Advice: looking into a “beach” house in N or S Carolina

We love Hilton Head Island. Pre-pandemic, you could get something on the island and definitely off island for that price. You would have been at least a mile from public beach access. The nice thing about the island is you can bike to almost anything. I haven't kept up with prices though so it might be harder now. There is a lot off island. Anything off island is going to be about at least a 30 minute drive to the beach with traffic.

I wouldn't consider such a purchase without spending several visits in the area I wanted to stay in at all the times of the year I might visit. You also need to consider taxes and ownership fees. I did some pricing for HH and the expenses really put me off owning anything. We could go down for a week every month and rent a condo considerably closer to the beach than we could afford to buy for the cost of ownership.

I think a lot of it also depends on whether this is just for you or you plan to make it a rental property.

Keep in mind that some of the eastern beaches are losing more sand then can be replaced yearly. It is a major issue in NJ. Unless things change it will get worse. Makes me sad. I spent all my summers and holidays at the Jersey shore when I was a kid..

We are not on the water but the immediate area just north where I live is a flood zone. My friend had flood insurance that was going up some every year for her house. A house the bought from her in-laws who lived there well over 40 years. Anyway her flood insurance went from $200 to $6,000.. that is a fix rate determined by the federal government.

I'v never been there but I've always wanted to live in Blutton, SC. It just looks like a nice place to go!

I am north of you in Canada and love Washington and it’s similar to me. Beautiful place to live!

We have been going to Hilton Head for 35+ years. We were going to buy a place there but decided against it because we wanted to put the $$ into where we live and enjoy it daily instead of just going down a few times a year. We rent every year when we go. My uncle had a place in Bluffton and loved it. With that said, the amount of tourists in Hilton Head June through August is rough. We always prefer the off months.

Given your criteria, I would look in Manteo, NC. You have easy access - less than 5 minutes - to all of the Outer Banks. This house is practically on the water.

www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/103-S-Flats-Ct_Manteo_NC_27954_M59354-20865?from=srp-list-card

Bellingham is in the Puget Sound. The cost of living on the west coast / Pacific Ocean side is way less than that. North of Astoria, OR and south of the Quinalt Reservation in WA. Long Beach, Westport, Ocean Shores and Seabrook are the larger areas (but NOT large at all). Seabrook is the "expensive" area, but the others are not.

We get about 4 months of awesome weather in the summer. The sun is out, but it's not hot.

We vacation in Folly which is close to Sullivan's island and it's a beautiful area. 

I think beach life is different here (I live in Seattle but lived in South Carolina for five years in my 30s). I personally hate heat and sunbathing, but I think if that is what a person wants, that’s not really what we have. There are definitely some warm days on the coast, but I’ve gone to the WA coast more than once on August when I have needed a sweatshirt all day, and it’s cold enough for a down jacket in winter. I say hooray, but I get that many people want to retire to the heat.

This for sure. I live inland from the beach and many of my neighbors have moved away from the coast for this exact reason. 

Since you are ok with living inland, I think you’ll find something in your price range. Why don’t you take a trip up the coast in that area to see which beaches you prefer and then you can work your way inland for your dream home and price.