Miamism

If you are buying a Miami waterfront home, you are likely to have a boat or will be considering a boat in the near future. We are constantly asked a number of questions regarding waterfront purchases and Rick and I decided to write a list of 7 important factors to consider when buying a waterfront home in Miami.

Condition of Sea wall - It is important for anyone buying a waterfront property to get a seawall inspection by a structural engineer or a seawall specialist. Inspections should include not only the actual seawall but also settling cracks within the main house, patios and pool as well as dock areas. Because most canal systems in Miami and Miami Beach are artificially made or made with landfills, the integrity of the seawall could ultimately determine the integrity of the structure of the home. Doing a visual inspection of seawalls of adjacent properties is also recommended in order to avoid future settling.

Type of waterfront property - If you look at an aerial view of Miami and Miami Beach, you will notice that there are numerous types of waterfront properties: lakes, rivers, canals with direct ocean access, canals with fixed bridges, canals with no ocean access, non-navigable canals, and bayfront homes, to name a few. Depending on the type of boat you have, you will need to consider fixed bridges (clearance heights), depth of canals, and proximity to bay and or ocean access.

There are several waterfront communities in Miami that have direct ocean access but you have to navigate at idle speed for miles which can mean being on your boat for a couple of hours before you can really do some boating.

Boat Dock - it is important to inspect not only the condition of an existing dock, but also if the type of dock can accommodate your boat. There are a lot of canals in Miami with natural coral sea walls and no docks - you may not want to dock your boat next to natural coral. If there is no dock on the property, it may be a good idea to contact DERM (Department of Environmental Resources Management) about what kind of dock they will allow in a particular canal. DERM may even send an inspector out to the property in order to make recommendations.

Davits and/or Boat Lift - depending on the size of the boat, most boat owners will not keep the vessel inside the water and use davits and/or boat lifts to raise the boat out of the water while not in use. Whichever your choice, make sure to inspect existing davits or make sure the existing seawall can accommodate a boat lift of your choice.

Protection from the elements - Bayfront homes are obviously the most desired type of waterfront property but can also leave your property very exposed to the elements (weather and hurricanes). Canal front properties are said to protect not only your house but boats as well in case of increment weather. This doesnt mean that you should not purchase a bayfront home, it means you should consider location when purchasing.

Location of home within a canal - because of the intricate design of canals in Miami and Miami Beach, some canals may be comparable to dead-end streets. These canals, depending on currents and wind may accumulate debris and garbage that can become a nuisance. If a property is located at the end of a dead-end canal, make sure you ask about accumulation of debris throughout the year.

Insurance Costs - just keep in mind that property insurance costs will be higher for waterfront homes, especially open bay properties.

There is nothing like owning a waterfront home in Miami. To be able to enjoy our beautiful weather as well as the views is priceless and it is what makes Miami Waterfront Real Estate so unique.

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Ines.Hegedus-Garcia 19 feedbacks »

Comment from: monika [Visitor] · http://monikamcgillicuddy.com/wordpress/

Wow Ines. I never knew you had to worry about sea walls and dead end canels. These are excellent tips for the waterfont buyer for sure.

Permalink April 19, 2008 21:36:15

Comment from: Ann Cummings [Visitor] · http://www.NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com

Wow, you have to think about different things down there for waterfront properties than we do here along my coastal areas.

Permalink April 19, 2008 21:49:59

Comment from: Ines [Member] · http://www.miamism.com/

Sea walls are major Moni because they can cost around $1000 per linear foot to repair (depending on the damage) - dead end canals can stink certain times of the year. Imagine buying a multi-million dollar property that smells like there’s a dead animal?

Ann - isn’t incredible the differences between our markets - you would figure waterfront properties would be very similar.

Permalink April 19, 2008 22:01:29

Comment from: Laurie Manny [Visitor] · http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/

Here in Long Beach we have the same issues when buying a waterfront home.  It is usually recommended to also have a mold inspection.  Do you have mold issues in Miami like we have here?

Permalink April 19, 2008 22:17:14

Comment from: Louisville KY real estate [Visitor] · http://info@hair-necessities.com

What a thorough list. I honestly never would have thought to have a seawall inspection and I used to live in Fort Myers Beach on a canal!

Permalink April 19, 2008 22:37:45

Comment from: Ines [Member] · http://www.miamism.com/

Laurie - mold in Florida is second nature to us because of the humidity and it can be major during inspections. Imagine those vacant houses during the summer with no a/c? Eeeek!

Some people do go overboard with the “elevated mold level” requests - it gets out of hand and I’m even learning about correct levels so we don’t fall in a trap. Now TOXIC mold, that’s HUGE!

Louisville KY re - you better inspect those seawalls - imagine $1000 per linear foot? The whole structure of a house can be compromised over a bad seawall. In addition, some neighborhoods suffer from poor engineering when these were designed - not a good thought for a multi-million dollar property.

Permalink April 19, 2008 22:59:13

Comment from: Larry Yatkowsky [Visitor] · http://www.yattermatters.com

Hey Ines,

Are there nasty beasties other than Realtors .>), that need be taken into consideration? Just curious?

Permalink April 19, 2008 23:37:34

Comment from: Ines [Member] · http://www.miamism.com/

Larry - Nasty Beasty Canadian Realtors you mean? : )

Permalink April 20, 2008 00:01:17

Comment from: Cyndee Haydon [Visitor] · http://www.clearwaterrealestatetampahomes.com

Ines - what a great list - these are all things buyers in Clearwater and Tampa Bay need to consider too. Love the list.

Permalink April 20, 2008 15:17:25

Comment from: Missy Caulk [Visitor] · http://AnnArborRealEstateTalk.com

We had a seawall, ( well a lake wall ) but we call it a seawall inspected when we bought out lake cottage too.

I found this on Plaxo feed.

Permalink April 20, 2008 16:10:27

Comment from: Ines [Member] · http://www.miamism.com/

Thanks Cyndee - I think the Florida waterfront real estate market should be fairly similar (unlike our neighbors on the North Coast).

Missy - we call lake walls seawalls as well….go figure!

Permalink April 20, 2008 23:44:45

Comment from: Irina Netchaev [Visitor] · http://www.PasadenaCARealEstateHomes.com

Excellent list! I used to live in Miami Beach when I was a kid and loved to see all the boats docking. It would be soooo great now to buy one of these water-front properties on one of the gorgeous islands that are so prevalant there. Thanks for bringing back the good memories!

Permalink April 21, 2008 23:14:53

Comment from: Boomer Jack [Visitor] · http://jaymerton.wordpress.com/

I looked and I looked and I LOOKED! I don’t see alignment issues. You do a beautiful job with your posts!

Permalink April 22, 2008 12:08:56

Comment from: Ines [Member] · http://www.miamism.com/

Irina - what makes Miami and Miami Beach so interesting is the different islands and canal systems - I’m glad you pointed that out.

Jack- you are really funny (must be the perfectionist in me) and THANKS!

Permalink April 22, 2008 16:36:16

Comment from: maggie vancouverreflections [Visitor] · http://www.vancouverreflections.com

hi ines: you guys sure have a lot to take into consideration. in vancouver we just purchase waterfront. no boat dock, or boat lift, no canals or protection from the elements and the insurance doesnt increase because of the waterfront conditions. it’s just considered the best real estate investment. period. p.s. i’m a pal of that yattersmatters guy!

Permalink April 23, 2008 00:02:17

Comment from: Ines [Member] · http://www.miamism.com/

Hi Maggie - first let me tell you that any pal of that “yattersmatters guy” is a pal of mine. I would be curious about waterfront conditions in Vancouver….I’m learning that it is very different everywhere you go.

Permalink April 23, 2008 00:14:00

Comment from: Diane Aurit [Visitor] · http://www.BestRealEstateLakeNorman.com

Ines, we have similar considerations for our lake’s waterfront properties. This is a great, comprehensive list of your buyers and sellers!

Permalink April 23, 2008 08:44:25

Comment from: NIck Appr [Visitor] · http://www.appraiseFL.com

I often lay awake at night and wonder if the homes at the dead ends of the canals are worth less than others away from the dead end. You’re dead on about the derbis and junk that accumulate at the ends. I’ve noticed in a few places that the ‘poop pumps’ are also near some of these dead end streets.

Consider location and typical wind direction to avoid the stinky smells in some areas.

Great post Ines! Rick’s boating advice is clearly a great value to your Realtor duo! I guess he makes it easy to look like Don Johnson cruising South Florida’s incredible water infrastructure. Maybe I’ll start calling him Jon Donson! :)

Permalink April 23, 2008 12:52:13

Comment from: Ines [Member] · http://www.miamism.com/

Diane - thank you! sometimes the trivial things that we see every day are the ones the public wants to hear about.

Nick - I don’t know about being worth less, I can tell you that they may be more difficult to market. Jon Donson!! you are too much (but you already know that)

Permalink April 23, 2008 19:46:07

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