Destin Real Estate News and Blog - Tim Shepard - Broker

Destin Homes For Sale - Owner Financing

We have many qualified buyers looking at Destin homes for sale right now.  Many of these buyers have cash available for a downpayment, but cannot obtain financing for a variety of reasons.

Owner financing of Destin Homes typically includes terms such as:

• Agreed upon purchase price
• Downpayment from buyer
• Agreement of interest and term of the financing

Keep in mind that most owner financing does not require the seller to finance the property for 30 years.  In fact, most sales with owner financing require the buyer to pay the home off in 3 to 5 years. 

Another popular choice for selling is lease purchase agreements.  With these transactions, a lease and purchase agreement are signed at the same time.  The buyer moves in and starts…

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Destin Realtor - How to Pick One

Selecting a Destin Realtor is as important as reasearching homes and condos.  A good realtor is experienced and will save you time, money, and reduce your frustration.

When you visit Destin and start looking for homes, there will be many realtors offering their services to you.  However, that's backwards.  You should be choosing your realtor.

When choosing a Destin Realtor, look for the following:

• A realtor that will listen to you. 
• Someone that has a thorough understanding of different neighborhoods and complexes.  Looking for that special home, certain architecture, or amenities?  A good Destin Realtor will know where it is.
• A skilled negotiator.  A good realtor can save you thousands of dollars.
• Someone that works for you.  It's…

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Destin Bankowned Foreclosure - Kelly Plantation

Awesome new listing! Take a look at this Destin foreclosure located in the luxury golf course community of Kelly Plantation. This bankowned property has 3034 square feet, 4 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms. 

This foreclosure in Destin also backs up to the golf course and has a swimming pool.  The home was built in 2005, has a gourmet kitchen,hardwood floors, fireplace, and other custom features.

Priced at $640,900, this magnificent home will not last long.  This home in Kelly Plantation is located at 4510 Marshbrook Way, Destin, FL  32541. Call today to schedule a showing!

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Destiny Homes For Sale - 4751 Bonaire Cay

Take a look at this fabulous Destiny Homes for Sale.  This florida beach cottage features 5 bedrooms, a separate carriage house, and extra storage in the oversized two car garage.

Destiny is a popular beachside community in Destin and has worldclass amenities including: deeded beach access, swimming pools, fitness center, tennis courts, and walking trails.

This home is a fantastic vacation rental and grosses over $43k annually.  Visitors love the layout of the home with its spacious rooms and decks that provide everyone with their privacy.

Priced at $699,000, this Destiny Home For Sale will not last long!

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Okaloosa Island Condos For Sale - Q1 2010 Update

Okaloosa Island is a stretch of white sand beaches that front the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  For those looking at Okaloosa Island Condos For Sale, a quick review of sales data for the first quarter of 2010 might be helpful.

As can be seen, sales of Okaloosa Island Condos have more than doubled this year while the average selling…

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Destin Bankowned Foreclosures - 140 Open Gulf

I look at several Destin foreclosures each week but this one really caught my attention. When I pulled up to the home, my first impression was that the house was overpriced. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I took a look around.

While many Destin foreclosures require considerable repairs, the interior of this home was immaculate and the layout was fantastic for a vacation rental, 2nd home, or a weekend get away. The home has six bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, three large decks (including the observation tower), a swimming pool and is located less than 200 yards to the beach.

Unlike most foreclosures in Destin, this one is completely furnished. The only thing that needs fixed is the swimming pool. It is dirty and hasn't been used in quite sometime.…

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Destin Bayfront Homes - Joe's Bayou

Joe's Bayou is one of Destin, Florida's most exclusive waterfront addresses for those seeking Destin bayfront homes and is popular among boating and yachting enthusiasts.  Joe's Bayou homes feature a diverse architecture style from basic Florida fishing cabins to luxury Medeterranean styled homes.  The home sites are large, over 1 acre in size, and many have swimming pools, guest houses, and are gated.

Anyone looking to purchase a waterfront home on Joe’s Bayou will be impressed with what this attractive bayou in Destin has to offer. Joe's Bayou homes are perfect for entertaining, year around living, or as a second home.  The privacy and serenity are only interuppted by the pelican's swooping down for one of the many bait fish…

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Destin Foreclosures Lead to Strengthening Market

Destin Foreclosures, priced at market value, are leading the way in reducing the number of  available homes for sale in the area. 

Many buyers are anxiously looking at recent selling prices in an attempt to "guess" the market bottom. However, the first sign of  a strenghtening Destin real estate market is found by analyzing inventory trends*.

As demand fell for Destin homes in 2005, 2006, and 2007 (see chart below), inventory rose dramatically.  The primary reason for this was unrealistic sellers overpricing their homes. Buyers were looking but unwilling to pay the list price.

In late 2007, REO managers started listing foreclosures in Destin.  Often times, their list prices were more than 30% below competing homes.  Over time, traditional sellers…

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Destin Condos For Sale - Top 3 sales June '09

I get a lot of calls from people looking for a "deal".  I ask those folks to tell me what they mean but most people can't answer the question.

So if you want a deal, but can't exactly define one, I analyzed Junes sales of condos in Destin, FL on the gulf and this is what I came up with as the top 3 buys for Jun '09:

1. Grand Dunes, South Tower, Unit 550.  The specs for this unit are as follows:
2870 sf; 4br/4ba, direct gulf front, built in 2006 and sold for $975,000.  That works out to $339 per sf for a luxury gulf front condo. This was a normal sale and not a foreclosure or short sale.

2. Pelican Beach, Unit 310. The specs for this unit are as follows: 873 sf, 1br/2ba, direct gulf front, built in 1997 and sold for $237,500.  That works out to…

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Okaloosa Island Condos: Waterscape Developer Blow-out

The developer for Waterscape Condominiums has recently released several units for sale at steeply discounted liquidation prices.  Waterscape is an upscale, kid friendly, beach front, condominium located on over 490 ft of beach front on Okaloosa Island.

Waterscape is loaded with amenities including: lush tropical pool with zero entry, splash and wading pools for the kids, lazy river, fitness center, tiki bar, and much more.

The units are well-equipped with stainless steel appliances, crown molding, 9 ft. ceilings, tile, and carpet.  There are condos available in 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms. The sizes of each are:

1br:   864 square feet
2br:  1292 square feet
3br:  1490 square feet

Click the link below for a complete listing of condos available at…

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