Buy a house on the beach

I recently had a phone conversation with an acquaintance who told me about her home-away-from-home, near the beach on Long Island (near Montauk). I spent a few family vacations on Montauk so I could relate to what she was saying.

I told her about my dream to own a house on the beach. She said that was her dream too. For 20 years, she kept telling herself she’d have one someday, and her husband always told her she was crazy. Well, she no longer has the husband, but she has the house.

I could hear the happiness in her voice when she described it. I want some of that happiness too. Someday….

There’s something so special about the beach in the winter.
Years ago, I lived in South Jersey – Ocean City to be exact. My apartment was 3 blocks from the beach and the boardwalk. I would often walk down there, in the snow, to enjoy the beauty and the contrasts – the ocean lapping up on the beach, which was buried in snow. Walking the boardwalk, in total silence, with nothing but white stretching out ahead of me.
That vision is still one of my most vivid and I call on it often.

and I didn’t get to the beach at all. Heavy sigh…..
How am I supposed to start shopping for my dream house on the beach if I don’t even GO TO THE BEACH??

My sister stopped by to see the state of my condo in “painting-mode”. Out of the blue, she asked if I was still looking into real estate (I wanted to invest before the bubble-burst). I said I was but nothing I’m ready to do yet. She said “What about a vacation home? Maybe we (she and her hubby) could do it together?” Wow! Didn’t expect that. I told her once I get my finances straight (another goal), I’d like to talk about it.

I was telling a friend I was putting more $ onto my mortgage and might increase my home equity line in case an investment property came up. And he said…”you could get a rental property but you need to get a beach house”. Double wow! I’d never mentioned that to him.

Amazing what happens when you put something in writing. Maybe I should write down how much money I need to buy it now!

I’ve always been comfortable near the ocean. Odd since until last fall, I didn’t know how to swim! But I recognized it last June when staying in WWC at SM’s condo – that was what I needed and wanted.