Communities with Marinas?

[TessK]

Hi there,
I was wondering if those with experience living either onboard full time or those with condos attached to a marina could suggest these places? My husband and I are considering either liveaboard or buying a condo at or near a marina; we have just started to search, and are a couple years from retirement.
Thank you for any and all information!
Tess

 

[O C Diver]

Welcome to the forum!
I keep my boat at a yacht and Country Club that has homes on the golf course, luxury flats, and several high rise condo buildings. The marina is condo also where you own your own slip. I live elsewhere. By all accounts it's exceeding nice and a wonderful safe gated community. Owning a home there isn't cheap and the condo fees etcetera are quite significant.

A good friend of mine lives aboard at this facility and is quite happy. So there's a whole spectrum on cost whether you want to live aboard or also own property in the community. This is in Florida, but a similar situation may be available in San Diego. Certainly worth looking at yacht and country club communities.

Ted

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. San Diego would be tough. Back east it will be easier.

 

[SaltyDogg]

Hello, I live in Washington State and we have some very nice communities with marinas.
Here is a website link to some of the more popular ones.

https://www.washingtonwaterfronts.com/blog/top-boating-communities-of-the-puget-sound/

 

[TessK]

Hi, I should clarify--not looking for such a community in San Diego, but back east, either Florida or North Carolina, perhaps??

 

[O C Diver]

Hi, I should clarify--not looking for such a community in San Diego, but back east, either Florida or North Carolina, perhaps??

While I imagine North Carolina has some of the Yacht and Country Club communities, both Florida's East and West coast have them in a number of areas. Both coasts have inter coastal waterways and significant rivers that are ideal for these types of communities. On the West coast Naples, Fort Myers, Venice, Port Charlotte, and the area around Tampa should have them. I'm sure I've see them near Jacksonville, Palm Coast, and Stuart on the East coast. There are probably many more. In North and South Carolina I would expect there would be some from Myrtle Beach up to Southport.

Ted

 

[mvweebles]

I live near St Petersburg FL. Options really run the gamut. There are a few yacht and country club setups like Ted mentions that I've never been in ("I wouldn't join a club that would have me as a member"), and marinas are fairly plentiful, most have condos nearby but not affiliated. Many condos have marinas as part of their association. Condo marinas come in two broad flavors. First is you rent a slip from the condo association. Second is some form of ownership where you actually own the slip. These arrangements run the gamut from high end condos down to old funky arrangements. Finally, there are a Lot of houses on water where people have their boat in their backyard.

A lot depends on what size boat you're thinking of. 25-foot center console boats are extremely popular and many of the slips are setup for lifts. Obviously not the liveaboard you're talking about, but if you're thinking of a 60-footer, chances are you will need to find a marina that happens to have a condo nearby or the yacht/country club gig.

A friend moved to Florida about 6-years ago with an idea to liveaboard his 60-foot power cat. Marinas to handle that were few and slip rent around $2000/mo. He decided to buy a house on an open canal and put his boat there. Cost at the time was around $700k, but now is worth about $1.25m. Values are crazy right now. But still, if he wanted to head out cruising, he could easily rent his house for $5k-$6k per month.

Personally, I went the low budget route of finding a deeded slip on the ICW that happened to come with an old 1950s era efficiency condo. I rent the condo vrbo which covers the costs. It was affordable 10-years ago when I bought it. With Florida real estate, not so sure these days.

BTW - I moved from SF to Florida in 2005. No regrets.

Peter

 

[TortugaSC]

I can chime in on South Carolina and specifically Hilton Head Island. Windmill Harbour - slips for lease or purchase. Limited condos but numerous homes in the community. It is also home to the SC Yacht Club and has a lock at entrance to the marina. Harbortown - slips for sale or rent and condo's at the marina and all around you in Sea Pines. Shelter Cove - slip rentals and condo's in and around the marina. All are good choices depending on what you are looking for.

 

[BandB]

I think the combination of home and marina can be great. Just be sure you have all the details of ownership and rules. Also, make sure the marina is adequate for your current and future needs. Some of the marinas tied to condos are geared toward smaller day boats.

People mention buying and prices and prior to the latest rise there were people who purchased homes or condos in Florida, just for the docks.

Docks in South Florida rent for $18 to 90 per foot. Typically slips for sale cost from $100k to $600k. So, buying a condo for $750k that comes with a slip or even a home for $1 million with 80 ft of dockage may be financially better plus convenient. There are people who buy the home and then rent it out but use the dock and people who do the opposite and use the home but rent the dock.

I know one person who bought a waterfront home with 110' of deep water dock. His monthly payments of $9000 per month sounder outrageous for a vacation home. However, he rented the home a total of 26 weeks during the year for just over $100k and he rented the dock for 7200 per month. So he used the home about four months and had net income after taxes and insurance of about $30,000 plus the property increased in value another 20%. Not something I'd do but there's value to both sides of a waterfront home or condo with a dock.

 

[READY]

Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach has nice condos and homes adjacent to their marina on the ICW.

 

[BandB]

Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach has nice condos and homes adjacent to their marina on the ICW.

Wifey B: We love Grande Dunes. Use to go there several times a year. We had family with homes there until they moved to FLL. The entire community is very nice.

 

[READY]

Should add that Grande Dunes has golf and tennis and a fantastic oceanfront pool and clubhouse for residents. We had a home and boat there for a few years. Myrtle Beach is called "Redneck Riviera" but Grande Dunes is a standout development.