South Florida is the Center of the Universe for Yachting!
South Florida offers many folks who embrace the yachting lifestyle (as well as our wonderful climate and cruising areas). The opportunity to own or lease yacht homes with deep-water dockage which can accommodate yachts up to 175′. Given the fact that South Florida is rapidly becoming the favored place to live and low interest rates – there is not a better time than now to take advantage of buying a waterfront yacht home in South Florida.
Given that yacht dockage is becoming very expensive and limited, it makes sense to dock your yacht behind a home!
There is a selection of yacht homes starting in the million dollar range up, with properties which handle anywhere from a 50′ yacht and up. Because of building and dredging restrictions, these waterfront properties will always go up in value, as there are only so many homes with waterfront access; never to be more.
For larger yachts, the Fort Lauderdale area reigns supreme. The ultra deep-water Port Everglades inlet is close to areas such as Harbor Beach, Rio Vista, Las Olas and Sunrise Key. Only a few select yacht homes offer the draft and lot size which can accommodate more than 9′ of draft and up to 175′ in length.
Wouldn’t it be a shame if you bought an expensive house only to find out that your dream yacht wouldn’t be able to dock there?
Major Considerations for Yacht Homes
When seeking a yacht home, consider that the lot has a setback for yachts which average between 5-10′ from the property edge. Thus a 100′ yacht will require a lot size of between 110-120′, depending on jurisdiction. Your neighbors should be consulted if your setback is not quite met. Otherwise a code violation will occur. While not publicly recognized, many home-owners lease their docks to yachts.
Many waterfront homes are on canals, which offer limited depths of water (some tend to silt up) and impose beam (width restrictions). Therefore it is wise to survey the canal with a depth-finder prior if a certain draft needs to be carried. Others are located up the New River, which becomes more brackish (fresh water) as it moves inland past downtown Fort Lauderdale. However, many boaters favor the New River locations as they offer more protection from hurricanes. The entire New River has opening drawbridges by which even yachts up to 130′ can safely navigate.
Where to look for Yacht Homes
Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades Inlet)
Lighthouse Point (Hillsboro Inlet)
Boca Raton (Hillsboro inlet and Boca Inlet – limited access)
Palm Beach (Lake Worth inlet)
Delray Beach (Boynton inlet – limited access)
,Jupiter (Jupiter inlet – limited access)
Stuart (Saint Lucie inlet)
Hollywood, Sunny Isles and North Miami (Haulover inlet)
Miami Beach, Key Biscayne and Coral Gables (Government Cut to Biscayne Bay)
The Florida Keys also offers some areas where larger yachts can moor. However there are very few due to the shallow waters found throughout the Keys.
All of these areas have unique, distinctive charm offering a selection of waterfront homes with varying depth and length.
It is Important to Survey Yacht Home Access Before Purchase!
If a yacht home is one of your goals, ensure that you carefully check out the dockage depth. Be sure to measure (at low tide) for any obstructions and/or shallow areas. Check access depths to the dock, the condition of the dock and seawall, and the property length with the setback in mind! Keep in mind that dock conditions can be improved with minor dredging and piling repositioning. Keep this in mind for your budget as you purchase!
It is advisable to check approaches to your dream yacht home as well. Make certain that you can navigate safely to and from the yacht home at any tide condition!
Please Contact Us!
For more information on availability and help, contact Andy Kniffin CPYB (954) 292-0629, andy@akyachts.com. Andy works with local realtors to help find the perfect waterfront homes most suitable for docking yachts.