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An Outsider's Perspective

Geo avatar
GeoBeach Fanatic
4,748 views
Hi All,

I have enjoyed reading the postings here...

I am from the midwest and as long as nothing goes wrong I will be closing on a house in Santa Rosa Beach at the end of January. This will be my family's primary residence...

I have been a long time fan of Southern CA. It is/was my dream to live on or within walking distance of the beach in a community like Manhattan Beach/Hermosa Beach. But for what I want out there it would cost me $1-2 Million for near the beach and $4-8 Million for on the beach...

Recognizing that we were no where near being able to afford SoCal we started looking for properties near the beach all over the US. I can honestly say that I have been everywhere and nothing touches what you can get in SoWal...

When I first visited SoWal I quickly realized that there are aspects of SoWal that are far better than even my beloved SoCal. For example, the beaches are prettier, the water is warmer, you can bring your dog to the beach, you can drink a beer/glass of wine, you can drive on the beach in areas like Grayton AND BEST OF ALL-

The rest of the world has not yet figured out how amazing it is here yet so I can actually afford a brand new place only 750 feet from the water for what a "2 on a lot" (this means it is literally built in someone else's backyard) would cost me in CA that is a mile away from the water...

I am only an amateur real estate investor dabbling in multi-family properties in the midwest. But one thing I believe is that when everyone is scared to death and doing irrational things you should take advantage and buy and when everyone else is buying and prices inflate you should sell...

So for selfish reasons, I appreciate the dip in the market because without it we wouldn't be able to get in now. But rest assured, folks, the 30A area will stablize and escalate in value. Take that from an outsider like myself who realizes what you have here. People are paying a lot more for a lot less all over the country. It's only a matter of time before other outsiders like myself discover this. And with all the Press the area has been getting lately this might very well be sooner than later...

And let's say I am way off and it doesn't happen in our lifetime. If I live in Santa Rosa, I don't really care. Smell the roses, people...

Cheers and I look forward to being your neighbor!

George Wickey

Replies

20
kathydwells avatar
kathydwellsDarlene is my middle name, not my nickname
#2
:welcome: Aboard. Happy SoWal living!
Kurt avatar
KurtAdmin
#3
:clap_1: :welcome:

You may get labled "breath of fresh air". :lol:
GoodWitch58Beach Fanatic
#4
Welcome to Paradise...you are the kind of newcomer we locals want! You want to be here, and you appreciate the magic of this wonderful place.
glad it worked out for you.
Miss Kitty avatar
Miss KittyMeow
#5
geowickey....:wub:

:welcome: ...you are gonna' fit in great! Do you like to dance? 😀
Paula avatar
PaulaBeach Fanatic
#6
Welcome Geowickey. :welcome: We're also from the Midwest, got a place SoWal in 2003 for the same reasons you did (but it's a second home to us), and we still love it and are still breathing the fresh air whenever we're there (and dreaming about it when we're not in SoWal). In fact, we enjoy it more and more as we get to know more people and places and start feeling like we are part of the SoWal community -- the SoWal community, I believe, is as precious as the beauty of the area. So, we have no regrets at all other than we wish we could spend more time in SoWal. :wub: But that day will come.
Beach Runner avatar
Beach Runnerbeats on hood
#7
:welcome: All of our friends raved about SoWal while we went to Bermuda, Sea Island, Maui. Then we gave it a chance. We've been hooked ever since and have been property owners here since 2001.
beachmouse avatar
beachmouseBeach Fanatic
#8
Welcome to, as one of the local radio stations likes to say, "where thousands live and millions more wish they could".
iwishiwasthere avatar
iwishiwasthereBeach Fanatic
#9
Welcome to, as one of the local radio stations likes to say, "where thousands live and millions more wish they could".


:clap_1: :clap_1: Truer words have never been spoken!

:welcome:
Bob avatar
BobSoWal Insider
#10
I guess you're not an outsider anymore. The entire community could use more folks like you. Now, about Mark McGuire.......
RudyjohnSoWal Insider
#11
:welcome:
Jdarg avatar
JdargSoWal Expert
#12
:clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:

Do you want to join the playground commitee???😀
Miss Kitty avatar
Miss KittyMeow
#13
:clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:

Do you want to join the playground commitee???😀

:floor: ...classic jdarg.
pk305 avatar
pk305Beach Fanatic
#14
WELCOME George!! And Congratulations on your new home!!
Thanks for a wonderful post!! May your SoWal life bring you great joy!!😀
bdc63Beach Fanatic
#15
I have been a long time fan of Southern CA. It is/was my dream to live on or within walking distance of the beach in a community like Manhattan Beach/Hermosa Beach. But for what I want out there it would cost me $1-2 Million for near the beach and $4-8 Million for on the beach...

Recognizing that we were no where near being able to afford SoCal we started looking for properties near the beach all over the US. I can honestly say that I have been everywhere and nothing touches what you can get in SoWal...

Hi George.

I too have been EVERYWHERE looking for the perfect beach property ... litterally, every beach town from Ocean City, New Jersey to Miami on the Atlantic, Key West to Destin and a bit of Texas on the Gulf, San Diego to Carmel in CA, and even some of the Carribean. I've looked at communities on the Great Lakes, on the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Bay ... you name it, and I've probably been there or researched it.

While my favorite climates would definately point toward Southern CA or the Carribean (South Walton wouldn't even make the top 10), and while there are definately beaches that are easier and cheaper for me to get to (when is that darned airport getting built, anyway?), I am in total agreement that South Walton has the prettiest beaches. Anywhere. Bar none.

Since nothing meets my perfect climate, easy to get to, AND beautiful beaches test, I'm leaning toward beautiful beaches as well.

If I were in your shoes (ie. trading one houses equity for another and moving there), I would be a buyer now too. Lucky you.

But, as a second-home-buyer-in-waiting, I have to study and evaluate what I make of these housing and credit bubbles, and decide if now is the right time to be a buyer. Suffice it to say that I do not fall into the camp of "soft landing" and "the worst is behind us". Now is not the right time for new money in the housing market. I'll be holding onto my money for a while longer, but hopefully not too long.

Edited

DBOldfordBeach Fanatic
#16
Welcome to your new Valhalla in South Walton County. Although I grew up in the area, have lived in California for nearly 30 years now. Frankly, I have been amazed that the beaches were not discovered sooner. And fortunately, have been very pleased (for the most part) that development there has been as focused on the "Old Florida" concept as it has. Witness, the hideous highrise buildings in Destin and East Seagrove for ideas of where things were headed prior to the advent of Robert Davis' Seaside.

Conch Out at Grayton was purchased about five years ago and I have never regretted it. At the end of the day, I felt that Grayton properties would hold their values best because the unique character of the area is being protected by the long-time residents and the State Parks. I continue to believe it is a good investment, as similar properties on a CA beach (not nearly as hospitable as the beaches of SoWal) would cost at least four times as much. It doesn't hurt that Florida has no state income tax, either. Now if they can only get their insurance practices under some semblance of sanity. Everyone, please write your representatives in Tallahassee on this matter of great importance!

New people often bring their own synergy. But in my experience elsewhere, they are often the ones most concerned with protecting the unique qualities of a nice area, if only by virtue of their experiences in a previous area that was encroached upon. Encroachment is a very insidious and usually nonreversible process. So please get involved, Outsider...we need'ja! :welcome:
Franny avatar
FrannyBeach Fanatic
#17
:clap_1: :welcome:

You may get labled "breath of fresh air". :lol:

Pefect label...just do it! :welcome: breath of fresh air!!:clap_1:

Edited

Geo avatar
GeoBeach FanaticAuthor
#18
Thanks for the warm welcome!

After I get moved and settled I will work on getting involved in local matters and do my fair share to keep this place great and make it even better.

See you at the beach!

George Wickey
Beachmom avatar
BeachmomBeach Fanatic
#19
:welcome: You'll love it here, especially with the help of the Sowal people!!!

Now, about that playground committee............😀
flyforfun avatar
flyforfunBeach Fanatic
#20
George welcome to Sowal! Believe me, you have found paradise. There is no other place on this planet like it! Some of the friendliest and nicest people you will ever meet are locals.

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