Sander Scott argues that waterfront property sellers focus on the wrong things. Views and square footage matter less than what's hard to replicate: existing stairs, grandfathered structures, approved septic locations, and proven access. Flexibility to develop or renovate is what actually drives price.
Waterfront sellers often focus on frontage, views, square footage, renovations. Those things matter, but sellers frequently underestimate the value of features that would be difficult to recreate today. Things like existing stair systems, grandfathered structures, approved septic locations, established building sites, proven access solutions. The harder those things are to recreate, the more valuable they become because they preserve flexibility, and flexibility is valuable.
