STUART — Paul Shingledecker said his family is giving up their section of an island in the Indian River because Florida has gotten to expensive.

"I grew up here in Stuart, I would have been happy to retire here, but I just can't afford to live here anymore," said Shingledecker, who is moving to Tennessee.

 His grandfather, Paul Simpson, acquired the 3.5 acres of Simpson's Island in the Indian River Lagoon that will be sold in an auction aboard the Island Princess next week.

"If I had my druthers I wouldn't be selling anything, I'd grow old and

never leave," Paul Shingledecker said.

The family has owned the land, inside the St. Lucie Inlet across from the entrance to the Sailfish Point Marina, for more than 40 years.

There is no zoning affixed to the land, so it's unknown if anything can be built. Over the years, the family has received inquiries from hotel chains and others interested in building. The family kept the land — once rich in surrounding oyster beds and still frequented by campers — for sentimental reasons, Shingledecker said.

Shingledecker said rising property prices have forced him out of his native Martin County.

"I was here when there was like 5,000 people in the whole county," he said. "Almost everyone I grew up with has moved out of the state for the same reason."

The land is valued at $3,700 by the county Property Appraiser's Office. The state owns the other half of the land that runs along a sandbar popular with boaters.

SIMPSON'S ISLAND AUCTION

When: July 12, 4 p.m.

Where: Aboard the Island Princess, departing from Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort

To bid: Show $25,000 cashier's check or same amount in cash before boarding

To buy: Deposit at least 10 percent required on day of auction, with balance due within 30 days

For more information: www.

karlindaniel.com

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