Massachusetts man buys beautiful seaside house for 67% off – but there’s a major catch

A Massachusetts man bought his dream beach house at an extremely low price, but there are shocking costs that put the entire property at risk.

David Moot, 59, bought the beautiful property on Cape Cod for $395,000 – 67 percent less than the original asking price of $1.195 million – and there’s a serious reason why it sold so cheaply.

The house in Eastham could be destroyed and washed away by the tides within ten years. It is located just 7 meters away from an eroding sand slope Bloomberg.

Warming oceans, more storms and rising sea levels could destroy more than $106 billion in U.S. coastal property over the next 30 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But Moot’s decision to buy the property was not influenced by the risk.

Moot broke down in tears during an interview about his dream home

He told Bloomberg: ‘Life is too short, and I said to myself, “Let’s see what happens.”

“It will eventually fall into the ocean, and that may or may not be in my lifetime.”

Since he bought the house, Moot estimates he has already lost about five feet of his front yard overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

In an interview with NBC10Moot appeared to shed tears as he spoke about his investment.

He told the outlet, “I feel really blessed.

‘People say, “You’re crazy,” and I said, “Well, I am.”‘

Cape Cod’s land is expected to erode at least three feet every year. There is only about 25 feet between the house and the edge of the land

Moot, who lives in Pittsburg and works as an interior designer and painter, said that before he did much research on coastal erosion, he bought the house in December 2023.

He wants to plant beach grass to stabilize the sand and is even willing to move the front of the house to the back, according to the Boston sphere.

Alison Bowden, director of conservation science and strategy at the Nature Conservancy, revealed some steps Moot could take to protect its properties for as long as possible.

She told me The Guardian Moot should use a combination of oyster shells, native plants, sand, rock and live shellfish to stabilize the land.

Moot understands the risks the house faces, but he claimed ‘life is too short’

Moot researched erosion prevention before purchasing the house in December 2023

In Eastham, a house was demolished and another house moved due to erosion. Another building was destroyed because the road it was on was completely flooded.

The land near Moot’s house has already eroded drastically. In 2013 there was 30 meters between the house and the water, 23 meters more than the current distance.

Experts have looked into the situation and explained how this erosion could affect coastal properties in the future.

Moot has wanted a home in Cape Cod since 2004, when he first visited the area

Professor and Director of the Coastal Research Laboratory at Florida International University Stephen Leatherman told The Guardian: ‘Along the east coast of the United States, 80 to 90 percent of beaches are eroding, so it’s only a limited number of areas where the beach is reasonable. stable, at least for now.

‘The average [rate of erosion] it’s just over two feet per year, but that’s just a general average.”

He added that Cape Cod’s rate is closer to one meter every year.

Owning a home in Cape Cod has always been an ambition for Moot. The thought has not left his mind since his first visit in 2004.

Stephen Leatherman warned that the house may look good now, but in a few years things could be completely different

Leatherman told The Guardian: ‘This house might look good now because the beach is wide. Wait until that beach narrows and the waves hit the edge of the cliff just below the house.”

“It’s also a perception problem, in terms of people understanding this erosion problem.”

Moot told the Boston Globe, “There are always pros and cons, negatives and positives to everything in life.”