If you are considering buying a waterfront home or oceanfront property you might have some questions. Among those that you might already be considering, here are some basic questions to ask when considering and buying waterfront property.
#1. Are there any issues with alone?
You want to talk to your lender about the different options available to you by buying a waterfront home with financing. There may be specific contingencies, addendum’s and forms you’ll need to fill out and if the home is fairly pricey you might suggest getting a jumbo mortgage if needed.
#2. Will you be satisfied with the home and the land on which it sets?
There are two parts to buying a home; the house itself and the land. While both are included in the purchase and sale, they are both assessed differently so you want to make sure that you like both the land, the part of any beach that you might own as well and the house.
#3. What exactly do you get with the property?
Waterfront can mean different things to different people so you want to talk to the seller or the listing agent about everything you’ll get with the property. Do you have access to your own private beach? Is a public beach and will will be walking back and forth on your land? Is an easement? All of these questions may need to be addressed by a real estate attorney but make sure you understand everything that you own and don’t own before you finalize the sale.
#4. His homeowners association?
Waterfront community may have its own homeowners association so you want to double check with them on any rules, regulations and restrictions before finalizing.
#5. Do the neighbors enjoy it?
Talk to some of the neighbors in the area and see if there’s any concerns that they may have about owning waterfront property themselves. By talking to neighbors you can get a good idea of what it’s like to live in the area, especially if you talk to people that also live on the beach.
#6. What kind of environmental issues will you need to deal with?
Is there a seawall? Is there any erosion issues? What type of environmental issues will you need to deal with including storms and prevention of erosion? What about maintenance? Talk to your neighbors about what they need to maintain and how much work it is to keep up with the environment by living on the beach.
#7. Does the property work for your lifestyle?
Think about your daily lifestyle routine now. Will this fit into your daily routine or will you need to adjust things big time in order to create the lifestyle you want? This might take some time and is one of the most prominent questions to ask yourself before buying waterfront property.
For more information on buying waterfront property or to take a look at beachfront homes in Sunset Beach and surrounding communities on the Intercoastal Waterway and Brunswick Islands contact our office today.
When I retire, my wife and I have decided we want to buy a waterfront property. We would really like to have immediate access to water so that when the family comes, our grand kids have something to do. Your tip about talking to the neighbors to see if they enjoy the area is helpful because then we can make sure the property is a good buy.
Great! Thanks for stopping by!