"Slices of 30A"

The Walton County Planning Department will be on hand September 11, 13 and 14, 2017, hosting a series of workshops to conduct a group discussion, answer questions and listen to community input on the proposed changes to the Land Development Code.  The primary goal of the workshops is to ensure that everyone in the community who wishes to give input about the Land Development Code and the updates that are being made has a chance to do so.  

This is the second of three phases to update the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Code.  This phase will include:

• Correcting inconsistencies and redundancies in the code.

• Making sure the code is clear and easy to use.

• Keeps with the overall goal of the plan, which is to serve the…

[There are many subtle design elements about Rosemary Beach, FL that make it a distinctive and unique gulf front community. In the mid 1990’s as it was being planned, a great deal of care and effort was made by the development and landscape design teams to feature the native plants and trees that thrive in the area and to create inviting open spaces, parks and greens for everyone to enjoy. With this week’s post, we’ve invited one of Rosemary Beach’s original landscape designers, Stephen Poulakos, to share insights on the parks and green spaces he designed.]

Rosemary Beach, Florida is a beach town built for the ages. It holds a dear and special place in my heart and is where my infatuation with New Urbanism began. Having grown up in suburban Atlanta,…

The weekend is here....time to relax, rewind and enjoy life at the beach!

From farmer’s markets, art walks, music or food festivals it seems there’s never a lack of fun things to do along the Beaches of South Walton, Florida. So there’s definitely no reason to be bored around here! Our featured activities this upcoming weekend all take place in Santa Rosa Beach – one of South Walton’s 16 beach neighborhoods.

The weekend kicks off Friday morning at the Santa Rosa Golf Club at the Fore Her Benefit golf tournament. Later in the evening and on Saturday plan to head on over to Gulf Place Town Center at the corner of Scenic Highway 30A and Highway 393 to imbibe in the inaugural 30A Craft Beer and Spirits Festival. Looking for a little Sunday Funday fun?…

A recent article from the National Association of Realtors stated many of the National "HOT” Markets, such as San Francisco and New York have rebounded from the last recession and prices are back to pre-recession levels. This spurred me to find out how our communities of South Walton compare!

I primarily focus on the Emerald Coast real estate market, particularly the communities of Santa Rosa Beach, Scenic 30A and Southern Walton County. In analyzing these areas, I have compiled historical data using both our local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and statistics from Metro Market Trends, which allows me access to accurate and up-to-date data, including public records.

A History of Exponential Growth

Over the last 25 years we have seen…

Santa Rosa Beach, FL – A local organization known as “A Better South Walton” (ABSW) will hold two Town Hall meetings to update the community on progress for a proposed initiative to establish a new municipality in Walton County. Defuniak Springs, Freeport and Paxton are currently the only incorporated communities in Walton County. According to the groups’ website the mission of “A Better South Walton” is to seek more effective governance and local representation for South Walton to preserve and enhance its unique character, property values and quality of life.

The beautiful beaches of the scenic 30A region of South Walton County just got a little better.

In a regular meeting on August 9th, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (WCBCC) gave final approval to the proposed purchase of a section of beachfront land near the community of Seagrove Beach located immediately to the west of Eastern Lake, and includes the Eastern Lake outfall.  The BCC is also currently working to finalize the purchase of adjacent parcels to the east of the recently purchased parcel in the Eastern Lake area.

Eastern Lake is one of fifteen unique Coastal Dune Lakes that are located along the nineteen mile stretch of coastal Scenic Highway 30A on Northwest Florida’s beautiful Emerald Coast. The Coastal Dune lakes along…

You’ve just purchased your beach vacation home or condo. Congratulations! What now?

It’s an exciting time – your dream has come true. Now, it’s time to set up your rental property and start generating income. Where to begin? It’s a fun process to turn your home into a vacation rental property that welcomes visitors, and even better when those visitors turn in to repeat guests.

Here’s my top ten list of the things I’ve learned from many years of renting my own vacation properties and managing others as well.

1 - Make it personal.

Don’t hesitate to leave family pictures out for guests to enjoy. This reminds them that a family owns the home that they are “borrowing” (renting) and helps ensure they take good care of your property.

2 - Have a…

While having a beautiful 30A beach home is something so many of us dream about, not everyone wants to have a full-time, part-time or vacation home directly on Scenic 30A’s pristine beaches. One of the neat things about living or owning property in South Walton is the diversity of locations the area has to offer. While over 40% of the land that makes up southern Walton County is either in State Forest areas, Florida State Parks or preservation areas, there are beautiful locations with wonderful waterfront or wooded surroundings to make almost everyone’s dream place.  And the best thing is, from just about anywhere in South Walton you can still be at the beach in no-time! 

So, if beachside living isn’t “your thing” but you want to be on the water, how…

Our family has owned our beach cottage in Seagrove since May of 2002. We have traveled many miles going back and forth through the years, and we've created a lot of memories for family and friends here. When our kids finished college and all moved to different cities, it was finally time to move to the Beaches of South Walton full time. Having a Seagrove Beach home means lots of visits from your kids, so we knew we would still see them a lot.

Making the transition to beach living from Overland Park, Kansas has been very exciting. Everyone loves to talk about how beautiful and special Scenic 30A is - that’s understandable, because it is so true. It's also true that property purchased in one of 30A’s beach communities can be a very good decision…

Open House: 29 Macy Lane

The Peach Creek neighborhood is located north east of Seagrove Beach, off US Highway 98 in the Point Washington area of the Beaches of South Walton. This wonderful neighborhood serves as an ideal place for year-round living. The ideal location of Peach Creek homes make for a highly desirable neighborhood offering short distances to schools, grocery stores and just five minutes away from 30A’s outstanding beaches.

Peach Creek was developed by D.R Horton Builders in late 2011. Traditional styled homes are both one and two stories with brick exteriors. Plans typically feature 9’ ceilings, open main living areas and double car garages. Home Owner assessments for the neighborhood are very modest.