Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 5 | Page 13

Our downtown areas, subject
to strict building codes and tree
preservation orders, have seen
a great boom in development
in the past decade as the first
generation of property owners
has passed away or moved out
of their beach cottages. Such
properties have been torn down
or relocated to lots outside of
town. In their place have come
larger, single family homes
with modern open plan layouts,
second and third floors,
4-6 bedrooms and en-suite
bathrooms. Landscaping has
simplified, or almost eliminated,
as newer homes are built right
up to the lot set backs.
Some beach towns have passed
stricter building codes in an
effort to control large-scale
development and preserve the
character of our 19th century
beach towns. An example of this
is the City of Rehoboth Beach’s
(somewhat controversial)
FAR (“Floor To Area Ratio”).
The FAR was implemented to
control the amount of square
footage or ‘hardscape’
development on city lots.
Unfortunately, the FAR did not
go far enough since it did not
include architectural guidance,
thus resulting in many
structures eliminating the lovely
wrap around porches that
beach homes are known for.
Thankfully, we have many
talented designers and
architects who have added
lovely design elements to new
homes and renovations of older
structures. Expect to budget
around $1.2 - $1.5 Million for such
newer properties built in the past

decade. Even if your plan is to
buy an older, modest beach home
on second, third or fourth block,
expect to pay $600,000 - $800,000
for the home, around $50,000 to
tear it down or relocate (you still
have to either sell that building or
purchase another lot to relocate
to), and an additional $300,000 $600,000 to build a new property,
depending on the scale and fixtures. Inventory is very tight in
all downtown beach areas. Empty
lots are few and far between, and
often times not currently listed
for sale. Expect to pay around
$500,000 for a standard 50’x100’
lot, and around $200,000 $300,000 for a modest new home,
and you’re in the downtown areas
for $800,000. This holds true
whether considering elevated
stilt-type new construction in
Fenwick and Bethany Beaches
or single-family ground
construction in Rehoboth
Beach and Lewes.
Condo living is a possibility at
the beach – attractive to second
homeowners due to low
maintenance. While condominium
developments are typically
located within a mile or so of
downtown areas, there are
condominiums in all our downtown
areas, some even on the
boardwalk or beachfronts.
Expect to pay $300,000 - $4
Million, depending on location
and amenities.
For second home owners within
the $25,000 - $100,000 range,
there are many beautifully
landscaped and well-maintained
mobile home communities with
single, double wide and modular
options. I cover communities in
a summary at the end of this
article. Be aware that these are
leasehold properties you will pay
ground rent, and will not own the
land. Also, many of these
communities do not allow you to
rent the property out when
vacant, while some allow you to
rent only annually (long term
tenants). This will limit your

income options down the road.
If looking for water views,
then the mobile home
communities across the
Delaware Bay behind Dewey
Beach offer many options for
boat slips and landlocked water
view homes. Access for these
communities is off of coastal
Highway One near the entrance
to Rehoboth Beach, or off of John
J. Williams Highway (Route 24)
in the Long Neck/Millsboro areas.
While you can be in Dewey Beach
in 5 – 10 minutes across the
water, highway access to Long
Neck and Millsboro is around 45
minutes in summer traffic.
Relocating To The Area
Full-Time
If budget allows, then
purchasing a primary home in
the downtown beach areas of
Fenwick, Bethany, Dewey,
Rehoboth, and Lewes is a good
way to go. Inventory remains
very tight, and while this area is
not seeing the same day as listing
ratified contracts as say, the DC
market, you can still expect to be
in a multiple offer situation, often
dusting off that escalation clause.
On a subjective level, in my
experience as a Listing and
Buyer’s Agent in the beach area,
not only can I usually tell when
visiting a property for the first
time if the owner lives at the
beach full-time, I can also tell
how long the owner has lived
here. Simplicity of décor and
landscaping are giveaways, as
is the level of ‘beachiness’ in the
exterior and interior.
Many clients who seek to
relocate to the beach area
full-time decide to buy in the
more ‘suburban’ communities
immediately surrounding the
downtown beach areas. These
are the planned communities
more typic