It now appears that buying a vacant lot maybe the best way to go. An exception maybe houses that were built in 2002 or later. Of course this would depend on whether the house is competitively priced . Insurance discounts are available for houses that conformed to the more stringent 2002 building code. Especially houses that installed high impact windows /doors. Now that some material costs have come down a little and builders are hungrier you can now build a nice house for around $150 sq. ft. But be careful, some neighborhoods are more expensive to build in than others. This means that you can now build a nice 1500 sq. ft house built to your taste for about $225k. Also based on on current sales and listings you can now buy a lot on 30A in strolling distance to the beach for around $200k or less. Be sure to buy a lot with at least 30 ft. above sea level elevation to give you adequate protection from a storm surge. You end up with a nice hurricane resistant beach house that qualifies for insurance discounts on your pick of lots for a total of approximately $425k! I look forward to all your input.
