A true “waterfront” property is one that has riparian rights associated with it. In the most states on the East Coast of the United States, the owner of a property that has riparian rights has the right to apply to construct a pier or other waterfront improvement, has the first right to apply for permits for waterfowl hunting, and has the right to prevent others from impeding access to the water or the view of the water. In contrast, a “waterview” property is generally one that is close to the water, but has land owned by someone else between the land and the shoreline. A waterview may have a limited (or no) right to build a pier and may not have any guarantee that another owner will not build a fence, structure or put in plantings that obstruct the waterview. Careful consideration should be paid to what might be placed between the waterview property and the water — if it is community land on which nothing can be built that is very different than private land on which someone in the future may build a multi-story home.
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