Real Estate Blog

Five South Walton Restaurants Earn coveted 'Golden Spoon' Awards in 2020

Five restaurants in South Walton County have been recognized in the Golden Spoon Awards this year.

The awards have been issued by Florida Trend Magazine for 50 years. It began as a guide to help travelers find dining experiences around the state that were a cut above.

Nowadays, the awards feature the classic Golden Spoon, which recognizes outstanding fine-dining restaurants that have demonstrated consistency in high standards and longevity, as well as a Golden Spoon Hall of Fame for repeat winners and a "Best New Restaurants" category for up-and-coming eateries.

South Walton boasted winners in all three categories: two Golden Spoons awardees, two hall-of-famers and one on the "Best New Restaurants" list.

Here are the local winners and what…

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2020 NEW YEARS EVE

4:00 PM New year's Eve Dinner & Party @ Old Florida Fish House

5:00 PM New Year's Eve @ FOOW - Fish Out of Water

5:00 PM New Year's Eve @ Old Florida Fish House

5:00 PM New Year's Eve Dinner @ Havana Beach Bar & Grill

6:00 PM Christmas Dinner w/ David Seering Trio & Jamah Terry @ Pescado Seafood Grill & Rooftop Bar

6:00 PM Jamah Terry @ The Courtyard at Pescado

6:00 PM New Year's Eve Dinner - Three Seatings @ George's at Alys Beach

6:00 PM New Years Eve celebration @ The Hub

7:00 PM Ladies Night with Will Thompson Band @ Louis Louis

8:00 PM Karaoke Thursdays w/ Tim & Rusty @ AJ's Grayton Beach

8:00 PM New Yea's Eve Dinner Cruise aboard SOLARIS @ SunQuest Cruises

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Beach Happy Cafe

The 30A Company will open its first 30A Beach Happy Café in the WaterColor community in Spring 2021. The new casual dining and retail concept will be located in WaterColor Town Center, directly on the south side of Scenic Highway 30-A.

“Almost every local and visitor routinely passes through that intersection, and thousands of people walk by it on their way to the beach and the newly expanded WaterColor Beach Club,” said Mike Ragsdale, 30A’s Founder & CEO. “We couldn’t have asked for a better place to create 30A’s first Beach Happy Café.”

Ragsdale said the café is owned and operated by Walton County locals and restaurant veterans, Chris Kramolis and Eric Jenrich. Jenrich founded Tropical Smoothie Café, which now has 900 locations…

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Homes for Sale Are Rapidly Disappearing

Through all the challenges of 2020, the real estate market has done very well, and purchasers are continuing to take advantage of historically low mortgage rates. Realtor Magazine just explained:

“While winter may be typically a slow season in real estate, economists predict it isn’t likely to happen this year…Low inventories combined with high demand due to record-low mortgage rates is sending buyers to the market in a flurry.”

However, one challenge for the housing industry heading into this winter is the dwindling number of homes available for sale. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), recently said:

"There is no shortage of hopeful, potential buyers, but inventory is historically low.”

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How Remote Work Can Power Your Vacation Home Sale

How Remote Work Can Power Your Vacation Home Sale

This year, the opportunity to work remotely has increased the demand for vacation homes. Gay Cororaton, Senior Economist and Director of Housing and Commercial Research at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), notes:

“Working from home is a positive factor in demand for vacation homes.”

Buyers are taking advantage of the fact that working from home might be someplace other than their primary residence – at the beach, in the mountains, or somewhere in between. NAR explains:

“Sales in vacation-home counties increased 48% on average year over year in the third quarter; overall, 81% of vacation-home counties saw a year-over-year sales increase.”

Is it Time to Sell Your…

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October 2020 Market Snapshot

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Home Values Projected to Keep Rising

As we enter the final months of 2020 and continue to work through the challenges this year has brought, some of us wonder what impact continued economic uncertainty could have on home prices. Looking at the big picture, the rules of supply and demand will give us the clearest idea of what is to come.

Due to the undersupply of homes on the market today, there’s upward pressure on prices. Consider simple economics: when there is high demand for an item and a low supply of it, consumers are willing to pay more for that item. That’s what’s happening in today’s real estate market. The housing supply shortage is also resulting in bidding wars, which will also drive price points higher in the home sale process.

There’s no evidence that…

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Real Estate Is a Driving Force in the Economy

As the economy recovers from this year’s health crisis, the housing market is playing a leading role in the turnaround. It’s safe to say that what we call “home” is taking on a new meaning, causing many of us to consider buying or selling sooner rather than later. Housing, therefore, has thrived in an otherwise down year.

Today’s high buyer demand combined with low housing inventory means we’re seeing home prices appreciate at an above-average pace. This demand is being driven by those who want to take advantage of historically low mortgage rates. According to Freddie Mac:

"The record low mortgage rate environment is providing tangible support to the economy at a critical time, as housing continues to propel growth."

These…

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Winter Will Bring a Flurry of Activity to the Housing Market

In the second half of this year, the housing market surged with activity. Today, real estate experts are looking ahead to the winter season and the forecast is anything but chilly. As Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), notes:

“It will be one of the best winter sales years ever.”

The typical winter slowdown in the housing market is simply not on the radar. Here’s why.

While today’s historically low mortgage rates are expected to remain low, they won’t be this low for much longer. This could be the last chance for homebuyers to secure such low rates, and they’re ready to take action. In a recent article, Bankrate explained:

“If you’re looking to buy a home…expect mortgage rates to…

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September 2020 Market Snapshot

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