30A and Destin Most Expensive Land Sold

The stretch of coastline along Scenic 30A and Destin is home of some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. Land sales have increased from 2010 due to the depleted supply of new home inventory. New home construction is up significantly from 2009 and 2010. This years most expensive land list fell short of the ultra expensive lots sold in 2010 at Alys Beach and The Retreat. The top 5 most expensive lots sold is a mixed bag between WaterSound Beach, The Retreat and Destiny by The Sea in Destin. Absent from this list is Rosemary Beach and Seaside as there are no more gulf front lots available in these communities. With land prices at historically low levels, is now the time to buy your ultimate gulf front lot before they are gone? Absolutely!

#1 98 Scenic 30A in Santa Rosa Beach Sold for $1,900,000 in April 2011

#2 98 South Watch Tower in WaterSound Beach Sold For $1,717,000 in April 2011

#3 Lot 27 Tortola Lane in The Retreat Sold for $1,525,000 November 2011

#4 Lot 109 Ocean Blvd in Destiny by The Sea Sold for $1,330,000 October 2011

#5 200 Coopersmith Lane in WaterSound Beach Sold for $1,250,000 September 2011

Most Expensive Gulf Front Lots for Sale

Scenic 30A Luxury Home Sales Skyrocketed in 2011!

Scenic 30A had a breakthrough year for Luxury Real Estate in 2011. There were 34 homes that sold for over $2 million and a staggering 7 homes selling over $4 million. The top 3 most expensive homes sold on Scenic 30A all were in Rosemary Beach and were $7 million and above. In fact, Rosemary Beach was hands down the clear winner for the most sales of ultra luxury homes on 30A with 11 homes sold over $2 million!

2011′s Most Expensive Luxury Homes list surpassed the Most Expensive Home List of 2009 and the Most Expensive Home List of 2010. The #2 and #3 homes of 2009 and 2010 would not have made the top ten list of 2011!

#1 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 124 Hope Town Lane Rosemary Beach

124 Hope Town Lane was the most expensive transaction on 30A for 2011. This magnificent gulf front home in Rosemary Beach has an interesting history. The original home was built in 2001 and was purchased for $7.8 million in 2007. It was then torn down and a brand new home was constructed in 2009 and sold for $8.1 million in 2011! This gulf front icon in Rosemary Beach is 5 Bedrooms, 5 Baths and 5,200sf.

#2 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 78 South Green Turtle Rosemary Beach

78 South Green Turtle Lane was a “Southern Accents” featured home and our top luxury pick for July 2010. This amazing 5,484sf gulf front home sits on an estate sized lot in Rosemary Beach. The home was recently renovated in 2008 and is a designers show house. This Rosemary Beach home has 6 Bedrooms and 6.5 Baths and sold for $7.33 million.

#3 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 24 Briland Lane Rosemary Beach

24 Briland Lane was the first gulf front home built in Rosemary Beach. Originally built on a founders lot on the southeast corner for the Eastern Green. This lot has 115 feet of gulf front and one of the largest lots in Rosemary Beach. Built in 1998, this luxury home is 4,520sf with 5 Bedrooms and 5 Baths. This gulf front home sold for $7.25 million in July 2011.

#4 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 113 S. Founders Lane WaterSound Beach

113 South Founders in WaterSound Beach was touted as the most spectacular gulf front homes in Northwest Florida. This incredible home was originally listed for $12 million in 2008. This home was a top luxury pick in October 2009 when it was listed for $9.9 million. This WaterSound Luxury Home is perched high atop a dune structure with incredible 180 degree gulf views. At 6,619sf this home is massive with 7 Bedrooms, 7 Baths and 2 Half Baths. Built in 2009 this home sold for $5.7 million in November 2011.

#5 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 20 Cartagena Lane Rosemary Beach

Another incredible home in Rosemary Beach. This custom designed home was built to comfortably accommodate a large family and take advantage of its incredible gulf views. This is the most expensive non-gulf front property to make our list. As with most of the big transactions in Rosemary Beach, there is a good story…the purchaser of this home was the seller of the #3 home on our list! Built in 2005, this 5,544sf home has 6 Bedrooms, 6 Baths and 1 Half Bath. 20 Cartagena Lane sold for $4.75mil in July 2011.

#6 2314 Hwy 30-A E in Seaside Sold for $4,538,475

#7 230 W Bermuda Drive in The Retreat Sold for $4,475,000

#8 139 New Providence Lane in Rosemary Beach Sold for $3,725,000

#9 105 St. Lucia Lane in The Retreat Sold for $3,700,000

#10 1924 East County Hwy 30-A in WaterColor Sold for $3,400,000

Most Expensive Short Sales and Foreclosures Sold on 30a for 2011

 Most Expensive Homes for Sale on 30A and Destin

If you would like any more information on these ultra luxury homes or would like a personal tour of a luxury home for sale give Tracy Baranowski a call at 850-259-4270 or Craig Baranowski a call at 850-259-1788 or email us at info@teambaranowski.com.

Nothing better than a surf day at the Beach!

If you live where it is cold and a storm front rolls in, you get a snow day…at the beach we get surf days. The Emerald Coast is known throughout the world for our sugar white sand beaches and emerald green waters in the Gulf of Mexico. But we fall short in the World’s Best Surf Spots category when compared t0 Austraila’s Gold Coast, California, Hawaii or Costa Rica. In fact, we are more famous for having pan-flat calm, clear water. As with every beach town we have some favorite surf spots that will churn up some good waves. The pier at Pier Park in Panama City Beach is is one of the popular spots where during the swell season we will get some decent waves. When the swell comes in, surfers come out to enjoy the surf.

Today was an office day for me and I ventured out on my deck to check out the Gulf and saw a bunch of surfers having a blast surfing the waves at Pier Park. It was 76 degrees, the sun was punching through the clouds and fog and I was itching for an excuse to take a break, so I grabbed my digital camera and my 500mm lens and headed out to take some photos of the surfing action. Ever since Danny Margagliano joined our Real Estate team, I have been wanting to do a blog post on the local surfing scene on our website. Danny was a professional surfer for 6 years and traveled the world surfing. My passion is cycling, and I spend all of my free time on a bike and thus my surfing knowledge does not go too far but I certainly can appreciate a good surf day.

CLICK HERE to view the full gallery of 500+ surf pics

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David Weekly Homes and Huff Homes Releases Homesites and House Plans at Breakfast Point

Breakfast Point in Panama City Beach is the area newest St. Joe master planned community. The development plan at Breakfast Point is for 1,000 homes and Phase I to began in early 2011 with an estimated 384 homesites. Although the initial projection of 384 lots in Phase I appears to have been reduced significantly, the timeline for breaking ground with builders is right on target.

With it’s convenient location to good schools, convenient shopping, recreational activities and medical facilities, Breakfast Point is targeting primary residents looking for a great community to raise their family. Breakfast Point is located close to shopping at Pier Park and Frank Brown Park for baseball, soccer, tennis and an aquatic center. In addition, there are miles of planned conversation trails at Breakfast Point and easy access to our sugar white sand beach via the numerous public beach accesses on Front Beach Road.

Adjacent to the community is Breakfast Point Academy, a K through 6 school which has maintained an A rating from the Florida Department of Education since opening in 2009. Nearby zoned schools include Surfside Middle School, located about four miles from Breakfast Point and J.R. Arnold High School which is less than two miles from the community.

The first two builders offering homes in Breakfast Point are Huff Homes and David Weekly Homes. Huff Homes plans range from 1,625sf to 2,688sf with a target price point starting in the $230,000 price range. David Weekly is offering 7 different Craftsman Style home plans ranging from 1,899sf to 2,913sf. The price points for David Weekly Homes in Breakfast Point are from the $230,000 to $310,000 and up.

For more information regarding Breakfast Point and viewing the models offered by Huff Homes and David Weekly Homes, please call Craig Baranowski 850.259.1788 or info@teambaranowski.com.

Breakfast Point Homes for Sale

Breakfast Point Community Map in pdf

229 Seacrest Beach Boulevard in 30A’s Seacrest Beach for 379K!

Seacrest Beach is a very popular subdivision on the Eastern end of Scenic 30A next to Rosemary Beach. It’s location on 30A and beachy coastal vibe make this a hot area for second homes and vacation rentals. During the peak market, lots in Seacrest Beach were selling for over $500K and homes were in the $900K to $1.2mil price range. There are currently on two homes in Seacrest Beach under $400K and they both are brand new construction! At an offer price of $379,000, 229 Seacrest Beach Boulevard is an excellent value, and the most aggressively priced home in Seacrest Beach. This is a brand new home built in 2011 under the latest Florida building codes and comes with a builders warranty.

Construction has been completed and this home will not last long on the market. If you are interested in 229 Seacrest Beach Boulevard or would like more information please call Tracy Baranowski 850.259.4270 or Craig Baranowski 850.259.1788 or info@teambaranowski.com.

Seacrest Beach Homes for Sale

30A Homes for Sale Under 400K

Seacrest Beach Market Analysis

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Schildknecht and Jacobs Set New Course Records at IronMan Florida!

November 5, 2011 – IronMan Florida in Panama City Beach is an awesome event. Nearly 3,000 athletes from across the globe compete in this late season IronMan consisting of a 2.4 mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 112 bike and a 26.2 mile run. IronMan has become a yearly event for our family as many of our friends compete in this event. It is a great race to watch as the sunrises over the beach for the early morning start and the eventual sunset over the gulf as the race continues through the evening.

Last year’s champion, Jessica Jacobs was back to defend her title, and proved to be the strongest women of the day shattering the course record with a finishing time of 8:55:10. Jacobs was second heading into the T2 trailing Bree Wee by 4 minutes. Jacobs took over the race lead around the four mile mark and set a very fast pace. Half way through her marathon she had over a ten minute lead over second place.

IronMan Florida Panama City Beach 2011 Race Results

The women’s top 10:

1. Jessica Jacobs (Green Bay, WI) – 8:55:10

2. Mackenzie Madison (Eugene, OR) – 9:10:21

3. Sofie Groos (Belgium) – 9:22:21

4. Kim Loeffler (Colchester, VT) – 9:29:07

5. Stephanie Jones (Dulles, VA) – 9:33:45

6. Bree Wee (Kailua-Kona, HI) – 9:34:4

7. Heidi Jesberger (Germany) – 9:37:08

8. Eimear Mullan (Ireland) – 9:41:58

9. Rachel Wigton (Jamestown, RI) – 9:57:22*

10. Licia Oliveira (Brazil) – 10:05:03*

*denotes competing as an age-group athlete.

Ronnie Schildknecht of Switzerland shatter the IronMan Florida course record with a 7:59:42. His winning time is the only sub 8 hour IronMan in a North American race. His bike split was 4:19:37 which is a blazing fast 25.85 average speed for 112 miles.

The men’s top 10:

1. Ronnie Schildknecht (Switzerland) – 7:59:42

2. Maxim Kriat (Clermont, FL/Ukraine) – 8:10:43

3. Justin Daerr (Boulder, CO) – 8:18:02

4. Mads Vittrup (Denmark) – 8:21:31

5. Frank Vytrisal (Germany) – 8:21:48

6. Eduardo Sturla (Brazil) – 8:23:08

7. Christopher Bastie (France) – 8:24:32

8. Scott Defilippis (Normandy Beach, NJ) – 8:27:13

9. James Bonney (Austin, TX) – 8:29:56

10. Felix Schumann (Germany) – 8:35:08

Panama City locals had some impressive times with David Shearon finishing at a blazing fast 9:45:31 and placing 5th overall in his division. John Hensz, US Air Force, finished in 10:05:41 and placing 11th in a very competitive division.

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Arkon Group sets the standard for luxury home building on Scenic 30A

Our Team spends a lot of time previewing properties up and down the coast. We look at both ends of the spectrum, from extreme distressed properties to the pinnacle of luxury real estate. There are very few builders that leave a distinct impression on us and give an instant “WOW” factor when you walk through their homes…Arkon Group is one of those very few builders that will amaze you with their craftsmanship.

The Arkon Group has left its amazing signature of quality and craftsmanship across 30A for over 9 years. Their primary focus is client satisfaction and they achieve this through the use of in-house craftsman to assure quality from start to finish. Arkon Group has built numerous projects including WaterColor Amenities, The V Restaurant, the Pizza Bar in Seaside,  and numerous award winning homes in Seaside Florida.

Arkon Group works very closely with their clients and their architects to ensure their vision is carefully crafted into a master piece. Many of Arkon Group’s projects are the most highly visible projects on the beach including the exquisite 7,000sf custom gulf front home in Seaside next to the popular Pizza Bar. This home is due to be finished in a few weeks and it is spectacular!

The Arkon Group can be reached at 850-231-6900 or www.arkongroup.com

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Halloween is Tracy’s favorite time of year. For some reason she loves the entire Halloween season and event beginning with the change of season, fall leaves, haunted houses, Halloween candy, hot apple cider, pumpkins, crazy costumes, candy apples, and etc. Since we are Realtors and passionate about Real Estate, we are going to review the most haunted houses in America.

Most of the homes look like really nice mansions from the outside and do not convey a sense of Spookiness. I have seen some really creepy looking homes on back country roads that would definitely at the top of my list. However, it is what is inside that makes these haunted houses so haunting.

We grew up in Silicone Valley and the most famous of haunted houses is the Winchester Mystery House. The most haunting part of the entire home was the horrific floor plan…or an extreme example of construction gone wild. The LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans has a long history of haunting…but Nicolas Cage loosing the home to foreclosure is the most haunting. I guess his home did not qualify under the Home Affordability Foreclosure Alternative Plan. We hope you enjoy the haunted houses.

The full story can be seen from our friends at Zillow.com

America’s Most Haunted Houses

Winchester House (above)
Location: San Jose, CA
Ghost: Sarah Winchester

Whether or not the Winchester House is haunted, it definitely tops the list for bizarre real estate. The house was designed by Sarah Winchester, pictured at left,  the widow of William Winchester, founder of Winchester rifles. According to stories, Sarah was deeply distressed by the death of her daughter Annie in 1866 and her husband in 1881, so she consulted a medium to deal with her grief. The medium told Sarah to move west and build a house to ward off the spirits.

For the next 38 years — until her death in 1922 — Sarah oversaw construction of the San Jose house, holding nightly séances to get guidance from ghosts in the design. The result was a maze-like residence full of twisting and turning hallways, dead-ends and secret panels. There was also  a window built into a floor, staircases leading to nowhere, doors that open to walls, upside-down columns, and rooms built, then intentionally closed off  — all to ward off and confuse evil spirits. Or even some living souls, too.

Flickr user: dbking

Lizzie Borden House (above)
Located: Fall River, MA
Ghosts: Andrew and Abby Borden

You’ve heard the song about Lizzie Borden taking an ax. Before there was a creepy nursery-rhyme like chant, there was the Lizzie Borden trial — one of the biggest trials of the 19^th century. It centered on the Aug. 4, 1892 murder of Andrew and Abby Borden. Andrew’s daughter and Abby’s step-daughter, Lizzie Borden, (pictured at left) was the prime suspect, but acquitted by the jury.

By many accounts, the Bordens were not a happy family and Andrew’s daughters, Lizzie and Emma Lenora, feared that Andrew was going to bequeath his assets to their step-mother. After her acquittal, Lizzie and Emma moved to a different house on French Street. The home of the murder still stands in Fall River and operates as a bed-and-breakfast, where guests report that Andrew and Abby can be seen wandering about.

LaLaurie Mansion (above)
Location: New Orleans, LA
Ghosts: Victims of Madame LaLaurie

The former New Orleans home of Nicolas Cage, the LaLaurie Mansion, has to rank as the most gruesome in the history of the haunted houses. The New Orleans home was the where Madame LaLaurie reportedly abused and tortured her slaves. Rumors of cruelty were confirmed to be the truth when a fire broke out in the home and more than a dozen of slaves were discovered in various horrible states of torture. An angry mob descended on the home but Madame LaLaurie escaped, never to be seen again.

Soon after, flickering lights, unearthly screams were reported throughout the home and, over the next several years, the French Quarter home changed hands several times. It was run as a music conservatory, a school for young girls, a bar and furniture store. Finally, a retired New Orleans physician purchased the home and restored it to a single-family dwelling before selling it to Nicolas Cage. The actor recently lost the home to foreclosure. A sign of the ghosts at work, perhaps?

Flickr user: Southerntabitha

Franklin Castle (above)
Location: Cleveland, OH
Ghosts: Babies crying

Depending on who is telling this ghost story, the one-time owner of Franklin Castle, Hannes Tiedemann, pictured, was an evil tyrant who had a hand in several mysterious deaths at the Castle. Or, he was the victim of unfortunate circumstances?

Either way, as far as haunted houses go, the Franklin Castle fits the bill as a creep palace, complete with a stone tower and turrets, gargoyles, wrought-iron fixings and wrought-iron fencing. Built in 1864, the home was sold August 26 on the Cleveland real estate market for $260,000. That was after the latest calamity to strike: A fire that gutted plans to turn the place into a bed and breakfast. We’ll have to wait and see if the new owners hear the same sounds of footsteps, babies crying, and doors slamming often reported in the home.

Flickr user: Cranston Historical Society

Sprague Mansion (above)
Location: Cranston, RI
Ghosts: Amasa Sprague, Charlie the butler

The Spragues were a prosperous family in Cranston, RI in the 1800s and owned the Cranston Print Works, a textile mill that helped pioneer chemical bleaching. When the Print Works patriarch, William Sprague, died, he passed the business on to his two sons: Amasa (photo left) and William II. Amasa concentrated on the family business while William II focused on politics, serving as a U.S. Representative, Governor and United States Senator. On Dec. 31, 1843, Amasa was found near the home, beaten and shot. A man was hung for the crime, but was later revealed to be innocent. Following the murder, the Sprague family fortune dwindled and the home fell into disrepair. Cranston Historical Society saved the home from demolition in 1967.

Wikipedia Commons

Myrtles Plantation (above)
Location: St. Francisville, LA
Ghosts: Chloe, Sara and her children, William Winter

Jealousy led to hauntings of this antebellum home in St. Francisville, LA. In 1808, Clark Woodruff took over the plantation from his deceased father-in-law, General David Bradford. Clark lived in the house with his wife Sara and three children. Legend has it that Clark took a liking to a slave named Chloe, who became jealous of Sara and the kids. The story goes that Chloe baked a birthday cake filled with poisonous oleander leaves that killed Sara and two of the three children. Although Chloe confessed to the crime, fellow slaves retaliated. Chloe was hanged to death and her body was dumped in the Mississippi River.

If that wasn’t enough of an eerie history, another one of the owners, William Winter, was shot and killed while standing on the front porch. Rumor has it that the home was also built on an American Indian burial ground and the home was ransacked by Union soldiers during the Civil War.  The home operates now as a bed-and-breakfast, serving up sightings of William Winter, Sara and her children as well as the ghost of Chloe outside, tending to her oleander plants.

Chambers Mansion (above)
Location: San Francisco, CA
Ghost: Claudia

Perched in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, this prime piece of San Francisco real estate was built by silver mine tycoon Richard Chambers. The story goes that Richard moved into the home with his two nieces, bringing with him a host of demons and ghosts with him. When Chambers died in 1901, the nieces inherited the home; one moved next door and one, Claudia, stayed in the home.

Claudia was discovered nearly cut in half one day. The family passed it off as a “farm implementation accident” but ghost expert Jim Fassbinder, who conducts haunted house tours in San Francisco, claims an insane family member who was kept in the attic of the Chambers home was the culprit. Recently a bed-and-breakfast, the home sold in 2009 for $3,400,800.

Flickr user: snabby

Whaley House (above)
Location: San Diego, CA
Ghost: “Yankee Jim” Robinson

California’s other notorious haunted home was built by Thomas Whaley, who moved to San Diego to start a general store business. The entrepreneurial Whaley also started a brick-making business and started a granary. He built the Greek-Revival style house in 1857 on where the gallows once stood.

Shortly after Whaley moved in, he reported hearing heavy footsteps “by the boots of a heavy man” throughout the home. Whaley concluded it was “Yankee Jim” Robinson (photo left) — the last man to hang on the property. Two centuries later, the Whaley home is a designated historic landmark and open to public tours where guests are invited to listen for the steps of “Yankee Jim.”

Flickr: Black.Doll

McPike Mansion (above)
Located: Alton, IL
Ghosts: Unknown woman

The town of Alton, IL is deemed the “most haunted” city in America and has no shortage of ghostly homes. The McPike Mansion has especially active ghosts. Although there doesn’t seem to be any set reason why the home is so eerie, visitors report being hugged by an unseen woman thought to be Sarah Wells — one of the former occupants. So vivid is her presence, she is said to be smelling of fresh lilacs. There’s also the laughter of children, and mysterious mists and orbs of light.

Built in 1869 for the McPike family, the house has also operated as a college and boarding house. The home is currently owned by George and Sharyn Luedke, who run tours for anyone who wants to experience the spooks first hand.

The Victorian (above)
Located: Gardner, MA
Ghost: Servant girl

The S.K. Pierce Mansion, or “The Victorian,” has been “certified haunted” by mediums and paranormal experts. The home, located in Gardner, MA, was built by chair manufacturer S.K. Pierce in 1875. The most active ghost reported in the home is a 19-year-old woman, thought to be one of Pierce’s servants. Other spirits include a man who perished in 1963 in a fire, and a small boy.

The home not only has a ghostly past, but a history of Gilded Age elite dropping by from New York on their way to Vermont and New Hampshire. Guests included President Calvin Coolidge, Norman Rockwell, and P.T. Barnum.

Luxury Real Estate sales are booming in Rosemary Beach, Seaside, WaterSound, WaterColor and Destin

High end luxury homes sales are booming in 2011 along Scenic 30A, Destin and Miramar Beach. Even as many properties struggle with underwater mortgage loans, high end luxury homes in South Walton Beach are doing very well. Luxury developments of Rosemary Beach, WaterSound Beach,  WaterColor, Seaside and Sandestin are having record sales of ultra luxury homes at $2mil and above.

Rosemary Beach is leading the pack with 8 of the 25 homes that have sold in 2011 year to date over$2mil.  Four homes in Rosemary Beach top the most expensive list over $4mil with the following homes selling:

Rosemary Beach Homes sold over $4mil in 2011

• 20 Cartegena Lane in Rosemary Beach sold for $4.75 million in July 2011
• 24 Briland Lane in Rosemary Beach sold for $7.25 million in July 2011
• 78 South Green Turtle in Rosemary Beach sold for $7.33 million in July 2011
• 124 Hope Town Lane in Rosemary Beach sold for $8.1 million in April 2011

There are currently 11 homes over $2mil under contract and in the process to close. Many of the ultimate luxury homes are massive in size. For example, at 6,846sf 4304 Breakwater Drive in Kelly Plantation is a sprawling luxury residence. The largest luxury home to sell is 627 Gulf Shore Drive in Holiday Isle a massive waterfront luxury home at 12,250sf!

Of the 25 homes that have sold and the 11 homes that are currently under contract only 6 are distressed properties as either a short sale or bank owned property. This is an excellent indicator as to the health of our luxury real estate. Across all price points we are experiencing a decline in distressed real estate inventory as short sales and REOs have been selling at a frenzied pace in 2011.

As financing ultra high end luxury homes becomes a challenge, buyers and sellers are getting creative. A few of the luxury homes sold in this list involve the swapping or trading of other real estate assets in addition to a financial contribution.

South Walton Beach has not been the only area experiencing some stellar high end real estate transactions. In Marh billionaire investor Yuri Milner paid $100 million for a Silicon Valley Estate, breaking previous purchase price records in the US.  In mid-July, billionaire heiress Petra Ecclestone became the new owner of the Spelling Manor — an estate whose $150 million asking price had garnered it the title of America’s most expensive home for sale. Just days later, a new property is taking over that “most expensive” title: the $175 million Jackson Land & Cattle ranch.

30A Destin, Miramar Beach Luxury Home Market Analysis – Homes over $2mil

Luxury Real Estate for Sale on Scenic 30A

Luxury Real Estate for Sale in Destin and Miramar Beach

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For more info on 30A Real Estate please call Tracy Baranowski 850.259.4270 or Craig Baranowski 850.259.1788. For more info on Destin and Miramar Beach Real Estate please call Danny Margagliano 850-830-4747 or Email us @ info@teambaranowski.com

Yahoo! Travel Top 10 Best Beach Destinations for 2011

We love top 10 lists, especially when our beautiful beaches make the list! Our beaches are awesome and apparently the word is getting out as we continue to make top lists from the travel industry.

Our latest rating was Yahoo! Travel’s Top 10 Best Beach Destination for 2001 and Santa Rosa Beach made the list. Our beautiful white sand beach along Scenic 30A ranks at the top in the world with prestigious destinations such as: Seychelles, Bali, New Zealand and Curacao.

Santa Rosa Beach made the list for its long stretch of white sand beaches and the calm emerald waters of the Gulf. Click the link below to read the entire list from Yahoo! Travel.

10 Best Beach Destinations for 2011

Beautiful Beach Houses in Santa Rosa Beach

Scenic 30A has some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. Along our 16 mile stretch of pristine white sand beaches are world class luxury communities. This years 2010 list of most expensive land sold on 30A has The Retreat is the top winner claiming 3 of the top 5 spots. Known for its gorgeous views and seclusion, The Retreat has been a top spot for premier luxury properties since its inception.

Alys Beach is pushing the envelope on luxury living and has sold two $3mil gulf front lots in the past 18 months. This is a surprising number since one can get an amazing luxury gulf front home for $3mil and the current state of our distressed market. It validates that location is everything and in the case of The Retreat, Alys Beach and WaterSound Beach…location IS EVERYTHING! All 5 of the most expensive lots sold on 30A are Gulf front lots and sold after the Gulf Oil Spill that fortunately had minimal impact on our beaches.

#1 Lot 13 St. Lucia Lane in The Retreat Sold for $3,150,000 September 2010

#2 42 Sea Venture Alley Alys Beach Sold For $3,037,000 August 2010

#3 Lot 38 Bermuda Drive in The Retreat Sold for $1,625,000 October 2010

#4 108 Tidal Bridge Way in WaterSound Sold for $1,550,000 May 2010

#5 4 St. Lucia Lane in The Retreat Sold for $1,475,000 August 2010

Most Expensive Gulf Front Lots for Sale

Destin and Miramar Beach are known for their condos…lots of condos. In fact the shoreline from Fort Walton Beach to Destin is lined with condos. One thing is for sure is that there are some amazing condo complexes in Destin and Miramar Beach. However, we cannot forget about Scenic 30a whose 52' building height limitations has kept all but a few high-rises off their beaches and has built some amazing chic luxury condo complexes.

Some of the premier condo complexes on Scenic 30A are WaterSound Beach, Andante, Bella Vita, Sanctuary by The Sea, Adagio, Tre Viste and Park Place. This years most expensive condos sold in 2010 spans Scenic 30A and Destin to bring you the finest and most expensive condos.

#1 Most Expensive Condo Sold – St. Thomas at Silver Shells PH4A1A2

This is a "One of a Kind" two story condo owned and built out by the developer. This condo was tricked out with everything you would expect from a world class luxury condo: Glass and Iron doors, bamboo floors, custom ironwork, a fireplace and a rooftop terrace. This condo is 5,200sf with 4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths and 1 Half Bath. Built in 2001 this condo was offered at $4,500,000 and sold for $4,000,000 in February 2010.

#2 Most Expensive Condo Sold – Andante #3

Andante is an amazing luxury gulf front condo on Scenic 30A that defines luxury living. Only 10 units are in this all-penthouse community and offers its owners a private gulf front retreat. This luxury condo was professionally decorated and loaded with features that would make Donald Trump giggle with delight. Andante Unit #3 is 4,300sf with 4 Bedrooms, 4 Baths and 1 Half Bath. This unit was offered at $2,429,000 and sold for $2,150,000 in October 2010.

#3 Most Expensive Condo Sold – Inn at Crystal Beach #705

This beautiful Gulf front 3-story penthouse condo boasts two master gulf front suites and its own elevator inside the unit. Located in Destin Florida this luxury condo is the largest of the list topping out at 5,268sf with 7 Bedrooms, 5 Baths and 1 Half Bath. Offered at $2,250,000 this luxury condo in Destin sold for $1,900,000 in April of 2010

Most Expensive Condos for Sale on 30A and in Destin

Scenic 30A is known for its pristine 16 mile stretch of sugar white sand beaches and it chic luxury communities of Rosemary Beach, Seaside, WaterColor, WaterSound and Alys Beach. This year Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach and WaterColor top our list of most expensive homes sold on Scenic 30A.

2010′s Most Expensive Homes sold list is a close match to 2009′s Most Expensive Homes Sold list with the all of the most expensive transactions occurring in the first half of the year. It is an interesting trend that I have followed for a number of years and it has been consistent year over year. If you have a high end luxury home, the best time to sell is spring break to June. This is when the big checks are being written.

As with 2009 our top most expensive home sold broke through the $7,000,000 range again. Even in our devastated economy high dollar real estate transactions are continuing to occur. Last year’s list was 100% gulf front homes. This year two homes in WaterColor make the list and are not gulf front. Enjoy the list and we look forward to working with you in 2011!

#1 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 2488 Hwy 30A E in Seaside

If you can believe it, this home was a custom spec home and went under contract less than 60 days after it was listed. I remember watching this magnificent home being built and was shocked to see a for sale sign show up the moment the home was completed. This magnificent gulf front home was our Top Luxury Pick in January 2010. This 4 story gulf front custom home is 5,800sf with 6 Bedrooms, 6 Baths and 2 Half Baths. The home was offered at $7,850,000 and sold in June 2010 for $7,250,000.

#2 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 88 Windward in Rosemary Beach

This fabulous gulf front home in Rosemary Beach was our top luxury pick in April 2010. Much like the most expensive home sold this year, this stunning gulf front home was on the market for 46 days before it went under contract and closed in a quick 20 days. 88 Windward Lane in Rosemary Beach is a 4,000sf 5 Bedroom, 5 Bath and 1 Half Bath gulf front home with a carriage house. It was built in 2002 and had 66 feet of gulf frontage in Rosemary. Offered at $4,495,000 this home sold in May 2010 for $3,850,000.

#3 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 243 & 225 Western Lake in WaterColor

We have a tie for our third spot on the most expensive home list for 2010. Who would have thought two completely different homes in WaterColor would sell for the exact same price on the same street. Both of these homes sold for $3,100,000. 225 Western Lake Drive was a brand new home under construction. It was 5,418sf with 6 Bedrooms, 6 Baths and 1 Half bath. It was listed for $3,395,000 and sold for $3,1000,000 in April 2010.

243 Western Lake drive was built to be the “Majestic Cornerstone” in front of WaterColor. Built in 2009 this amazing custom home is 5,426sf with 7 Bedrooms, 7 Full Baths and 1 Half Bath. This home was also listed for $3,395,000 and also sold for $3,100,000. However, this home sold in March of 2010.

#5 Most Expensive Home Sold on 30A – 281 Garfield St in Grayton Beach

This amazing gulf front home in Grayton Beach just missed a 3 way tie for 3rd place by $20,000! This Grayton Beach home is situated on one of the most prime locations in Grayton Beach. At 4,486sf this home was spacious and was a massive 6,600sf with porches and decks. Built in 1994 this Grayton Beach Home has 6 Bedrooms, 6 Baths and 1 Half Bath. Offered at $4,128,000 this home sold for $3,080,000 in March 2010.

Below are pictures and a slide show of the most expensive homes sold on 30A in 2010.

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Most Expensive Luxury Properties on the Emerald Coast

Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, WaterColor and Seaside hosting Festival on Scenic 30A

Top music performers including Shawn Mullins, Jeffrey Steele, and Emily Sailers will turn Scenic 30A into a 13 mile long music festival.

The second annual 30A Songwriters Festival is this three-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend January 14-16 2011. There are 16 venues between eastern 30A at Rosemary Beach to western end of 30A at Gulf Place. Pandora's in Grayton Beach will be hosting the kick off party.

I had an amazing time at the first annual Songwriters Festival in 2010 and I am back this year as House Manager at Rosemary Beach's Town Hall venue. Jeffrey Steele will be playing at Rosemary Beach Town Hall Friday at 10pm. This is his only show and we had a full house last year when he performed. So if you want to see Jeffrey perform, you need to get there early!

Shawn Mullins with his full bank will be playing Sunday at 2:00pm in the Seaside Lyceum. There will be shuttle service to get festival attendees in and out of the event on Sunday.

The 30A Songwriters Festival is quickly becoming one of the premier annual events on Scenic 30A. The festival has a great vibe and the artists truly enjoy playing at our venues and taking in the beauty and uniqueness of our area.

To purchase tickets and for more information visit 30ASongWritersFestival.com

2010 Florida Ironman Triathlon another great event!

Panama City Beach hosted another epic endurance event this past Saturday, the Ironman Florida 2010. Top athletes from all over the world descended upon the sugar white sand beaches of Panama City Beach to compete in the prestigious Ironman Triathlon series. A total of 2,478 athletes showed up fit and ready to begin their journey on a cool Saturday morning with the professional athletes starting at 6:50am and the armatures starting promptly at 7am.

It is an amazing sight to see 2,500 athletes run for the water at the same time to swim 2.4 miles and then rush over to the transition area to get geared up to bike 112 miles and then run a full marathon of 26.2 miles. This years race was like most races in the past with a cold front coming through days before the event and offered a chilly morning of 42 degrees when they entered the water. The cold weather did not deter spectators and friends and family members of the athletes from coming out and showing their support. I would estimate about 6,000 to 7,000 spectators were present at the start of the race with all of them standing in our sugary white sand beaches watching one of the most amazing fall sunrises!

James Cunnama set the fastest time to win the event overall with a time of 8:15:29 and Jessica Jacobs was the fastest female with an blazing fast time of 9:07:49. Top pro athletes were not the only ones making a showing. We had several local triathletes set some amazing times…Panama City native, Trappe finished the triathlon in 11 hours, 7 minutes, 5 seconds to record the best time of the 20 local competitors. Her time, which was 12 minutes faster than her finish in 2009 when she also finished first among the local crop of competitors, placed her third overall in the women’s 18-24 age group.

Trappe completed the swim in 1:06:32, less than 2 minutes slower than Ironman Florida champion Jessica Jacobs’ 1:04:37. Trappe cruised through the bike course in 5:26:51 and ended the marathon portion of the race in 4:24:10.

Kent Nonaka of Panama City Beach was the top male finisher from the area, completing the race in 11:33:08. His commendable effort included a swim of 1:10:24, bike of 5:16:32 and run of 4:46:56.

Those who believe youth is wasted on the young haven’t met some of the local triathletes competing in Saturday’s race. A number of local triathletes posted times that belied their age.

Barbara Smith of Panama City and James Graner of Lynn Haven both cracked the 12-hour barrier. Competing in the women’s 50-54 age group, Smith finished the race in 11:58:55, the second fastest time of any local woman. Graner sneaked in under that milestone by one second, finishing in 11:59:59 in the men’s 50-54 division and was second to Nonaka among local male finishers. The area’s oldest participant, Norton Schlachter of Santa Rosa Beach, posted a solid time of 13:50:18 in the men’s 60-64 age group.

The locals had a awesome showing at this years Ironman Florida! Full Results for 2010 Ironman Florida in Panama City Beach.

Local men’s finishers

* Kent Nonaka, Panama City Beach (45-49) 11:33:08
* James Graner, Lynn Haven (50-54) 11:59:59
* Joe Fritz, Panama City Beach (55-59) 12:11:23
* Cal Partlow, Ft. Walton Beach (45-49) 12:33:56
* Ronald Branham, Panama City Beach (45-49) 12:56:41
* Stephen Smith, Panama City (50-54) 13:10:58
* David Early, Panama City (40-44) 13:17:13
* Jeffrey Ellis, Santa Rosa Beach (45-49) 13:42:30
* Norton Schlachter, Santa Rosa Beach (60-64) 13:50:18
* James Ripple, Panama City Beach (30-34) 14:14:45
* Tony Bennett, Panama City (45-49) 14:31:10
* Dan Ader, Panama City (35-39) 14:37:19
* Dylan Floyd, Panama City (25-29) 14:44:54
* Christopher Dorris, Panama City Beach (35-39) 15:37:14
* Terry Butler, Panama City Beach (45-49) 16:16:22

Local women’s finishers

* Cari Trappe, Panama City (18-24) 11:07:05
* Barbara Smith, Panama City (50-54) 11:58:55
* Carla Dorsch, Panama City Beach (30-34) 12:48:23
* Chloe Elfrink, Panama City Beach (30-34) 12:56:18
* Christina Delameter, Marianna (35-39) 13:35:53
* Erica Hayes, Panama City (25-29) 14:16:28
* Bobbie McClain, Panama City Beach (25-29) 15:40:54
* Lori Hast, Lynn Haven (40-44) 16:09:58

Here are some great pictures and video of the start of Ironman Florida 2010. After the start, I was volunteering at the transition area so I had to put the camera away…