Three Way At The Beach

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As Christmas approaches and winter settles in over most of us (although I have a rose bush blooming...) I start dreaming of a beach escape. Sun, sand, and saltwater baby.

Picture from Elite Hospitality

Like this. A pier, the waves, and the promise of fun!

Picture from Go Florida

My family spent vacations in the Daytona Beach area for my most of my childhood, but I haven't been back in over a decade! When we stopped going the Daytona boardwalk was largely abandoned. It's since undergone a renaissance. You can enjoy an amusement park, Ferris wheel, the pier, et cetera!

So, I wondered...what could you get for under a 100k in Daytona Beach in a mid-century ranch? And how close would you be to the beach? Ah, lovelies, you'd get more for your money than you'd think!

House Number One: Remodeled. At Some Point. Not A Particularly Recent Point.

All Photos In This Set From Zillow

Part of Daytona Beach is on the mainland of Florida; the rest is on a small strip of land between Halifax River and the Atlantic Ocean. This home is on the mainland near the Daytona Beach Golf Club. Built in 1962 it has 4 bedrooms and 3 baths over almost 1500 square feet.

 The kitchen looks like it renovated in the 1990s. Change out those pendents, repaint, and it would be a really nice space!

The sponge paint is another renovated in the 1990s clue. The tile floor is one of three types of flooring I noticed in the house.

 A bath, remodeled at some point, which is desperate need of cleaning.

I'd guess this is the master bedroom, since there's an attached bath. The vanity looks newish. This is the only room where I noticed hardwood floors; the other rooms had carpet in need of replacing (or pulling up).

The backyard is lush. Love the palm trees! The asking price is $87,900.

House Two- Grandma Style

Yep, house two is a true Grandma ranch.

Photo Set From Billow

It's located on the strip, maybe a block or so from the river and still in walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean. Built in 1954 it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and comes in at almost 1500 square feet. The house definitely has a mid-century modern feel. Love the roofline.

The kitchen could use a little help. A paint job, if nothing else, could go far. See the notched pine and barn-style hinges on the left? Probably the laundry room.

There were lots of what appeared to be living spaces. There appeared to be a dining room off the kitchen, where I think think this picture was taken looking into the living room. The room at the very back is the family room. All of the hardwoods seemed to be in okay shape, and at least you wouldn't have to pull up carpet.

One of the bathrooms. Love the gray tile with pink accents. So cute. Even the toilet paper holder is pink! The wallpaper would have to either be stripped (shudder!) or be replaced. The tiles looks like it is in fantastic condition.

The family room glimpsed in the living room photo. Very vintage pickled cream paneling with built in shelving/dry bar. The sliders lead to the pool area...

This vintage with possibilities within walking distance to the beach? Lists at $78,500.

House Three: Terrible MLS Photos

Let's be honest. The first time I featured bad realtor photos the house itself was a bit of a disaster. It wasn't just dirty, it veered right past handyman special and straight into major renovation territory.

Not so with this house, and yet these pictures? SO BAD.

Photo Set From Zillow

This house is the closest to the beach, and is in easy walking distance to both the river and the Atlantic Ocean. Built in 1956 it has almost 1300 square feet, including two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The outside is super cute and Florida-y (I so want to stick some flamingos in the front yard!) and boasts a garage.

This kitchen. Good Lord. Was there some sort of Roanoke event where the people just disappeared? It looks like someone was making a sandwich! Although the counters are a mess, the cabinets look to be in good vintage condition and I love those knobs. This is a cute house! If someone had just straightened up the counters and attempted to take a straight on picture there would be nothing to snark on.

There's a fireplace, which is relatively rare in Florida. The hardwoods look okay. The people left the television on, adding proof the owners were abducted by aliens and the agent/the agent's photographer were forbidden from turning the tv off. Maybe its the owners' anchor back to this dimension and if its ever turned off they'll never be able to return? If that's the case, it'll drop the sales price a bit. Because...that TV is both ugly AND in an awkward place. And, OMG, what if the channel can never be changed and it's stuck on the local channel where Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown are shown? That's a Dante level six or seven. It will MAJORLY reduce the price of the house!

Vintage gray tile bath with walk in shower. And toiletries. Which the owners didn't need when they abandoned the house to escape from the zombies. When agents post super close up shots of spaces like bathrooms I wonder what horror lurks just outside the frame.

This house is listed at 99k.

So, what under 100k at the beach house would you choose? I'm going grandma, I think. Lots and lots of potential, and its in good enough shape that preserving the vintage elements would be doable. Plus, I could watch any television channel I choose!