Last updated on June 18th, 2023 at 07:21 pm
Last Updated on June 18, 2023 by
Snowbirds visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast each year and call the area home for weeks or months at a time. Are you one of those snowbirds who come each year? Snowbirds why not build-buy a beach home now on the Mississippi Gulf Coast? Gulfport is a great place to buy land and build your new vacation home. Easy access to everything on the coast and within walking distance of the beautiful white sand beaches.
There are deals on beachfront condos and existing houses all near the 12 casinos and other venues on the Coast. The winter months are a great time to shop for a new home either build yourself or buy one already built. Property is available at an affordable price even with inflation. Compare a new home including land and property for about $450,000 within walking distance of the beach. The plans below are an example of a house that was built near the beach.
As you can see from the plans above, the house is somewhat elevated to meet insurance requirements for the correct elevation. The new building codes created after Hurricane Katrina are designed to protect the property in the event of a large storm or hurricane. I am impressed at how much thought and work has gone into these new builds. Governments and builders have learned a great deal about how to build a home to withstand the elements. Back to the price, compare $450,000 to what you would pay for a standard home in a development in your cold environment.
Older homes in Southern California selling for nearly one million $
I moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Southern California where a house built 10 miles inland from the beach in 1954 is selling for almost one million dollars. Compare this beautiful home within walking distance of the beach for less than half of that house in Southern California. Homes in Canadian metro areas are in the same range as California houses so those Canadians reading this will fully understand what a bargain the Mississippi Gulf Coast is.
I mentioned Gulfport because there are still a few bargains around on vacant land near the beach. There are lots in nearby cities including Long Beach the city just to the West. Any of these lots is the ideal location for your winter getaway.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast and the City of Gulfport in particular favor low-rise buildings. There is only one highrise condo on the Gulfport beach and it’s on the North side of U.S. 90 (Beach Blvd). The city offers an unobstructed view of the beach during your drive.
In addition to reasonable property taxes and much lower costs for utilities, food, and fuel than most other states, our climate is great. There is no need to keep driving further South to that other state that is already crowded.
You were thinking of Daytona Beach, not the Mississippi Gulf Coast
You will be in a great snowbird company if you buy along the Mississippi Gulf Coast as many others from Canada and Northern states own properties here. The city of Gulfport will allow you to use your vacation home as a short-term rental. Rental properties are well-taken care of along the coast and provide owners with supplemental income. An easy way to make an additional income is to rent the properties during the summer high season and then you arrive to live the snowbird lifestyle in the winter.
Some people from the Northern areas think of South Carolina, North Carolina, and even Daytona Beach as places to stop. This is because they have not been to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. There can be no other reason why someone would give up lower prices, warm weather, and white-sand beaches not to mention our casinos.
I was looking at the LoganAndersonllc.com website today and I found a house selling for $159,000 located a couple of blocks from the beach in beautiful Pass Christian. Pass Christian is another beautiful coastal community a few minutes from Gulfport. The house is a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom property with a yard. This property could be acquired as a vacation home, a great option for a snowbird.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast and Gulfport are the ideal places to start your search for that perfect vacation home.
Locals appreciate snowbirds, they improve the economy
People who live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast consistently meet the needs of winter visitors. Many snowbirds visit the Gulf Coast every year and they often stay at vacation homes. This is why there is such a need for vacation homes. Snowbird rentals during the summer help others enjoy the area.
Most snowbirds who come to the Mississippi Gulf Coast during the winter months come from an expensive metro area. They see the bargain prices for vacation homes and when they arrive, they think if the rental prices are this much lower than that other Southern states, perhaps property prices are too. They would be correct of course.
Of all of the places that snowbirds go during the winter, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the most inexpensive particularly when compared to Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and other well-known areas. Many of our vacation rentals are booked during the winter which tells you how popular our area is.
Stop by Gulfport and stay a while
If you have any upcoming trips planned, consider a stop by Gulfport or one of our other great coastal cities. When you come to the area to look around for your new vacation home, consider staying in one of the many vacation rental properties in the area. ChristiesGulfBeachRentals.Com is a good place to start looking for your short-term vacation rental property.
If you thought about going to the New Orleans Mardi Gras while you were on the Coast, look no further than each of the Mississippi Gulf Coast cities. Each of these cities has its own Mardi Gras parades. Gulfport is a starting point for going to the various Mardi Gras parades.
Plenty of RV parks to choose from
Should you decide to drive to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in your RV, there are several RV parks along the coast and in the surrounding areas. ChristiesGulfBeachRentals.Com has one property with two 30 amp plugs, water, and sewer. The house was built in 1900, it’s beautiful with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a porch overlooking the beach. There are areas where you can pull your RV parallel to the beach and park for free but just for one day.
Speaking of the beach, some of the favorite features are white sand and shallow water. The counties have provided convenience at some beaches with clean restrooms, kiosks, and fire rings. There is a miles-long walking path and the City of Biloxi has extended its boardwalk. With your extended stay, you will discover many other hidden wonders of the area.
Take a new look at the Mississippi Gulf Coast and you will discover that many activities if not most are at no charge. No charge to park at the beach. Compare that to crowded destinations that charge for everything.
Snowbirds think of country living close to the beach
Back to the concept of snowbirds buying a vacation home on the beach or in the country. I mention the country because I have listed for sale a property that as it happens is a vacation rental located about 15 miles inland from the beach. To start with, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is not a densely populated place. Only about 430,000 people are living in three counties.
What still amazes me is how fast you can go from the more populated beach area to the country in a few minutes. This property I just mentioned is but one of many located just inland of the beach that offers both the convenience of the beach, shopping, and entertainment but the seclusion of the country.
The photo below shows the property which is located on a finger of the Pascagoula river, we call this a bayou. The owner can fish from the backyard or take a boat to Florida. What I mean is that this finger is attached to the large river which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. You could not ask for easier access to the Gulf.
The house is rustic in appearance but a modern inconvenience. When I listed the house for sale at $178,000 (compare to a house in Vancouver for $1.5m) and was flooded with requests for information. The fact that the property was on well water was a selling point.
Let’s not stop there, look at the photos of the long-horn cattle below. Yes, there are ranches within 10 miles of the beach. I found a property about 30 minutes from the beach with 39 acres, a lake, and a small river running through it. The selling price is just under $450,000. Less than $12,000 per acre. Remember that house above, you can build that on the same land for about the same price. Nothing like having a Texas-style ranch near the beach. If you are not ready for a large ranch, buy one of the many five-acre lots.
You live in a cold climate why not change all that?
Perhaps you live in a cold climate because you have a job or family living in the area. That’s not to say you should not consider making the Mississippi Gulf Coast your new home and using your cold climate home as a summer vacation home. Or, rent a vacation rental where your current home is after you purchase a home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Should you decide to sell your house up North, you can use a portion of all that equity to buy your home in a warm and welcoming climate. Your family can come down to visit you which is probably where they would prefer to be in the winter. Four major airlines serve the Mississippi Gulf Coast through the Gulfport International Airport. This can work for you because it works for me and many others who have done the same.
Florida was the place where your friends and relatives decided to winter and then live. Now the place is the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We have so much more to offer than Florida ever did and we don’t have the crowds. You need not wait in line for a seat at a restaurant (with few exceptions on Fridays during the summer).
Have you ever built a house?
I discussed building a new house above or you could buy an existing house. The concept of building your own home should be interesting. I have talked with people who have told me that they were concerned about the whole concept since they knew nothing about it. Ok, I can understand what they mean. Fortunately, there is a way to have your new custom home without all of the efforts. This is how it works.
You have decided that the idea is worth pursuing. The next step is to decide where you want to live. By the beach or further inland. On the West side or East side of the Gulf. Now that you have that decision fairly solid, it’s time to look for a piece of land. You will be provided with links to several available properties. Pick one that looks good. You are not there yet, there is a bit more.
Next, select the plan you want e.g. 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house about $1,400 square feet. That’s good enough for now. The builder will check to see if the plan will fit on the lot. Assume it does. Great. Now what? You will be provided with a price for the house and the lot together. If that price works for you then the next steps begin.
After the lender gives the ok
Your real estate agent will create an offer for the land. You must sign the offer and accept it with a modest earnest money deposit. Don’t worry, you get our deposit back if financing falls through which It would if the project does not develop. Securing the land is important.
You are introduced to the project lender (you can use your own) who will work with you to insure the house and land can be financed with your good credit and qualifying debt-to-income ratio. Assuming this is a breeze, the builder will reach out to you to discuss the finer points of the project asking you to select items such as cabinet color, flooring, and other items that are included in the price.
The builder will permit some changes to the plans, to keep the price within the credit approval, it is necessary to pay attention to your maximum approved amount. Changes will probably increase the purchase price so the builder will want you to know the new price and the lender will want to be sure that the new price is ok with their approval.
For example, the lender has approved a total project to include a house and land of $460,000. The land cost is $80,000 and the house cost is $370,000 for a total of $450,000. You have decided and the builder has agreed to enlarge the master bathroom and reduce the closet in the bedroom. This involves pushing a wall out and some other changes.
The cost for this change is $4,000 and the lender has approved it because you still have another $6,000 of funding remaining. Perhaps you want more expensive flooring that will raise the cost another $3,000. That’s ok as well. Now you are near the maximum so no more big changes.
What happens next?
Now the house’s final cost is worked out. Time to sign the builder’s contract for the purchase of the building. You sign documents with the lender who will secure the land with part of the loan and use the remaining part of the loan to pay the builder as the work is being done.
During this process, you will shop for insurance on the completed project. Read this article about how to shop and buy insurance
Your real estate agent, the builder, and the lender will be in contact with you during the entire process. This will include sending videos at various points during construction. An occasional conference call with all involved will keep the project on track. The contractor will have given you an estimated completion date which will vary somewhat based on the weather and supply issues.
At some point, a final inspection will be made involving you if that’s possible or your real estate agent standing in. After the final inspection, the project goes to the closing attorney where checks and documents are exchanged. You receive your keys.
What about that warranty?
The builder will provide a warranty against material defects and usually repair most things in the first year. Refer to your purchase contract for specific warranty terms and conditions. Mechanical items such as the AC/heater, and water heater will have their warranties. Your real estate agent will email some articles to read about what happens after you move into your home.
So you would like to look into building a new home
Logan-Anderson Gulf Coastal Realtors can help you through the process. To get started, simply click the button below which will take you to a form that can help us understand what you are interested in. We will schedule a call with you and discuss the details you have provided to us. The process is really simple. Should you desire to make major changes to the plans it would be time for a change in direction.
We have an answer to that situation as well. Should we not have plans on file for what you are looking for, the builder can work with an architect to create your drawings. After all, it is your house. We look forward to working with you. Thanks for coming to this website. Please listen to our podcasts and watch our Youtube channel.
Consider retiring on the Mississippi Gulf Coast not just visiting during the winter. There are many benefits many of which are available for Canadians as well.
Our main website to search for property is LoganAndersonllc.com
