By Lugean Hogan, REALTOR®/BROKER, ABR, CLHMS

If you are comparing soundfront and oceanfront homes on the Crystal Coast, do not assume oceanfront is automatically worth more. That assumption can lead a buyer to overlook a better waterfront property, or cause a seller to undervalue features such as a permitted dock, usable water depth, or direct boating access. In this article, I’ll show you what can make a soundfront home more valuable, where that happens on Bogue Banks, and what I would check before deciding which property deserves the higher price.

I have spent more than 40 years in Carteret County, and I can tell you that waterfront value is rarely as simple as looking at which side of the island a house sits on.

Sometimes the oceanfront home wins easily.

Other times, the soundfront property offers something the buyer simply cannot replace.

Waterfront Value Follows Function, Not Just Frontage

When I look at waterfront property, I do not stop at the words oceanfront or soundfront.

I want to know what the property actually allows the owner to do.

An oceanfront home may give you direct beach access, Atlantic views, and the sound of the surf outside your door. A soundfront home may give you a private dock, calmer water, wide sunset views, and the ability to keep your boat right behind the house.

For the right buyer, especially someone who boats or fishes regularly, that difference can be worth real money.

A Usable Private Dock Can Change the Value

A private dock is not just a nice feature to a serious boater.

It can change the way you use the property every day.

Instead of towing a boat to a ramp or driving to a marina, you may be able to walk out the back door, load your gear, and be underway in minutes.

Having worked in sales and service at Jones Brothers Marine before my real estate career, I learned a long time ago that boaters do not all mean the same thing when they say they want “waterfront.”

They usually want a usable waterfront.

That means buyers should look beyond the dock they see in the listing photographs. Ask whether it is permitted, whether the water works for your boat, whether the lift is properly sized, and whether the route from the dock to navigable water makes sense.

North Carolina regulates many coastal piers and docking facilities under the Coastal Area Management Act. Buyers considering a dock or future modifications should review the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission rules for piers and docking facilities and confirm the requirements for the individual property.

If keeping a boat at home is one of your priorities, I also recommend understanding what boat owners should verify about deep-water access.

Water Depth Can Be More Valuable Than the View

This is one of the biggest differences I see buyers miss.

Two homes can both be advertised as soundfront and provide completely different boating experiences.

One may have dependable water beside the dock and an easy route to deeper water. Another may have a beautiful view across the marsh but become too shallow for a particular boat at lower tide.

That does not make the second property bad.

It simply means the two properties should not be valued as though they provide the same thing.

If boating matters to you, I would want answers to questions such as:

• What is the water depth near lower tide?
• How deep is the water beside the dock?
• Will your boat draft comfortably fit?
• Is there a clear route to navigable water?
• Are there areas that regularly shoal?
• Are bridge or overhead clearances an issue?
• Who handles any channel or dredging work?

The water view is wonderful.

Water you can actually use may be worth even more to the right buyer.

How Oceanfront Setbacks Can Affect Property Value

Oceanfront property comes with a different set of questions.

One of them is how much of the lot can actually be used.

North Carolina regulates oceanfront development through construction setbacks tied to shoreline conditions and long-term shoreline change. Those requirements can affect where certain new construction or redevelopment can take place.

The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management explains erosion and oceanfront development requirements for property owners and buyers.

So when I am looking at an oceanfront lot, I do not just ask:

“How large is it?”

I also want to know:

“What can the buyer realistically do with it?”

That distinction matters.

A beautiful oceanfront property with a more limited usable building area may not automatically be more valuable than a soundfront property that better supports the buyer's plans.

Soundfront property has its own shoreline, environmental, and permitting requirements, so I would never describe it as unrestricted either.

The point is that usable property can matter as much as waterfront type.

How Flood Risk and Insurance Affect Waterfront Value

Another mistake I see is assuming soundfront will automatically be cheaper to insure than oceanfront.

It is not that simple.

Flood exposure varies from property to property, and the National Flood Insurance Program uses property-specific risk information in its pricing methodology.

FEMA's NFIP flood insurance pricing methodology explains why buyers should look at the actual property rather than make assumptions from the waterfront label.

When comparing two homes, I recommend reviewing current flood information through the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, requesting available elevation information, and obtaining insurance quotes for the specific properties.

I would not ask only:

“Which one has cheaper flood insurance?”

I would ask:

“What will each of these homes really cost me to own?”

That includes insurance, but it can also include dock maintenance, boat lifts, shoreline work, exterior exposure, and other hidden costs of Crystal Coast waterfront ownership.

That is a much more useful comparison.

Why Some Bogue Banks Soundfront Homes Can Be Worth More

Bogue Banks is one of the best places to understand this difference.

Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian Beach, Salter Path, and Emerald Isle sit between the Atlantic Ocean and Bogue Sound.

That means buyers can sometimes compare two completely different waterfront experiences only a short distance apart.

Imagine two similar homes.

One is oceanfront with direct beach access and an open Atlantic view.

The other is soundfront with a permitted dock, a boat lift, dependable water depth, and easy access to the owner's boat.

Which one is worth more?

That depends on who is buying it.

A buyer who wants to walk onto the beach every morning may gladly pay more for the oceanfront home.

A buyer who fishes, boats, or spends weekends on the water may gladly pay more for the soundfront property.

Neither one is making the wrong choice.

They are simply paying for different things.

That is why I would never tell someone that soundfront is always worth more—or always worth less.

The better question is:

Which features are scarce, useful, and valuable to the buyers competing for this property?

If you are still deciding which lifestyle is the better fit, our guide can help you compare the day-to-day differences between soundfront and oceanfront homes.

You can see similar value differences around other Carteret County waterways, including Core Sound, Back Sound, Beaufort, Morehead City, and Harkers Island.

But every property has to stand on its own.

What Makes One Waterfront Property Worth More Than Another?

When people talk about comparable sales, square footage gets a lot of attention.

On waterfront property, I want to know much more.

This is also why automated home values can struggle with waterfront property.

Two homes may look very similar in public records.

One may have a permitted dock with excellent water access.

The other may not.

To a boating buyer, those are not the same property.

For a broader review of what to investigate before buying, use our complete waterfront due-diligence guide for Coastal North Carolina buyers.

What Sellers Should Document Before Pricing a Waterfront Home

If you are selling a soundfront home, one of the best things you can do is make the property's waterfront value easy for buyers to understand.

Do not expect them to guess.

If the dock, lift, water depth, or shoreline improvements are part of the value story, document them.

Useful records may include:

• Dock and shoreline permits
• Surveys
• Boat-lift specifications
• Marine construction records
• Bulkhead or shoreline repair records
• Available elevation information
• Current flood information
• Channel or dredging agreements
• HOA or marina documents

Oceanfront sellers should do the same with the features that matter on their side of the island.

That may include beach access, surveys, elevation information, permits, and details that help a buyer understand the property's usable development area.

Good documentation also helps us choose better comparable sales.

A home a few streets away is not necessarily the best comparison if it does not offer the same waterfront experience.

That is one reason our approach to evaluating coastal home value looks beyond an automated estimate.

On the Crystal Coast, the details matter.

Why Local Waterfront Experience Matters

I was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina and have lived in Carteret County for more than 40 years. Before entering real estate, I managed both sales and service at Jones Brothers Marine, my family's boat-building business.

That marine background still shapes the way I evaluate waterfront property today. When I am looking at a home with a client, I want to understand more than the house itself. I look at the dock, water depth, shoreline, boating access, and how the buyer actually plans to use the property.

At Star Team Real Estate, I bring that firsthand coastal and marine experience together with more than 10 years in real estate and my designation as a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist. As Lugean Hogan, my focus is helping buyers and sellers understand the details that can make one Crystal Coast waterfront property very different, and potentially more valuable, than another.

Of course, I do not replace an engineer, surveyor, marine contractor, insurance professional, attorney, appraiser, or permitting authority. My role is to recognize the questions that need to be asked and help bring in the right professionals when necessary.

That can make a meaningful difference when two waterfront homes look similar online but tell a very different story once you understand the water, the property, and how each one can actually be used.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Can Make a Soundfront Home Worth More Than an Oceanfront Home?

A soundfront home can be worth more when it offers high-value features such as a permitted private dock, usable water depth, a boat lift, or more practical boating access. On the Crystal Coast, these features can matter more to some buyers than direct Atlantic frontage, especially when they are difficult to replace.

Does Having a Private Dock Automatically Make a Soundfront Home More Valuable?

No. A private dock adds the most value when it is permitted, in good condition, accessible at useful water depths, and suitable for the buyer's boat. Dock condition, lift capacity, navigation, and water depth all affect how much value the feature may add.

Is Soundfront Usually Cheaper to Insure Than Oceanfront?

Not necessarily. Flood and property insurance costs depend on the specific home's risk, construction, elevation, location, and coverage, not simply whether it is soundfront or oceanfront. Buyers should obtain property-specific insurance quotes before comparing total ownership costs.

Can Every Soundfront Property on Bogue Sound Have a Dock?

No. A soundfront property on Bogue Sound does not automatically qualify for a new dock or dock expansion. Permitting requirements, shoreline conditions, water depth, existing structures, and site-specific restrictions should be verified before a buyer relies on future dock access.

Do Oceanfront Setbacks Affect Property Value?

Yes, oceanfront setbacks can affect property value when they limit where a home can be built, expanded, or rebuilt. On the Crystal Coast, buyers should consider the property's usable building area and current coastal development requirements when comparing an oceanfront property with a soundfront alternative.

How Should I Compare a Soundfront Home With an Oceanfront Home?

Compare the properties based on how you plan to use them. Look at boating access, beach access, water depth, docks, shoreline conditions, flood exposure, insurance, maintenance, development potential, and total ownership costs. The better choice is the property that delivers the features you value most, not simply the one labeled oceanfront.

The Bottom Line

Soundfront does not automatically mean less valuable.

A soundfront home can sometimes command more when its usable water, private dock, marine improvements, location, lot characteristics, and overall ownership experience give buyers something they value more than direct Atlantic frontage.

Oceanfront can absolutely command the stronger premium when the buyer values direct beach access, Atlantic views, and the oceanfront experience most.

The waterfront label is only the beginning of the valuation conversation.

What matters is what the property actually gives the buyer, and how difficult those features would be to replace somewhere else.

If you are comparing waterfront properties, you can explore Crystal Coast homes for sale with Star Team Real Estate.

If you are wondering what your own soundfront or oceanfront property may be worth, call Star Team Real Estate at (252) 727-5656. I would be glad to help you look beyond the label and understand which waterfront features may matter most to your buyers.