Many of us have been active surfers judging by the number of clicks on beach houses this week. This isn’t exactly shocking with the holiday weekend and the unofficial start of summer upon us.
As for the beach houses we all ogled on Realtor.com®, it’s safe to say affordability wasn’t a concern. Many of the most popular beach houses are sprawling oceanfront estates with asking prices in the multimillion-dollar range. It’s easy to see the allure: Although we likely can’t afford to buy ’em, it costs nothing to fantasize about them.
But while many of us click on these properties as a lark, there are buyers who are dead serious about their seaside searches.
“We have seen an increase in our buyer pool of investors purchasing second, third, and even more properties on the beach,” says Vanessa Maggi, director of luxury sales at Maggi Realty in Miami Shores, FL.
“Many Americans are still hesitant to cross borders for vacations, but still have the travel bug,” says Maggi. “They are seeking large, stateside beach homes for family travel. Because of this surge, a beach home is an ideal investment property—and the closer to the beach, the better.”
Amen. So let’s have a look at the 10 waterfront wonders with the most clicks on Realtor.com this week, and try to guess which one will be snapped up first. (Spoiler alert: The only one with a pending offer is the cheapest of them all. Go figure.)
Price: $127,500,000 Coastal castle: More of a beach palace than a beach house, this eight-bedroom Mediterranean villa is perched atop a bluff, with views of the Pacific Ocean from almost every room.
The lavish 10,698-square-foot mansion anchors the 3.59-acre property, which also includes a detached guesthouse, a tennis court, staff quarters, and a wellness center with a gym, ballet room, and yoga studio.
There are also multiple terraces and open-air “California rooms” to take in the ocean vistas, and a private pathway leads to more than 208 feet of sandy beach.
Price: $13,900,000 East Coast Elegance: Stroll from this brand-new, five-bedroom luxury home, and pass the infinity pool, the 1,300-square-foot marble patio, the cabana with a wet bar, and the beach showers, and you’ll find a beautiful private beach. The dunes and ocean sit at the far end of this deep lot.
On days when it’s too cold to take a dip, residents can enjoy the ocean from numerous balconies. There’s also a rooftop deck with a fireplace, seating, and dining area with a wet bar—all accessible by elevator.
Price: $20,000,000 Southern comfort: A bridged dune pathway from the ocean will take you to this glorious and significant estate in an exclusive and desirable resort town.
The 10,500-square-foot, copper-roofed, cedar-shingled main residence comes with 2.07 acres, including 200 feet of ocean frontage. The mansion has nine bedrooms—each one tastefully and luxuriously appointed.
The interiors feature an ocean-facing wall of French doors and windows. A grand barrel-vaulted ceiling tops the great room, which is anchored at each end by a fireplace. A remarkable primary suite is housed in its own wing, and there’s a kitchen fit for a Michelin-starred chef.
Outdoors, there’s a pool and pool house, a summer kitchen, and rolling green lawns.
Price: $3,499,000 Lovely lilac: Known far and wide as “The Sea Gem,” this eight-bedroom oceanfront home is located on North Florida’s Atlantic coast, on the famous Cinnamon Beach. It’s outfitted and permitted for luxury short-term rentals.
The three-story home boasts an open floor plan. There’s an elevator, saltwater pool and spa, plus a bridged walkway to a mostly private beach. It’s being offered fully furnished; everything—including the china—is included in the sale price.
Price: $2,080,000 Maine attraction: Experience a different kind of beach life in this rustic cottage on the rocky shore in Cape Porpoise Harbor just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean.
The three-bedroom cottage comes with a newly built boathouse, which includes storage space for paddleboards, kayaks, and other personal watercraft. Tranquility is almost guaranteed here, where you can sit by a cozy fire and watch the bald eagles fish or simply listen to the waves lapping the shore.
Price: $2,650,000 Gold mine: This beautiful beach house has many virtues—among them, $147,585 in rental bookings for 2022. Suffice it to say, income won’t be an issue.
It’s located in the southernmost part of North Carolina’s famous Outer Banks, where families and friends who live on the East Coast love to gather each summer. The butter-yellow beauty is furnished with coastal decor.
Known as Beach Place, this home has six bedrooms, each with its own bath. There’s also a game room with a pool table and a putting green. When you’re ready for the sun, head down the private pathway to enjoy what feels like your own private beach.
Price: $90,000,000 Your own private resort: This massive compound stretches across a finger of land just north of Palm Beach. The Indian River is on one side, and sandy beach frontage on the Atlantic Ocean is on the other.
The compound includes four structures: a luxurious main house, two guesthouses, and a beach cabana with entertaining facilities and a direct path to the beach. In total there are 11 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. The sale price includes all the furnishings.
There’s also a pool and cabana, an outdoor bar, several kitchens, a game room, offices, and staff quarters.
Price: $59,500,000 Maui wowee: Described as a “legacy estate unmatched anywhere in Hawaii,” it comes with 10 oceanfront acres in the middle of the Kapalua Resort.
The 12,000-square-foot main residence features five en suite bedrooms and multiple indoor-outdoor rooms with disappearing walls. To accommodate large groups of guests, there are commercial washers, dryers, freezers, refrigerators, and kitchens.
The lush grounds include tropical fruit trees and flowers. Not only is it a sanctuary for humans, but a portion of it is protected by the Hawaii Island Land Trust as a sanctuary for the nesting and breeding of the ‘ua’u kani (wedge-tailed shearwater) seabird.
Price: $1,150,000 Pacific Northwest fixer-upper: The most reasonably priced of the bunch, and also the most humble, this quaint 1960s ranch house on the Oregon coast near the California border already has an offer pending.
In need of a little updating, the three-bedroom, 1,889-square-foot residence sits on two lots that total almost an acre. It has stairs down to the rocky beach and extraordinary ocean views from the deck.
Price: $120,000,000 Haute hacienda: Another Malibu offering, this mansion has serious Spanish style. The 6.62-acre property sits on a bluff overlooking Paradise Cove and has direct access to 339 feet of beach frontage. The views stretch from Palos Verdes to Point Dume.
The 16,836-square-foot main house has tiled walkways and courtyards. Wrought-iron railings and arches can be found indoors and out. There are eight bedrooms and seven fireplaces on the estate, which also includes a guest house. Luxe amenities include a wellness facility, infinity pool, home theater, and game room.
Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award-winning writer who covers lifestyle, entertainment, real estate, design, and travel. Find her on ReallyRather.com