Cruising from your own dock? Real Estate Options?

[Kd9truck]

Hey, Sailcrazy what marina in PR are you using? You cam PM me if you don’t want that public.
To the OP, I have been looking to find something close if not on the water, with some elevation as I feel it would be good to get out of a flood zone, most of the east coast is shallow and exposed. The Chesapeake has some options, but it is still considered very seasonal by most standards.

[Paul L]

Fairfield Harbor, New Bern, NC has low cost waterfront with dock houses
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9...78292861_zpid/

[MJH]

Originally Posted by pbnelson

A friend of mine was thrilled to share a zillow link for some townhouse in Fort Lauderdale with its own dock (google "2067391810_zpid" if you must see). Price $1.2M. Digging into google maps I found it was a 5+ mile trip to the ocean from that dock, ergo a 1+ hour trip to the ocean what with no-wake zones.

This got me wondering? Does anyone have suggestions for real-estate locations on the American East/West/South Coasts or Great Lakes where real-estate is cheap enough that a fellow could have his own dock and cruise right from his own back yard? By "cheap" I suppose I mean something under $400K or thereabouts.

I had initially thought something further up the Panhandle or down the Keys would serve, but typical prices there are >$1M, too. And then I got tired of searching and thought I'd try to ask this question as my first post here as a new member (and a new boat owner). Please be kind!

I applaud your looking for a way to reduce marina moorage expense. When talking about the total cost of boat ownership, moorage is a major monthly, never ending, frequently increasing, expense. Why not put that money into your housing buget if you can, plus it may be tax deductable?

If you are talking saltwater front property, are retired or just don't need work related connections, then that may be available in some of the more outlying/remote Washington State areas. My wife is a real estate agent in the South Puget Sound area and sold an old cabin on Colvos Passage for about $350,000 (cabin wasn't worth much and the driveway was very steep) two years ago. That said, not all waterfront property is desireable for having a dock due to depth, winds and/or currents...some research is needed as every parcel will be different.

Additionally, installing and maintaining a dock is expensive. But, having waterfront "access" and mooring your boat to a buoy is reasonable...that's what I have done since 1995. I live on an island in Puget Sound and access is via the Home Owners Association (HOA) beach. I could not afford to have a boat if I had to pay marina slip fees. My wife just told me that a distressed waterfront lot here is pending and was listed for $350,000.

Lastly, the Pacific Northwest has some of the best and beautiful cruising grounds anywhere with coastal access to British Columbia/Alaska plus the Pacific to Hawaii and beyond.

Keep working that avenue of thought.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Cheechako]

Ten years ago in less populated Florida it used to be very available. Mostly north of Fort Pierce quite a ways. Not sure today.
There were houses with docks on canals off the ICW for $200k. The further North, the more available. You need to research how tall any bridges are to get out of some of these locations. Merritt Island, Jacksonville even.

[jmschmidt]

What's a million here, a million there? Pretty soon you'll be into real money.

[Captain Bill]

A couple of years ago we found a small neighborhood just outside of Punta Gorda, Fl that is a mix of manufactured homes and stick built homes on a canal system. The manufactured homes are going for less than 300K. You probably don't want to go in these canals with much more than 5ft of draft and on occasion after a spring tide and a strong north wind even 4 ft is not doable. I've got 7 feet at my dock, but there are a few shallow spots on the way out that are about 5 feet. Because they're so inexpensive homes in this area sell almost instantly so one has to keep an eye out every day if you're interested. Lots are pretty standardly 80 ft wide except for end lots. The canals are in two sections with the northern sections being 100ft wide and the older southern section being 60ft. I'm in the third canal from the north end and it takes me about 20 minutes to get to Charlotte Harbor which has plenty of good day sailing. The open gulf is 14 miles from the entrance to the canal system. Best of all, there are no bridges between here and the gulf.

[redneckrob]

There are plenty of places on the Chesapeake Bay Eastern Shore and the mid-bay western shore where you can get a small deepwater lot for less than $400k. Heck I bought my house in Annapolis with a deepwater dock for just over $400k seven years ago although prices have gone up dramatically since then. The sounds of NC also have lots of inexpensive waterfront on the western side. They are very rural though.

[Jim_B]

Do a search for Punta Gorda Isles, in Punta Gorda Florida. Condos and single family homes with docks and the ability to sail anyplace in the world.

[TabbyCat]

Originally Posted by pbnelson

A Does anyone have suggestions for real-estate locations on the American East/West/South Coasts or Great Lakes where real-estate is cheap enough that a fellow could have his own dock and cruise right from his own back yard? By "cheap" I suppose I mean something under $400K or thereabouts.

Virginia's " Northern Neck" . Cleaner water, and a slower pace of life than the upper Chesapeake. The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (the other two are the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula).

Places like Deltaville are getting pricey, but look a little farther out or the way, say Urbanna
...

[Don55]

I bought my house on a canal off the New River in Fort Lauderdale 6 and a half years ago for less than $400K. About 45 minutes to Port Everglades Inlet with 3 open on demand bridges. The house needed some TLC. Today two similar homes on my street recently sold quickly for $717K and $724K. Dockominiums or West coast of Florida might be a better plan.

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Originally Posted by Kd9truck

Hey, Sailcrazy what marina in PR are you using? You cam PM me if you don’t want that public.
To the OP, I have been looking to find something close if not on the water, with some elevation as I feel it would be good to get out of a flood zone, most of the east coast is shallow and exposed. The Chesapeake has some options, but it is still considered very seasonal by most standards.

Only marina with 1100 slips in Puerto Rico is Puerto del Rey.
Have my boat there on the hard, sailing soon to Palmas del Mar.
Both Marinas I can recommend and Palmas have double storey condos with slips in the upper $400k regions.

But know this:
1. PR is HOT in summer - lingering 100°F
2. Palmas and East Coast have huge sargasso problems in summer
3. Big frustrations getting anything done. Time wise, contractor wise, parts wise. Weeks easily turns jnto months. And you won't believe me.
4. We made a couple of very good friends with non-exclusive PR people. PR exclusive people are unhelpful, unfriendly and hates Americans (I am non-American so I am spared that "G"-treatment).
5. Prices from food to parts are expensive.
6. The ocean is not as clear as the surrounding islands.
7. Don't expect good or friendly service in general.

On the upside:
I like the heat.
I like the all year round green.
The neat neighbourhoods are neat.
Many many self-employed opportunities for any person who wishes to and who can do contractors work.

There's a few pro's and cons.

[dannc]

Surprise it has not been mentioned...

House insurance can be very expensive in Florida, if you can get the insurance.

My parent's house in Florida appears to be half to third less valuable than our house. So, for half the house value, they pay more in house insurance, which they are lucky to get, than what we pay for in house insurance AND property tax. Their home insurance payment is several multiples more than ours.

Their house is not in a flood zone.

A house on the water is most likely in a flood zone which the house insurance premium will reflect.

One needs to measure the flood risk as well as hurricane risk for a house along the coast. And related costs.

Property tax is high in Florida but that could be offset by the lack of income tax compared to other states.

Later,
Dan

[thataway41]

I also live in Pensacola--actually Perdido Bay, by the Alabama state line. There are certainly "affordable" waterfront homes, under $400K. But issues are two fold: One is deep enough draft--for example I have 5+ feet at my doc, but a sand bar is at the entrance to our Bayou, and we are dependent on a 40' twin screw power boat to keep it much more than 3 to 3.5 feet deep.

The second issue is hurricanes and flooding. Ivan and then 16 years late lead to the majority of older homes being flooded--and requiring at times over $200,000 worth of repair. All new homes have to be at least 13' off Mean High Water mark. Then the vehicles are going to flood if you don't evacuate. Boats are safe in our particular canal/bayou--but larger ones like Bayou Chico, where I lived before, has had dock and boat damage due to dragging boats anchored for the storm. There I had 6' at my dock, and most of the time more than 6' at approach--enough for our Cal Cruising 46.

After storms houses sell cheap! We had 7 out of 30 in our area of all waterfront homes sell the year after the storm. Some for in the less than $300K range.

[sac4440]

(Sanctuary), Port O'Conner Texas. We have a beautiful lot and dock house there

[Juggerknot]

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...0_M88467-49032 Straight shot to the intercoastal and you can even build a boathouse according to the listing!