TripAdvisor rated Rosemary Beach and Seaside as 2 of its 15 Rising Vacation Rental Destinations in 2016. These two 30A hotspots were chosen from among thousands of U.S. destinations because they showed strong increases in vacation rental popularity in the previous year. This should come as no surprise, as our local paper, The Walton Sun, recently reported that tourism brought 3 billion dollars to Walton County in 2016. On top of that, it is just going to keep getting easier for tourists to travel to 30A. Allegiant Air has announced new nonstop, lowcost flights to Destin/Fort Walton Beach from 11 cities, with some of the fares advertised as low as $42.00.
Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk—calls to mind the classic charm found in the homes of St. Augustine, the West Indies, Charleston and New Orleans. The town hall, post office and community parks bring people together. In this Gulf front, New Urbanist development, you can walk the same street over, each time noticing a fresh garden detail or a new architectural silhouette. With 16 town parks and playgrounds carefully drawn across the 107-acre development, Rosemary Beach promotes a life outdoors. The Washington Post described it as “… stunning: Not half a mile west of Panama City Beach, you fall into the pages of Architectural Digest.”
So what exactly is it about 30A that gives communities such as Seaside, Rosemary Beach and WaterColor their edge? What makes these towns stand out as top vacation and second home destinations?
WaterColor Bordering Seaside and Seagrove Beach, WaterColor is a nature-based community laced with shopping and dining amenities. It offers a cozy and complete neighborhood feeling with upscale touches, old-town character, and nature trails that rival most state parks. WaterColor architecture pays homage to English, Dutch, Spanish and French Colonial styles. Each home takes on the natural colors found in the landscape around it. Comprising 499+ acres of master-planned neighborhoods, with two shopping and dining districts, WaterColor is structured around Western Lake, a 220-acre rare coastal dune lake (1 of 11 on 30A). Kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding are made easy from the community BoatHouse. Year round activities in WaterColor and the other 30A beach communities include cultural events such as the 30A Songwriters Festival and Mountain Film Festival.
It’s worth a closer look—particularly for those planning to purchase a vacation home. These communities should be on any investor’s radar. Seaside Founded in 1979, Seaside was the first New Urban community built from the ground up. It remains a cultural hub of Northwest Florida and was the choice location for the 1998 film, The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey and Ed Harris. Seaside offers a rare opportunity in today’s world for small town living; a place where by design, it’s easy to spend time with friends and family on porches; people stroll down beautiful pathways heading to and from the beach. Markets and restaurants are just a walk away, as are the town’s post office, school and chapel. Nine architectural pavilions mark each beach access with the quintessential Seaside style. Newsweek said, “Seaside – with its cozy, narrow streets and its jumble of pastel colored homes – is probably the most influential resort community since Versailles.” Rosemary Beach At a glance, you could easily mistake Main Street Rosemary Beach for an old world European avenue. Named after the natural rosemary that grows wild and located on the eastern edge of 30A, Rosemary Beach—planned by architects Andres
The Daily News said, “… WaterColor is like the Hamptons, sans the scene.” Investing in 30A When others invest in high-end beach property, it helps build confidence in our own investment potential. Just in the last year on 30A, 48 properties have sold for $3M or more, with the top selling price of $12.5M for a home in Rosemary Beach. This is a good thing, but it doesn’t mean there is a lack of quality real estate available under $1M—there are still over 400 properties for sale in this price bracket.