buying a home from a distance

Questions To Ask When Buying Oceanfront Property

30 January 2017

Jeffery Wright

Oceanfront homes for sale sound like a great real estate option, right? Well, they are in many cases, but there are some questions that you should ask your realtor (and yourself) before proceeding with a viewing.

What Kind of Coastline Is the Home On?

One question to ask is what type of coast you're on. Is there a beach in the backyard of your home, or are you directly on the water? Each can appeal to a different person. Being directly on the water is great if you want to launch a boat. Some prefer beachside activities, though, and it may actually be quite a walk or drive to the nearest public beach. 

What Are Your Rights to the Coast?

You should also check out the rights that your waterfront property has. Are you allowed to build a dock on your property? Is fishing allowed, and can you eat what you catch? There are different rules in place depending where you are, and they are designed to protect the local ecosystem and preserve the community. Just be sure that what you have planned for your oceanfront home is actually possible under the law. 

How Do You Feel About Privacy?

Another thing is whether you are comfortable with having people potentially right outside of your home every day. If you are on a public beach, there might be people lounging almost in your back yard. Make sure that the property has adequate fencing and security. As long as you are a few levels up off the beach, you shouldn't have too much trouble with people trespassing. 

Would You Be Happier a Few Blocks Away?

There are some tradeoffs with being directly on the beach versus being a few blocks away from the beach. The price of homes can go down considerably with every passing block that you get away from the beach. Of course, there is nothing that compares to being able to have great big windows that look out over the ocean. But just be sure that you prefer that over having the money left over to buy more housing space. 

So in short, there are many things that you should review with your agent to ensure that you are ready to buy a beachside home. There is a lot of variation in oceanfront homes for sale, so there is something for everyone. It's an investment that has a lot of emotional resonance for those who love the ocean. 

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