WATER FRONT VERSUS WATER VIEW

[Mike Kennedy]

A true “waterfront” property is one that has deeded riparian rights associated with it. NO RR - then "water view" rules.

 

[glenn walker]

Local example of water front, on a point with expansive water and beach view greater than 180 degrees.

View attachment 44906

Not living in an area with any real water to speak of....how far from the water is 'view' and 'front'? The subject house appears to be 500' +/- from the water's edge, maybe less.

It almost seems like the lot is waterfront but the house is water view, does that make sense?

A Peek A Boo View

 

[alebrewer]

A true “waterfront” property is one that has deeded riparian rights associated with it. NO RR - then "water view" rules.

Where did you find documentation for that, Mike? Riparian rights (as I understand them) involve the distribution of water as well. If a property abuts a golf course (even though the property doesn't run 'into' the golf course), it is still 'golf course' frontage. Same with water...

 

[glenn walker]

Where did you find documentation for that, Mike? Riparian rights (as I understand them) involve the distribution of water as well. If a property abuts a golf course (even though the property doesn't run 'into' the golf course), it is still 'golf course' frontage. Same with water...

Riparian Rights can be on lakes, rivers, etc but I have never seen any on ocean front properties unless its a private beach and in CA the courts have typically ruled in favor of the public use so that billionaire now has 300 bathers in front of his house during spring break _

 

[JTip]

Littoral (lake) Riparian (River)

Certified Residential Test question #114

 

[Elliott]

Mike is from New York. Water rights in the West are for life-and-death fighting over. Most states out west control riparian rights up to the high water mark.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

There are not other properties or lots between the house and the water.

In Corp of Engineer lakes, a buffer may exist between the high water mark and the lot lines, which usually in the maximum free-board of the lake in a storm event (i.e.- 5' waves on top of max water height = 5' of elevation. Older lakes gave title to the high water mark. Here we would call that lake front. On newer Corp lakes there is no such thing as lake frontage, the Corp physically owns a strip between the high water mark and the property owner's land.

You might ask them to send a field(?) reviewer the report and verify that the property is or is not "water front".

 

[nstanbru]

Does the property line run to the ocean?

Same question I have. Or does it only run to the pond(?) with the small beach area?

 

[jay trotta]

I recently had a 31 acre sound front property appraised for a VA loan. See photo in the attached PDF document. The property line ends at the waterline.

The appraiser determined that the property was not water front but water view. This determination valued the property at $375K less than the advertised price of the property. I'm sure the water view versus water front determination resulted in the large variance between the appraised value and the asking price.

Is there an appraisal industry definition of water front and/or criteria that is used to determine water view versus water front?

Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!

Prentice Hall Dictionary; 1987, 1978, 1969 - Webster's New World Dictionary of Real Estate; Waterfront Property - any land that has frontage on an Ocean, River, Lake, Canal or other water course
Riparian Rights; An owners natural rights in regards to the banks of a river, stream or other watercourse, including access rights, accretion rights, abutting rights, reasonable use of the water and the right to the soil under the water. The rights of owners in connection with ocean and sea front property, though some-times referred to as riparian rights, should be more accurately be called Littoral Rights.

Hope this helps you determine how you would like to approach the property and problem.

 

[gwente]

Same question I have. Or does it only run to the pond(?) with the small beach area?

The property line ends at the high water mark of the sound that is east of the house.