"Wait a minute!" my kids ask me. "How can you go on vacation when you're already retired? You're always on vacation!"
The answer is . . . well, you probably know what the answer is. When you're home, even though you're retired, you still have responsibilities. The house. The part-time job. The volunteer commitments. The church or club you belong to. You know, the usual schedule.
When you're on vacation you break your routine. You do different things. And you dream more.
 |
| My dream house at the beach |
When we come to the beach, we always dream of owning a beach house.
 |
| Or maybe something a little different |
We have decided, from a practical point of view, that we're not going to do that. There's simply too much money involved. Too much time. Too much worry, especially if you've got ocean-front property. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming.
 |
| Something more modest? |
Some beachfront spots are luxury resorts, where all the houses are big and expensive.
 |
| No ... this is too much |
Some others, like where we go in South Carolina, are more eclectic. The rich and the poor live next to one another -- although even modest homes by the beach are usually pretty expensive. Which, again, is why we don't own a home at the beach. We can only afford to rent a home at the beach . . . out of season.
 |
| How about a hidden gem? |
One thing to know. The newer homes are all built on pilings. Many of the older homes are ground level. Occasionally you'll see an older home being raised up on stilts. More often the older home is razed, and a newer, bigger house goes up in its place.
 |
| This one needs maintenance |
I'm amazed that despite all the talk of global warming and rising sea waters, people still invest literally millions of dollars to put up a house within a few feet of high tide.
 |
| They're still building |
I wonder what their thinking is. Maybe they don't believe in global warming. Maybe they have so much money they don't care if they lose it. Maybe they can rent it out and make a profit ... and let the future take care of itself.
 |
| One for sale. Don't ask the price. You can't afford it! |
Whatever the reason, the home insurance on a beachfront property must be enormous. But maybe it's still a bargain -- you pony up a few thousand dollars a year, but when the hurricane comes the government pays to rebuild your house, maybe bigger and better than before.
 |
| They all seem very exposed |
I don't know. Still, I'm fascinated by beachfront homes. Are you? Which one would you pick? Realistically, I don't really want one. But . . . wouldn't it be nice?
14 comments:
One of Washington Coast places I visit has an area of small homes and cabins. It's called Washaway Beach. And it does, every year some buildings drop into the sea. Historically it was a point that jutted into the ocean with a town and a lighthouse on it, but, it all washed away. Still people come, even build there. I dunno know.
I live in Hawaii, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. My house is less than a mile from Pearl Harbor, which isn't a beach, it's just a harbor for the military. I think where I live is good enough.
I don't think we should allow houses to be built on the sand right along the ocean where the water laps at the edge of the house or nearby. If people believe in ocean levels rising to build at ocean's edge would be the definition of insanity. At least some are being built on stilts. I read Gore bought an ocean front house recently, not sure if that is correct. My house is three blocks from the ocean on a 100 foot tall cliff, which I think is good.
I live about a half-hour walk from Bellingham Bay. I can have all the good air from the ocean, but none of the dangers. I don't think I'd like to live right next to the beach, for many reasons, not the least of which is the danger of being inundated.
I so "get" what you are saying! For years we vacationed at Cape May, N.J. and thought we would buy when we retired. Well, that was just a fantasy only we didn't know it at the time! The bright side is that we have the freedom to change locations if we want.💖
I like the idea of just visiting the beach homes for vacation. To own one would create too much angst every storm season. I think a half hour drive to the beach would be doable for me.
My last home was right on the beach so my dream was fulfilled I am happy to say. I do believe the happiest and most satisfying years of my life were there, semi-retired and very engaged with community and the shifting moods of the ocean. My ocean is now 5 minutes away and I spend as much time as I can there, just being. I hear you Tom. It is a primitive desire.
XO
WWW
Hi Tom! I love how you incorporate your blog with your vacation AND your photography. There is a lesson in there for me for sure. :-) And yes, I too wonder what some of those property owners are thinking. My guess is that they aren't. They are gambling that "climate change isn't real" and/or that nothing bad or dangerous will happen while they are alive. But the evidence is far too strong in my option. I took a Geography Course about 10 years that said that the U.S. could not survive more than two or three huge natural disasters all at once. It would literally break our economy. I'm not positive that would be true but it's possible. Higher ground seems logical to me. Meanwhile, enjoy your trip! ~Kathy
Whenever we visit the beach we also talk about how nice it would be to buy a place of our own. How nice it would be to step outside (it has to be beachfront or why bother)and hear the waves and watch the sunset each evening. Then reality hits and the cost and responsibility plus the worry when we are not there is more than we want to take on at this time in our lives. Thus making it very easy to change our minds and return to our comfy little home in the suburbs. It is nice, though, to enjoy someone else's investment on a temporary basis and pretend it is our home for the short time we are there.
I understand the dream, but after a week of vacationing on a beach front rental I convince myself that I just wouldn't be able to stand all the sand. My place in FL is four miles from the beach. We used to go every day. Now I go about once a month unless the grandkids are here.
You are so right about vacation vs. retirement and who doesn't want a beach house. Well, I am sure there are some who don't buy it will always be a dream of mine.
I had a friend who owned a beach front house in Hilton Head. She used to tell me to come along and visit there because it was so beautiful. We just never found the time. However, the hurricane came and the house was severely damaged. She had to sell it at a loss. It was really sad. When we got our house in Hawaii, my son was disappointed we were so inland. He wanted to be able to walk out the door to the beach. He sees now why it wouldn’t have been a good idea. We get lots of hurricane scares here and tsunami warnings. Global warming is causing a lot of beach erosion. Nope, not a good idea.
In the UK, we tend to use the word "holiday" rather than "vacation" but I like your term better. As you said, being at home is normal life but when we go away we vacate our normal life, so it is different. We have a vacation/holiday planned for early next month, yaaay:)
We lived right on the waterfront for part of the time when we worked in Hong Kong. I was very excited to have the water and a marina right outside my window, but I was surprised how quickly it just became the normal view and not as special or exciting on a daily basis as I had initially imagined. Maybe the dream of waterfront living is best left to being a dream?
Yes!!! It's one of my favorite activities when we're on vacation. This house? Maybe THIS one? Maybe THAT one? Like you, I and my husband always decide it would be too much work to buy and keep up a winter home. But it's so much fun to look!
Post a Comment