and in residential lanes on the north end. In total, the island offers 27 condo and townhome communities, in which there are over 740 condo residences and over 70 townhome residences. Floor plans, architectural and design styles, features, and amenities vary by community – and even within the same community. Islandaire, for examples, offers both condo (“flats”) and townhome-style (multi-level) properties.
Interactive Map
Click on the icons below to learn more about each Mercer Island condo and townhome community, including size, year built, floor plans, and layout options.
Condos & Townhomes: What’s the Difference?
Stylistically, we identify condos as a residential home in a condo complex (similar to an apartment), and townhomes as a multi-level home that shares at least one wall with a neighboring unit, does not have another unit above or below it, has private parking, and its own outside entry. (The term “condo” also pertains to how units are owned, and we explain more on that note below.)
Most of Mercer Island’s multi-family developments (not including apartments and retirement communities) are condo complexes. There are two communities that offer both condo and townhouse-style homes – Islandaire (as noted before) and Island Habitat. Communities that are exclusively townhouse-style are Trellis, Mercer Island Townhomes, East Mercer Park, and Watercourse Place.
In regard to ownership structure, the majority (25) of the the island’s condo and townhouse communities, with the exception of Trellis and East Mercer Park, are condominiums in the legal sense – which means owners own their individual unit, and have an ownership interest in the common areas of the larger property. The owners of the properties at Trellis and East Mercer Park have “fee simple” ownership, like a single-family home, and own the property structure and the land it is located on.
Looking for even more insight?
Contact your neighborhood experts for even more condo and townhome insights, including current active listings, detailed community information, sales data, and market trends.
This article was written by Erin and Charlie Sirianni, a local real estate team with Windermere Real Estate – Mercer Island.
