Pros and cons of being on waterfront

certainly some pros, but there are cons.

floor fans rust frequently
certain color clothes change color/fade
mold
windows always dirty with salt water
same with screens
fixtures throughout the house rust
fridge will rust
anything that can corrode and rust will.

If you live near or by ocean then good to spray all your hardware with silicone spray or lubricant at least every other month. WD40 evaporates too quickly. Door knobs, locks, keyholes, hinges, window handles and all their moving parts, sliding door tracks and latches, basically any metal moving parts will require more maintenance. I also spray the key hole and door latches on my truck. If you don't put magnets on your refrigerator, it won't rust as fast and if you must, then coat the back of magnet with nail polish.

Even if you are not near the ocean the salt air, heat, humidity can all take its toll.

You will replace light switches frequently. It's worth the money to buy corrosion resistant ones.

As a former resident to a beachfront property in STX, ff you can put up with the additional maintenance, the fact you have to be more selective on what you purchase, the possibility of limited conveniences (cellphone and internet were a major issue for me), and possible safety vulnerability, the reward is priceless... It is almost the same as owning boat, you have to be on top of it...

Depends on the specific area, some locations are a real issue for spray/corrosion, while other waterfront areas do not have much of an issue at all, on stx...

Depending on the location, your life will be consumed by salt spray.

Tile floors, mirrors, windows will become slimy.

I'd highly recommend waterfront IF:
1. You will keep up with cleaning all windows floors etc as well as corrosion of electronics.
2. You don't care about having the residue everywhere.

If you are not OK with 1 or 2, consider beach adjacent and hillside.

ST C condos on STX are a nice compromise IMO.

ST C condos on STX are a nice compromise IMO.

+1

Well, thank you for the quick replies. As stated, we are in the early planning stages for a 2 month PMV later this year.

Those water views are priceless.. but we worry about the added costs. Still trying to figure out what additional condo costs are involved in this. We have made up our mind though that we are leaving the mainland.... had enough cold weather.

Regards,

Bill & Joyce

Many places, especially in STT, have great water views without being extremely close to the water or an a beach and still not be a far drive from a beach. You can have the best of both but this environment will take a toll where ever you live so be open to your options. Just make sure whatever you buy or rent is already in good condition and then take care of it.

We lived beachfront in a rental for 2.5 years and I can tell you that we loved so much of it. However, when we went to buy, we bought way up in the hills for all the reasons that you hear. If you have the opportunity, I would definitely recommend renting something beach front for two reasons. First, to get it out of your system. If it's in your head, then you'll never get it out of there until you do it. Second, you can then make your own decisions about how much of these issues are a deterrent to you long term. After our 2.5 years on the beach, nearly all our electronics/small appliances were trashed, and we didn't get much sea spray. So above anything, just remember that you need to budget for unexpected costs as they can start to pile up.

Many places, especially in STT, have great water views without being extremely close to the water or an a beach and still not be a far drive from a beach. You can have the best of both but this environment will take a toll where ever you live so be open to your options. Just make sure whatever you buy or rent is already in good condition and then take care of it.

I agree. I have several friends who live down by the shore and it gets HOT in their places. They all have, need and use AC. We're about 1000 ft up but still epic view - not to mention no salt covering everything and COOL breezes. Actually I like the higher up views of the down islands better anyways. We rarely even need a fan except in dead of summer. Its pretty much a 5 min drive to several beaches from our place and most for that matter... its an island 😉

Depends on the specific area, some locations are a real issue for spray/corrosion, while other waterfront areas do not have much of an issue at all, on stx...

For those of us not on-island, can you provide a breakdown of known waterfront areas on STX that have considerable spray/corrosion issues vs. know areas that don't have much of an issue?

I'd greatly appreciate it (and others might as well) 🙂

Cheers

For me, I'll never, if at all possible, live on or even near the waterfront. I spent Hurricane Marilyn in a Christiansted hotel on the harbor and watched as the sea surge took out the whole bottom floor and actually went all the way up to King street. If you think all your things will survive that wall of water, well...

I choose, instead, to enjoy the view of the ocean with a nice breeze! I can see the ocean and can be in it in 5-10 minutes, tops! Course we don't always have a hurricane, but, one never knows!

Every waterfront home will have significant salt spray and corrosion issues. We live up in the hills and have a great ocean view. Living by the seashore may sound great...until you actually live by the seashore.

i knoe people who live on the north shore up high and they get salt spray and corrosion.

Like all things in life, there are trade offs. Personally the price of corrosion, sea spray and hurricane risk, are worth having the ocean at your doorstep. It's a personal preference. Others may not feel the same so it is your call. There are things you can do to minimize rust, salt spray on your windows, and other issues pointed out on this thread. They can't be eliminated, but you can deal with them in a way that is not a show stopper, for me anyway.

I haven't been here a year yet, so am certainly new, but I've seen no evidence of downside to waterfront living. All my electronics show no signs of distress (including outdoor TV on the sea side of the house), my solar panels work just fine, and I'm not hot, because I have a sea breeze every day. So I have to WD-40 my screen doors more often? Who cares......you're living on the freaking Caribbean Sea!

ChrisMI: great points, esp last one. Note to OP: wherever you wind up, get a place that faces between north and mostly east as that is the direction the wind blows from ~80% of the time. That's actual data, not a guess. You won't care about floor fans rusting cause you won't need them most if the time.

We live oceanfront at Salt river.

I have to say it is a lot of upkeep. We are constantly replacing appliances and electronics. Lots of rust. You learn to buy all aluminum things wood or plastic. The tracks of our sliding doors need constant upkeep.

We do love that we hear the Ocean and view is beautiful so it's worth it.

I know Judith's fancy gets more salt spray then us. We have friends who have a house up on the hill just past the Arawak Inn. They get blasted with salt spray. The waves hit the cliffs down below them then causes the spray to go up.

Good Morning,

Thank you all for the opinions and insight. We will see what we like when we do our PMV.

At this point I would have to agree with the posters who state the "view is priceless" line.

Sure can't beat that... We have been looking out the windows at snow and ice for the past 3 months.

Regards,

Bill & Joyce

You'll see when you come that there are beautiful views of the ocean from lots of places, not just waterfront. 🙂 The islands are amazing that way. Enjoy every minute, and good luck finding the best place for you!

Pros:
1. First to enjoy the tsunami
2. Fresh replacement of rusted car parts every year, like a trade up
3. Dewy skin and moist furniture
4. No household mold since mold hate salt
5. Hurricanes and storms give the house a carwash
6. Save 1% of a tank of gas driving than living half mile back and 200 higher.

Cons:
1. You get a more panoramic view of the ocean and shoreline if you are not in it, if you think that is a bad thing

I really understand the draw of the need to be on the ocean. But, remember this is an island and the beach is ever near! Unlike many places on the ocean on the Continent, you don't have to be right on the ocean to hear it or have, for me, an even better view! I do like my high up view of the reef and the islands north of here.
Our last house had a great view, albeit lower. Now that we are substantially higher, our view is even better as we see two sides from north to all the way from above Christiansted to ocean in Fredericksted. But, now at this house we also get a better view of the islands as they appear so much taller as the view from up higher. From the ocean PoV you would not get that much. I consider when the Tsunami comes, we WILL have ocean front property!

It's a preference and I prefer being higher with a surrounding view, both island bush and ocean!

When we first moved here no one was going to dissuade me from ocean front. After about a year of ruined electronics, going to bed at night on damp sheets, getting up in the morning and putting on damp clothes I had it out of my system. We bought high up on a hill. I have a better view and a much dryer existence.