I want to buy a house in Rehoboth. What should I know?

[Anonymous]

I have just started to do some research into buying a house in Rehoboth Beach. Budget up to $2M, which I know does not go far, but it is enough for something at the lower end of the market. What should I be thinking about as I look?

[Anonymous]

Vacation house ?

[Anonymous]

The proximity to the beach/boardwalk and Rehoboth Ave are key. We bought very close to both and love the ease of going back and forth multiple times per day, heading home for lunch or to go to the bathroom then back to the beach, walking to the liquor store in Penny Lane, etc. You're just less likely to do that if you're half a mile away.

Don't buy backing up to any commercial if you can avoid it. If you have to, then make sure you have the opportunity to install sufficient sound barriers.

If you're interested in renting it, then the first two beach blocks rent easily even during down times. People pay the premium for proximity to the beach. During harder economic times, it's harder to rent homes further from the beach.

Check the flood zone and history. Most of Downtown Rehoboth is fine. Some of it is even really elevated. But check to make sure there's not a history of flooding for that property.

Make sure there's somewhere to store beach gear, bikes etc. You don't want to bring that sandy stuff into the house if you can avoid it.

I hope you enjoy owning in Rehoboth as much as we have! It's amazing to park your car and just walk everywhere!

[Anonymous]

How important is a pool, now and into the future? I think you'd be limited in annoying ways if you want to put in a pool (I've lost track of the fighting about pools, so not sure what's policy now), so if important, buy with one already there.

how much parking will you need on an average weekend? Guests, teenagers adding cars, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How important is a pool, now and into the future? I think you'd be limited in annoying ways if you want to put in a pool (I've lost track of the fighting about pools, so not sure what's policy now), so if important, buy with one already there.

how much parking will you need on an average weekend? Guests, teenagers adding cars, etc.

+1 Parking is important. Every homeowner gets 2 parking passes. This helps if we have overflow, but it's nice to have parking for 3 cars without using the passes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The proximity to the beach/boardwalk and Rehoboth Ave are key. We bought very close to both and love the ease of going back and forth multiple times per day, heading home for lunch or to go to the bathroom then back to the beach, walking to the liquor store in Penny Lane, etc. You're just less likely to do that if you're half a mile away.

Don't buy backing up to any commercial if you can avoid it. If you have to, then make sure you have the opportunity to install sufficient sound barriers.

If you're interested in renting it, then the first two beach blocks rent easily even during down times. People pay the premium for proximity to the beach. During harder economic times, it's harder to rent homes further from the beach.

Check the flood zone and history. Most of Downtown Rehoboth is fine. Some of it is even really elevated. But check to make sure there's not a history of flooding for that property.

Make sure there's somewhere to store beach gear, bikes etc. You don't want to bring that sandy stuff into the house if you can avoid it.

I hope you enjoy owning in Rehoboth as much as we have! It's amazing to park your car and just walk everywhere!

+1 to all of this. Walkability is key.

[Anonymous]

Look at ocean View unless you want to walk to the beach.

[Anonymous]

It's trashy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's trashy.

Compared to what? The Hamptons? Yes, it is certainly lower class than that. Ocean City and Myrtle Beach though...Rehoboth is much classier.

[Anonymous]

Check not just flooding history, but anticipated flooding for the next 20-30 years. It's grim.

[Anonymous]

We bought in downtown RB twenty years ago. It’s been a great investment and has appreciated much more than our house here. I agree with all the comments made upstream.

For $2M, you will have a range of options in South Rehoboth, particularly the Country Club Estates neighborhood. As you drive into RB on Rehoboth Ave and see the big yellow Lingo building, hang a right and go down Scarborough. The neighborhood starts back there on the other side of Scarborough. I don’t see anything on the market there right now, surprisingly, but there are a few other places for sale in your range. The one on Philadelphia is tiny but adorable and would appreciate the most because of location.

I strongly recommend buying an older house if you want value. The new ones being put up are just slapped together and they all appear to have problems, even those built by “the best” builders. A lot of times people can’t see potential, when a simple coat of paint and some other changes will go a long way.

Will you reside there full time or rent it? We rent ours in the summer. Don’t believe what the realtors tell you that you will make - it is always less.

I’ll check back if you have any other questions. Happy house hunting!

[Anonymous]

Consider that the closer your house is to the beach the more you’ll have to contend with visitors parking just outside your front door. It can get busy and parking is limited and metered.

Lots of trash left behind and noise from visitors parking and walking back and forth to the beach at all hours.

[Anonymous]

We bought a condo about 15 years ago and then upgraded to a house about 8 years ago. We love it. We don’t rent it and spend a large amount of the summer at the beach (and a surprising amount in fall and spring too).

I concur with the prior poster about focusing on proximity to the boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue above everything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's trashy.

Compared to what? The Hamptons? Yes, it is certainly lower class than that. Ocean City and Myrtle Beach though...Rehoboth is much classier.

What to know about buying in RB? That is not the Mecca it used to be. Visitors are trashier, traffic is terrible, beaches are over crowded, restaurants are repetitive. Smart money knows that fenwick and north OC have more appeal now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's trashy.

Compared to what? The Hamptons? Yes, it is certainly lower class than that. Ocean City and Myrtle Beach though...Rehoboth is much classier.

What to know about buying in RB? That is not the Mecca it used to be. Visitors are trashier, traffic is terrible, beaches are over crowded, restaurants are repetitive. Smart money knows that fenwick and north OC have more appeal now.

Fenwick is the only quiet beach left.