Waterfront in Miami is not a single category. A canal-front home ten minutes from open water with a fixed bridge at fourteen feet of clearance is a different asset from a bayfront lot with unobstructed access, and the price difference between them is often smaller than it should be.
Three numbers determine usability. Bridge clearance sets the maximum air draft of any vessel that can reach your dock. Canal depth at mean low water sets the maximum draft. And distance to open water sets how often you will actually use the boat — beyond twenty minutes of no-wake, usage drops measurably.
Seawall condition is the fourth number, and it is the one that surprises buyers. Replacement runs several hundred dollars per linear foot, and a failing wall is both a capital expense and a permitting exercise. A marine survey during the inspection period costs a fraction of what it protects.
Buyers who lead with the vessel and work backward to the house make better decisions here. The house can be renovated; the water in front of it cannot.
