I wanted a beach house. DH a lake house. We were lucky to get a house that met both criteria. It’s on a small lake that is 5 minutes from the beach.

I love both, but we're diehard beach people so we got a beach house. I grew up with a beach house and DH grew up with a family lake house cabin in the mountains.

OP, you'll need to narrow it down to a specific location for each and see what you could afford. Try to bring the decision down from pie in the sky lake vs. beach.

My advice if you go for a lake house is to get a place right on the water or don't do it. We have another home on the same block as the lake (but not on the lake). We had all these ideas about going there to paddleboard and canoe but we never do it. Our beach house is just over one block from the beach/boardwalk and we go to the beach and to the boardwalk shops and restaurants all the time. Either get a place right on the lake with a dock and get a boat and other fun lake toys, or get a beach house. A beach house is still so much fun even if you're not right on the beach. IME it's not quite the same for a lake house.

If you can spend 800,000, you could get a lakefront house, but probably not a beachfront home. If you want a water view, go with the lake. I do think it's a personal/life style decision.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would only want a lake house if it were on a real lake (the New England/Canada/Midwest kind).

I would have no interest in a lake house on a fake lake in this area (Lake Anna, Deep Creek, Habib, Smith, etc.).

Me too! I really dislike all the 'fake' lakes around here. What is up with that?

Locals don't know any better.

my parents just got a condo on the Bay in Norfolk. The surrounding area isn't the best, but their view is gorgeous and you basically have the beach to yourself. Super close to VA Beach and all the other things to do in the area. We went to the Zoo, the Aquarium, the Battleship, some really good restairants.

Anonymous wrote:I would only want a lake house if it were on a real lake (the New England/Canada/Midwest kind).

I would have no interest in a lake house on a fake lake in this area (Lake Anna, Deep Creek, Habib, Smith, etc.).

Me too! I really dislike all the 'fake' lakes around here. What is up with that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beach house for me but they tend to be way more expensive. It would probably have better resale value though. Personally I hate lakes. I hate touching down on the plants. Shudder.

Well at a beach house/ in the ocean, you might get touched by more than plants; like maybe jellyfish or sharks!

There are no saltwater snakes

Not accurate. But don't know if East Coast has them.