What could be better than owning your own private walkway to your own piece of the beach at Wrightsville Beach? Nothing... but you need to consider certain things if you do want to buy an oceanfront home. Of course you have your own piece of one of the priciest beaches on the Atlantic coast. Unsurpassed views of sparkling turquoise water and white sandy beaches...

They are pricey and ones in pristine condition are hard to find.

It will take $ 3-4 million to buy a good one...

Oceanfront properties require a lot of maintenance from the grates on the heat pump to the door handles which even if they are the finest nickel do weather - even in a year. The salt air is rough on an oceanfront property. Consider that you must paint a property much more frequently or within a shorter time span - 3-4 years instead of 7-8 years. Nail pops can show up quicker and if the builder did not use galvanized nails on the outside of the building they can crack the paint through and rust. The railings need painting more frequently; not to mention the wind damage possibility from storms...The wind and hail and flood insurance rates are going through the roof because of the massive insurance dollar outlay from the New Orleans hurricane.

These may not be optimistic views but they are realistic. The properties available on our local beaches are some of the finest beach properties on the coast but they all come at a price. The informed buyer must be aware of what is involved in purchase of their American dream...