Can you find waterfront homes for sale in Washington, D.C.? While there are a limited number of high-end options available within the city limits, active adult home seekers can find retirement communities with waterfront homes in the surrounding metro areas in Virginia and Maryland. Expand your search to these surrounding areas can help you avoid all the traffic and politicking that goes on in the heart of the city and you can drive in or take public transportation to visit!
Not all these communities are age-restricted, but they can have the kind of amenities you’re looking for, like private marinas, clubhouses, and swimming pools. Here are five perfectly situated waterfront Washington, D.C. area neighborhoods to consider, and some of the homes cost less than you might think.
Belmont Bay – Woodbridge, VA
Low $300s – Low $600s
Near the Occoquan River and close to places like Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Mason Neck West Park, Belmont Bay is part of a larger, master-planned community that will soon have its very own town center. While it’s not age-restricted, it caters to active adult lifestyles, with low-maintenance homes and year-round activities. Builders broke ground on this property in 2007, and there are 155 new and resale condo and attached homes.
The two well-appointed condo models are sized at 1,338 and 2,342 square feet, with two to three bedrooms and bathrooms, plus garage parking. Options may include amenities such as fireplaces, walk-in closets, lofts, and kitchen breakfast bars. The three townhome models are sized at 2,048 to 2,948 square feet, with three to four bedrooms, two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half baths, and upgrades like patios, decks, and dens.
Belmont Bay has the amenities you expect in a waterfront Washington, D.C. area community, and they’re outstanding for a smaller community like this. You’ll be glad to know there are boat slips, a boat launch and boat parking. The clubhouse offers a fitness center, an outdoor pool and patio, a bathhouse, tennis, and basketball. Residents can also claim their own gardening plots, take gardening and water fitness classes, attend holiday events, and take their grandchildren to the on-site playground.
Woodbridge, VA is about 45 minutes south of D.C. There are plenty of grocery stores near the community, as well as drugstores and hospitals like Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and Inova Mount Vernon. Nearby attractions include Lake Ridge Golf Course and the charming town of Alexandria.
The Harbours at Solomons Island – Dowell, MD
High $400s – Mid $500s
Completed in 2018 with 210 attached and single-family homes, The Harbours at Solomons Island is a sought-after 55+ community for a seaside retirement. This property is in Central Maryland, right off the Chesapeake Bay and 70 miles outside of D.C.
The three attached carriage home floor plans have about 1,800 square feet, with two bedrooms, two to three baths, two-car garages, unfinished basements, and spacious patios. The two single-family designs offer 1,894 and 2,308 square feet, with two to three bedrooms and bathrooms, first-floor master suites, unfinished basements, and two-car garages.
This is a truly boat-lover’s paradise, with amenities such as a marina, waterfront restaurants, a beach area, and a kayak launch. The Harbours at Solomons Island also has plans for a private clubhouse with its own fitness center, an outdoor pool, a business center, and a multipurpose room to use for clubs, group meetings, and activities.
Dowell is in Calvert County, which is home to many attractions including Calvert Cliffs State Park, Dunkirk District Dog Park, and the AnnMarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center. Some of best golf courses here are Chesapeake Hills, Mellomar Golf Park, and Cedar Point Golf Club. If you need to visit a medical facility, two of the closest ones are CalvertHealth Medical Center and MedStar St. Mary’s.
Four Seasons at Saint Margaret’s – Annapolis, MD
Mid $300s – Mid $400s
The next property with waterfront homes for sale in Washington, D.C. is Four Seasons at Saint Margaret’s. Small and inviting, this gated 55+ community was completed in 2011 with just 166 condos divided into 15 elevator-access buildings. These resale units range from 1,129 to 1,847 square feet and have two or three bedrooms, two to two-and-a-half baths, and back porches. Some have one-car garages, and all of the buildings have parking lots.
Most of the amenities at Four Seasons at Saint Margaret’s are located at the community clubhouse, where you can enjoy the outdoor pool and patio, catering kitchen, multipurpose room, and exercise room. There are organized community events as well as workout clubs, a book club, Mah Jongg games, bike paths, and nature trails on the property.
There are plenty of other attractions in historic Annapolis, including the United States Naval Academy (you can take tours or continuing education classes), Sandy Point State Park, the Anne Arundel Public Library, Arundel Mills, and Live! Casino & Hotel. Remember also that Baltimore and D.C. are both just an hour’s drive away for day trips or weekend visits.
Tanyard Shores – Glen Burnie, MD
Mid $400s – High $500s
If you’re searching for waterfront homes for sale in Washington, D.C. with new construction, this final property is 40 miles northeast of Our Nation’s Capital, and it’s poised right next to the Chesapeake Bay. Tanyard Shores is a 55+ community that will have 190 new attached homes when work is completed.
The Calvert attached model starts at 2,444 square feet, with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a covered porch, a large kitchen, a dining area, a great room, and an attached two-car garage. Other options include a sunroom and finished basement. The Griffin Hall model is exceptionally spacious at 3,159 square feet, with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a main level master suite, a loft, a great room, and an attached two-car garage.
This impressive active adult neighborhood will have a marina, a dock, boat slips, a kayak storage area, and a dog park with its own dog washing station. Other amenities in the works include a new clubhouse with a fitness center, a multipurpose room, and an outdoor pool and patio area.
Tanyard Shores is also close to all the shopping hubs you need, including Food Lion, Walgreens, Shoprite, and other pharmacies. There are also a good number of parks, marinas, restaurants, and shops in the Glen Burnie area. Glen Burnie is about 20 minutes north of Annapolis in Anne Arundel County. This active adult neighborhood isn’t far from BWI Airport, Sawmill Creek Park, Compass Pointe Golf Course, Arundel Medical Center, and University of Maryland Washington Medical Center.
Waterfront properties are not easy to find in D.C., so if you see something in Virginia or Maryland that checks all your boxes, don’t hesitate to delve in deeper! Contact 55places.com to find your perfect community in the D.C. area.
