Beach Yourself in Front of a Beach Front Condo

Whenever I eavesdrop on a conversation about beach front condos, as a rule, I immediately barge and bully my way into the group's sight feigning a chest condition that requires large doses of sea air. And while, due to a recent dissipation of manners, nowadays I rarely receive an invitation to condo-sit, one could easily make the claim that I'm something of a beach front condos expert.

The important thing to remember with contemplating your beach front condo is: You lucky dog! However, while reposing inside of a seaside bungalow proves an excellent vacation, purchasing said accommodations is no day at the beach. The desirability of beach front condos directly leads to skyrocketing price tags. And, finding a good deal amongst all the bad ones could be a lot like sifting through…well, sand.

If you're simply looking to rent, it behooves you to know that beach front condos come in variety of terms and price ranges (mostly bad and high). Timeshares (in which a series of renters pool together resources, divvy up costs, and accordingly assign times when each family can visit) are generally an inexpensive means to enjoy the vast and sundry fruits of beach front condos. The overall lack in convenience, however, dissuades many.

But renting beach front condos typically means some sort of timeshare program-only the landlord is in control and therefore, costs are still high. But, many families find weekly renting an affordable, reliable, and effortless option for vacation location. An internet search of "beach front condos" will yield more offers than you'll care to examine. The larger and more established travel websites (www.orbitz.com, www.cheaptickets.com, and www.priceline.com) routinely allow bids on condominium rentals. How much can one expect to pay? The answer to that question hinges on two key factors: Location and season. Expect to pay dramatically less if you can enjoy winter beach front climes. Conversely, expect to pay top dollar if your destination is Maui in early July. Competition for condominium rentals during peak vacation season (June-August) at exotic locales is unreal-and by unreal I mean really, really expensive.

Purchasing a condo, while an unneeded headache for the amateur vacationers, could be the most cost-efficient option. The combination of mortgage payments and assessment fees, oftentimes, is lower than most rental fees, not to mention the ability to store equity and enjoy appreciation value (beach front condos always appreciate in value-even in New Jersey). The two main problems with purchasing a seaside condo are: One, you'll have to make mortgage payments in the dead of winter when not using it at all. And, two, finding a valuable condo, in terms of investment and resale, is incredibly difficult. If considering the purchase of a vacation condo, consult a realtor-there are just too many variables for a layman or laywoman to sort through. Besides it's supposed to be a vacation home-leave the hard work to someone else.

Timeshares, in the end, are probably the most convenient and cost-effective way to purloin some beach front condo-time. While limited in terms of vacation timing, timeshares (sometimes) slice out a rental middleman, which, in turn, cuts costs. But, be careful; oftentimes advertised "timeshares" are nothing more than schemes machinated by landlords to fill beach front condos during off-peak months. A real timeshare is owned by the participants; seek out one of these. If unable to find an existing, affordable timeshare talk to friends and neighbors about starting one up-it's easier than you think. Just remember not to talk so loud-"Cough, cough. Excuse me, did someone just say 'beach front condos'?"