Why would I write a blog article about investing in Gulfport MS? Because it’s a great city to find and acquire an investment property. Most of the communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are older than Gulfport which was only founded as a city in late 1898, recent for an area that served as the French capital of an area from Florida to Washington State in 1699.

Gulfport was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina which wiped out many businesses and homes not just on the beach but well inland of the beach. It has taken years to recover and that process continues. Elected officials are aware of the need for development and they have informed city staff to work hard to help individuals and businesses to locate and improve properties in the City.

Some major accomplishments over the past decade are the rebuilt Island View Casinos, one on the beach and one on land. The Mississippi Aquarium opened not long ago. The port is expanding by adding new tenants and jobs. New shopping venues have developed along the I10/HWY 49 corridor. Perhaps one of the most important developments is all of the new homes being built north of I10.

Many people are building new homes along US 90 (Beach Blvd) replacing homes destroyed during Katrina. Some lots on the beach that once housed gas stations, restaurants, and other commercial venues are being used to build homes. The value of properties along the beach has risen fast. It’s common now to see million-dollar homes along the beach. The area around 2nd street has been improved over the past few years as more homes are remodeled and built on empty lots.

Gulfport has some of the lowest-priced properties of any community along the coast. I put my money where my words are and purchased several properties with other investors in Gulfport. My investors are pleased with the returns from their rentals and vacation homes. The best bargains to be had anywhere along the coast remain in Gulfport.

The area south of the railroad tracks is close to the beach so the values of vacant land and homes have grown faster than other parts of the area but are still a value compared to Ocean Springs or Bay St Louis. It won’t be long before all of the lots along Beach Blvd will have been developed. Years ago before Katrina, there were few empty lots along the beach. While Katrina was truly a disaster, it opened up opportunities for investors to buy and develop the rarest of properties in the U.S., beachfront land.

As I write this the price of lumber hit a peak and has come down a bit. Building a home is still more costly per square foot than buying an existing property by a sizable margin. I work with my clients to develop properties that are within walking distance of the beach where the prices are still reasonable. Also, flood insurance is on the rise for homes within 1.000 feet of the beach. Homes set back a block or two are usually on high ground where insurance is more reasonable.

Regarding vacation homes. I mentioned that I work with investors to create vacation homes. One of the critical issues in deciding where to buy is zoning. Gulfport has no zoning rules at the moment. They are written but not adopted. Fortunately, several areas are zoned for “by-right” which means when the rules go into effect, homes in the “by right” zones will always be available for use as vacation rentals.

At the time this was written, you can literally buy any home in the City and use it as a vacation rental because of the lack of zoning. I do not recommend most areas as they may not appeal to tourists. Without a doubt, people come to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Gulfport for the beaches and water sports. They usually want to be close to the beaches. Many of our guests go to the casinos but they are usually a benefit and not the primary reason for visiting.

If you are considering a move to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we have great water property areas that are part of the Biloxi Bay and river systems along with the Coast. New homes are being built as this article is written and you can also buy one of the older 1900’s homes and remodel it. I bought such a home and remodeled it for my office.

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Please contact us at connect@logan-AndersonLLC.com or call 228-215-0031, hit 1 for Sean and 2 for me.