Beach Sold is a step-by-step guide for people buying a home on the coast in the United States, whether it is a second home, a rental or the place they plan to live. It covers the parts of a coastal purchase that an inland buyer rarely meets: flood zones, wind and flood insurance, local rental rules and inspections for salt air and pilings.
The guides are written from primary sources: FEMA’s flood maps glossary and National Flood Insurance Program pages, the federal flood insurance laws in title 42 of the U.S. Code, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coastal Barrier Resources Act pages, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s homebuying guidance.
We are not a brokerage, a lender or an insurance agency, and nobody pays to be mentioned. The flood zone check on this site runs in your browser and only explains what the zone letters mean; it does not look up any address.
Flood maps, insurance programs and rental rules change. For the home you are buying, confirm everything with FEMA’s map, your lender, your insurance agent and the town.