OP, wanting a nice community pool narrows the options quite a bit I think. SFHs in the cute Jersey short towns aren’t going to have community pools I don’t think. And the lots aren’t big like in OBX to allow for building your own pool. I think one of the gated communities in North Bethany would have this. We stayed at a large rental home one year that had a nice pool at the front of the community. It was just on the other side of Rt 1 so having to cross that to get to the beach wasn’t ideal. You also aren’t walkable to much up there. A PP mentioned Bayside which is west of Fenwick, so f you don’t mind driving to the beach. They have a big pool scene that reminds me of being at a busy full service hotel. Lots of people getting drinks from the bar while the kids play. Not sure if you’re looking for that or something more quiet. You would have to deal with parking. One option if you lived in Bayside is to park right over the MD line in Ocean City where it’s free, then just walk left to go on to the actual beach in DE if that matters to you. You could walk to things in Fenwick while you’re at the beach. Though I imagine that parking fills up early like the state parks.

Anonymous wrote:Anybody who can drop 2 mil on a second home isn’t gonna cry over a couple extra grand a year in property taxes.

OP here and thank you! I am more concerned about having a nice home and beach than taxes.

Delaware has one of the lowest blended tax rates in the country

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/states-with-the-lowest-taxes#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20average%20American,%25)%20and%20Florida%20(6.7%25).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$1.7 beach block

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

Isn’t Dewey beach not nice / for partiers? Or is that Lewes

That 5 block area is a very nice neighborhood with the best beaches in Delaware, walking distance to downtown Rehoboth. Its the best kept secret. We rent there and it’s amazing.

I like Cape May

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No property tax

Yes there is.

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?

No estate taxes for the super wealthy

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We own in OCNJ and love it. It's 3 hours flat from our NW DC home with zero traffic. 3.5 hours on a more typical drive and if we stop once for something like gas. It is primarily a destination for Philly and NY families but we have 3 good sets of DC friends who own within 5 blocks of us.
We bought the house when our kids were about 4, 7, 8 and now they're teens. They went there with us as kids and now as older teens one is spending the entire summer there and the other two are coming and going with us.

There are no gated communities or pools on the island but almost every house is walking distance to the beach. I personally can't imagine having a "beach house" that requires that I drive and park to get to the beach, especially if I was paying $2 million.

Is this the same creative math that gets one from Aldie to DC in 30 minutes or less? Because right now my GPS is showing 7 hours from NW to OCNJ.

DP, but 3-3.5 hours for that trip sounds right. I can routinely make it from Reston to Long Beach Island, NJ, which is a slightly longer trip, in just under 4 hours if there are no stops or traffic delays.

DH and I plan to buy a beach house at some point. It'll probably be in NJ because that's where we're from and what we know/like.

My beach house is in Atlantic Beach, NY. May sound strange but it has a wonderful private beach and NYC Manhattan is only a subway, LIRR or Ferry ride away. My house in one mile from Queens NY border. 13 miles JFK.

Long Beach NY and Rockaways also popular. You can do beach all summer, than us open, Broadway shows etc in winter

Little unusual but a beach house you can use all year round

Anybody who can drop 2 mil on a second home isn’t gonna cry over a couple extra grand a year in property taxes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No property tax

You can take advantage of both of those without changing your state of residence though, right?

I have zero interest any Mid Atlantic beaches.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$1.7 beach block

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

Isn’t Dewey beach not nice / for partiers? Or is that Lewes

Dewey is for partying. Lewes is for elderly retirees.

Anonymous wrote:$1.7 beach block

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

Isn’t Dewey beach not nice / for partiers? Or is that Lewes

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No property tax