Hidden Beach Villas

[Dabell]

Hmmm....A mere $530 per square foot....north side of 30-A, huh? And you wonder why the South Walton market today lacks creditility? It's called the ATFAL
disease. "Anything For A Listing."
Save your nickles and dimes. A very nice unit at Villas of Seagrove comes in at $360 per square foot. http://www.destinproperties.com/condos_details.asp?MLSNumber=393448

I rather buy on Collins in SoBe!

 

[SHELLY]

Garrett Realty has a 500 sq ft. studio unit listed for $265K

That price is a bit steep for the closet --how much is the rest of the unit going for?

 

[Mermaid]

Hmmm....A mere $530 per square foot....north side of 30-A, huh? And you wonder why the South Walton market today lacks creditility? It's called the ATFAL
disease. "Anything For A Listing."
Save your nickles and dimes. A very nice unit at Villas of Seagrove comes in at $360 per square foot. http://www.destinproperties.com/condos_details.asp?MLSNumber=393448

GVM, that listing is gorgeous, but it's also $765K, even if it is "only" $360 per square foot. We'd have loved to have bought it, but our budget was -$300K, and that meant Hidden Beach Villas. I literally walked into the real estate office and asked for a "foot in the door, cheapest place on 30-A, please." My husband and I are still shaking our heads that our kind of money is only enough to buy a studio!

Nonetheless, we now have our little piece of paradise and we're confident that when it's time to sell it, the profits from it will buy us a one bedroom. And so forth and so on, so that by the time my husband retires in 15 years or so we will have a nice place like the listing you showed! I think Hidden Beach Villas is a great little place to start out--super location, onsite management, nice owners (we've met a few here and there).

I will also add that though the exterior is dowdy (that's putting it mildly, if you ask me), what you do with an interior can make all the difference! My husband and I have just about gutted our studio and when we open our front door, our condo can more than hold its own with all the splashy new construction out there--and that's not bad for $500 per square foot. :clap_1:

 

[wetwilly]

GVM, that listing is gorgeous, but it's also $765K, even if it is "only" $360 per square foot. We'd have loved to have bought it, but our budget was -$300K, and that meant Hidden Beach Villas. I literally walked into the real estate office and asked for a "foot in the door, cheapest place on 30-A, please." My husband and I are still shaking our heads that our kind of money is only enough to buy a studio!

Nonetheless, we now have our little piece of paradise and we're confident that when it's time to sell it, the profits from it will buy us a one bedroom. And so forth and so on, so that by the time my husband retires in 15 years or so we will have a nice place like the listing you showed! I think Hidden Beach Villas is a great little place to start out--super location, onsite management, nice owners (we've met a few here and there).

I will also add that though the exterior is dowdy (that's putting it mildly, if you ask me), what you do with an interior can make all the difference! My husband and I have just about gutted our studio and when we open our front door, our condo can more than hold its own with all the splashy new construction out there--and that's not bad for $500 per square foot. :clap_1:

Well said. Congrats on getting your slice. You go girl. :clap_1: :clap_1: Sounds like a great place when you get done. I'm sure if you get Kurt to do a VT that it will look great. If you do get a VT, please post it so we can get a gander.

 

[Mermaid]

Well said. Congrats on getting your slice. You go girl. :clap_1: :clap_1: Sounds like a great place when you get done. I'm sure if you get Kurt to do a VT that it will look great. If you do get a VT, please post it so we can get a gander.

Thank you for a lovely compliment. That is exactly our intention, to get Kurt to do a VT. He will do it justice. :clap_1:

We have one more round of renovation to do--trim work and finishing touches. I can honestly say that we bought as much we could handle. I never knew renovating a mere 500 sq. feet could be so much work! Case in point: the bathroom. I thought all I'd need to do is strip the wallpaper and paint. Maybe an afternoon's work at most, with plenty of time left to play. But did that happen? NOOOOOOOOOO. When the wallpaper came off, the wall came off with it. Huge pieces of it. That meant heading to Frank's Hardware and buying a gallon of mud. I've never mudded before, so it took me two full days to do it (lots of stopping and starting and swearing in between ). Then I had to prime the wall to seal the plaster. It looked so bright and shiny!

It made the ceiling look dingy and disgusting in comparison. Another trip to Frank's, this time to get ceiling paint. I thought all I'd need to do is paint the ceiling. Maybe an afternoon's work at most, with plenty of time left to play. But did that happen? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. The gal at the store said I'd have to scrape the popcorn off first, since it would fall off anyway. Then I'd have to seal the ceiling with primer, then I could actually paint. Two days later (lots of stopping and starting and swearing in between ) I finally emerged from the bathroom.

I offer this cautionary tale to say there is real truth to the expression "you get what you pay for." We bought cheaply, in a manner of speaking, but man oh man, the sweat equity is worth millions.

 

[wetwilly]

Plus you did some handy work that you had never done before. Now you will love that condo more and enjoy it more because of that sweat equity and then the real equity as time goes by. I'm sure someone on the board will input/post or at least think something negative about this but good for you Mermaid. :clap_1: :clap_1:

 

[Sheila]

Plus you did some handy work that you had never done before. Now you will love that condo more and enjoy it more because of that sweat equity and then the real equity as time goes by. I'm sure someone on the board will input/post or at least think something negative about this but good for you Mermaid. :clap_1: :clap_1:

You and Merman have every right to be proud!!! Your place is going to be fabulous. Hope your new sofa was delivered before you left. Let me know how Merman liked it.;-)

Check your PM!

 

[Mermaid]

Hi Mom. Sorry we didn't get another chance to see you but as I said, I had bathroom issues. :funn: Yes, the sofa came (from Sandcastle Designs, if anyone's interested) and it's perfect!

Now I almost wish we didn't have to "share" our condo but someone's gotta help pay that mortage.

(Didn't get your PM--is it floating around in cyberspace???)

 

[Sheila]

Hi Mom. Sorry we didn't get another chance to see you but as I said, I had bathroom issues. :funn: Yes, the sofa came (from Sandcastle Designs, if anyone's interested) and it's perfect!

Now I almost wish we didn't have to "share" our condo but someone's gotta help pay that mortage.

(Didn't get your PM--is it floating around in cyberspace???)

Sorry. Check for it now. It occured as I posted I hadn't sent you the pm yet!

 

[ktmeadows]

I agree with you 100%, Mermaid! :clap_1: If one has an extra $765K to spend, then of course it would be great to have a place such as was described. But the bottom line is, just being able to have ANY place on 30-A is awesome!! And it sounds like you guys have turned your studio into an adorble, inviting place! I think you made a wise investment that will bring you many years of fun, enjoyment and serenity!

GVM, that listing is gorgeous, but it's also $765K, even if it is "only" $360 per square foot. We'd have loved to have bought it, but our budget was -$300K, and that meant Hidden Beach Villas. I literally walked into the real estate office and asked for a "foot in the door, cheapest place on 30-A, please." My husband and I are still shaking our heads that our kind of money is only enough to buy a studio!

Nonetheless, we now have our little piece of paradise and we're confident that when it's time to sell it, the profits from it will buy us a one bedroom. And so forth and so on, so that by the time my husband retires in 15 years or so we will have a nice place like the listing you showed! I think Hidden Beach Villas is a great little place to start out--super location, onsite management, nice owners (we've met a few here and there).

I will also add that though the exterior is dowdy (that's putting it mildly, if you ask me), what you do with an interior can make all the difference! My husband and I have just about gutted our studio and when we open our front door, our condo can more than hold its own with all the splashy new construction out there--and that's not bad for $500 per square foot. :clap_1: