Northern Neck Real Estate: Southern Style and Charm

5 Common Mistakes when Buying Waterfront Property in the Northern Neck of Virginia

Posted on Fri, Mar 25, 2011 @ 09:05 AM

northern neck propertySo you’re looking at buying a waterfront home in the Northern Neck of Virginia, are you? Great, it will likely be one of the best decisions of your life. This being said, many waterfront shoppers are unaware of some of the things to look for when choosing property, and the following list is meant to help you know exactly what to ask when speaking with an agent regarding the property.

5 Major Mistakes of Buying Waterfront in the Northern Neck

1. Is the Water Deep Enough?: Yep, believe it or not, sometimes people by homes on water where they think they’ll be able to dock their boat, only to find that the depth of the water is not enough. As you might imagine, this can be a disaster. I’ve also seen many occasions when homeowners had to base when they dock their boat on when the tide was in and when it was out. Obviously, such a situation is rather inconvenient to any boat owner.

2. What are the Property Set-Backs?: Ever since the Chesapeake Bay Act went into effect, waterfront property owners in the Northern Neck have been burdened in many ways. The main problem with the Bay Act is that it does not allow for new structures to be built within the 100’ setback. This means whether you want a pool, addition to your home, or any other ‘permanent structure’, you’re likely out of luck…unless it can fit beyond the 100’ mark.

3. Impervious Cover: This is the second half of the Chesapeake Bay Act and it’s a major problem for some homeowners, because the bill says that you’re not allowed to cover more than 18% of your property with ‘impervious’ material. Such material includes homes, driveways, garages, decks, patios, etc. You can probably imagine that many homes in the NN are already beyond the 18% mark, which means these homes can no longer add impervious items to their property.

4. Is There a Home Owner’s Association?: Although HOA’s are not very common in the NN, they still exist in certain subdivisions and developments. This being the case, make sure you’re very aware of the HOA rules before you sign the dotted line.

5. Is a Dock Allowed?: In some parts of the NN, dock permits can be difficult to get. And because every waterfront homeowner usually wants a dock (assuming one is not already there), finding out the dock regulations and requirements is very important when deciding on which property to choose.

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Topics: About the Northern Neck, Northern Neck Real Estate, Northern Neck Waterfront Properties