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I currently live in the Cleveland OH area and have been knocking around the idea of moving down to Florida. The real estate market in Florida is still pretty affordable and a small ocean front condo can be had for under $100,000.
I have vacationed in Florida many times and love it. The main thing preventing me from moving there however, is that I do enjoy the change of seasons and actually like the snow and love the occasional blizzard. I really feel like I would miss the Fall and Winter if I made the move to Florida.
So, my question is, are there other areas along the Atlantic coast where I can find inexpensive beach front living? The deal breaker is that it MUST be ocean front. One block from the beach will not work. I want to step out onto my balcony and have nothing between me and the beach and ocean.
For a condo I'd like to stay under $100,000. An inexpensive beachfront home is probably out of the question, but if such a thing exists, $175,000 would be my max.
I'm open to suggestions anywhere along the coast south to Florida but again would prefer an area a bit further north where they still have some snow.
Possibly somewhere in SC. I don't think you'll find anything in the 100K range anywhere else on the ocean. But you may want to rethink the must-be-oceanfront thing; I've known people who regret paying for the view instead of getting nicer place nearby but not on the beach. Once you live in the vicinity for a while, some people get bored with the view of the ocean. You can just go to the beach itself or a beachfront bar, or restaurant whenever you want for the view. Another option is to consider a bayside condo, which will get you waterfront sunsets and probably for a lower price.
Possibly somewhere in SC. I don't think you'll find anything in the 100K range anywhere else on the ocean. But you may want to rethink the must-be-oceanfront thing; I've known people who regret paying for the view instead of getting nicer place nearby but not on the beach. Once you live in the vicinity for a while, some people get bored with the view of the ocean. You can just go to the beach itself or a beachfront bar, or restaurant whenever you want for the view. Another option is to consider a bayside condo, which will get you waterfront sunsets and probably for a lower price.
I don't know; I think the most affordable beachfront properties in SC may be in Edisto Beach and still I don't think you can get anything under $175K, definitely not around $100K.
Thank you for the quick replies. Paying for the view rather than a nicer place is definitely an important consideration and something I have thought about. Those small condos in Florida I mention in my post are basically just one room efficiencies.
I'm divorced/single so I really don't need much room or many amenities but moving into a one room condo from my 3 bedroom ranch on a postage sized lot here in Ohio might be a shock. But that darn ocean keeps calling...
I've lived in Ohio my whole life and not sure I want to pull up roots for anything less than oceanfront.
Thank you for the quick replies. Paying for the view rather than a nicer place is definitely an important consideration and something I have thought about. Those small condos in Florida I mention in my post are basically just one room efficiencies.
I'm divorced/single so I really don't need much room or many amenities but moving into a one room condo from my 3 bedroom ranch on a postage sized lot here in Ohio might be a shock. But that darn ocean keeps calling...
I've lived in Ohio my whole life and not sure I want to pull up roots for anything less than oceanfront.
I lived in a 200 square foot apartment for four years. It gets old quick no matter the view. And my place was in Gramercy Park NY area. Super nice area. But I was in a shoe box. I would say at least 700 square feet
Would you consider the Gulf Coast as well as the Atlantic Ocean? That may open up more options. The Florida Panhandle, plus the Alabama and Mississippi coasts have similar climates compared to the South Carolina and Georgia Atlantic coasts. It definitely gets cooler in the winter than peninsular Florida, but snow is a very infrequent occurrence.
Check some of the larger coastal cities in New England. Especially the less reputable ones. New Bedford MA, New London CT, New Haven CT, Lynn MA (with the benefit of being an easy commute to downtown Boston). All of them have their issues, but they also have nice waterfront pockets where you'll find some value. If you look hard enough, maybe even close to $100k.
Also the southern NJ shore between Atlantic City and Cape May. You may get lucky there. Norfolk, VA has some good value along the Chesapeake Bay too.
I agree. touristy but loads to do and affordable these are in your price range Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Condos FOR SALE — MyrtleBeachCondos.net. hilton head sc , kure carolina beach beach nc, alot of the southeast coast has pretty recognizable change of seasons for the most part outside of south florida. I would check out north florida like destin, etc Alot of North florida actually can get quite cool in winter, and has change of seasons. Huge jump in temperatures as you go farther south
Great, thanks everyone for all the suggestions! Exactly the responses I was hoping for to help direct my search.
Wow, 200 square foot, that is pretty tiny! Most of the Florida condos I have looked at were in the 400-500 sq ft range.
I have vacationed in the Fort Myers area and honeymooned on Sanibel and did like the Gulf. Really never thought about the panhandle or Alabama and Mississippi. Also vacationed once in Myrtle Beach and thought it was nice. I know very little about the New England coastal areas but will check out the cities you mentioned as well as the Jersey shore and VA.
Thanks also for that website. I have a lot of places to start searching!
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