Yes, it IS nice in Niceville, Florida
November 21st, 2011When people ask where I live and I say “Niceville, Florida” I of course get all of the usual questions, “Is it really a nice place?”, “Are the people there nice?” and of course some snickers of disbelieve. Now everyone knows because Niceville has just been voted the 2012 Best Place to Raise Kids by Businessweek!
The population is 11,874, and it’s right around the corner from the sugar white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico along Destin and Fort Walton Beach. Niceville real estate is diverse with everything from studio size vacation condos to magnificent waterfront homes.
Beautiful Indian Trail Townhome new on the market
September 26th, 2011JUST LISTED! One of six town homes tucked along Indian Trail in central Destin. The first floor features an expansive living and dining area (was expanded from original construction) featuring 18″ tile floors with new design in living area, mirrored wall, gas fireplace and plantation shutters. 1650 Sq ft with 2 great balconies and a Bay view & Community pool.
Click Here or call us at 850.837.1388 for more info
Destin, Miramar Beach and Fort Walton Beach Condominium real estate market explodes
September 15th, 2011August real estate numbers have been released by Metro Market Trends and show that the number of single family homes and condominiums sold in the three local counties (Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa) have increased over the last year.
The Emerald Coast area does not always follow the countrywide trends that find their way on national television. Every week we receive calls from potential buyers in other parts of the county that think that our real estate market is stagnant. But just the opposite is true of our market which is very healthy (as evidenced in the graph below). That does not mean that market prices are in any way comparable to the height of the market which means that many of the sales are short sales and foreclosures.
Click graph to view full size
What this does mean is that prices have reached a point where buyers see the value and know they are getting a quality property in a resort area for a value price. Inventories are decreasing as sales surpass the new properties coming available for sale. It is a great time to purchase now for all buyers looking for a good deal!
Don’t let a low appraisal kill your Destin real estate deal
September 12th, 2011Real estate professionals that were surveyed in June reported that many of their cancelled sales were due to low appraisals. You, as the buyer, do have some options if this happens to you. There is a chance that the Destin real estate deal can still be worked out.
A large part of an appraisal is based on prices recently paid for comparable local properties. Recently, finding “comps” that accurately reflect values have been a challenge. If the contract is for a non-distressed or “normal” sale and the only comparable prices are from distressed sales then the value might end up less than contract price that has been agreed to by both the seller and the buyer.
We experienced this in a Miramar Beach neighborhood just a couple of months ago. An appraisal was required and ordered by the buyer’s lender. Due to the fact that the recent comparable sales included properties that were bank owned (foreclosures) the property did not appraise at the contract price. During this time of record low home values, it is no wonder that more and more appraisals are coming in below the prices that buyers and sellers have agreed on. Even if you have a great job, sterling credit, an adequate down payment and money in the bank, the lender will still want a conservative appraisal. The lender is more interested in protecting themselves from a loss than they are in giving out a loan.
Here are 5 steps you can take:
1. Get the seller to loser the price. There is no guarantee that the seller will not receive a low appraisal from the next buyer’s lender.
2. Ask the seller to carry a second mortgage for the difference.
3. Dispute the appraisal – the key to a successful dispute is data. Find out.
4. Ask the lender for a new appraisal – if you have a good case that the appraisal was not accurate, ask the lender for a new appraisal
5. Get your own, independent appraisal – ask your lender for a list of approved appraisers and then request that both appraisals be considered.
If these tactics fail and you can not make up the shortfall in the appraised value, you might have to move on to a different Destin property or wait until the values increase in the neighborhood. Make sure your sales contract states that the sale is contingent on the property appraising at contract price.
Fort Walton Beach makes Top 20 “Geekville” List
August 18th, 2011This area contiunues to grow and attract highly educated workers for the expanding military missions given Eglin AFB following the BRAC commision decisions.
The U.S. National Science Foundation has created a compelling taxonomy of American geeks for gathering the data it includes in its annual “Science and Engineering Indicators” report. 
The most recent version of that report defines “geeks” as any workers with a bachelor’s level of knowledge and education in science or engineering-related fields or workers in occupations that require some degree of technical knowledge or training.
In the “Science and Engineering Indicators 2010,” the NSF ranked the top 20 cities in the United States by percentage of workers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics occupation.
The Fort Walton Beach / Destin / Crestview area (Okaloosa County) make the list at #20 with 7200 workers (8.8% of the workforce)
Here is the list:
- San Jose, CA
- Boulder, CO
- Framingham, MA
- Huntsville, AL
- Durham, NC
- Lowell, MA
- Washington, D.C.
- Ithaca, NY
- Bethesda, MD
- Seattle-Bellevue, WA
- Kennewick-Pasco, WA
- Austin-Round Rock, TX
- Ames, IA
- Palm Bay-Titusville, FL
- Boston, MA
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Bloomington-Normal, IL
- Olympia, WA
- San Francisco, CA
- Fort Walton Beach, FL
Offshore Investors Snapping up Florida Real Estate
August 17th, 2011From the Miami Herald
Offshore investors are flocking to Florida’s distressed real estate prices as major companies with ties to Hong Kong, Spain, Argentina and Malaysia are snapping up properties sensing the local market has bottomed.
International companies can park their investment and position themselves for the next development cycle, said Tere Blanca. “Acquiring prime properties at discount prices in the height of the market was not achievable. Whomever has deep liquidity and can be nimble and act when opportunities arise can acquire properties at what we consider to be solid pricing,” he said, according to the Daily Business Review.
“With the potential appreciation, if you’re buying at half the price of the bubble, you have the potential to go up 60 to 70 percent in the next five years”, says Stephan Gietl of Austria. “As Americans worry about the economy and debt ceiling, international investors still perceive the U.S. as “the most reliable country in the world”
For information about Emerald Coast Real Estate, Please call us at (850) 837-1388
South Walton Real Estate: Miramar Beach Condo
July 19th, 2011WILL CONSIDER ALL OFFERS — Huntington by the Sea is a low density (only 31 units) beachfront complex that offers more privacy, less people and an onsite rental office. AMAZING SUGAR SAND BEACH AND GULF VIEWS from this large 4th floor condo!!! Features include tile floors in the living room, kitchen and dining area; laminate wood flooring in the bedrooms; solid surface countertops; resurfaced kitchen cabinets and is being sold furnished. Condo comes with personal separate 6×9 storage unit for all of your beach toys. Huntington by the Sea has a new roof and all entry doors and door frames as of 2010. Owner is a licensed real estate broker or salesperson.
Project Facilities: Beach, Deed Access, Elevators, Gated Community, Owner Pets Allowed, Pool, Separate Storage, TV Cable, Waterfront
MLS#: 554913
List Price: $369,000
Project: HUNTINGTON BY THE SEA CONDO
Approx SF: 1,100
MIRAMAR BEACH, FL 32550
County: WALTON
Stories In Unit: 1
Main Area: South Walton West
Year Built: 1981
Sub Area: MIRAMAR BEACH SOUTHEAST
Bedrooms: 2
Baths Full: 2
Elementary School: VAN R BUTLER
Middle School: EMERALD COAST
High School: SOUTH WALTON
This information is approximate and may not exact. Call our office at (850)837-1388 for more information on this listing.
Sandestin Short Sale: 1 Bedroom Sandestin Condo
July 17th, 2011
Tropical 1BR condo – beautifully furnished and finished with granite countertops. GROUND FLOOR – NO NEED TO WAIT FOR AN ELEVATOR.. Luau is Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s newest beach-side experience. LUAU’s large heated pool features a swim-under waterfall & heated spa. The entry fountain, barbeque area and swimming pools are located along a stream that winds through the complex’s lush landscaping. There is a LARGE ROOF-TOP OBSERVATION DECK & a fitness center in the complex, helping to make LUAU a self-contained oasis. All of this is just steps from the beach … or a short tram ride to all of the dining and entertainment of this area’s finest resort.
MLS#: 505656
List Price: $245,000
Type: Short Sale
Project: LUAU I
1 Bedroom 1 Bath
Approx SF: 708
MIRAMAR BEACH, FL 32550
County: WALTON
Stories In Unit: 1
Main Area: South Walton West
Year Built: 2006
Sub Area: SANDESTIN RESORT
Elementary School: VAN R BUTLER
Middle School: EMERALD COAST
High School: SOUTH WALTON
Project Facilities: Beach, Community Room, Elevators, Exercise Room, Fishing, Gated Community, Golf, Laundry, Marina, Playground, Pool, Separate Storage, Tennis, TV Cable, Whirlpool, Waterfront
This information is approximate and may not exact. Call our office at (850)837-1388 for more information on this listing.
Resort-facing Studio Condo at Sandestin Resort
July 13th, 2011MLS#: 557130m
List Price: $35,900
Project: BAYSIDE CONDO SANDESTIN
Approx SF: 386
Address: MIRAMAR BEACH, FL
Zip: 32550
County: WALTON
Sub Area: SANDESTIN RESORT
Elementary School: VAN R BUTLER
Middle School: DESTIN
High School: SOUTH WALTON
Year Built: 1985
A great price for this 7th floor fully renovated resort-facing studio condo. Located in the Bayside Inn directly on the scenic Choctawhatchee bay in the heart of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort! This hotel style condo is a favorite place to stay for the Linkside Conference Center guests and is also adjacent to Another Broken Egg restaurant, the Links golf course, the Salon & Day Spa, and the Sandestin fitness center. The Bayside Inn is a non-residential rental property.
Project facilities: BBQ Pit/Grill, Beach, Boat Launch, Deed Access, Dock, Elevators, Exercise Room, Fishing, Gated Community, Golf, Laundry, Marina, Picnic Area, Playground, Pool, Tennis, TV Cable, Waterfront
Call our office at (850)837-1388 for more information on this listing.
Just Listed in Avalon Beach Estates!
July 11th, 2011
This home is in immaculate condition on Tristram. Close to the pool, tennis and the gated beach. Avalon Beach Estates is one of our favorite nieghborhoods.
Association fees are only $900 a year.
or call us at 850.837.1388