A long-standing dream: a man bought a beach house, but it will soon fall into the ocean (3 photos)

David Muth decided not to wait and buy the property at a reduced price, but with a high risk of destruction. Now he is thinking about how to make the most of the time allotted.





59-year-old David Muth always dreamed of a beach house in Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA), but never thought he could afford it until he came across a house for sale for only $395,000. The man bought the property, but faced one big problem.

The publication notes that the latest estimate was about half the median sale price in the area, and the offer seemed too good to be true. And it turned out to be, because the affordable "piece of paradise" could soon end up in the ocean. The charming cottage is located just 25 feet (7.6 meters) from an eroding cliff, and the high tide line is approaching three feet (0.9 meters) every year. In ten years, the house could be washed away by the waves.

However, despite this, the 59-year-old shrugged and decided to take the plunge.

"Life is too short. Let's just see what happens. Eventually, it will fall into the ocean, and it may or may not happen in my lifetime," he said.



David Muth is happy with the deal, even if his new home will soon be washed away by the waves. Now he is thinking about how to make the most of his time. The American is even thinking about turning the cottage into a shelter for terminally ill patients or opening it up to day visitors so that they too can enjoy the beauty.

Muth's purchase is part of a growing trend in expensive oceanfront enclaves, where risk-averse bargain hunters are snapping up dream properties at rock-bottom prices. A new breed of beach house buyers is betting on a climate future that is far from certain, as rising sea levels and more powerful storms threaten billions of dollars in prime real estate.

On the island of Nantucket, where the jet-set flocks each summer, for example, one beach house listed at $1.9 million recently sold for a staggering $200,000.



The publication notes that some properties are in such danger that the National Park Service has begun buying them up and tearing them down to keep trash from clogging the beaches.