The popularity and convenience of smart phones is changing the way people communicate and the way they shop, including for homes and condos. Smart phone users generally begin their search for a home in Destin, the Beaches of South Walton or Panama City Beach by searching for area real estate listings on their phones. Most Destin Realtors now have mobile websites that allow house hunters to find and view listings from their phones and are employing other devices designed to aid smart phone house hunters.
For sale signs, emails and tweets often include QR codes that allow smart phone users to obtain detailed property information and photos about a home and even schedule an appointment with a real estate agent simply by swiping their phone over the code. It’s…
It looks like the end of the nation’s housing crisis could be in sight. A new Reuters’ survey of the nation’s leading economists found most seeing light at the end of what has been a long, dark tunnel. The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index used to predict housing trends is expected to remain unchanged through the end of the year, reflecting the stabilization of the nation’s housing market. But in 2013, economists are predicting that home prices will begin to rise for the first time in 7 years.
Not only are economists bullish about America’s housing market, but their faith seems to be increasing. When surveyed In January, economists predicted a 1.5% increase in the 2013 home price index. In the most recent survey, economists upped their estimate,…
The ocean breezes swirling over Panama City Beach will be filled with the mellow sounds of cool jazz when musicians tune up for the opening of the 14th annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival which runs through Sunday, April 22 at Pier Park. Founded by Mike and Renee Carter, owners of Panama City Beach radio station WSBZ (106.3 FM) -- known locally as “Seabreeze” -- the annual music fest draws thousands of jazz fans from across the country. Jazz Magazine rates Seabreeze one of the Top 10 Jazz Festivals in the U.S.
A free concert by Urban Jazz Coalition & Friends will kick off the festival at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Join fellow jazz fans at the Pier Park amphitheater in Panama City Beach for a mellow ode to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. As the sun…
If you are a home owner who is contemplating a move to a larger or smaller home; or if job opportunities, family needs or retirement plans are forcing you to relocate; your biggest concern is apt to be timing. If you’re like most people, you’ll be relying on the proceeds from the sale of your current home to finance the purchase of your new home. When simultaneously buying and selling a home in today’s mercurial housing market, timing is everything. Unfortunately, getting all your ducks – appraisals, loan approvals, title searches, closing dates, etc. -- to line up in a nice neat row can be a Herculean task, one that takes the experience, knowledge, resources and dedication of a top-notch Destin Realtor.
Home stagers and savvy Destin Realtors use many tricks when preparing a Destin home for sale, including using nature as a staging aid. Coordinating the interior décor of a South Walton home with its exterior landscape creates a seamless space that appears to extend beyond the walls of the home and into the surrounding landscape. By bringing the outdoors inside the home, home stagers create a visual illusion that makes a home appear to be airier and more spacious than it actually is. The effect is appealing to South Walton home buyers . Using nature to enhance the appeal of your South Walton home conjures an impression of restful relaxation, encouraging buyers to view your home as a refreshing oasis amid the noise and hubbub of daily life – a very…
Named one of Florida’s don’t miss 52 Amazing Weekends for 2012 by Florida Travel and Life, Digital Graffiti will turn the Emerald Coast resort town of Alys Beach into a living work of art on June 8 and 9, 2012. Now in its fifth year, the annual outdoor projection arts festival draws digital artists from around the globe, inviting them to use the town’s iconic white buildings, courtyards and pedestrian pathways as canvas for their art. Ocean Reef Realty is proud to be presenting sponsors for this years event.
Unique and intriguing, projection art melds cutting-edge digital technology with architecture to create a stunning, if ephemeral, visual feast. The white walls of Alys Beach homes, buildings and archways provide the perfect canvas for the animated…
An historic gem perched in the center of the Florida Panhandle, DeFuniak Springs is a charming small town in Walton County surrounded by untouched rural beauty. Life in DeFuniak Springs is slow-paced and neighborly, attracting many families, retirees and returning vacationers who enjoy life off the beaten path but still want to be close to all of the Gulf Coast’s exciting attractions. Its central location has made Walton County one of Florida’s fastest growing locations , yet DeFuniak Springs retains an irresistible small town charm reminiscent of an earlier day when life seemed less complicated and neighbors stopped by to chat.
Built as a railroad town in the 1880s, the town was named for Frederick DeFuniak, vice-president of the L&N (Louisville and…
If location were the only consideration, every home along Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast would sell within days of its listing. The sun-drenched communities along Florida’s famed Emerald Coast from Destin through the Beaches of South Walton to Panama City are among America’s most inviting, attracting millions of vacationers every year who would love to live or own a vacation home in the popular area. But in today’s economy, price usually trumps location, say experienced Destin Realtors.
Every home can sell if the price is right. The trick is to find that magical breaking point between attraction and turn off. Naturally, Destin home sellers want to earn as much money from the sale of their home as possible, but pricing your home too high can turn off…
American vacationers chose Destin, Florida one of the Top 25 Best Destinations in the U.S. in Trip Advisor’s 2011 Travels’ Choice Awards. Rubbing shoulders with iconic American cities like New York City, Honolulu, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New Orleans, Destin’s renowned beaches and exciting variety of family-friendly activities earned it a spot on the annual list of American favorites. With miles of beautiful sugar-sand beaches lapped by the emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Destin joins the country’s most stunning landscapes on the list of favorite U.S. destinations, sharing the spotlight with Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado; the red rock monoliths of Sedona, AZ; California’s Big Sur country; and the Great Smoky Mountains National…
One of the most family-friendly communities in Destin, Florida just got even more kid friendly. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort launched Club KZ this spring. A fully-supervised program of exciting activities for children ages 3 to 12, Club KZ offers age-appropriate activities geared to spark young imaginations, encourage physical activity, and develop social community; but the emphasis is clearly on FUN!
While mom and dad take some much-needed time off to relax and enjoy their own pursuits, their children could be going on a pirate treasure hunt, building a giant sandcastle, challenging themselves on the ropes course, gliding through the air on the zipline, biking around the resort or splashing their way to victory in a noodle race. Every day at Club KZ…
