Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bethany!

This but not many people can afford it. Plus there is almost no properties listed there ever. People are hanging onto it.

+1. Bethany for sure. Quiet, laid back but close to everything.

Properties do go up for sale sometimes but you have to vigilant and jump on it. Goes under contract fast if move in ready.

Anonymous wrote:We have a place in Bethany. I like that the beach is private.

Anonymous wrote:We have a place in Bethany. I like that the beach is private.

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.

Golly. I count my lucky stars I don't live and die by "MAGA" hatred. What a weird and sad life you must have.

OP, many different kinds of beaches. To me it's New England, June to August or September. I don't need the beach any other time of the year. But it's only worth it if you're a proper summer resident. Going back and forth all the time would be a pain.

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.

Golly. I count my lucky stars I don't live and die by "MAGA" hatred. What a weird and sad life you must have.

OP, many different kinds of beaches. To me it's New England, June to August or September. I don't need the beach any other time of the year. But it's only worth it if you're a proper summer resident. Going back and forth all the time would be a pain.

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.

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Sandbridge, Virginia Beach, not as far as OBX, with a stable shoreline both geologically and due to military requirements to keep it stable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a house at Bethany for 12 years and enjoyed it when our kids were younger.

As they got into their teens we used it less and less as they were bored there.

It was great while it lasted, and we made a ton of money when we sold it this fall.

Fun times, great investment all around.

We did not rent it out. Would have made 3x as much but we basictlived there in summers.

We are going to just travel internationally a lot more now.

Having a second home is cool but it is a lot of work and when we were not using as much it became a burden. We did not want to rent it out.

We did not take many trips while we had because we felt like all our free time should be using what we bought. Now we do not feel guilty by going different places.

So where would you get it now?

Anonymous wrote:slaughter beach/lewes/ocenview in DC are a bit cheaper and less crowded