Beach homes you can buy in Ventura County for about $650,000

A beach house for less than $1 million? That’s a tall order in the South Bay and Malibu, where homes routinely sell for seven and eight figures.

For a less expensive coastal option, home buyers and investors may want to look north of L.A. to Ventura County’s beach cities. In 2014, the median sale price for single-family homes in Oxnard was $620,000 and less in other parts of the county, according to CoreLogic.

Here’s a look at what about $650,000 buys in Ventura, Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

Located in the Silver Strand section of Oxnard, the three-story home has three bedrooms in 1,689 square feet. (Realtor.com)

OXNARD: This three-story home sits in the Silver Strand Beach neighborhood, between the entrance to Channel Islands Harbor and the Port of Hueneme.

Address: 261 Cahuenga Drive, Oxnard, 93035

Listed for: $672,500 for three bedrooms, three bathrooms in 1,689 square feet (1,750-square-foot lot)

Features: Vaulted ceilings, master bedroom with balcony, loft/den

About the area: In the 93035 ZIP Code, based on 26 sales, the median sale price for single-family homes in July was $650,000, up 15.6% from a year earlier, according to CoreLogic.

A white picket fence marks the entrance to this beach cottage in midtown Ventura. (Realtor.com)

VENTURA: Mature trees frame the entrance to this California beach cottage about three miles north of the Ventura Harbor.

Address: 584 Rancho Drive, Ventura, 93003

Listed for: $629,000 for three bedrooms, two bathrooms in 1,972 square feet (5,850-square-foot lot)

Features: Hardwood floors, remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, inner courtyard with fountain

About the area: In the 93003 ZIP Code, based on 32 sales, the median sale price for single-family homes in July was $548,000, up 4.3% from a year earlier, according to CoreLogic.

Built in 2012, the two-story home in Port Hueneme centers on a living room with 18-foot ceilings. (Realtor.com)

PORT HUENEME: Two blocks from the beach, this two-story home features 18-foot ceilings, an office and a great room with a fireplace.

Address: 188 Seabluff Drive, Port Hueneme, 93041

Listed for: $649,000 for three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms in 2,467 square feet (4,000-square-foot lot)

Features: Newer construction (2012), center-island kitchen, master suite with dual vanities

About the area: In the 93041 ZIP Code, based on 10 sales, the median sale price for single-family homes in July was $363,000, up 0.1% from a year earlier, according to CoreLogic.

The 1,923-square-foot home previously sold for $630,000 in 2007. (Realtor.com)

VENTURA: An open-area floor plan with an updated kitchen highlights this three-bedroom home in midtown Ventura.

Address: 3095 Porter Lane, Ventura, 93003

Listed for: $654,000 for three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms in 1,923 square feet (4,730-square-foot lot)

Features: Open-space floor plan, living room with fireplace, built-in barbecue

About the area: In the 93003 ZIP Code, based on 32 sales, the median sale price for single-family homes in July was $548,000, up 4.3% from a year earlier, according to CoreLogic.

A kitchen done in knotty pine lends a nautical quality to this townhouse found across from Channel Islands Harbor. (Realtor.com)

OXNARD: Across from the Channel Island Harbor Marina, this four-story townhouse takes in both ocean and harbor views.

Address: 2843 Harbor Blvd., Oxnard, 93035

Listed for: $649,000 for two bedrooms, three bathrooms in 2,378 square feet (860-square-foot lot)

Features: Two master suites, top-floor balcony, two-car attached garage

About the area: In the 93035 ZIP Code, based on 26 sales, the median sale price for single-family homes in July was $650,000, up 15.6% from a year earlier, according to CoreLogic.