Second home - which beach? Help please.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on your budget. If you want to be able to walk or bike to the beach, North OC is worth considering. While it's very commercial, it doesn't attract the unruly crowd in the summers. I recommend you look north of the high rises and on the bayside, especially near Northside Park, where there are quiet residential areas and you will have more choices than in some of the other towns. You could also extend your search into Fenwick, although you won't find as much on the market there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be a beach?

I grew up in a beach town and love the beach but when it came time to buy a second home decided to look west of the DMV and not east.

Why?

First, I'd only want a beach house that's actually ocean front. If I can't look out my front window and actually see the ocean, it just wouldn't do it for me. And ocean front in DE and MD cost millions and millions and just isn't worth that much to me.

Second, for several months around here the beach is too cold even to take a pleasant walk on, then again actually sit on. And the beach towns themselves are dead, with the majority of the shops and restaurants largely if not entirely closed down and the majority of the year round residents being either old AF or MAGA or both.

We ended up buying a 5000 SF house with a pool on seven acres less than two hours west of downtown DC (even on a bad traffic day) for well under $1 million. On top of that, we can walk in about 15 minute into a quaint but perfectly big enough downtown where good and varied bars and restaurants are open year round and where you'll see people of every age and not just the blue heads. And it's not MAGA. It went 80 percent for Harris in 2024.

Had you asked me back in the day if I could ever be happier with a second home to the west of the DMV than to the east I'd say no way. But now I know I made the right decision.

Name the town please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want the beach OP ignore the poster who sounds disgruntled and went west instead. Shecould have pointed out what she likes about it without making up stuff about the beaches.
We bought a Condo we love in Rehoboth in 2019. It’s a mile from the beach but has a pool and easy access to the bike trail.
We go a lot in the off season as well as the summer. We have dogs. So in the mornings I love taking them to Dewey Beach where they can run of leash. It’s all dog people, and has become my happy place and how I start my day down there.
The restaurants are 90% open year round. The downtown shops are about 90% open in the fall and spring and maybe 70% in Jan and Feb.
we are a gay couple and had no issues with maga anything.

LOL who's "disgruntled" exactly? It sounds like I struck a nerve! What you've described is absolutely the last thing I'd want. If you're gonna live a mile from the beach it might as well be 100. And a condo with neighbors on top of me and with a shared pool? No thanks.

Believe me, if that's what I wanted I could have afforded it.

Wow.

I merely offered an alternative suggestion for OP to think about. I did nothing to warrant an attack. But if you're gonna dish it out . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be a beach?

I grew up in a beach town and love the beach but when it came time to buy a second home decided to look west of the DMV and not east.

Why?

First, I'd only want a beach house that's actually ocean front. If I can't look out my front window and actually see the ocean, it just wouldn't do it for me. And ocean front in DE and MD cost millions and millions and just isn't worth that much to me.

Second, for several months around here the beach is too cold even to take a pleasant walk on, then again actually sit on. And the beach towns themselves are dead, with the majority of the shops and restaurants largely if not entirely closed down and the majority of the year round residents being either old AF or MAGA or both.

We ended up buying a 5000 SF house with a pool on seven acres less than two hours west of downtown DC (even on a bad traffic day) for well under $1 million. On top of that, we can walk in about 15 minute into a quaint but perfectly big enough downtown where good and varied bars and restaurants are open year round and where you'll see people of every age and not just the blue heads. And it's not MAGA. It went 80 percent for Harris in 2024.

Had you asked me back in the day if I could ever be happier with a second home to the west of the DMV than to the east I'd say no way. But now I know I made the right decision.

7 paragraphs but can’t name the place. She is looking for a place

Yea, sorry, I'm not gonna name the place because DCUM is too nasty and I'd don't want others here! I'm just suggesting maybe broaden the horizons a little. I do appreciate the allure of the beach, I really do -- as I said, I actually grew up near one (closer to the beach than the lady with dogs in a condo near Rehoboth who hates me lol) -- but when the time came to buy I looked deeper for all the reasons I suggested.

One other thing I left out: there really aren't super convenient beaches near the city and the more desirable DMV suburbs. Sure, in the off-season you can schlepp from downtown to Rehoboth fairly quickly -- right now, for example, a Monday morning in March, my GPS shows a clean drive of 2 hours and 40 minutes -- but typically you're talking 3 hours at least. (Cue all the posters who magically say they get there in two.) That was another factor in my decision. I didn't want to own a second home any further away than two hours, tops.

Again, I love the beach. Many of our actual vacations actually involve flying to one. But when it came to buying our second home, where we typically spend as much time or more as our first, the options around the DMV just didn't appeal to me.

Were money absolutely no object? Sure, those multi-million dollar beach front places in DE, MD and maybe NJ should would be appealing. Not gonna lie about that. But they still wouldn't be any closer, and wow for all that money the world is your oyster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Think of the drive. Pick an easy pleasant drive. When you are 75 you want easy.

Maybe by 75 they want something totally different

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think of the drive. Pick an easy pleasant drive. When you are 75 you want easy.

Maybe by 75 they want something totally different

+1 Pick what you want right now and be open to doing something different when you're 75. It's okay for something to be what you need at the time. It doesn't have to be your forever/retirement home.

For me drive time would be important: 2.5 hours is doable, 3.5 hours feels like an eternity. So if my home base is set for awhile, I'd start my second home search within that boundary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on your budget. If you want to be able to walk or bike to the beach, North OC is worth considering. While it's very commercial, it doesn't attract the unruly crowd in the summers. I recommend you look north of the high rises and on the bayside, especially near Northside Park, where there are quiet residential areas and you will have more choices than in some of the other towns. You could also extend your search into Fenwick, although you won't find as much on the market there.

Yeah, without a budget this is really hard to answer. MD/DE beach properties will run the gamut from $300K-$20M and what you are looking to spend is going to influence the best place for you. Proximity to the beach is another huge factor as well as how much of a walkable town you want. There are more secluded beaches in northern DE but they are walkable to nothing but the beach. Which is fine, if that's what you want. But more information would be helpful.

Also, consider whether you want to retire to this place eventually or use it strictly as a getaway. Places like Selbyville or Ocean Pines or Ocean View aren't ideal for a weeklong vacation but if you live in that area, you aren't going to want to deal with beach traffic every day of the summer. And you want to be close to everyday amenities year-round that are harder to get to from a house right on the ocean. Those places also offer a nice community for year-round residents with lots of activities and social gatherings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be a beach?

I grew up in a beach town and love the beach but when it came time to buy a second home decided to look west of the DMV and not east.

Why?

First, I'd only want a beach house that's actually ocean front. If I can't look out my front window and actually see the ocean, it just wouldn't do it for me. And ocean front in DE and MD cost millions and millions and just isn't worth that much to me.

Second, for several months around here the beach is too cold even to take a pleasant walk on, then again actually sit on. And the beach towns themselves are dead, with the majority of the shops and restaurants largely if not entirely closed down and the majority of the year round residents being either old AF or MAGA or both.

We ended up buying a 5000 SF house with a pool on seven acres less than two hours west of downtown DC (even on a bad traffic day) for well under $1 million. On top of that, we can walk in about 15 minute into a quaint but perfectly big enough downtown where good and varied bars and restaurants are open year round and where you'll see people of every age and not just the blue heads. And it's not MAGA. It went 80 percent for Harris in 2024.

Had you asked me back in the day if I could ever be happier with a second home to the west of the DMV than to the east I'd say no way. But now I know I made the right decision.

7 paragraphs but can’t name the place. She is looking for a place

Yea, sorry, I'm not gonna name the place because DCUM is too nasty and I'd don't want others here! I'm just suggesting maybe broaden the horizons a little. I do appreciate the allure of the beach, I really do -- as I said, I actually grew up near one (closer to the beach than the lady with dogs in a condo near Rehoboth who hates me lol) -- but when the time came to buy I looked deeper for all the reasons I suggested.

One other thing I left out: there really aren't super convenient beaches near the city and the more desirable DMV suburbs. Sure, in the off-season you can schlepp from downtown to Rehoboth fairly quickly -- right now, for example, a Monday morning in March, my GPS shows a clean drive of 2 hours and 40 minutes -- but typically you're talking 3 hours at least. (Cue all the posters who magically say they get there in two.) That was another factor in my decision. I didn't want to own a second home any further away than two hours, tops.

Again, I love the beach. Many of our actual vacations actually involve flying to one. But when it came to buying our second home, where we typically spend as much time or more as our first, the options around the DMV just didn't appeal to me.

Were money absolutely no object? Sure, those multi-million dollar beach front places in DE, MD and maybe NJ should would be appealing. Not gonna lie about that. But they still wouldn't be any closer, and wow for all that money the world is your oyster.

Wow, just get off the thread if you have nothing of actual value to offer.

PP is likely not offering to say because it’s someplace many would not even consider……..

[Anonymous]

How about a unit at Sea Colony in Bethany? My family has rented there before, and we really liked it. I think the fees are astronomical, but you get beachfront access, indoor/outdoor pool, gym, activities, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be a beach?

I grew up in a beach town and love the beach but when it came time to buy a second home decided to look west of the DMV and not east.

Why?

First, I'd only want a beach house that's actually ocean front. If I can't look out my front window and actually see the ocean, it just wouldn't do it for me. And ocean front in DE and MD cost millions and millions and just isn't worth that much to me.

Second, for several months around here the beach is too cold even to take a pleasant walk on, then again actually sit on. And the beach towns themselves are dead, with the majority of the shops and restaurants largely if not entirely closed down and the majority of the year round residents being either old AF or MAGA or both.

We ended up buying a 5000 SF house with a pool on seven acres less than two hours west of downtown DC (even on a bad traffic day) for well under $1 million. On top of that, we can walk in about 15 minute into a quaint but perfectly big enough downtown where good and varied bars and restaurants are open year round and where you'll see people of every age and not just the blue heads. And it's not MAGA. It went 80 percent for Harris in 2024.

Had you asked me back in the day if I could ever be happier with a second home to the west of the DMV than to the east I'd say no way. But now I know I made the right decision.

7 paragraphs but can’t name the place. She is looking for a place

+1

500 sqf and 7 acres is the opposite of easy. You'll sepend your entire time there cleaning and working on the land. eff that.

Get a simple 3/2 beach box on Hatteras Island. Yeah , it's too far for a normal weekend but its a whole other planet. Life is slow and southern, At this stage of life you can always just take a Friday or Monday to travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think of the drive. Pick an easy pleasant drive. When you are 75 you want easy.

Maybe by 75 they want something totally different

+1 Pick what you want right now and be open to doing something different when you're 75. It's okay for something to be what you need at the time. It doesn't have to be your forever/retirement home.

For me drive time would be important: 2.5 hours is doable, 3.5 hours feels like an eternity. So if my home base is set for awhile, I'd start my second home search within that boundary.

OP wants a beach and closest to DMV would be DE beaches or OC.

DE beaches you would find more of a community OP because lots of DC people retire down there in their 2nd home or buy there after requirement. My neighborhood in Bethany is full of these people.

Good thing about area is there are lots to do besides beaches and that is part of the appeal - hiking, golf, concerts, festivals, shopping, etc…

DE is great because basically no property taxes but if you have a low budget, then it isn’t an option and OC would be better for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think of the drive. Pick an easy pleasant drive. When you are 75 you want easy.

Maybe by 75 they want something totally different

+1 Pick what you want right now and be open to doing something different when you're 75. It's okay for something to be what you need at the time. It doesn't have to be your forever/retirement home.

For me drive time would be important: 2.5 hours is doable, 3.5 hours feels like an eternity. So if my home base is set for awhile, I'd start my second home search within that boundary.

OP wants a beach and closest to DMV would be DE beaches or OC.

DE beaches you would find more of a community OP because lots of DC people retire down there in their 2nd home or buy there after requirement. My neighborhood in Bethany is full of these people.

Good thing about area is there are lots to do besides beaches and that is part of the appeal - hiking, golf, concerts, festivals, shopping, etc…

DE is great because basically no property taxes but if you have a low budget, then it isn’t an option and OC would be better for that.

typo retirement not requirement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be a beach?

I grew up in a beach town and love the beach but when it came time to buy a second home decided to look west of the DMV and not east.

Why?

First, I'd only want a beach house that's actually ocean front. If I can't look out my front window and actually see the ocean, it just wouldn't do it for me. And ocean front in DE and MD cost millions and millions and just isn't worth that much to me.

Second, for several months around here the beach is too cold even to take a pleasant walk on, then again actually sit on. And the beach towns themselves are dead, with the majority of the shops and restaurants largely if not entirely closed down and the majority of the year round residents being either old AF or MAGA or both.

We ended up buying a 5000 SF house with a pool on seven acres less than two hours west of downtown DC (even on a bad traffic day) for well under $1 million. On top of that, we can walk in about 15 minute into a quaint but perfectly big enough downtown where good and varied bars and restaurants are open year round and where you'll see people of every age and not just the blue heads. And it's not MAGA. It went 80 percent for Harris in 2024.

Had you asked me back in the day if I could ever be happier with a second home to the west of the DMV than to the east I'd say no way. But now I know I made the right decision.

7 paragraphs but can’t name the place. She is looking for a place

+1

500 sqf and 7 acres is the opposite of easy. You'll sepend your entire time there cleaning and working on the land. eff that.

Get a simple 3/2 beach box on Hatteras Island. Yeah , it's too far for a normal weekend but its a whole other planet. Life is slow and southern, At this stage of life you can always just take a Friday or Monday to travel.

Yep, sounds like a nightmare 5000 sq feet and all that land likely in the middle of nowhere.

[Anonymous]

If you want a water view without the high price tag of beach front property, you could consider a bay town. There's a lot more to do on the bay than the beach and there are plenty of locations that aren't far from the ocean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be a beach?

I grew up in a beach town and love the beach but when it came time to buy a second home decided to look west of the DMV and not east.

Why?

First, I'd only want a beach house that's actually ocean front. If I can't look out my front window and actually see the ocean, it just wouldn't do it for me. And ocean front in DE and MD cost millions and millions and just isn't worth that much to me.

Second, for several months around here the beach is too cold even to take a pleasant walk on, then again actually sit on. And the beach towns themselves are dead, with the majority of the shops and restaurants largely if not entirely closed down and the majority of the year round residents being either old AF or MAGA or both.

We ended up buying a 5000 SF house with a pool on seven acres less than two hours west of downtown DC (even on a bad traffic day) for well under $1 million. On top of that, we can walk in about 15 minute into a quaint but perfectly big enough downtown where good and varied bars and restaurants are open year round and where you'll see people of every age and not just the blue heads. And it's not MAGA. It went 80 percent for Harris in 2024.

Had you asked me back in the day if I could ever be happier with a second home to the west of the DMV than to the east I'd say no way. But now I know I made the right decision.

7 paragraphs but can’t name the place. She is looking for a place

+1

500 sqf and 7 acres is the opposite of easy. You'll sepend your entire time there cleaning and working on the land. eff that.

Get a simple 3/2 beach box on Hatteras Island. Yeah , it's too far for a normal weekend but its a whole other planet. Life is slow and southern, At this stage of life you can always just take a Friday or Monday to travel.

5000 SF and 7 acres. Not 500. Anyway, it's not hard. Maybe 2/3 of the acreage is woods. We have a lawn service for the other 1/3. And a cleaning service for the house.