Around $4 million buys very different versions of waterfront living in Island County: a nearly 20-acre estate with two homes, a large beach house on a comparatively compact lot, or a Langley property where the guest accommodations include a cabin and a yurt.
These three properties are marketed at $3.5 million to $3.998 million. All are on Whidbey Island, and each answers the same question differently: How much of your life would you like to move outdoors—and how many buildings would you like to keep track of?
For perspective, Island County’s median closed-sale price for residential homes was $622,000 in September 2026, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s county report.
At this budget, the discussion moves well beyond finding enough room for the dining table.
A Waterfront Budget With Several Possible Directions
The asking prices here are roughly six times September’s county residential median.
The September NWMLS report counted 473 active residential listings countywide, up about 9% from a year earlier, with approximately 4.6 months of inventory at that month’s sales pace.
Meanwhile, Realtor.com’s county listing data published through the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recorded a September median of 71 days on market.
These figures cover Island County, including Camano Island. The homes below offer three specific Whidbey choices, rather than a representative sample of everything this budget can buy.
Coupeville Area: Two Homes, a Courtyard and Nearly 20 Acres — $3,998,000
At 1035 Susan Street, Coupeville, WA 98239, the attraction is the combination of waterfront, open land and separate buildings.
The Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty listing describes two homes and a separate studio overlooking Saratoga Passage, with approximately 777 feet of waterfront.
- Asking price: $3,998,000
- Listed bedrooms and bathrooms: 4 bedrooms; 2 full, 2 three-quarter and 1 half bathroom
- Advertised interior: Brokerage lists 3,600 square feet; Zillow lists 4,759, requiring clarification of the buildings included
- Land: 19.84 acres across two advertised tax parcels
- Listed year built: 2019
- Property type: Residential estate with multiple buildings
- Brokerage-reported estimated taxes: $18,529 for 2026
The Courtyard Gets a Starring Role
The main residence is described as offering single-level living, with several sets of doors opening onto an interior courtyard. It creates a gathering space within the house’s layout, rather than putting every outdoor activity on a deck along one wall.
The brokerage describes a kitchen with marble counters, a substantial preparation island and a walk-in pantry. The primary suite has built-in closets and a bathroom arranged around water views.
Elsewhere on the property, the listing describes a second, modern home using glass, concrete, stainless steel and wood. A separate studio, advertised at 1,160 square feet, adds vaulted beamed ceilings and a loft.
That is the estate’s distinctive proposition: different people and activities can occupy different buildings. Hosting visitors, working on a project and keeping the main house to yourself need not involve negotiating over the same spare room.
The Acreage Comes With Its Own Calendar
Pastures, orchards, lavender and landscaped grounds give the offering a broader land-management component than the beach house in Freeland.
A buyer gains separation and room to spread out, while taking on multiple roofs, landscaped areas and property systems. The listing identifies a community well and septic service.
The current marketing history begins in May 2026 at the same $3.998 million asking price.
Although the seller promotes rental income and further building possibilities, neither is necessary to understand the property’s appeal.
The existing combination of homes, studio and land is substantial enough; rental permissions, revenue records and any future construction would need their own verification.
Freeland: A Big Beach House on a Much Smaller Footprint — $3,980,000
At 1924 Shore Avenue, Freeland, WA 98249, the balance shifts toward a large house and direct waterfront on a lot of roughly a quarter-acre.
Windermere’s current listing labels the property “First Look.” Its asking price is just $18,000 below Susan Street’s, despite the dramatic difference in land area.
- Asking price: $3,980,000
- Bedrooms and bathrooms: 3 bedrooms; 2 full, 2 three-quarter and 1 half bathroom
- Listed interior: 5,113 square feet
- Lot: Approximately 10,000 square feet
- Built: 2004
- Property type: Single-family home
- Brokerage-reported taxes: $25,321 for 2026
The Renovation Is Part of the Purchase
Windermere says the home has received a full interior remodel, with new windows and doors completed in 2026 and replacement cedar shingle siding on its south side.
Those are seller-reported improvements worth examining through records and inspection. They also distinguish the offering from a property being marketed chiefly around acreage or future construction.
The listing describes approximately 50 feet of waterfront and a southern outlook toward Mount Rainier, Seattle and the surrounding mountain ranges. Deck and patio spaces put outdoor gathering areas alongside the house.
Inside, the listed layout includes living and family rooms, an office and a recreation room. There is a main-level bedroom, although the primary bedroom is listed upstairs—an important distinction behind the marketing’s suggestion of main-floor living.
Beach Time Without the Pasture
A smaller parcel means less land to manage, but the house itself remains substantial. More than 5,000 square feet still brings extensive interior space, windows and building systems to maintain.
The broader Useless Bay area includes Double Bluff County Park, which the county identifies as a beach destination with a wide, shallow shoreline and an off-leash area.
That establishes a local recreation option without assuming an unrestricted walking route from this particular property.
The listing identifies septic service and community water. Its reported 2026 property taxes are also a meaningful recurring expense, even though a future owner’s bill may differ.
The appeal here is concentrating the purchase into the house, its reported updates and its beach setting, with considerably less acreage attached.
Langley Area: Studios, a Cabin and Yes, a Yurt — $3,500,000
At 4632 Tompkins Road, Langley, WA 98260, the most unusual feature is the variety of spaces accompanying the main residence.
The current John L. Scott listing, describes a separate cabin, a yurt, a two-level studio and a four-bay garage/workspace. Apparently, the spare bedroom was only the beginning.
- Asking price: $3,500,000
- Bedrooms and bathrooms: 4 bedrooms; 1 full, 2 three-quarter and 1 half bathroom
- Advertised interior: 8,336 square feet
- Listed land: Approximately 3.37 acres
- Built: 1995
- Property type: Single-family property with multiple additional structures
A Place for Projects to Escape the Dining Table
The listing credits the design to architect Nils Finne and describes indoor and outdoor gathering areas, mature landscaping and approximately 266 feet of waterfront.
The separate studio includes office and showroom space. For someone whose work requires materials, equipment or room to display finished pieces, that is a different proposition from fitting a desk into a bedroom.
The garage/workspace is advertised with heat, lighting and a television screen, while the cabin and yurt add further separate spaces. Their permitted uses and suitability for sleeping accommodation should be established individually.
There is a local connection to the creative use of the property: artist Diane Divelbess lists the Tompkins Road address on her Whidbey Working Artists profile. That provides context for the studio-oriented layout without establishing permissions for commercial events or other advertised possibilities.
Waterfront Above the Beach
The detailed listing identifies high-bank waterfront, steep slopes and deeded water access. That makes the route to the beach a consequential part of a viewing; waterfront footage alone does not explain how someone reaches the water.
In nearby Langley, South Whidbey Harbor provides public moorage, a boat ramp and beach access. Those facilities are separate from any rights associated with the home.
The property returned to market under a new listing in October at $3.5 million, following a June offering at $4.25 million. The newer listing date therefore does not represent its entire recent marketing history.
This is the lowest asking price of the three, with the largest advertised area. Its value to a buyer depends on needing the collection of spaces—and understanding how that total is divided among them.
The Same Waterfront Label, Three Different Purchases
The biggest distinction is how much separation each property provides.
At Susan Street, separation comes through acreage and multiple buildings. On Shore Avenue, the purchase is more concentrated: a large home, reported recent updates and a compact waterfront parcel.
Tompkins Road offers a network of spaces for work, guests and projects.
The Final Take
Around $4 million buys considerable choice here, but the most useful distinction is how each property distributes its space.
The purchase might center on a courtyard and acreage, a beach house with reported recent improvements, or a collection of rooms and buildings where creative work can spread out.
For those browsing with an imaginary budget, there is an easier decision: whether the fantasy home office belongs in the studio, the cabin or the yurt.
