What You Should Know Types of waterfront property
Special issues for homes on the water
Nothing says "Florida lifestyle" more clearly than a home on the water. Some benefits are obvious: fresh breezes, panoramic views and boating convenience. Others are more subtle: Manatees may visit your backyard and water taxis can drop you off at your dock. But all waterfront property is not created equal. If you're new to this area (or simply new to the market for waterfront real estate), check out the following definitions, tips and cautions gleaned from local experts. Oceanfront property
It is hard to think of negatives associated with oceanfront property -- except for weather and taxes. To address the former, make sure your oceanfront home is equipped with the new grade hurricane shutters, and have an evacuation plan mapped out. While taxes on oceanfront single-family homes are exorbitant, those on condominiums are shared and hence more affordable. Other issues relevant to oceanfront property include privacy and aesthetics. Although beach access from the street may be limited by the owner of a home or condominium, ocean beachfront in Florida is public. Consequently, pedestrians coming from any point along the water's edge legitimately can enter the beach behind your property. If thoughts of an ocean view tempt you to purchase a beachfront condominium, weigh the pros and cons. During the day, you'll behold the ocean in all its moods; but at night, you'll see only blackness -- unless some of your windows face the city. Intercoastal property Properties along the Intercoastal Waterway also offer pleasing views; large, prestigious homes, and convenience for boat owners. But be aware of two potential problems: boat traffic, especially on weekends, and noise, especially in areas without wake restrictions. During the winter season, minimum wake is in effect for most of the Interacoastal; but noise can't be controlled completely. Seawalls require maintenance based on their location, and most problems occur because people do not maintain them. As a prospective buyer of waterfront property, you'll want to have a licensed marine contractor check the condition of the seawall carefully before you close on the deal. (See seawalls below.) Deepwater (no fixed bridges) Be careful. "Deepwater" doesn't necessarily mean that the water is deep. It means there are no fixed bridges between you and the ocean. This benefit is most important to owners of sailboats. Generally speaking, the further east you go, the more expensive deepwater property becomes. All Intercostal waterfront is deepwater, as well as property along various inlets and the New River and many of its canals. Ocean access waterfront "Ocean access" means that there is one fixed bridge or more between your property and the ocean. To capitalize on this option, which is less expensive than deepwater property, make sure your boat is small enough to pass under the stationary bridges at high tide. Keep in mind that the distance from your home to the ocean can cause inconvenience. If your home is on a river or canal that's way west of U.S. 1 and your nautical activities involve the ocean, you may have a long boat ride ahead of you, especially at "no wake" speed. Take a look at a map and see what route you would take to the nearest inlet. (The Broward/Boca area has three major inlets: Port Everglades, Hillsboro, and Boca Raton. ) If boating is important to you, ask your real estate representative about how long it takes to reach an inlet.
These properties offer the buyer beauty and value; but obviously, nautical activity in these small, often man-made bodies of water must be self-contained. Many lakes and canals have boating restrictions. so be sure you know the rules. Also be aware; manmade lakes can be very deep and often are not safe for swimming. After a few feet of gradual decline from the water's edge, some lakes then have sharp drop-offs. Don't assume that an attractive water view means either boating or swimming activities are recommended. Special issues for waterfront property Seawalls Most homes directly on water needs a seawall, which acts as a retaining wall. Seawalls come in two varieties. The more modem and reliable is the T-pile wall, made of piled concrete and wall panels joined with hydraulic cement seals. More antiquated (and no longer built for new homes) is the coral rock seawall. Prospective home buyers should have a licensed marine contractor check property with existing seawalls for any depressions or pot holes in the lawn. These would indicate one of the two common problems attendant upon seawalls: "seepage" or "undermining." Seepage occurs when the "fill" (earth from your property) escapes through cracks in the seawall's cement seals. Undermining occurs when the tide pulls the fill out from under your wall. When seepage and undermining cause large voids behind the seawall, it receives uneven pressure from the water that pushes upon it. Eventually, the seawall becomes unstable and can move or collapse. Seepage in T-pile walls can be corrected by replacing the cracked seals. Seepage in coral rock walls can be corrected through refacing. Both types of walls need to be refurbished every four to five years if they've been properly installed. Undermining occurring with both types of walls is corrected by a "footer," an extension of your seawall built down under the water into the "berm" (canal, river or ocean bottom). A footer gives your seawall better penetration so that no dirt gets washed out from underneath. How much can you expect to spend on seawall maintenance? While a footer can last 20 years, seals and facing need more frequent attention. The cost of upkeep depends on the size of your wall since sealing and facing prices go by the foot. Proper maintenance of an average seawall could mean an investment of $750-$1,000 every few years. Docks As a prospective home buyer, you needn't worry about detecting signs of wear on an existing dock. Damage from rotting will be clearly visible. But don't just use visual cues -- stand on the dock to see if it feels sturdy. For complete peace of mind, check underneath to see if the wood has rotted where the dock is attached to the seawall and whether the pilings are bolted securely to the dock's sub-structure. Painting docks made of pressure-treated lumber is not recommended because the alcohol in paint makes the wood rot faster. Instead, use a wood life preserver like Thompson's Water Seal. A dock's longevity depends on weather conditions, marine life and tidal levels. If sea water rarely rises high enough to wash over the dock's top boards, they can last 15 years. Pilings generally last 30 years, but new techniques have increased their lifespan by an additional 15 years. Many marine contractors are now wrapping pilings with polyethylene casing between the high water and low water lines. Through a similar process, wormy piling can be wrapped and filled with concrete. Boat lifts and davits
Having a boat lift or davit on your property helps you avoid the cost of painting and cleaning your boat once a year. Owning one of these is a matter of preference and convenience rather than necessity. How much are boat lifts and davits worth? They can range from $3,000 to $25,000 --even $30,000. Don't select a boat lift or davit until you know the size and weight of the boat to be held; check with your city to see what restrictions apply to the use of boat lifts and davits; and before you install either one, always have your seawall inspected by a licensed contractor to make sure the wall is strong enough to bear the extra weight. One final note of caution: when you retain a marine contractor for any reason: make sure he or she is licensed and insured and that the appropriate permits for your job have been pulled and displayed. If these forms haven't been followed and an injury occurs on your property, the responsibility will be yours. Hurricanes According to James Sheehan, emergency management coordinator for the City of Fort Lauderdale, the further east you go, the greater the risk during a hurricane. And the greatest cause for concern is not wind or flooding but "storm surge" -- a wall of water coming in from the ocean. Sheehan explains that national models suggest a category four or five hurricane can result in 16 to 20 foot storm surge. |
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Oceanfront dwellings are usually
larger and more prestigious than their inland
counterparts. But they're also in shorter supply. Fort
Lauderdale doesn't have much residential oceanfront
property available either for single-family homes or for
condominiums
Lakes or canals with no outlet
If you own a boat, you have two
options for dry docking it: a "boat lift" is an
elevator or cradle onto which you drive your boat. These
are used for boats ranging in size from 3,000-30,000
pounds. A "davit" is an arm that mounts on a
sea wall or piling and lifts your boat out of the water.
Davits are not designed for large boats.
