By Prashant Gopal and Diana Holden

Million-Dollar Ocean Views

The real estate market may be in the dumps, but that doesn’t mean houses on the most desirable U.S. beaches aren’t still asking boom-style prices. After all, it was only in July 2008 that Donald Trump was able to sell his 6.5-acre Palm Beach (Fla.) estate, Maison de l'Amitie, to Russian tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev for a staggering $100 million. And, while no ocean-front properties currently on the market command such a high price, there are a still more than two dozen for $8 million or more—a lot more. For example, the most expensive beach house today is listed at $59.5 million in Bridgehampton, N.Y. Of course, as many home buyers and sellers are finding out these days, the asking price is often far higher than the selling price. One thing is pretty certain: Once the economy recovers it’s a pretty good bet that prices for properties such as these will go even higher.

Read on to the 25 most expensive beach in the U.S.