Destin & South Walton Real Estate Blog

Blue Mountain Beach has the distinction of being the highest elevation along the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of years ago Spanish explorers who were mapping this part of the coast in the New World and saw “blue” colored “mountains” along a beautiful beach. They were a few miles away from the land because they had been attacked by hostile natives in southwestern Florida during their journey up the coast and did not want to get too close. What they actually saw were hills covered with Blue Lupine flowers rising mountain-like above the flat shoreline that flanked it on both sides. The English translation of the name “Blue Mountain Beach” remains to this day!

It is appropriate that a large retail-shopping complex on this spot is named High Point at Blue…

The Emerald Coast, which includes dazzling Destin and sensational Scenic 30A in South Walton, is home to five of the most expensive residential property listings in Northwest Florida. These top tier luxury properties for sale range from $8,800,000 to $13,000,000 for a whopping total of over $56,000,000!  Here are the top five most expensive homes currently offered for sale:

A recently completed and fully furnished iconic residence and masterpiece of contemporary design known as the “Destin Jewel” is located on over one acre of lushly landscaped beachfront property on Holiday Isle. This spectacular home at 618 Gulf Shore Drive includes nine gulf front bedrooms with full baths in suite, 9,000 square feet of interior space and an additional 5,000 square…

This lovely home for sale has one of the most desirable locations in the exclusively gated 2,400 acre resort community of Sandestin. Its prestigious placement in the Saint Andrews neighborhood is nestled beside part of the Baytowne championship golf course and just a short stroll away from a community swimming pool, the marina, tennis courts and the delightful diversions nearby at Baytowne Wharf.

The house located at 8824 Saint Andrews Drive sits back from the road on lushly landscaped grounds of established indigenous tropical plants.

This property is being offered for sale along with an adjacent vacant lot at an amazing price. The home has three bedrooms and two baths that encompass almost 2,000 square feet. The open area design concept creates a…

It's not common that a prestigious penthouse comes on the market in Destin that has an amazingly low price due to unexpected foreclosure. This particular penthouse has cleared foreclosure procedures and is bank owned, so there can be a quick sale for those fortunate enough to take advantage of this bargain opportunity. In fact the bank is so motivated to move this property ‘off their books” that they are even offering unusual special bank financing to approved buyers.

It also has “Location” in spades since it crowns the exclusive Grand Harbor and encompasses almost 5,000 square feet. This coveted complex of luxurious residential properties towers above Destin’s bustling harbor on two and one half lushly landscaped grounds.

It has 500 linear…

Kent Stewart “is moving on to bigger things” and selling his sensational Rosemary Beach home to do so. In this case that bigger thing happens to be a hike up to the peak of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. Stewart is the CEO of Reli Title who handles real estate transactions throughout Alabama, Tennessee and parts of Florida. He is also a 21st Century Renaissance Man who has already successfully climbed to the tops of the tallest mountains on six continents. Mt. Everest will complete his goal to ascend the tallest mountains on all seven. His wife who has already joined him on five other summit hikes is accompanying Stewart. The grueling trek to the top of Everest usually takes six to nine weeks depending upon weather conditions and physical…

If you want a permanent inroad to your favorite place to visit, purchasing a vacation home can be extraordinarily rewarding. And you’re far from alone: 21% of all residential transactions in 2014 were for vacation homes, according to the National Association of Realtors. But it’s a huge investment, and not one to be made with any less diligence than any other home purchase. Before signing the paperwork, do ample research into the local area and what owning a second property could mean for you even while you’re at your full-time home.

Taxes: Even if you’re only in your vacation home for a portion of the year, you still have to pay a full year’s worth of property taxes, so it’s important that you’re familiar with the tax code. Some tourism-heavy areas…

This beautiful waterfront home has serious “Wow Factor” with all the architectural charm of a place you might see in the French Quarter of New Orleans but located here in Northwest Florida, right on the bay in Santa Rosa Beach. A pillared entry driveway meanders through the forested grounds providing a wide circular return at the formal courtyard that leads to the front door. The expansive grounds spread across over an acre of bayfront property.

A charming courtyard bids you a hospitable welcome into a serene world complete with a splashing fountain and formal garden. A columned veranda spans the entryway while open balconies flank the courtyard from wings of the house on each side. This hospitable home located at 389 Driftwood Point Road encompasses…

Ocean Reef Realty has just listed three affordable furnished vacation rental properties that are turnkey ready to use for lucrative investment income in Destin and Miramar Beach. Our sister division Ocean Reef Resorts professionally manages these vacation rentals for property owners who rent them out for passive income and also occasionally vacation there themselves. They are meticulously maintained as popular vacation destinations along Scenic Highway 98 in Destin and beside Scenic Gulf Drive in Miramar Beach. These properties are located specifically at Ariel Dunes II, Crystal Sands and the Beach Resort.

Ariel Dunes II 604 is a luxurious condominium with two bedrooms that is comfortably furnished with upscale tasteful casual décor and has the…

One of the teachings of Zen meditation is a total state of focus that incorporates togetherness of body and mind, which includes the art of Feng Schui, a design that incorporates balance, harmony and relaxation.

This unique 2,634 square foot home encompasses three bedrooms in Grayton Beach and represents the lovely physical manifestation of this ideal and seamlessly blends harmonious relaxing space with the beautiful balance of nature.  Renowned architect Russell Johnson who created a thoughtful distinctive harmonious habitat that is accented by walls of windows designed 52 Banfill Street, multiple skylights and soaring naturally beamed cathedral ceilings. This brings the outdoors inside for a sense of sunny openness and natural harmony.

The…

The remarkable architecture found in prestigious Alys Beach along South Walton’s Scenic 30A has inspired the design of a sensational water front home on the bay that borders the extensive Point Washington State Forest. The Dutch Indies Colonial design mirrors what’s found at Alys Beach with bright white stucco walls, soaring stepped roofing eaves, square arched portals and thick concrete shingles. However the location of this stately home offered for sale is at the exclusively gated bay front residential community known as The Estuary in Santa Rosa Beach. The privileged private forested setting on Choctawhatchee Bay includes towering pine trees, magnificent Magnolias and ancient Live Oaks.

This awe inspiring 5,393 square foot home encompasses five…