Destin & South Walton Real Estate Blog

This week, the average interest rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dropped back to its record low of 3.91%, falling from 3.95% the previous week. Interest rates on 15-year, fixed rate loans also remained low, averaging 3.23% nationwide, down very slightly from last week’s 3.24% rate. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has lowered interest rates to all-time lows and kept them there in an effort to strengthen the nation’s housing market. Bernanke has called recovery of the housing market essential to U.S. economic recovery.

“Restoring the health of the housing market is a necessary part of a broader strategy for economic recovery,” Bernanke said in a letter to the Senate Banking and House Financial Services Committees reported by…

When buying a Destin, FL home , it’s important to keep your eyes open and shop smart. Florida’s Gulf Coast offers many excellent opportunities for both residential and investment home buyers, but even great deals require that the buyer do his due diligence. When buying a home in the Destin and South Walton area, follow these smart home buyer tips:

Choose a Destin Realtor  with long-term experience buying and selling homes on Florida’s Emerald Coast. Dealing with a real estate agent who is intimately familiar with the many specific neighborhoods that line the Gulf Coast will ensure that you spend your shopping time productively. A top Destin Realtor can immediately steer you to properties and communities that meet your personal preferences.

Personally…

Buying or selling a home in Destin, Florida is not always a straightforward proposition. Often the buyer’s or seller’s financial circumstances or personal requirements can cause a few bumps in the road that can affect the finalization of a purchase contract. A Destin home buyer (or occasionally a home seller) may place certain constraints on his offer to purchase a home. Called “contingencies,” these constraints have the potential to jeopardize the pending sale.

Typical Destin real estate contingencies include:

Frequently, home owners who are upgrading to a new home will make the purchase of the new home contingent on the sale of their current home. Most often, these buyers need the money from the sale of one home to purchase the other home.…

Mortgage rates continue to plummet, making this an excellent time to purchase the Destin, Florida home or South Walton vacation property you’ve had your eye on. According to information just released by federal mortgage giant Freddie Mac, interest rates for 15-year mortgages have reached an all-time low. Nationally, the interest rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 3.5% this week. Interest rates on fixed-rate 30-year loans have also dropped, falling to a new 2011 low of 4.32% nationally. Mortgage rates for home loans in Destin, the Beaches of South Walton, Panama City Beach and other Gulf Coast communities have never been lower. With economists beginning to report the first glimmers of U.S. economic recovery, home buyers and Destin real estate…

Incredibly low interest rates on Destin mortgage loans make now an excellent time to buy a Destin, Florida home  or invest in a South Walton vacation property. However, in order to take advantage of today’s historic low interest rates, you’ll need a good credit score. Since the mortgage meltdown, banks have become gun-shy about lending out their money to anyone who might possibly have trouble paying it back. Conservative lending practices can make it difficult for potential Destin home buyers with a decent but not top-notch credit score to get the mortgage loan they need. 

Your 3-digit credit score is what banks and other Destin mortgage lenders use to determine your credit risk; that is, your ability to pay off the loan. Credit scores range from 850…

Historically low interest rates make this an excellent time to purchase a Destin, Florida home or invest in a South Walton vacation property. Maintaining a good credit score (760 or above) is critical when buying a home, say experienced Destin Realtors [http://www.gulfcoastrealestatesales.com/buying.php]. Paying bills on time and keeping credit card debt under control (see our previous post) are just two of the things Destin home buyers [http://www.destinrealestatesales.com/idx/search.html?search_submit=true&search_city%5B%5D=DESTIN&idx=detached-single-family&minimum_bedrooms=&minimum_bathrooms=&minimum_price=&maximum_price=] can do to increase their chances of securing the best mortgage rates. Destin real estate agents offer these additional…

When ABC’s Good Morning America asked viewers to name the most beautiful place in America, they were swamped by thousands of breathtaking photos. From hundreds of places submitted by viewers, the GMA crew chose 10 scenic spots of extraordinary natural beauty. Miles of pure white sand beaches strung along the sparkling emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico earned Destin, Florida one of the coveted spots on GMA’s list of the 10 Most Beautiful Places in America. (Click here to see the GMA slide show and judge for yourself. http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/best_places_USA/slideshow/gmas-beautiful-places-america-destin-florida-14223045

World renowned for its sugar-sand beaches, Destin is consistently named to lists of the world’s best beaches. As fine as…

 For decades, the stereotypical Destin home buyer was a married couple in their mid-30s with 1 or 2 children. Condominium buyers were typically young, working couples with no children or empty-nesters tired of spending time and money on home maintenance. Most singles were assumed to prefer the cheaper, no-maintenance lifestyle of apartment living. Of course, the problem with stereotypes is that they are gross generalizations. Plenty of exceptions can always be found to the “rule.” There are singles who own Fort Walton Beach homes, couples with children who prefer Destin condo life, older couples who wouldn’t think of moving out of their family home, and empty-nesters who choose apartment living. But even so, until recently, single women were more apt…

Single women are becoming a major force in the Destin real estate market. In 2010, single women accounted for 20% of all home purchases nationwide, nearly twice as many as single men who purchased 12% of the homes sold last year. Real estate’s fastest-growing demographic, single women are expected to increase their prominence in the Gulf Coast real estate market in step with their increasing financial power. Changing demographic, social and financial trends in American society are at the heart of the power shift:

• Women have been steadily closing the salary gap. Nationwide, salaries for women have risen to 94% of male salaries; and in most major metropolitan markets, women are now out-earning their male colleagues.
• Women are better educated…

One of Destin, Florida’s most popular golf courses, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort was recently selected to receive the distinguished Greens of Distinction Award by Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine. The award recognizes premier golf resorts that excel in meeting the needs of corporate clients. A Greens of Distinction recipient for the 13th straight year, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort was recognized for its superlative meeting and golf facilities, tournament coordination and overall hospitality.

Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort has been a consistent national and international awards-winner. This year, Meetings & Conventions magazine honored the storied golf club with its Gold Tee Award. Sandestin’s championship links get high marks…