Where should we buy our beach home?

[Anonymous]

Traffic to Avalon on a summer Saturday is awful too. But I agree it’s the nicest beach town within four hours. It (along with Stone Harbor) is also the most expensive.

[Anonymous]

Sandbridge

[Anonymous]

This has not been our experience at all. We have a place within town limits and it’s mostly liberal DMV crowd with a few DE, PA, and NY people.

Now if you go 2 miles inland then that is mostly Trump country.

[Anonymous]

Outer Banks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again - or would it be better to save our money and just do rentals? I like the idea of hosting and having a “compound” for my children when they are adults with their own children, but maybe the long-term commitment is not worth it?

We're also on the fence. I grew up with a big family beach house but depending on how many kids you have and where they end up as adults your house may not be what they want as adults. Not everyone (or every spouse) wants to travel with extended family and stay in a house. They may not live close enough for it to be convenient. They may want their own space, etc etc. Point is, get it if you'd enjoy it but don't count on the family compound concept working out long term.

So, to clarify, if someone were to tell me “This house meets your requirements and my crystal ball tells me it will definitely be around in 40 years” I would buy in a heartbeat! My uncertainty is not around whether I want to have a compound or not. It is around where to locate it so it sticks around for a long time. Or if there are no places within 3-4 hour drive like that, then save my money for rentals instead of buying a soon-to-be-extinct home.

I have a house 2.5 miles back from the beach in Bethany. In Bethany Meadows, and it's just outside the flood plain. I love the neighborhood, but the houses are far more modest than what you are talking about. However, there is a lot of construction with bigger homes just to the west of me. You can check the flood plain for Delaware here. https://floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov/

The new construction is out of control. I was shocked at how many new homes they built this year in Ocean View, Millville, and beyond. When we were in Bethany over spring break and saw all the millions of new homes, our immediate thought was that traffic heading into/out of Bethany will be a nightmare all day/everyday. All those people west of Bethany will pour into town and the state park beaches.

I’d only buy within walking distance of a private/gated beach at this point.

Yes, only I should be allowed to have a beach house.

[Anonymous]

NJ beaches have crazy property taxes.

However, I like Wildwood Crest.

[Anonymous]

We bought a condo in The Tides in Rehoboth. They have 2 and 3 bedroom condos and I think 4 bedroom ones that are 2 levels. The buildings are not huge like Sea Colony which feels apartment like to me. It is gated, plenty of parking and has s really nice pool. Oh and Bs is to the bike trail. It’s a mile from downtown.

[Anonymous]

Gotta go lewes or Bethany. And then retire there even if only half year for taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rent. More flex.

There are more houses being purchased and taken off the rental rolls. It may be increasingly expensive and rare to be able to rent.

[Anonymous]

If money were no object, I would buy in Stone Harbor.

And I agree with those who have asserted that it is an easier drive than Rehoboth on a Saturday morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again - or would it be better to save our money and just do rentals? I like the idea of hosting and having a “compound” for my children when they are adults with their own children, but maybe the long-term commitment is not worth it?

We're also on the fence. I grew up with a big family beach house but depending on how many kids you have and where they end up as adults your house may not be what they want as adults. Not everyone (or every spouse) wants to travel with extended family and stay in a house. They may not live close enough for it to be convenient. They may want their own space, etc etc. Point is, get it if you'd enjoy it but don't count on the family compound concept working out long term.

So, to clarify, if someone were to tell me “This house meets your requirements and my crystal ball tells me it will definitely be around in 40 years” I would buy in a heartbeat! My uncertainty is not around whether I want to have a compound or not. It is around where to locate it so it sticks around for a long time. Or if there are no places within 3-4 hour drive like that, then save my money for rentals instead of buying a soon-to-be-extinct home.

I have a house 2.5 miles back from the beach in Bethany. In Bethany Meadows, and it's just outside the flood plain. I love the neighborhood, but the houses are far more modest than what you are talking about. However, there is a lot of construction with bigger homes just to the west of me. You can check the flood plain for Delaware here. https://floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov/

The new construction is out of control. I was shocked at how many new homes they built this year in Ocean View, Millville, and beyond. When we were in Bethany over spring break and saw all the millions of new homes, our immediate thought was that traffic heading into/out of Bethany will be a nightmare all day/everyday. All those people west of Bethany will pour into town and the state park beaches.

I’d only buy within walking distance of a private/gated beach at this point.

I'm the PP -- my neighborhood, at least, are lots of retirees. I don't know about the bigger homes. But I'm in my 50s and a ton of my friends and coworkers are retiring down here. I am sure the construction contributes to beach traffic, but perhaps not as much as you'd think. I go down often and have no trouble. But I also know the back roads.

Parking near beaches is more difficult than it was 10 years ago. That's really the only negative I have found. So far, anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again - or would it be better to save our money and just do rentals? I like the idea of hosting and having a “compound” for my children when they are adults with their own children, but maybe the long-term commitment is not worth it?

We're also on the fence. I grew up with a big family beach house but depending on how many kids you have and where they end up as adults your house may not be what they want as adults. Not everyone (or every spouse) wants to travel with extended family and stay in a house. They may not live close enough for it to be convenient. They may want their own space, etc etc. Point is, get it if you'd enjoy it but don't count on the family compound concept working out long term.

So, to clarify, if someone were to tell me “This house meets your requirements and my crystal ball tells me it will definitely be around in 40 years” I would buy in a heartbeat! My uncertainty is not around whether I want to have a compound or not. It is around where to locate it so it sticks around for a long time. Or if there are no places within 3-4 hour drive like that, then save my money for rentals instead of buying a soon-to-be-extinct home.

I have a house 2.5 miles back from the beach in Bethany. In Bethany Meadows, and it's just outside the flood plain. I love the neighborhood, but the houses are far more modest than what you are talking about. However, there is a lot of construction with bigger homes just to the west of me. You can check the flood plain for Delaware here. https://floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov/

The new construction is out of control. I was shocked at how many new homes they built this year in Ocean View, Millville, and beyond. When we were in Bethany over spring break and saw all the millions of new homes, our immediate thought was that traffic heading into/out of Bethany will be a nightmare all day/everyday. All those people west of Bethany will pour into town and the state park beaches.

I’d only buy within walking distance of a private/gated beach at this point.

I'm the PP -- my neighborhood, at least, are lots of retirees. I don't know about the bigger homes. But I'm in my 50s and a ton of my friends and coworkers are retiring down here. I am sure the construction contributes to beach traffic, but perhaps not as much as you'd think. I go down often and have no trouble. But I also know the back roads.

Parking near beaches is more difficult than it was 10 years ago. That's really the only negative I have found. So far, anyway.

There are so many new houses around Bishops Landing, Millville by the Sea, etc. All those people will head down 26 or a few backroads. They aren’t all retirees. You can tell that plenty of the houses are beach houses. Plenty are rentals (we are very familiar with rentals in several neighborhoods inland).

Parking is already miserable in town as well as at the state park beaches. It stinks having to wake up super early to get parking at the beach. That’s why I made the comment about buying a place in a gated beach community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gotta go lewes or Bethany. And then retire there even if only half year for taxes.

?? The Income tax rate in DE is 6.6%. That lower than DC and MD but not sure is worth shifting residence. Is there a retiree tax benefit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gotta go lewes or Bethany. And then retire there even if only half year for taxes.

?? The Income tax rate in DE is 6.6%. That lower than DC and MD but not sure is worth shifting residence. Is there a retiree tax benefit?

There is also no state or local sales tax in Delaware.

[Anonymous]

$1.7 beach block

https://apps.realtor.com/mUAZ/72ags5jz