Padre Island: An Affordable Paradise - by Gregg Ruais

Padre Island is nothing short of a nature-lover's paradise. The island is 110 miles long and features the longest uninhabited stretch of barrier beach in the United States. The natural beauty of the land is truly breathtaking. It features palm trees, exotic lizards, rattlesnakes, and more than 350 species of birds. The most popular island activities include hiking, fishing, water sports, and bird watching.

One of the best Southern Texas cities to live in is called Corpus Christi, which features a large bay that's great for fishing and water sports. Corpus Christi Bay is an attraction in itself, as it features dozens of harbors where people dock their boats. Many local businesses cater to tourists who want to go fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. There are several places where people can sign up for water sports as well. Corpus Christi residents frequently take a ferry to Padre Island.

Considering the number of local activities available to people and the fact that residents experience great weather all year, it's amazing that the real estate prices aren't higher. Small homes in Corpus Christi can be purchased for as little as $50,000. There are estates worth more than $1,500,000, but on average, the homes in this area are much less expensive than in other beautiful coastal areas.

Finding a Home near Padre Island
It's easy to shop for Padre Island homes even if you do not live in the area. The premier real estate agents near Padre Island provide customized home listings according to your target price, desired number of bedrooms, and where you want to live. If you are unsure of what city is right for you, the real estate agent websites provide hundreds of informational pages and links to community resources to help you decide.

Real estate agent websites work very similarly to the advanced search pages offered by the major search engines. Rather than entering words into blank fields, however, you select choices from various drop-down menus. One menu will include all the local school districts in the area, while another will list a selection of maximum prices.

You can always choose "No Preference" as an option, but the home locator will return better results if you are more specific. Rather than browsing through a few thousand listings, the search engine might narrow your choices to five perfect matches. These websites are remarkably efficient compared to newspaper ads and real estate publications.

Is Padre Island for You?
As you can see, Padre Island real estate is affordable and available to anyone who wants it. This leisurely community is a great place for vacationing or year-round living. If you enjoy warm weather and the outdoors, Padre Island might be the place for you.