Should I buy a beach vacation home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I only listened to the DCUM echo chamber, I would be more worried about owning our beach home and being able to resell it. Because climate change is real, and sure, the stock market would have been smarter purely from an investment standpoint.

The fact is that 40% there are SO many families who still want to buy beach properties -- though maybe that's on the wane in Florida. Maybe because they can afford it regardless of whether it blows away. Maybe because they're climate change deniers. Maybe because they are motivated by emotion and are willing to ignore the risks; they want a gathering place for family that feels more like home than a vacation rental.

And all of that negates the naysaying on this thread. You'll be able to resell your beach house because the psychology still favors buying coastal properties. I'm at our beach house right now. I had two people just this week ask me if we'd think of selling - one who wants to buy, the other who knows someone who is actively looking. Could that change in the next few years? Sure. But right now, it's the weird poster here (who is so freaked out that she's calling names) who is the outlier. No one on our island is freaking out.

Ha Ha you were doing so well until you weeded into bullshit. This did not happen. Folks looking for beach houses don’t ask owners of houses that aren’t on the market if they’re “interested in selling.” They look at the MLS, where there always are plenty of houses for sale in every beach community that attracts renters.

There are very very few houses for sale in the upscale beach town we’ve been looking at. Inventory is so low. I fear prices will only rise if rates get cut.

I’ll add that I’ve been told by locals that there are less and less rentals available every year because rich people are buying the houses and not renting them out.

Where are you looking? We have a house in the Hamptons that we don't rent, but the town we're in has pretty strict regulations about rentals---especially short-term rentals. That's not a bad thing.

Also never rented. Inventory is still very low. Hope to sell. Should’ve in 2021.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my beach house. Sitting on my porch right now.

rented out all summer and you had to wait for the off season to enjoy it, eh?

DP. Weird post. Beach houses are great in September when the tourists finally leave.

Plus you don’t have to rush out there when the hurricanes come, you’re already there and if you have a waterproof document case and a good rope to tie yourself to something you can ride out the surge and be first to talk to the insurance folks when they come through to declare a total loss.

Delaware is in a hurricane dead zone. Take a look at 173 year history and decide for yourself about the risks

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2025/04/19/map-of-us-hurricane-landfalls/83155900007/#

You should learn more about how probability works.

Not having a hurricane in 1908 doesn't mean anything about whether you'll have a hurricane this year.

Try using actual data and methodology: https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/map

The good news is that... as far as beach properties go, Delaware is not as risk as other places. But the risk factor is still quite high.

“Quite high”. Interesting risk assessment.

Where is your beach house located?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my beach house. Sitting on my porch right now.

rented out all summer and you had to wait for the off season to enjoy it, eh?

DP. Weird post. Beach houses are great in September when the tourists finally leave.

True -- September to mid-October is my favorite time at our beach house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We considered buying a beach house on the water in NC. We bailed when we investigated further the risks associated with climate change. Be sure to look at the elevation of the property. If you can find something at a high elevation, that would be much less risky. We decided to keep our money in the stock market and spend it on Airbnb's and hotels instead. Much less hassel and we can do that for he rest of our lives easily.

I was told it was dumb to buy a beach house because of global warming (that’s what "climate change" used to be called) because it would be under water in 5 years.

In 1985…..

[Anonymous]

We decided to do an Airbnb every year for the last 10 years. So stress free. During COVID was a little challenging but it’s better now. Rent for 2 week and less stress. We go somewhere different every year and it’s been an adventure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We considered buying a beach house on the water in NC. We bailed when we investigated further the risks associated with climate change. Be sure to look at the elevation of the property. If you can find something at a high elevation, that would be much less risky. We decided to keep our money in the stock market and spend it on Airbnb's and hotels instead. Much less hassel and we can do that for he rest of our lives easily.

I was told it was dumb to buy a beach house because of global warming (that’s what "climate change" used to be called) because it would be under water in 5 years.

In 1985…..

My siblings tried to talk me out of buying a beach house in 2021 when we bought. The house has risen by $600k in value and our location (not oceanfront because of risk) continues to be in high demand. We might sell it when the kids graduate high school. Lots of memories made already. No regrets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my beach house. Sitting on my porch right now.

rented out all summer and you had to wait for the off season to enjoy it, eh?

DP. Weird post. Beach houses are great in September when the tourists finally leave.

+1. Went down Friday early afternoon for the weekend to DE and just got back tonight. Going down again next weekend.

The convenience of ease and proximity is why the DE beach houses in town will never go down in prices, stable or up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my beach house. Sitting on my porch right now.

rented out all summer and you had to wait for the off season to enjoy it, eh?

DP. Weird post. Beach houses are great in September when the tourists finally leave.

+1. Went down Friday early afternoon for the weekend to DE and just got back tonight. Going down again next weekend.

The convenience of ease and proximity is why the DE beach houses in town will never go down in prices, stable or up.

The last two times I went to Rehobeth it took me over five hours each way. Almost seven on one of the legs. It was miserable.

[Anonymous]

I would never buy a beach house unless I really planned on using it a lot. And, I would never rent it out as I have no interest in being any kind of landlord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my beach house. Sitting on my porch right now.

rented out all summer and you had to wait for the off season to enjoy it, eh?

DP. Weird post. Beach houses are great in September when the tourists finally leave.

+1. Went down Friday early afternoon for the weekend to DE and just got back tonight. Going down again next weekend.

The convenience of ease and proximity is why the DE beach houses in town will never go down in prices, stable or up.

The last two times I went to Rehobeth it took me over five hours each way. Almost seven on one of the legs. It was miserable.

If you own a beach house you know when to go and not go.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Absolutely. Especially if you voted for Trump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never buy a beach house unless I really planned on using it a lot. And, I would never rent it out as I have no interest in being any kind of landlord.

Absolutely fine if it’s not for you.

We bought and our beach house was has gone up 600k. We rent it out in the summer and it pays all the mortgage, block out dates if we decide to go down. 400% return on our initial down payment.

We mainly use it as a weekend house and love late spring and early fall like now the best. We vacation elsewhere.

But the best part is the memories we have made as a family at our beach house. Priceless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my beach house. Sitting on my porch right now.

rented out all summer and you had to wait for the off season to enjoy it, eh?

DP. Weird post. Beach houses are great in September when the tourists finally leave.

+1. Went down Friday early afternoon for the weekend to DE and just got back tonight. Going down again next weekend.

The convenience of ease and proximity is why the DE beach houses in town will never go down in prices, stable or up.

Also there last weekend and weirdly, no traffic during peak travel hours! September and October are the best.