Destin FL Real Estate – An Undeniable Destin-ation!

Destin FL real estate is becoming the place to live if you are into beaches, golf and places to escape to enjoy these amenities. Destin has been named by Business Week as a choice among 18 best “new golf places in the country to retire.” In addition, they were named by Southern Accents magazine readers as the number two destination for beaches and number eight for golf in the second annual Great Escapes Reader Travel Awards. Previously the Milken Institute had named Destin, FL as the Best Performing City in 2005 among small metros. Showing that Destin, FL real estate is becoming a popular choice of beach lovers and golfers, these are just a few of the national recognitions that have been awarded to the city.

The beaches in Florida are a result of sand that came from the Apalachicola River and the Appalachian Mountains 20,000 years ago. When the temperatures on earth began to get warmer after the Ice Age, the ice caps began to melt. This caused large amounts of water to be carried by the rivers to the oceans of the world. The Apalachicola River rose in the Appalachians and this water was carried to the Gulf of Mexico as it is today.

The water contained small particles of quartz, which was carried to the Gulf of Mexico. The quartz was deposited in the gulf and as the water rose, the shoreline was formed from the quartz sand. This process continues today in the area surrounding Destin FL real estate and to the west to Pensacola Pass, which is the end of the trip for the Apalachicola River.

Destin FL real estate is a choice that offers many who decide to relocate here the lifestyle that will allow them to enjoy the best beaches and golf courses as well as the great homes that are available. From condos to custom-built homes, the styles are diverse. There is sure to be something that will appeal to every taste. Victorian, traditional, a beach home or a townhouse are but a few of the many styles that will make Destin FL real estate the choice you will not regret.

Labor Day weekend is behind us…wow hard to believe it’s September. Time is flying!

While many were at the beach, at a bar-be-que, shopping or just plain having fun, I was showing property. I’m not looking for the “let me play my small violin”, lol, because I’m so happy to do so! Several reasons…

• I absolutely love to show property because I love what I do. I have the best Clients!
• Holiday weekends aren’t necessarily a holiday for us Realtors. The long weekends means buyers have the time to be here and look at property.
• I’m lucky to live at the beach…and I need to continue to sell real estate to live here

One of my buyers, whom I showed property to this weekend, called me yesterday to ask a question. She started our conversation by saying “You are lucky to live at the beach. You don’t have to go back to reality”. When we hung up, her statement really hit me…more about the going back to reality part. Yes, I know I am lucky to live here, and I don’t take it for granted…hence the reason my husband and I work so hard…we want to stay here! It’s funny because whenever I leave the area, about 2 days later, I’m “home sick”. I just want to get back to paradise. So even when I “come back to my reality, Destin, Florida” I am glad to be here and ready to get back to selling real estate.

Check out the updated YTD-2010 spreadsheet in the “stats” box to the right. For those of you who believe nothing is selling…the numbers don’t lie.

What do you think?

Santa Rosa Beach made Travel+Leisure’s Best Little Beach Towns!!!!

Santa Rosa Beach, FL

This northwestern Florida beach town was once a turpentine mecca, back when you needed the distilled sap to build ships. Today, it prides itself on its hiking and biking trails, as well as its Caribbean-style artists’ colony.

Stay: Architect David Rockwell designed the airy-looking WaterColor Inn & Resort, where you get free use of bicycles, fishing gear, and kayaks that you can paddle around its on-site dune lake.

Eat: Stop in for a cappuccino, ice cream, an “outrageous cinnamon roll,” or even just a beer at Miss Lucille’s Gossip Parlor. If you don’t have anything to

pass along to Miss Lucille herself, you can just watch the beachgoers stroll by, or check your e-mail on one of her co

ffeehouse’s computers. —Katrina Brown Hunt

America’s Best Little Beach Towns

Here are some pictures of the beach at the intersection of Pompano Street & Scenic Hwy 98 in Crystal Beach. It was absolutely glorious and hot!

P.S. I’m working on the page for the updates…having some “issues”. Will post here until I get them worked out.

Crystal Beach

Crystal Beach Looking West

Crystal Beach Looking East

The beaches in the Florida Panhandle are open! Thank you Fox 2 News and George Sells for reporting. We need more media here.

There are still no impacts to our beaches and shores.

This is the weather summary from the deep water horizon update, as of 5/18/2010 –

Here is a video of the beach, I took on Monday:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Merry Christmas from Destin Florida! It’s so much fun living here and not freezing during this time of the year! I grew up in New York and I sure don’t miss the snow. It’s been a long time since the northeast has had a white Christmas. The kids must be having fun…

We’re having fun with a white Christmas, too!

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Frommer’s Travel has announced their top 10 destinations for 2010. The beaches in the Destin area are the ONLY pick inside the continental United States!

“Stunning beaches, nature trails … great restaurants, and a cozy, yet quirky, sense of community.” – Lesley Abravanel, author Frommer’s Florida

Destin Florida Beaches

]]> http://www.debbiejames.com/2009/12/destin-florida-chosen-in-frommers-top-destinations-for-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.debbiejames.com/2009/04/are-you-trying-to-time-the-market/ http://www.debbiejames.com/2009/04/are-you-trying-to-time-the-market/#comments Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:14:33 +0000 DebbieJ http://debbiejames.com/?p=445

Where’s the top and where’s the bottom? Logic says you can’t predict either one.

Which type of buyer are you? Do you believe you can time the market, find the exact bottom or top? Or since you are always in the market you believe timing will find you? History supports the latter.  If you are paying attention, you will buy right and do well over time.

Why is it when prices were going up so fast buyers were buying gulf front property like it would never be available ever again? Price didn’t matter. Value wasn’t even considered.  No one seemed to think, I wonder if we are at the top..they just kept buying. Look what happened, the music stopped and too many people got “stuck” holding something they couldn’t keep.

Now, we are at a time where buyers can buy value. Prices in our area have declined since the top and substantially enough where the buyers who got priced out of the market can afford a condo at the beach. So here’s the moment of truth…you cannot predict the exact bottom of any market…real estate or the stock market. The smart ones play it safe and know this. The “safe zone” is where the smart people plan to buy and sell.

People who buy in a buyers’ market are the smart ones. They are not looking for the “quick buck” because they know that’s luck, not planning.  They are looking for a sound decision with a predictable result. They ask themselves this question: “Has the market dropped enough, now, to make a sensible purchase?”

Real estate has always been a long-term hold. Many millionaires have been created because of real estate. Not because they are short term “flippers” but because they are in it for the long term. What you must remember is that you make money when you buy and realize it when you sell. You may be ready and able to buy, but are you willing? Will you be one of the smart ones?