At some point while visiting the beach or taking a boat out on the river or lake to fish, many of us have had the thought that owning a piece of Gulfport, MS real estate would make things more convenient. A condo for sale in Gulfport, MS with dock access is inviting.
A cabin on Big Lake, a house with a dock on Bernard Bayou or a house with a boat house on St. Louis Bay, there are a wide variety of choices in Mississippi and the market is growing.
Taking the time to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing your waterfront home will put you in the right space to make that decision. And we can help.
Satisfaction
Living on the water, whether a lake, river, ocean, or the gulf is satisfying. Your view doesn’t change, no homes are going to be built in front of you. In front of you is water. Recreational activities can keep you busy and help you get fit. Many beaches and lakes have walking and biking trails and then there are kayaks, paddleboards and just swimming. For some reason, swimming, while one of the best exercises there is, doesn’t feel like work.
Better sleep and better nights tend to follow with the waterfront living as well. After a day of playing in the sand and swimming, relaxation takes its natural course keeping you well rested and ready for the next day.
If you have a dock or dock access, dinner time takes on a new meaning if you can catch when you fish. Houses for sale in Long Beach, MS give access to freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater fishing, with over 200 species available. Quite a variety even if you catch and release instead of catching and cook.
Resale Potential
Waterfront homes for sale in Bay St. Louis, MS have continuously appreciated in value, as do most waterfront properties. The fact is that the more limited a property is, the more desirable it tends to be. Estate homes on the beach, small cabins on private ponds, lakeside luxury communities, or mansions on the river, with care and maintenance, all become more valuable with time. But the location is what you are paying for.
Investment Potential
Most waterfront homes are purchased as vacation homes, homes that you stay in a few times a year, which opens the potential for renting the property at other times. Some Biloxi houses for sale can be rented for $700 a week in the summer and around $400 in the offseason. By taking advantage of the tax codes, you can write off much of mortgage interest, real estate taxes, casualty losses, maintenance, utilities, and even insurance.
Concerns
Lack of privacy, more maintenance, more regulations, changing and extreme weather, and possibly more bugs are all concerns when it comes to buying a waterfront property.
Unless you have private beach access, there will be traffic. That same bike and hike path that might get you fit, will probably also be used by a lot of other people.
Those additional people can also mean litter and additional lawn care. If you are next to salt water, maintenance becomes a real concern. Sand, and salt don’t just affect the outside, but appliances, windows, roofs. Just standard painting and power washing are often, at least, a semi-annual event.
Coastal Commissions and Waterfront HOA’s can impose many restrictions to what you can and cannot do on your property. Cities, counties, and states may have laws and regulations specific to waterfront property.
And if there are hurricanes, flooding, rising tides, all these things are going to require attention and often professional attention.
Conclusion:
Waterfront homes are always going to be desirable. Air quality is better, it tends to be more relaxing and the views can be spectacular.
Even with the possible disadvantages, there is little that can’t be overcome.
Scheduling when you are going to stay at your property may make privacy and traffic less of an issue.
If you choose to rent your property, you can hire a property management company to assist with all the items that you don’t have time and may be too far away to take care of. They can also take care of insurance claims and if necessary, hire professionals to repair and restore any damage that may occur from storms and the general wear and tear of waterfront living.
With the help of our real estate experts at Owen & Co., we will investigate and identify the rules, regulations, and restrictions for you regarding your property. What and when are your access times? Is there an easement or a right of way on your property? Are you allowed to park motorhomes?
We will make sure that you have all the information that you need so that when the deal is closed, you can sit at sunrise and enjoy your coffee.
