[browe29]

We are working on a project in South Walton County and are trying to get some feedback from others. Most of the residential building is near Freeport but the schools aren't that great. On the other hand, the schools in South Walton are A+.

We are looking to build a community about 1 mile from the beach just off 98. It will feature a pool, clubhouse, sports court, playgrounds, and walking trails. More importantly, it will feature residences under $200,000.

Most of the time, developers and builders build what they want instead of getting feedback from buyers in the community. We feel this community will attract military and local workers as well as out-of-community people because of the price point.

I'd be interested in hearing thoughts/comments both positive and negative.

[yukon]

Just be sure to bite the bullet and build to coastal code (Miami-Dade building code is best). The legislature exempted that area from the coastal code in 2000 and the damage from Ivan was proof why that was a stupid and shortsighted decision.

[soundbreeze]

If you build it, I'd purchase.. w. some caveats.
I will be moving into Chez Elan this month btw. One yr lease.
It sounds VERY attractive to me, but..
On your website, you've got to give a realistic estimate of the costs.. how much more homeowners are we going to have to pay, because of the close proximity to the beach?
Will ya'll be doing the pre-construction thing?
Will there be safeguards w. respect to pricing? Will we get priced out, because of a bidding war?
It sounds wonderful, but will we be pushed out of the way, before we have a chance to even get to the table?
Peace!

[browe29]

Originally Posted by yukon

Just be sure to bite the bullet and build to coastal code (Miami-Dade building code is best). The legislature exempted that area from the coastal code in 2000 and the damage from Ivan was proof why that was a stupid and shortsighted decision.

I'm fairly certain the new building code adopted last year will force us to build to the Miami-Dade code. We would do that anyway given the location.

[deckardc]

Where in South Walton are you building this development? Have you purchased the land and received approval from the county or is this still just in the hopeful planning phase?

How exactly do you plan to keep the flippers away? Almost nothing in South Walton sells for less than 500,000. There are a lot of very wealthy people in that area who would love to buy up houses and raise the resale or rental prices. South Walton is not an area that will take kindly to the hoi polloi moving in. They want to keep it exclusive and obscenely wealthy. Are you planning to make this community income restricted? I don't see the residents of that area tolerating what would amount to low income housing by Walton standards.

Also, I'm not sure how much the military will be moving in. It's a long commute from S. Walton to any of the bases in Okaloosa or Bay counties. Are you planning to build shopping centers as well? Most of the people who live there have to drive over to Destin or Panama City Beach to do any kind of shopping or dining. Which brings me to the "local workers". Workers from where? There are very few jobs in S. Walton because almost no one lives there full time.

S. Walton is really just a vacation or retirement enclave for the very affluent. There isn't much else there in the way of a community and the overall area is fairly rural. Taxes are very high in that county and insurance is almost impossible to get. There is a reason only the very wealthy can afford S. Walton and the more middle class developments are going in by Freeport. Sorry if I sound negative. Good luck.

[browe29]

Originally Posted by deckardc

Where in South Walton are you building this development? Have you purchased the land and received approval from the county or is this still just in the hopeful planning phase?

How exactly do you plan to keep the flippers away? Almost nothing in South Walton sells for less than 500,000. There are a lot of very wealthy people in that area who would love to buy up houses and raise the resale or rental prices. South Walton is not an area that will take kindly to the hoi polloi moving in. They want to keep it exclusive and obscenely wealthy. Are you planning to make this community income restricted? I don't see the residents of that area tolerating what would amount to low income housing by Walton standards.

Also, I'm not sure how much the military will be moving in. It's a long commute from S. Walton to any of the bases in Okaloosa or Bay counties. Are you planning to build shopping centers as well? Most of the people who live there have to drive over to Destin or Panama City Beach to do any kind of shopping or dining. Which brings me to the "local workers". Workers from where? There are very few jobs in S. Walton because almost no one lives there full time.

S. Walton is really just a vacation or retirement enclave for the very affluent. There isn't much else there in the way of a community and the overall area is fairly rural. Taxes are very high in that county and insurance is almost impossible to get. There is a reason only the very wealthy can afford S. Walton and the more middle class developments are going in by Freeport. Sorry if I sound negative. Good luck.

No offense taken. Property is owned and already approved. I'll post exact location and details at a later date. There are plenty of ways contractually from keeping people from flipping. Many developers have clauses in their contracts that state if the property is re-sold for a profit within a certain period of time that the profits are split with the developer. That has almost become standard language since the flippers started. Not saying we would do that but it will become more common in most projects.

I agree with most of your comments about South Walton. We hear from many buyers who do not want to live in Freeport but make a good income.

[Hyperbole]

Hi Browe29,
I'm also interested.
Is there a way to purchase just a vacant lot from your new sub?
We are not supposed to relocate before a few years from now.

Hyp!

[jasco]

You have done some "homework" and have realized some key issues and you have received some astute comments. We offer you our 2-cents as well as wish you luck and offer our support. Our comments are from the prospective of a retired career military/engineer/PE and a career teacher trying to settle somewhere in NW FL and are currently looking real hard at Walton County as a possible place to settle.
1. A current teacher job opening at Emerald Coast Middle School on Road 30-A is very enticing, but affordable housing for teacher level income is not anywhere "nearby".
2. There are workers in S Walton as there must be workers everywhere - to clean, maintain, build, landscape, mow, etc, all the absurdly wealthy (and obscenely over priced) residences/beach rental properties. These are workers that can not afford the current housing in S Walton, but can not afford to fill their gas tanks now either. More service businesses and their workers are going to elbow there way into S Walton - some how, some way and affordable housing solutions will be created - some how, some way.
3. We have spent the past 5 months "exploring" every mile of the Gulf Coast from Bay Saint Louis, MS, to Callaway, FL, looking for a place to settle near beautiful beaches. Three specific observations:
a. It is near impossible to find a community that does not have a "high" ratio of residences rented. Whatever measures communities have made to keep residences in the hands of proud and caring private owners have failed.
b. One of the most desirable communities we "discovered" is Fairhope, AL, and what they have done there to absurdly escalate real estate costs makes S Walton look like low cost bargain city. Yet, we can show you homes in fairly new and exclusive subdivisions rented to "working families" - apparently several extended families - so many renters they come and go through the windows instead of the doors.
c. The overbuilding along the beaches of S Walton to the point that tax paying citizens that do not own an over priced beach home have negligible access to the beaches is actually a turn off. It is vulgar.
4. You realize the importance of appealing to our nations best citizens - our military folks and families. We concur with the comments regarding S Walton being more distant or too distant from the bases compared to Freeport - and the new reality of absurdly high fuel prices will reinforce this fact. Another rock solid fact is that the public schools will be good and getting better where ever there is a large military family presence - they will demand it! They will demand good teachers and teachers must find affordable housing nearby. Mossy Head and/or Freeport are closer to the military bases and both hold the potential for affordable housing options. Quality schools will evolve in these area if sizable military family populations also evolve there.
5. Our "gut feel" is you could pre-sell the entire development you propose if you are able to keep prices below $200K and if the residences are single family dwellings - not largely condos or townhouses. As you know, many considerations are involved, and just two major issues are affordable/effective homeowners insurance and the aforementioned rental residence curse.
Good Wishes!