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Coastal baws, questions for you that live on the coast or bay

Posted on 5/16/18 at 7:44 pm
Posted by bamarep
Member since Nov 2013
52352 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 7:44 pm
So during our quick get away do DI this weekend, my wife floors me with the "I want to move to the coast" conversation. We've talked about it since we got married but never really seriously until this weekend. We're both in fairly high demand professions with her being the easiest to place (I have ZERO problem admitting that I'm pretty much her pool boy; jokes welcome)

Questions are other than flood insurance, what wouldn't an upstate baw not think about that involves living on the coastal water. I don't think that neither of us want to be on the "beach" side but could easily to the bay (looking at Mobile Bay). She wants to still have a yard and I want to still easy access to the gulf.

If we were to build, that are some of the costs we'd incur that upstate folk wouldn't think about?

Piling costs?

Any special septic costs?

Insurance?

We're wanting to try to do this in the next two years and would like to make as educated of a decision as we can but don't know anyone that lives down there.

Thanks for any info, tips.

Posted by Thib-a-doe Tiger
Member since Nov 2012
36542 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 8:09 pm to
Wind and hail insurance will go up

Humidity will cause things to break quicker

Posted by bbvdd
Memphis, TN
Member since Jun 2009
28061 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 8:24 pm to
My parents had a place on Cadillac (bayside) of the island for about 10 years. It was on the east side of the main road in and a “Park” behind their house but nothing behind the except a few trees and then water.

The reason they sold it insurance. It was just stupid. They sold it about 6 years ago.
Posted by speckledawg
Somewhere Salty
Member since Nov 2016
4256 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 8:25 pm to
Wind Insurance was a bitch, but has gone down significantly. In some areas, you’d be amazed at how close to the water you can be and not be in a flood zone too. That said, insurance and storm worries are enough to keep me just a couple miles north. Still close enough to fish whenever I want though.
Posted by dat yat
Chef Pass
Member since Jun 2011
4886 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 8:45 pm to
My place is on a harbor leading to lakes.
I built a small pier with a lift a couple years ago for about 6k. Large pier with a boathouse will be 15-30k.
Like others said, insurance is high. Mine is a condo, so the HOA makes that a little cheaper.
Anything metal will corrode faster in the salt air. My 5 yo grill is almost shot. Deck chairs corroded fast too.
I still work, so I was limited to 30 minutes from NOLA CBD.
It's worth the drive.
Posted by Warrior Poet
Living Rent-Free in Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2011
8027 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 8:46 pm to
Windstorm insurance through the roof

Flood insurance generally higher for a shitty product

Everything finds a way to be more expensive from HOAs to taxes

You live amongst a lot of trash in my opinion even if your specific neighborhood is nice



Posted by Gaston
Dirty Coast
Member since Aug 2008
41694 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 9:07 pm to
Come down and drive the coast from Mobile to Bay St Louis, see if y'all want to be in a little community, one with a yacht club, ones with nightlife or restaurants...
Posted by bamarep
Member since Nov 2013
52352 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 9:11 pm to
We don't really do yacht clubs or nightlife. Neither of us care about that at all.

Even when we rent a house at the beach, we rarely even go out to eat.
Posted by Gaston
Dirty Coast
Member since Aug 2008
41694 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 9:12 pm to
Yacht clubs just give water access, whether it be a lift, a slip, or just a lay down yard with wash outs, fish cleaning tables...
Posted by Cowboyfan89
Member since Sep 2015
12950 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 10:40 pm to
quote:

"I want to move to the coast"

quote:

Thanks for any info, tips.

Don't. Seriously, don't give yourself that headache.

You can do everything right, and a hurricane could come along and blow everything away.

Living in the coast is nice, but there's always that possibility of losing it all. Every man has to decide for himself whether he wants to take that risk.

Me...after watching so many lose everything to Rita and Katrina...I don't want anything to do with the coast as far as owning any structures of real value down there.
Posted by go_tigres
Member since Sep 2013
5431 posts
Posted on 5/16/18 at 11:52 pm to
I’ve toyed with the idea several times. I owned a “cottage” at the beach club several years ago. We’d go for long vacations, 2-3 weeks, several times a year, then it hit me. Living there kind of took the magic out of vacationing there.
Posted by Purple Spoon
Hoth
Member since Feb 2005
20180 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 12:05 am to
quote:

Living there kind of took the magic out of vacationing there.



This
Posted by DaphneTigah
Flying under the radar.
Member since Dec 2007
4993 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 2:25 am to
What is your budget?
Posted by Milescb28
New Orleans
Member since Oct 2008
218 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 7:44 am to
My folks have a place on the coast and the couple of things I learned was insurance can vary quite a bit. I don't know all the different rules and regulations but I would try and find an insurance agent with good knowledge. Certain roof shapes and windows can lower your premiums(certain roof shapes deflect wind better apparently). If the place is raised and has a too much enclosed space under the house the premiums will raise significantly (the enclosed place will act as a big sail if any significant water gets under the home during a storm).

I'm sure others on here have more knowledge on this stuff but just thought I would pass it on.
Posted by Sancho Panza
La Habaña, Cuba
Member since Sep 2014
8161 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 8:47 am to
Lease a place for a year, before a permanent removal to the coast.
Posted by bamarep
Member since Nov 2013
52352 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 9:27 am to
Between 3 & 4 but considering buying land and building.

I found three acres on the bay for 79k. We're about to be empty nesters so we really don't need some big arse monstrosity.
Posted by Tiger Prawn
Member since Dec 2016
25084 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 9:44 am to
quote:

Between 3 & 4 but considering buying land and building.


Homeowners insurance will generally be a lot cheaper on newer construction as opposed to a 30-40 year old house because of stricter building codes related to wind mitigation.

Flood insurance can still be pretty cheap too even on the water (long as you're in an A zone, not a V zone). Just depends on how far above that area's base flood elevation you build. 2' or more above that and you're in the $600-700/year or lower range.
Posted by lion
Member since Aug 2016
816 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 9:58 am to
quote:

Don't. Seriously, don't give yourself that headache.

You can do everything right, and a hurricane could come along and blow everything away.

Living in the coast is nice, but there's always that possibility of losing it all. Every man has to decide for himself whether he wants to take that risk.

Me...after watching so many lose everything to Rita and Katrina...I don't want anything to do with the coast as far as owning any structures of real value down there.
Ive lived on the coast my entire life and have been hit by a dozen hurricanes and it didnt destroy my life or, thankfully, my house. I had to work in Birmingham for 6 months and my house was wiped out by a tornado. Point is, you arent escaping fire, wind, or rain and picking certain areas on the coast makes a big difference. If you choose to move to New Orleans and choose Mid-City instead of Uptown, be ready for water

Most of the area around Mobile Bay does not flood, even during a strong hurricane, so thats a positive if you move to that area.
This post was edited on 5/17/18 at 10:03 am
Posted by Bama and Beer
Baldwin Co, AL
Member since Oct 2010
84610 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 10:08 am to
Look into Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Point Clear areas. Theyre the best locations on the eastern shore. But I might be biased.
Posted by bamarep
Member since Nov 2013
52352 posts
Posted on 5/17/18 at 10:17 am to
That's ideally where we'd like to be but bayfront on the east side is high as a camel's arse.
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