MS Gulf Coast Home Styles and Property Types

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There are a wide range of home styles along the Gulf Coast.  Many were built in the last century and some in even earlier centuries.  There has been an explosion of new home building the past few years as the cost of insurance, interest rates and low inflation have all aligned at the right time.

Improving economy

Add the improving economy, more job growth in the area with excellent prospects for the future.  You can see why builders are so confident in the three county area to the point that they are again building homes before they are sold.

Prices has been on the rise as well.  Some new home developments have been located in areas that have seen little growth this last decade.  Building north of Interstate 10 continues to increase as more land is available at lower cost.  There are infills in Ocean Springs, Biloxi and Gulfport between U.S. 90 and I10.

Newer homes tend to be more of the sub-division style, that is, about four models per development area offered with different elevations.  The homes are usually built on what most would believe to be a reasonable sized plot of land, not too close to the neighboring house.  Some homes in these developments backup to ponds or trees giving the owner a sense of depth to their lot.

Why so many ponds?

As one drives around the three county area, they will notice a number of ponds not connected to running water.  The reason for some of these ponds is that the Gulf Coast of Mississippi is essentially flat.  There are no hills to dig into for dirt to create bases for homes.  Slabs must be brought to a specific minimum height to meet zone X standards (unlikely to flood).

Developers dig ponds and use the soil to build up roads and property to meet requirements.  Rain water keeps the ponds full and birds drop fish eggs so the pond develops an ecosystem.  Residents in some developments catch fish in the ponds.

New home prices as of October 2018 start from about $125,000 for a 1,250 square foot, three bedroom, two bath, two garage home on a 9,000 square foot lot.

Some developments are created specifically to site larger homes e.g. 4,000 sq. ft and up and could be built on ¼-½ acre lots where RV’s could be parked.

There are a number of small developments where the buyer purchases the lot and has a custom home built either by selecting among plans offered by the developer or by working with an architect and creating their own plans.

Existing homes can be a good place to start for someone new to the area as they are more plentiful and offer the greatest range of location and building style.  If you like a turn of the century home in a quiet area with large live oak trees, you will probably have to buy an existing home.  If you have not read the blog on Live Oaks, you should.  Mature neighborhoods often have great trees on their property and along the street adding charm to the area.

Existing homes are a good place to start

The market for existing homes in October 2018 is what some may call neutral.  It’s neither a buyers or sellers’ market.  There are enough homes on the market to provide a good selection but not so many that prices are driven down.

So, where to start looking?  You should think about the situation you desire.  How about water?  Would you like to live on a bayou, river, bay or on the Gulf.  Do you want a single family home, condo/townhome or duplex?  Do you want to live in Ocean Springs, Biloxi or one of the other Cities on the Gulf or do you want to live in a semi-rural or rural environment?

If you do not know, drive around the area.  At least consider a water home because the Gulf is full of water properties of all types and sizes.  You can live on the Gulf in a high rise condo building with a view of the Gulf or you can live north of I10 on five acres in a large brick home with room for your motor home, boats, off road vehicles and shop.  It’s all here.

Al Capone lived in Ocean Springs

The photo below is of a home built for Al Capone.  He and his crew would come to Ocean Springs to play golf and perhaps plan how to avoid taxes.  This is not a typical Gulf home but it’s a sample of the many styles available.

Brick is a common building component along the Gulf.  It is resilient and does a good job against the elements.  Some newer homes use a combination of siding and brick.  Many older large homes are built almost entirely using brick for the exterior.  The use of columns is a typical design element particularly with larger and two story homes.  Porches in front of homes as well as behind are also a common design choice.

A number of homes have an inset patio or porch in the rear.  This is where the home is built around the porch that is fully covered by the house roof.  French doors usually provide access either from the living area or the master bedroom or both.  Fans can be placed in this space providing for a nice cool area protected from rain.

Composite shingle roofs are typical.  Some homes are built with metal roofs and this is a typical retrofit when replacing a roof on an older home.  Homes on water often have metal roofs. Roofing styles in the Gulf are partly due to wind resistance and partly due to design.  Hip roofs (there are several variations) are popular.  The use of dormers in the hip roofs are used because the height of the hip roofs often give the allusion on a single story home of a second floor.

Hip roofs are common

Most homes with high hip and other style roofs have pull down stairs to allow for storage in the attic.  The attics in some homes have more than 10 feet of height allowing for great storage options.

Natural gas is not generally available in homes along the Gulf Coast.  Electricity is used for heating, cooking and air conditioning.  Some diehard cooks will have a propane tank installed and plumb the gas to the kitchen for gas ranges.  If you build a custom home this may be a viable option to start if you prefer to cook with gas.

Air conditioning is a must in this climate not just for cooling but to remove moisture from the home during the humid months.  Keeping the moisture content in your home in the 50% range or less will prevent damage to paper and wood.  If you purchase an existing home, check the condition of their air conditioning unit, is it large enough for the home?  Some have added to their homes without changing the air conditioner or adding supplemental capacity.

Yes, you can have a waterfront!

If you decide to live on water, please review the blog on “Living on the Water”, there is much that you need to know to make the correct choice and enjoy one of life’s great pleasures.  So that’s enough on this sub-topic for now.

Homes that have irrigation systems are a plus.  Most of the year there is sufficient rain to keep everything green and healthy.  Believe it or not, there are times when it does not rain for a week or more.  There are times where the rain is so brief that it is of no help with vegetation.  This is when sprinklers will help.  This is not by any means a must and should not be a deal killer.

Rain gutters!  This is one of my pet peeves.  New homes do not come with gutters unless you negotiate them in to the deal.  Some existing homes have gutters, a few do not need them due to concrete etc.  Gutters take the rain away from your foundation and when properly installed away from areas where the water may stand for a while.  Without gutters your grass may erode as well as flower beds.

Back to the area you have decided to live in.  Should you choose to live “in town”, that is, within a reasonable walk to restaurants and stores, you have choices through the entire range, condos, single family and duplexes.  If you decide to live in a semi-rural or rural area, your choices will almost always be to purchase a single family home.

You can buy land and build

If you came from a crowded suburban area, the opportunity to buy land and buy a home was probably non-existant.  That’s not the story along the Gulf Coast.  You can select a lot in a development that permits custom homes or you can purchase property and build your own home.  There are many homes along roads throughout the area.  A typical situation is to buy several acres that fronts a road.  Utilities are probably at the road already (electricity, sewer, cable, water).  Build your home 100 yards off the road and add out buildings as needed.

Homes can be located in for example, Ocean Springs where years ago some homes were built as small developments or as custom homes.  Lot sizes are similar and the roads are built on the cross hatch design.  Few of these homes will be in an HOA.

Newer homes in a sub-division are usually incorporated into an HOA.  The fees are usually in the range of $5-$25 per month for single family homes.  HOA fees for high rise condos can be above $500 per month but these fees usually include amenities and building insurance.  Some love HOA’s, some hate them.  You have plenty of choices here, either buy a home in an HOA area or find one that is not or build one on a lot outside of a sub-division.

Review demographics and school ratings

Check my page on demographics for a review of each of the Cities and Counties along the Gulf Coast.  Each community has its own characteristics that make it unique but they all share a common culture that started in 1699 when the first Europeans landed in the area.  French was the first language (least we forget the native peoples who were here first).

Schools in the area are an important element in a home search.  By the way, schools have busses and service city and rural homes.  Even if you have no children in the area, generally home values will be affected by the rating of the schools that serve the area.  If for example the high school was rated a 9 and one in area not far away was rated a 4, which do you think prospective buyers with children would likely want to send their kids to?  So by extension, homes in areas with 9 rated schools may have higher values than homes with 4 rated schools.  Think of resale one day in the future.

If you want a unique home, there are many to choose from.  One or more are generally for sale at any one time.  There is a “castle” home on the beach, there are “glass” art homes and homes that are, well, unusual.  The Mississippi Gulf Coast has something for everyone and if you cannot find it, build it.

 
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