Moral Dilemma of Shoreline Real Estate

Published by julia | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate

There is a serious problem with shoreline real estate.  It prohibits others from enjoying the beach and enjoying the natural wonders of the world.  Is keeping the shoreline for one’s self practical and ethical?  Everyone has a right to the natural wonders of the world, but do some people have the right to own the natural wonders?  What about commercial shoreline real estate?  Is it ethical to own the shoreline off a restaurant or hotel and keep it from those who are not enjoying that location, even if that location is closed for the night or season?

Many people forget that the shoreline that they fell in love with when purchasing it to build real estate on is the same shoreline that others love.  The building of private property on these shorelines is often seen as ruining the shoreline and creating blight on the true beauty of the natural world.  The animals that lived on near that shoreline often move away, destroying the fragile eco-system that lived there.  The ground must be leveled and often times dirt has to be added, possibly contaminating the water near the construction project.

Children who have become accustom to visiting the shoreline with their parents and friends often are devastated when construction begins on the shoreline real estate.  There is nothing worse than being so excited for a visit to the beach and finding that a house is being built on the property.  This can lead to the children having to commit trespassing and may lead them into temptation to cause vandalism or other crimes.  Families that bonded together on that beach or shoreline now have to find other locations to bond and share their memories.

Owning a natural wonder is a point of controversy.  There is no place quite like a shoreline.  While man made lakes often are owned completely and never were natural, natural lakes and ocean side real estate is not owned.  Building on these properties causes the natural beauty to diminish and fade.  Commercial real estate on these properties is even worse in that there is no hope that there may be someone enjoying the beauty all the time.  The commercial real estate is typically only placed there to attract people over other places of commercial and is not really about the beauty of the surroundings.  The view is only enjoyed while people are at the location, and then as the people leave, the view is wasted on empty windows.