Dummy in this case being me. I look at this page every day and think it's pretty interesting. There are more than a few of you who are very well-informed and intelligent, so if you could answer this in layman's terms, I'd be so happy!
Since when did our beach get so expensive? What was the deciding factor that made the prices go through the roof?
We've been coming to the beach for about 18 years or so. I know beach prices the world over go at a premium, but I remember when you could buy a lot at Seaside on Forest Street for $125K. Back then, you could also buy a nice house to live in for the same money, so you know that Seaside--in the 1980s--, though expensive, was not out of the reach for those who saved long and hard.
Currently, houses at Seaside are in excess of $1 million, and you know most of our population (including those who save long and hard) DON'T live in houses that expensive. The prices on 30-A are astronomically high.
Is it just that 30-A is popular and desireable because of the upscale nature of Seaside, Watercolor, and Rosemary Beach? Are they what's driven prices up? I have to admit I'm not familiar with Pensacola, Gulf Shores or other Panhandle towns; have their real estate values escalated at a similar rate, too?
And finally, who on earth's buying these million dollar plus properties? My parents, who live in Naples, sent me an article about their real estate, and down there, it's Europeans driven by the strong Euro who are buying up properties like hot cakes. Is it the same case on 30-A?
Since when did our beach get so expensive? What was the deciding factor that made the prices go through the roof?
We've been coming to the beach for about 18 years or so. I know beach prices the world over go at a premium, but I remember when you could buy a lot at Seaside on Forest Street for $125K. Back then, you could also buy a nice house to live in for the same money, so you know that Seaside--in the 1980s--, though expensive, was not out of the reach for those who saved long and hard.
Currently, houses at Seaside are in excess of $1 million, and you know most of our population (including those who save long and hard) DON'T live in houses that expensive. The prices on 30-A are astronomically high.
Is it just that 30-A is popular and desireable because of the upscale nature of Seaside, Watercolor, and Rosemary Beach? Are they what's driven prices up? I have to admit I'm not familiar with Pensacola, Gulf Shores or other Panhandle towns; have their real estate values escalated at a similar rate, too?
And finally, who on earth's buying these million dollar plus properties? My parents, who live in Naples, sent me an article about their real estate, and down there, it's Europeans driven by the strong Euro who are buying up properties like hot cakes. Is it the same case on 30-A?