Should we buy a beach house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If one ONLY buys on the beach, you're talking VERY expensive. You can't get insurance so basically you have to be prepared to lose millions. This is not realistic advice. However, desirability is definitely measured by walkability to beach as well as restaurants. You need to look at properties marked as in-town Lewes or walk. Anything else is a major risk. There is always a newer, better housing development being built. Do you really want to live in suburbia-by-the-beach?

We own beach block in Delaware and are actually not in a flood zone and flood insurance was not required. We do carry flood insurance for our own protection. For homeowners you typically have to get from a local provider. I don't want people to think you can't get insurance or that its required.

Thank you for clarifying.

[Anonymous]

OP here. We decided no beach house. This thread was very helpful in helping us decide. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Regarding the comments re: how to get to the beach house when there are so many kid sports team obligations here in DC, we know a couple that had their kids join soccer and swim teams AT THE BEACH. I think it worked -- we hardly ever saw them on weekends as they were always out there.

[Anonymous]

Why don't you take some of your cash and rent a house near the water for a couple weeks this summer?

[Anonymous]

answer is usually no

[Anonymous]

Try renting one for a summer first. See how much you actually use it. Or rent it from Labor Day to Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous]

I know it's hard to picture op, but as you 10 mo becomes a 1, 2, 3 ,4+ yr old and your 3 yr old goes to kinderg+ you'll get caught up in the daily grind of school, friends, scouts, soirts, etc...not necessarily travel or competition (mine just did the county rec leagues).

For us, the weekends were such nice respite from the daily grind. The last thing I want is to have to pack/prep myself and everyone up for a car ride (let's face it op, lewes isn't going to be a 2.5hr drive especially wit potty traing, small kids, traffic, rain) AND then once I arrive at the beach house house deal with maintaining it on addition to our "regular" house.

[Anonymous]

Try renting one for a summer first. See how much you actually use it.

This this this. It's too late for OP to do this for this summer but she should absolutely plan soon to do it next summer. We only knew we could hack six hours of driving every weekend, just to bring up one tiny piece of owning any weekend house, because we had already done it.