Living in Anne Arundel County means living near the water.

While demand never seems to disappear for waterfront property, across the country the slowing real estate market has presented some great deals by lakes and oceans.

This isn’t any different here locally. In addition to waterfront property on the Chesapeake Bay, Anne Arundel County has four main rivers (West River, South River, Severn River and Magothy River) and dozens of smaller tributaries - making it a fantastic place to find waterfront property!

The desire to look out your window and see water will always be there and will always be an added incentive for someone to purchase a home.

But there are drawbacks to living the waterfront life.

Among them: premium property prices, high insurance rates (especially if you’re near a flood zone), and costly maintenance because moist air corrodes pipes and eats away at paint. But there are just as many perks.

Tonja Demoff, author of the book Bubble Proof: Real Estate Strategies That Work in Any Market, offers these five reasons for considering waterfront property.

1. Waterfront properties are in high demand and are often a great investment either for resale or rental income.

2. Fewer mosquitoes and insects as the ocean breezes push the critters westward.

3. Wonderful environment for children, away from the pollution of the city and a sedentary lifestyle.

4. Great exercise potential for people of all ages, be it swimming or walking along the shore or coast.

5. Breezes from the water make the hottest summer day feel cooler.

Right now, as I write this there are 114 water-front properties for sale in Anne Arundel County that are listed for less than $700,000.

18 of these houses have been on the market for over a year - so their owners are probably anxious to see an offer or two come their way.