Beach house dreaming -- where would you buy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Ocean City (MD), that place is Glen Burnie with sand. Try the VA beach area instead. Otherwise, maybe look into Ocean County, NJ.

Not really. Go north OC and mid-town you'll get a better price and nice beaches.

Yep, this. So much OC hate from those who haven’t been there in 30 years. Anything north of the 90 bridge. We embrace the quirkiness of OC, plus it has better dining, bigger beaches, and absolutely killers sunsets over the bay. Rehoboth and Bethany can’t compete.

So the sun only sets in Ocean city MD?

This must be a joke. Please tell me what restaurants in OC are better than Rehoboth? Fwiw, I like and go to both places. They are nothing alike though.

DP, but Liquid Assets is really good. Always packed. There’s also a newer tapas place down at the south end of town, on the rooftop of a new hotel, that is very good. Longboard Cafe and Mother’s Cantina are also great. Rehoboth has always had a concentration of good restaurants but OC is starting to get some nicer stuff as older buildings get torn down. I would not assume that anything in Rehoboth is automatically better. There’s plenty of mediocre food in Rehoboth. There’s more to OC than Nick’s House of Rubs or whatever. None of the places I mentioned are cheap. The crowd at Liquid Assets looks very much like the Rehoboth/Bethany/Fenwick crowd.

As for the sunsets, OC probably does have more spots from which it can be viewed due to the shape of the coastline. The bay is just on the other side of the highway. Fenwick, parts of Bethany, and all of Dewey are the same way. Rehoboth is different because it’s not a barrier island type layout.

As for sunsets —

[Anonymous]

Cape May. The birding is amazing during migration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thought experiment for which we'd appreciate any views. Assume you wanted to buy a vacation home on or near a beach, with a budget of around $1.5mm +/-. Considering the following criteria, where would you look?

1. Bang for buck: Ideally, for about 1.5mm, would find a reasonably nice house on/near a beautiful beach. Large enough that we could invite friends.

2. Convenience to DC: Ideally no more than 8 to 12 hours door-to-door travel time from DC, thus places with direct flights at top of the list.

3. Beauty/nature: Looking for truly beautiful setting, if can be found.

4. Year round: Would like something that could be used across winter holidays, etc.

5. Interesting amenities: Not required, but would be nice if reasonably near interesting restaurants, etc.

Where, if anywhere, might you look to try to hit those criteria? Thank you in advance!

My dream is use that money to go wherever I want without the cost of maintaining a home and not having to visit home because otherwise you are wasting your money.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I have friends with places in the Delaware beaches and they don’t get out there that much. 3 hours each way is a long drive for a weekend. We had relatives with a place in Florida and it didn’t take that much longer to get there.

We bought a place on the Eastern Shore. 1.5 hours away so you can go for one night. Not on the beach, but on the water and we have a pool. Beautiful part if the world, not a crazy amount to do but good restaurants, cycling, kayaking etc so we are never bored. Just an option to consider.

[Anonymous]

I would be a lake house and build a beach along the water for fire pits and such.

I personally have issues with beach houses near the area because they get too cold and you can’t put a fire on the beach. I feel like with a lake house there is more year round comfort.

[Anonymous]

I would LOVE to buy a condo in Rehoboth on the boardwalk. You can get a 2 br for just about $1m. Condo fees are astronomical, but in return you get a vacation home that is as close to "plug and play" as possible and isn't a long drive.

[Anonymous]

Another person who suggest you stick within 3-4 hours. Anything longer and you will only go once a year in which case you should just rent. If a hurricane is coming, you need to go before and maybe after to get things ready. If there are appliances or renovations necessary, you will need to go. If you are going to have it rented by a company who takes care of all that, then great but then it’s not really a vacation home. We use our beach house in OC like crazy but it’s a house. We have to make sure the lawn is mowed and trash picked up and we’ve had raccoons in the attic. A house needs attention or bad stuff happens. But I also tend to drive down after work on wed or Thursday and come back late
Monday or Tuesday. I never drive on Friday or Sunday. Ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Ocean City (MD), that place is Glen Burnie with sand. Try the VA beach area instead. Otherwise, maybe look into Ocean County, NJ.

Not really. Go north OC and mid-town you'll get a better price and nice beaches.

Yep, this. So much OC hate from those who haven’t been there in 30 years. Anything north of the 90 bridge. We embrace the quirkiness of OC, plus it has better dining, bigger beaches, and absolutely killers sunsets over the bay. Rehoboth and Bethany can’t compete.

They surely cannot complete at that price. A nice shed, perhaps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Ocean City (MD), that place is Glen Burnie with sand. Try the VA beach area instead. Otherwise, maybe look into Ocean County, NJ.

Not really. Go north OC and mid-town you'll get a better price and nice beaches.

Yep, this. So much OC hate from those who haven’t been there in 30 years. Anything north of the 90 bridge. We embrace the quirkiness of OC, plus it has better dining, bigger beaches, and absolutely killers sunsets over the bay. Rehoboth and Bethany can’t compete.

So the sun only sets in Ocean city MD?

This must be a joke. Please tell me what restaurants in OC are better than Rehoboth? Fwiw, I like and go to both places. They are nothing alike though.

DP, but Liquid Assets is really good. Always packed. There’s also a newer tapas place down at the south end of town, on the rooftop of a new hotel, that is very good. Longboard Cafe and Mother’s Cantina are also great. Rehoboth has always had a concentration of good restaurants but OC is starting to get some nicer stuff as older buildings get torn down. I would not assume that anything in Rehoboth is automatically better. There’s plenty of mediocre food in Rehoboth. There’s more to OC than Nick’s House of Rubs or whatever. None of the places I mentioned are cheap. The crowd at Liquid Assets looks very much like the Rehoboth/Bethany/Fenwick crowd.

As for the sunsets, OC probably does have more spots from which it can be viewed due to the shape of the coastline. The bay is just on the other side of the highway. Fenwick, parts of Bethany, and all of Dewey are the same way. Rehoboth is different because it’s not a barrier island type layout.

As for sunsets —

Thanks for the suggestions. How about those big black flies that sting? Are they are those OC parts when the wind shifts?? Went to Fenwick once and never returned due to those flies.

[Anonymous]

Agree with those who have said a lot of people prefer to go closer so you can actually go more often. If I was trying to find a place where I could spend every holiday/long weekend I'd go with Lewes in Delaware.

Not trying to talk you out of a longer distance - if you have flexibility to work remotely during summer etc. could work. My partner is a teacher and I have relative flexibility for remote working and our dream is Maine lake cabin. But if I wanted beach that was further I'd either do Cape Cod or Kiawah Island.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with those who have said a lot of people prefer to go closer so you can actually go more often. If I was trying to find a place where I could spend every holiday/long weekend I'd go with Lewes in Delaware.

Not trying to talk you out of a longer distance - if you have flexibility to work remotely during summer etc. could work. My partner is a teacher and I have relative flexibility for remote working and our dream is Maine lake cabin. But if I wanted beach that was further I'd either do Cape Cod or Kiawah Island.

I'm with you on all fronts, but no way there is beachfront in Kiawah or the Cape for 1.5mm or less, unless I suppose you go for a condo, if you can find one. Even then, maybe not.

I would choose a place like Edisto Beach, or the barrier islands on the SC/GA border.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Ocean City (MD), that place is Glen Burnie with sand. Try the VA beach area instead. Otherwise, maybe look into Ocean County, NJ.

Not really. Go north OC and mid-town you'll get a better price and nice beaches.

Yep, this. So much OC hate from those who haven’t been there in 30 years. Anything north of the 90 bridge. We embrace the quirkiness of OC, plus it has better dining, bigger beaches, and absolutely killers sunsets over the bay. Rehoboth and Bethany can’t compete.

So the sun only sets in Ocean city MD?

This must be a joke. Please tell me what restaurants in OC are better than Rehoboth? Fwiw, I like and go to both places. They are nothing alike though.

DP, but Liquid Assets is really good. Always packed. There’s also a newer tapas place down at the south end of town, on the rooftop of a new hotel, that is very good. Longboard Cafe and Mother’s Cantina are also great. Rehoboth has always had a concentration of good restaurants but OC is starting to get some nicer stuff as older buildings get torn down. I would not assume that anything in Rehoboth is automatically better. There’s plenty of mediocre food in Rehoboth. There’s more to OC than Nick’s House of Rubs or whatever. None of the places I mentioned are cheap. The crowd at Liquid Assets looks very much like the Rehoboth/Bethany/Fenwick crowd.

As for the sunsets, OC probably does have more spots from which it can be viewed due to the shape of the coastline. The bay is just on the other side of the highway. Fenwick, parts of Bethany, and all of Dewey are the same way. Rehoboth is different because it’s not a barrier island type layout.

As for sunsets —

Thanks for the suggestions. How about those big black flies that sting? Are they are those OC parts when the wind shifts?? Went to Fenwick once and never returned due to those flies.

I’ve gone to ocean city for 47 years and those do happen but not predictably or all the time. But they are awful. But I would say this last year I spent probably a month total in OC during summer and it happened one day. I mean it’s not a regularly thing like noseeums in Florida beaches.

[Anonymous]

We love the Keys. Whether key largo or marathon or key west or anywhere in between. Sanibel or Boca Grande off Fort Myers are also great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can get a 2 or 3 bedroom oceanfront condo at Sea Colony in Bethany, and you could rent it for $5k/week during high season.

I remember when you could buy a 2 bdrm condo for $300k. Woulda coulda shoulda.

Not worth it to pay the current condo prices. I suggest waiting. Prices have declined and will continue to fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Ocean City (MD), that place is Glen Burnie with sand. Try the VA beach area instead. Otherwise, maybe look into Ocean County, NJ.

Not really. Go north OC and mid-town you'll get a better price and nice beaches.

Yep, this. So much OC hate from those who haven’t been there in 30 years. Anything north of the 90 bridge. We embrace the quirkiness of OC, plus it has better dining, bigger beaches, and absolutely killers sunsets over the bay. Rehoboth and Bethany can’t compete.

So the sun only sets in Ocean city MD?

This must be a joke. Please tell me what restaurants in OC are better than Rehoboth? Fwiw, I like and go to both places. They are nothing alike though.

DP, but Liquid Assets is really good. Always packed. There’s also a newer tapas place down at the south end of town, on the rooftop of a new hotel, that is very good. Longboard Cafe and Mother’s Cantina are also great. Rehoboth has always had a concentration of good restaurants but OC is starting to get some nicer stuff as older buildings get torn down. I would not assume that anything in Rehoboth is automatically better. There’s plenty of mediocre food in Rehoboth. There’s more to OC than Nick’s House of Rubs or whatever. None of the places I mentioned are cheap. The crowd at Liquid Assets looks very much like the Rehoboth/Bethany/Fenwick crowd.

As for the sunsets, OC probably does have more spots from which it can be viewed due to the shape of the coastline. The bay is just on the other side of the highway. Fenwick, parts of Bethany, and all of Dewey are the same way. Rehoboth is different because it’s not a barrier island type layout.

As for sunsets —

Thanks for the suggestions. How about those big black flies that sting? Are they are those OC parts when the wind shifts?? Went to Fenwick once and never returned due to those flies.

I’ve gone to ocean city for 47 years and those do happen but not predictably or all the time. But they are awful. But I would say this last year I spent probably a month total in OC during summer and it happened one day. I mean it’s not a regularly thing like noseeums in Florida beaches.

The flies come in when the wind is blowing from the west. There's an app called damnflies or something that will tell you the probability that the flies will be on the beach.