THE ULTIMATE LBI BUYER’S GUIDE
Everything You Need to Know About Buying a Home on Long Beach Island
New Construction After Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy’s impact on Long Beach Island in 2012 sparked a major building boom, with homeowners and investors redeveloping storm-damaged properties. Rebuilding introduced stricter flood codes, improving safety and lowering insurance costs. Most of LBI falls into the “A” flood zone, allowing for solid block or piling foundations with base flood elevations of 7-9 feet. Oceanfront and bayfront homes in the more restrictive “V” zone require higher elevations and breakaway wall systems, while the less risky “X” zone offers lower flood insurance rates or none at all. The post-Sandy construction wave has made LBI homes safer, stronger, and more valuable.
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Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall on Long Beach Island at the end of 2012, created one of the most active building environments the area has ever seen, matched only by the COVID market. Building a new house on Long Beach Island can be an excellent investment and can realize immediate equity in the LBI NJ real estate market, and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy provided many opportunities. Homeowners and buyers alike in the LBI real estate market took advantage of storm-damaged homes to engage in the redevelopment process. Rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy took into account new flood codes that will lessen the risk of damage from future storms and lower your flood insurance costs. There are some critical points to needed to be considered when rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy on LBI:
Flood insurance is based on the perceived risk associated with the property.
Many factors determine risk levels, but flood zones and elevation above sea level top the list.
Foundation systems and flood vents can significantly impact the amount a homeowner pays for flood insurance on Long Beach Island.
There are three predominant flood zones on LBI. They are an “A” flood zone, a “V” flood zone, and the “X” flood zone. All properties on Long Beach Island have a base flood elevation associated with them, and all homes are in a flood zone. Most of Long Beach Island falls into the “A” flood zone. Homes in an “A” zone are permitted to have solid block or piling foundation systems and usually fall into a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) of 7-9 feet. The local municipality can provide guidance on how high to build your home to be in accordance with these codes.
“V” zones are the most restrictive, with higher elevations (usually 9-15 feet) and limitations on what can be used as a foundation system. For example, solid wall foundations (blocks) may not be permitted, as the foundation system needs a breakaway wall system. “V” zones are mostly limited to the oceanfront and some bayfront areas on LBI. The “X” zone is the best zone, as it is the least restrictive, with some lenders not requiring flood insurance in these zones! There are several of these areas throughout Long Beach Island, and they enjoy a higher natural elevation.