The pricing of coastal property varies by region. Factors that influence the cost of a beach home include, but are not limited to, proximity to the beach, condition and size of the home, population density, and availability of jobs in the area. If you have your heart set on buying coastal property, you can find excellent value if you're flexible in what you buy.

Beach front property in the Northeast or California is the most expensive in the country, because so many people want to live there and only a limited number of homes can actually fit along the coast. In order to find a true bargain on a Long Island beach house, for example, you have to settle for a carpenter special. The house has to be literally falling apart.

Affordable Coastal Properties in the South

If you want a luxurious beach house at an affordable price, the Northeast corridor is not the place for you. From Cape Cod, Massachusetts down to Virginia Beach, all beach homes are well beyond the means of 99 percent of the population. However, the cost of beach front property becomes much less expensive as you head south. From Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Texas, houses along the coast are very affordable for the working class family.

People from New York marvel at the lower cost of living in places like Florida and Texas. A sizable beach front home on Padre Island, Texas that sells for $175,000 will cost $1,750,000 in certain parts of Long Island. That extra zero is why so many people leave the Northeast and retire in less expensive parts of the country.