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Business
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Locals Still Buying Condos in Great Numbers

As an active real estate agent, I am constantly being asked questions pertaining to real estate along the Emerald Coast as well as questions on real estate in general. I have been collecting some of the more interesting questions and have spent a lot of
time in researching the answers. I’d like to share some of those with you now and in subsequent columns. If you have questions that might interest our readership, please email them to me at the address at the end of this column. I welcome your questions and would appreciate your suggestions on subjects for future columns. Thank you.

With record numbers of condos being sold, where are the buyers coming from?
Most of us who are lucky enough to live here are true believers in the future of this beautiful area, so it’s not surprising that the largest group of buyers are locals. Of the 1,582 units that sold last year, almost 19% of the purchasers came from the local area. According to information gathered from the tax rolls, and confirmed by the Hutchison Report, the next largest number of buyers came from Georgia with 16%. Buyers from Alabama represented 13% of the purchasers and Tennessee wasn’t far behind with 12%. Other states in descending order were Louisiana with 6%, Mississippi with 4%, the rest of Florida with 4% and Texas with 3%. All other states and countries collectively added up to the other 24%.

Could you clear up something for me? I’d heard that Okaloosa Island was being renamed “Destin West,” but then I heard that suggestion had been axed by the powers that be. Recently, I noticed a sign up on Highway 98 advertising Destin West. What’s the deal?
There was some support for the suggestion to rename the Island, Destin West, but it didn’t fly with the city fathers. The sign to which you refer is an advertisement for an ambitious new condominium complex named Destin West, Beach and Bay Resorts.
Located next door to the Ramada Inn will be a six story gulf front condominium with 94 luxury units facing the Gulf of Mexico and 14 efficiency gulf and bay view units. Prices range from $230,000 to $345,300.

With 300 feet of dedicated beach, this will be a major new development. Planned for the beach side is a 6,000 square foot gulf side pool and an on-site exercise facility. Because this resort will be affiliated with the Ramada Inn, owners and guests will be able to enjoy all of the amenities
of the hotel, including room service.
    On the north side of Highway 98 directly across the street and connected by an elevated walkway another development is being proposed. It’ll be a luxury bayside
resort consisting of approximately 91 units in another six story building.   Prices will range from $185,100 to $282,976.
     Although all of the permitting has not been completed and no official marketing has taken place, Jerry Wallace of ReMax Coastal Properties is pretty confident that the Bayside of Destin West Beach Resorts will be built. Two bayside pools are planned along with a water garden designed to attract wildlife to the area. A full service marina is proposed with 90 boat slips and an open air restaurant. Some commercial space should be available to local entrepreneurs.
    More about this exciting new complex in a future column.

Every time I visit this gorgeous area I’m told that these beaches have been named the best in the country. Although I agree with this evaluation 100%, I would like to know how to defend this statement?
The readers of Southern Living were recently polled and asked to vote on America’s “best beach.” The Destin area was #1 again -- for the fourth year running. Second place went to Myrtle Beach. Gulf Shores, Panama City Beach and Hilton Head finished in that order in the top five. Destin also ranked third, behind Orlando and Myrtle Beach, in the favorite family vacation destination category.

Angela Parkhurst is a real estate agent with Anchors Resorts Realty in
Destin and specializes in the sale of condos and beach property. She can be reached at (850) 585-3993 or emailed at Ang4Destin@aol.com.
She can be visited on the internet at Angela4Destin.com.