Looking for Gulffront Townhome

**beachyj** · 05-14-2005, 05:27 PM

I will be visiting the area the week of june 4th. I am coming specifically to look at property. I am looking for a gulf front townhome 2 or 3 bedrooms. Anyone know of someone who may be selling but has not listed with real estate MLS yet?

**kurt** · 05-14-2005, 08:31 PM

What price range are you looking at?

**beachyj** · 05-14-2005, 09:24 PM

Thank you for your reply. I really have not determined a specific price range but have set requirements and will see what they cost when I begin looking. Looking for Townhome properties Gulffront off 30A. I seem to like the seagrove area but will consider other areas as well, as long as they meet all other requirments. Thanks!

**kurt** · 05-14-2005, 09:39 PM

By townhome, I guess you mean condo. There are only a handful of true townhomes, without condo associations. Maybe you mean smaller buildings. The 2+ bedrooms in small complexes are hard to come by these days.

**beachyj** · 05-15-2005, 12:11 AM

Seacrest townhomes, walton dunes townhomes, Blue tide townhomes, those are townhomes right? 2-stories usually 2 bedrooms 2-21/2 baths. Although, I am beginning to warm up to the possibility of a condo in a very very small complex which I was really not open to before. Do you have any guidance you can offer? Or possibly any leads to properties for sale? Thanks for your responses.

**kurt** · 05-15-2005, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by beachyj

Seacrest townhomes, walton dunes townhomes, Blue tide townhomes, those are townhomes right? 2-stories usually 2 bedrooms 2-21/2 baths. Although, I am beginning to warm up to the possibility of a condo in a very very small complex which I was really not open to before. Do you have any guidance you can offer? Or possibly any leads to properties for sale? Thanks for your responses.

Right. Some people say townhome when they mean condo, and the other way around. You have a lot of competition. A 2br th came on the market last week for the first time in a long time and sold the same day for $875k.

**beachyj** · 05-15-2005, 01:25 PM

Was that by any chance BoothBay?? Since this is going to be an uphill battle for me, what do you suggest I do? Should I isolate what complexes I like and send letters to owners? I am willing to do the leg work and research. I am a hard worker and fast learner, so what do you think it will take to get what I want? Do you have any suggestions on units that you like better than others? I have decided that I would also consider a small condo complex as well, that should help I would think. Thanks again for all your responses!

**RiverOtter** · 05-15-2005, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by beachyj

Was that by any chance BoothBay?? Since this is going to be an uphill battle for me, what do you suggest I do? Should I isolate what complexes I like and send letters to owners? I am willing to do the leg work and research. I am a hard worker and fast learner, so what do you think it will take to get what I want? Do you have any suggestions on units that you like better than others? I have decided that I would also consider a small condo complex as well, that should help I would think. Thanks again for all your responses!

If you start sending letters to owners.... Better get you BIG check book out

**Smiling JOe** · 05-15-2005, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by RiverOtter

If you start sending letters to owners.... Better get you BIG check book out

That's right. If you are looking to buy something that is not for sale, you will pay a premium. Why not look at the ones that are currently for sale?

**kurt** · 05-15-2005, 04:51 PM

Owners get blanketed with letters from realtors and buyers. Better to know someone who is on top of things. A good realtor that specializes in what you want is a good person to know. And when I say good realtor I mean a GOOD realtor, not someone that was drawing a paycheck in Atlanta last month. :wink:

**beachyj** · 05-15-2005, 08:57 PM

Finding someone like that is hard. As soon as they hear what I am looking for and they know that they are not out there, they start trying to steer me to pre-construction. Or at least it has been some of the pattern. Other people tell me I should buy pre-construction and flip it, but I am really looking for something to hold long term and pass down to my son. Thanks to all! Any input is most appreciated. I want to be loaded and ready to go when I arrive on June 4th!!

**Smiling JOe** · 05-16-2005, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by beachyj

As soon as they hear what I am looking for and they know that they are not out there,...

If it is not out there, what makes you think that you can find it?

Originally Posted by beachyj

Other people tell me I should buy pre-construction and flip it, but I am really looking for something to hold long term and pass down to my son.

Sounds like the people with whom you are talking are not listening to your needs.

Originally Posted by beachyj

I want to be loaded and ready to go when I arrive on June 4th!!

"loaded" as in drunk, or as in pockets of cash to buy property?

**kurt** · 05-16-2005, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by Smiling JOe

If it is not out there, what makes you think that you can find it?

Sounds like the people with whom you are talking are not listening to your needs.

"loaded" as in drunk, or as in pockets of cash to buy property?

**kurt** · 05-16-2005, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by beachyj

Finding someone like that is hard. As soon as they hear what I am looking for and they know that they are not out there, they start trying to steer me to pre-construction. Or at least it has been some of the pattern. Other people tell me I should buy pre-construction and flip it, but I am really looking for something to hold long term and pass down to my son. Thanks to all! Any input is most appreciated. I want to be loaded and ready to go when I arrive on June 4th!!

It's not too hard to find out who the pros are, just takes a little patience. Long-term is wise and most would say foolproof here. You should be able to find something you like. Long term around here these days means 2 years. Don't hesitate to pay market value or higher if you're in it long term.

**beachyj** · 05-16-2005, 05:01 PM

You guys are too funny!

I will wait until I get there to get loaded. My friend has promised me her famous apple martinis upon arrival! Perhaps armed with information would have been a better choice of words.

I do not believe that what I am looking for does not exist, just that there are no units currently for sale on the open market.

**RiverOtter** · 05-16-2005, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by beachyj

You guys are too funny!

I will wait until I get there to get loaded. My friend has promised me her famous apple martinis upon arrival! Perhaps armed with information would have been a better choice of words.

I do not believe that what I am looking for does not exist, just that there are no units currently for sale on the open market.

Just be patient and one will come up

**FoX** · 05-16-2005, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by RiverOtter

Just be patient and one will come up

Martinis help.

**Cork On the Ocean** · 05-28-2005, 02:12 AM

Well you're right about the beachfront townhomes on 30A unless you're ready to drop about 4 million for Andante or Tagganale. You can get them in Destin and Panama City Beach though.

Regarding 30A:

I did a search for Attached units and came up with a couple which are mostly duplexes. there's one on South Spooky which is as close as you'll find to gulffront for less than a million on 30A.

Here's the closest you can get to gulffront attached units on 30A:

http://ecarmls.com/EmeraldReports/li...sp?ID=73204432

There are quite a few good size gulffront condos on 30A. Here's today's lineup on 30A:
http://ecarmls.com/EmeraldReports/li...sp?ID=73204433

Here's the available gulfront townhomes in Destin:

http://ecarmls.com/EmeraldReports/li...sp?ID=73204434

Also some available on the west end of Panama City Beach. Here's true townhomes in PC Beach

http://panamacitymls.net/BayReports/...sp?ID=R1612773

If you'd like the full listing on any of the listings or would like additional info, feel free to email me direct and would be happy to send to you.

Take care,

Debbie
debbie@uniquepanhandleproperties.com
www.uniquepanhandleproperties.com

**Paula** · 05-29-2005, 06:35 AM

Does it matter whether a place was built before the new hurricane building codes went into effect (when was that?). I'd assume the newer buildings will be better able to withstand a hurricane than buildings that were built before new codes went into effect (after Hurricane Opal?). What do you think? When we bought our cottages, being built to the new hurricane standards was very important to us.

**Cork On the Ocean** · 05-31-2005, 11:05 PM

After Ivan, I definitely felt that the new codes were worth it when I saw the damage to the older homes south of 30A in Dune Allen. It was pretty clear to me that the new stuff held up much better with virtually no structural damage (at least the ones I saw) I lost 2 fans on my top balcony but that was it. No broken windows in my area. Even the roofs seem to hold pretty well.

Originally Posted by Paula

Does it matter whether a place was built before the new hurricane building codes went into effect (when was that?). I'd assume the newer buildings will be better able to withstand a hurricane than buildings that were built before new codes went into effect (after Hurricane Opal?). What do you think? When we bought our cottages, being built to the new hurricane standards was very important to us.

**Paula** · 06-01-2005, 07:58 AM

I figured that new construction would matter when it comes to hurricanes, but the realtors would have more information on this. In Michigan, older homes seem to be very sturdy and can out-last some of the newer homes (of course, we don't have hurricanes), but I assume new is better than old in florida.

**Cork On the Ocean** · 06-02-2005, 11:11 AM

It's kind of odd. When you move inland, there's lot so of sturdy brick homes but when you move closer to water there's mostly frame homes, of course many are on piers or stilts which is why they're frame, I guess. It seems that I'm seeing more block homes this year down in the Rosemary/Seacrest area. Not just 1st story block but 3 story block. Alys so far looks like all block but my home is all frame and as I said held up beautifully and though I evacuated, I know we must have had some pretty strong winds from Ivan. Maybe some of the people that stayed could tell us how bad the winds were.

**kurt** · 06-02-2005, 12:01 PM

The wind was intense but nothing like near the eye which is where you start seeing structural damage from winds. Most problems are caused by rising water, waves, flooding, and wind driven rain.

**Paula** · 06-03-2005, 05:21 AM

I wonder, too, why more homes are built with block construction. But even the newer frame homes are built according to better standards than were available 20 years ago. I'd be curious to know how 30A held up after Opal. Were many homes devastated by the storm (I know there were many fewer homes/condos at that time, of course)? Did the eye of Opal hit the area?

**kurt** · 06-03-2005, 07:01 AM

Opal came ashore at Navarre Beach, which meant that we got some of the highest winds. There was a bit more wind damage, but not much structural.

The surge in the gulf was higher from Opal and washed out 30-A at Dune Allen and a few of the lake causeways - Western and Eastern Lake. Afterwards the causeways were beefed up with the rocks you see along them now. The bay rose higher during Ivan than Opal.

I was surprised when I saw Grayton Beach the morning of Ivan. Even though the waves were very high, Grayton was not flooded from surge like during Opal.

As for block vs. frame - it's simply a matter of short term cost. People want the most house for the money, and would generally prefer to have more square footage and fine interior materials. A frame house on high and dry ground built carefully to current code will do very well in all but the most intense storms, as long as windows and doors are shuttered or boarded.