"Slices of 30A" - Local News from 30A

International Coastal Cleanup Day Returns to South Walton

South Walton, FL – The Walton County Tourism Department and the Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles are, once again, hosting an International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) day on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 – 11 a.m.

Both residents and visitors are encouraged to participate. Volunteer Beach Ambassador teams will be hosting groups at five South Walton Regional Beach Accesses listed below:

1. Inlet Beach Regional Access, 139 S Orange St., Inlet Beach
2. Santa Clara Regional Access, 3468E Co Hwy 30A, Seagrove
3. Ed Walline Regional Access, 4447 W Co Hwy 30A, Gulf Place
4. Dune Allen Regional Access, 5999 W Co Hwy 30A, Dune Allen
5. Miramar Beach Regional Access, 2375 Scenic Gulf Dr., Miramar Beach

Participants can choose to count their collected…

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Home Prices Are Up on 30A/South Walton, So Why Are Sellers Reducing Listing Prices?

The median sales price for homes along 30A rose 21.5% in June, signaling that the market is still hot for sellers, even though sales are declining, and inventory significantly jumped compared to last year.

Median sales prices for a home are $1,525,000, compared to $1,255,000 this time last year. In a previous couple of months, inventory was up; by 30% in May and 39% in June.

Why are some sellers reducing their listing price?

We've grown accustomed to homes selling as quickly as they hit the market. For example, median-priced homes last on average just 23 days on the market. While the pace is still at record levels, how quickly a home sells largely depends on how well-priced a property is when it hits the market. 

Price reductions along 30A…

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Best Things To Do On 30A

Scenic 30A and South Walton are packed with an assortment of activities that are sure to please outdoorsy types, foodies, and curious wanderers of all ages.

We’ve put together some of our favorites to share with you, from coffee houses and locally crafted beer to outdoor adventures, and best spas.

Best Kids Activities & Attractions:

• 30A Sea Life Discovery Center
• Learn To Surf
• The Big Chill
• The Village of Baytowne Wharf
• Camp Watercolor

Best Fishing Charter:

• Reel 30A
• Florida Boy Adventures
• Santa Rosa Charters

Best Outdoor Adventure Company:

• YOLO Board
• Adventure 30A
• BOTE Grayton

 Best Coffee Houses:

• Black Bear Bread Company (We also highly recommend dinner at the Grayton…

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30A Real Estate: Will Prices Continue To Rise?

As we reported last week, there are signs that the real estate market along 30A is cooling. Some of the big questions for the remainder of the year are, will mortgage rates keep going up? Are residential prices continuing to climb - or are they going to go down soon? 

Locally, existing home sales have dropped significantly over the last 6 months compared to last year. But inventory still has some catching up to do to keep up with the demand in our area. It's been reported nationally that inventory has risen as much as 25% during April and May, but available properties along 30A are still declining compared to this same time last year. Seasonality trends conclude that sales will drop further in the fall and winter months, but it's too soon to tell if a…

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Fourth of July 2022 On Scenic 30A & South Walton

There's plenty to do on 30A this weekend! We've got the line-up on where you can catch the fireworks on 30A:

Grayton Beach 4th of July Parade         8 a.m. Starting at The Red Bar

Come join the fun at Grayton Beach’s cool and wonderful annual 4th of July parade. At 8:00 AM, people start to line up on Holtz Avenue next to The Red Bar. The parade starts at 8:30 AM. Deck out your cars, jeeps, boats, bikes, scooters, and other vehicles. There’s no need to sign up, and everyone is welcome! After the parade, you can get watermelon and lemonade at Grayton Coast Properties, 30A Dive Shop, or the Grayton Beach Surf Club.

• Address: 70 Hotz Ave, Grayton Beach, FL 32459

Watercolor Independence Day Celebration

Celebrate the red, white, and…

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Underwater Museum of Art Expands

Grayton Beach, FL - Earlier this week, nine new sculptures were added to the nation’s first permanent Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park in South Walton, Fla.

The 2022 installation includes the following pieces of sculpture (in order from left to right): The Seed and The Sea by Davide Galbiati (Valreas, France), Common Chord by Vince Tatum (Santa Rosa Beach, FL), Pirate Shipwreck by Sean Coffey (Pittsburgh, PA), Arc of Nexus by Tina Piracci (Richmond, CA), We All Live Here by Marisol Rendón (San Diego, CA), New Homes by Janetta Napp (Honolulu, HI), Bloom Baby Bloom by Brit Deslonde (Santa Rosa Beach, FL), Fibonacci Conchousness by Anthony Heinz May (Eugene, OR), Currents and Tafoni by Joe…

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Are More Properties Coming On The Market?

Ever heard the phrase absorption rate in real estate? Put simply, the absorption rate is a measure of supply and demand. By taking the number of properties sold in a month and dividing it by the number of properties for sale, we can gauge how long it might take to sell ALL available properties on the market.

Along Scenic 30A, the current estimate to sell all available properties is just 2.08 months compared to just 1.04 months this same time last year. Could this be a sign that sales are starting to slow down?

This week we looked at available inventory a bit differently for a fresh perspective on where our market is headed. We normally report on the number of new listings entering the market, but what about the other active listings, the ones…

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South Walton Beach Access & Parking Projects Update

Did you know there are more than 50 beach, bay, and lake access points in South Walton? The types of access vary from Regional Beach Access (including parking, restrooms and showers, and ADA-compliant boardwalks) to Neighborhood Beach Access (for walk-up traffic access), and Bay & Lake access with boat ramps and restrooms. Currently, there are 9 Regional Beach Access points ----with one more coming soon, just south of Cafe Thirty-A---- and 43 Neighborhood Beach Access points scattered all along 30A. To view all current beach, bay & lake access locations, go to visitsouthwalton.com 

Coming soon to Gulf Place is a large parking area with transportation facilities, similar to what is planned at Grayton Beach. Seaside is already offering their guests…

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"Sounds Like Summer" in South Walton!

Along with the 30A Songwriters Festival Summer Series events, there are some other FREE events planned at The Pavilion at Watersound® Town Center. Check out the full line-up below:

Presented by the Cultural Arts Alliance and Russell Carter Artist Management, the Songwriters Festival Summer Series is part of a unique arts and cultural entertainment lineup at The Pavilion at Watersound® Town Center this summer, with three slots set to feature artists from the popular 30A Songwriters Festival. 

Shawn Mullins Trio - June 9, 2022

Amanda Platt & The Honeycutters - July 14, 2022

J & The Causeways - August 11, 2022

Since its inception in 2010, the 4-day winter festival has become the biggest and most prestigious songwriters festival in the…

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Walton County Provides Complimentary Day-Use Admission to State Parks

South Walton, FL - Summer visitors to Walton County will once again be able to enjoy complimentary day-use admission to Grayton Beach State Park and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The Walton County Tourism Department is paying the cost of entry for day-use visitors to increase available parking for beachgoers during the peak visitation season, as well as raise awareness of the variety of eco-tourism activities South Walton offers. This year marks the eighth year of admission coverage for Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and the sixth for Grayton Beach State Park.

“This is an opportunity to help encourage our residents and visitors to explore the natural beauty of our state parks,” says Matt Algarin, director of…

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