This Florida Beach Town is a Steal for Homebuyers

Home prices have been on the rise for years now, but there are still some areas of the U.S. where you can find affordable places to live. As it turns out, Florida has one of the most affordable beach towns in the U.S. In fact, it's the No. 3 most affordable beach town in America, according to the experts at Realtor.com.

Realtor.com obviously knows their stuff when it comes to housing prices. So, when they released this study on the most affordable beach towns in America, it caught my eye. I would love to live off a lake or other body of water, but waterfront property can be very expensive. It's nice to see that certain areas of the country still have affordable beach towns. As for the methodology of their study, the experts at Realtor.com began with a federal database of beaches and their locations, and then they made a list of coastal cities and towns. Finally, they ranked them by median list prices in March of 2024 for single-family homes. Among the numbers, they included condos but excluded mobile homes. Also, they only included cities with at least 25 active listings. To create the final tally, "these beach towns had to include a sandy, public-access ocean beach within the city limits," according to the publication. "Cities on the coastline of estuaries, such as inland bays and sounds, were excluded from this year's rankings." Lastly, to make sure there was geographic diversity, they only included one beach town per state in the top 10 rankings and excluded second or third entries from states that were already listed.

So, which Florida beach town is one of the most affordable beach towns in America? Coming in at No. 3, it's Deerfield Beach, with the March 2024 median list price of $239,950. "Out of Florida's many beach towns, Deerfield Beach claims the top spot for affordability this year, primarily due to the city’s abundance of moderately priced condos," Realtor.com explains. "Located about halfway between Miami and Palm Beach in southeast Florida, Deerfield Beach boasts plenty of activities and amenities, including a fishing pier, boardwalk, and arboretum." No. 2 on the list is Atlantic City, New Jersey, and No. 1 is Pascagoula, Mississippi. For Pascagoula, they mention that this is where Jimmy Buffett was born. Also, the main beach in the city was named Buffett Beach in honor of the famed musician, who passed away last year at the age of 76.

It's almost vacation season. Well, really, any season is vacation season. People travel year-round, but it amps up in the summer months and over the holidays. Travel has really increased since the end of the pandemic. People are itching to get out and explore the world after being couped up for so long. So, if you want to travel a bunch but don't want to waste money, I have some smart and secret tips for you to save money on your next vacation.

For the 2023 holiday season, the AAA projected a whopping 115.2 million travelers to travel 50 miles or more from home during the travel period from Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, to Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. The number of travelers was projected to increase 2.2% over last year. It also marked the highest projection since 2000, when the AAA first started tracking holiday travel. The busiest travel season, according to the AAA, was in 2019. So, it's obvious that people are traveling pretty much more than ever.

So, where are people traveling? According to the AAA, some of the most popular vacation spots for travelers are the usual suspects. Those include Orlando, Florida, the home of Walk Disney World; New York City, New York; Las Vegas, Nevada; Chicago, Illinois; Alaska and beyond. Other spots around the world include Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and Iceland. According to the latest numbers, the AAA says that Orlando is the No. 1 travel spot for Americas. "Home to world-famous theme parks that attract millions of visitors a year, like Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld, it comes as no surprise that Orlando is the number one top travel destination in the U.S.," they state.

If you're traveling to some fun hotspots, you'll want to save some cash. Read on for some helpful tips to save money on your vacation this year.

Did you know that hotel fees can be negotiable? Fidelity.com points out that, "You may be able to negotiate the online price by calling a hotel directly, or asking if they have any discounts for students, government employees, or members of certain groups, such as AAA." So, don't settle for that price you see on your laptop. Try to do better. It's a secret tip that can pay off bigtime.

Did you know some hotels that are virtually the same, including the same brand, can be cheaper just a few miles apart? As a general rule, hotels that are near the airport are more expensive. So, you can look at the hotels you want to stay at and their multiple locations in the area for the best rate. "Some hotels that are under construction may rent rooms at a discount, which is a great option if you can deal with the noise," Fidelity.com points out.

Going out to eat on vacation can be one of the most exciting things about the trip. But, if you want to save on cash, skip a few meals out and opt for healthy, hearty snacks. Pack (or buy at a local store) some protein-rich snacks, like protein bars and meal bars, and limit your dining out. You can still enjoy some of the best food the area has to offer, just not as much of it. This is a way to stay fit on your trip, too. A lot of people don't think of this tip, so it's a bit of a secret.

You've heard it so many times in life: Timing is everything. That's true for travel, too. Research to find the least-busy times to visit your destination. If you travel during those downtimes, you'll save big. While this is a common tip, something people forget is that every vacation destination has its own peak time. So, be specific for your travel spot.

If you're thinking of traveling solo to a place you've always wanted to visit, go cheaper by traveling with a friend. You two can share lodging fees. Also, sometimes there are more deals and discounts for those traveling with multiple people. I always do this when going to a big music festival, if it's far away. I'll usually meet my friend there, and we share lodging costs. It also makes the trip more fun.

Look for some free attractions in your travel area. Chances are, they won't be as packed as the big-named places, too. You can still visit some of the popular landmarks. But, if you add a trip to a national park or free museum to your itinerary, it will save you some cash.

Are you a member of any random groups? You might have travel deals just waiting for you. Check everything, from your college alumni membership to your credit cards, for travel discounts. You may be surprised what you find.

Say you just want to get out on a fantastic trip, but you don't really have a place in mind. That's actually a good thing. Take an hour to look at flight specials happening right now. If you aren't picky on where to travel, chances are you'll find a great rate on airfare and lodging somewhere. Once you find the most reasonable place to travel, then you can start looking at what to do when you're there.

This is a bit ironic, but often times, the most popular tourist destinations are also the cheapest. That's because there is a lot of competition for all those travelers. So, big-named destinations like Orlando, Florida, or Las Vegas, Nevada, tend to have really good travel deals. Go popular, or go home.