According to the NWF Daily News the local real estate market finished strong in 2010. The Emerald Coast Association of Realtors stated that December sales was up over last year by about 15%. The entire year of 2010 was reported up 10% over 2009. Real estate agents said the first quarter of 2010 was on course for a comeback, and they were not wrong. In Jan, Feb, and March sales increased over the previous year, generating excitement about the coming year. However, the BP oil spill halted that and many contracts were lost.

Most areas along the Emerald Coast ended 2010 on a great note. Ft. Walton and Destin were up 10%, Crestview increased 5%, and N. Walton County had a 1% increase. South Walton County jumped up to 15% over 2009.

With all that said, here it is February 2011 and the interest in real estate along the Emerald Coast is slowly coming back. Maybe by spring, buyers will see that the gulf coast is still just as beautiful and desirable as ever!

We are receiving a lot of calls from people wanting to know about the air quality here. Follow this link for updated information:

http://gulfcoast.airnowtech.org/

Hope this helps!

LOCAL UPDATE #38
June 10, 2010   9:30 A.M.

Destin’s beaches are OPEN and the weather is beautiful! Existing wind and water current directions are pushing any oil in the area away from Okaloosa County. These conditions are forecasted to continue for the next few days. A few tar balls have washed ashore, but nothing of any size or significance. Clean-up crews have been very quick to respond to cleaning up the tar balls.

The Okaloosa County Health Department continues to advise residents/visitors to avoid contact with tar balls that may be in the water or on shore. The general public should not attempt to clean beaches. Trained professionals are cleaning up the beaches.  Teams will be in Okaloosa again today actively scanning and cleaning the beaches, as needed. 

East Pass is a NO WAKE ZONE due to the protective boom placement and will be enforced in order to protect the boom. Boaters are asked to use caution around the boom areas.

All updates can be seen on the City of Destins website:

www.cityofdestin.com

LOCAL UPDATE #36
June 7, 2010   10:15 a.m.

(From Okaloosa County Emergency Management Officials)
Destin’s beaches are NOT closed.

Oil sheen is reported to be off of the coast. Tar balls have been found on a couple of Okaloosa beaches this past weekend.  A few tar balls washed ashore, but nothing of any size or significance and there is nothing that will prevent anybody from coming and enjoying the beach, according to Florida DEP.

Click here to view the latest fishing closure map.

While doing my shift at the front desk today, I asked everyone coming in from the beach “how was it?” Everyone I asked responded that it was great, beautiful and fabulous! Several guests are having such a great time that they are asking to stay another night.  I wish I could be out there with them!

LOCAL UPDATE #32 – OIL SPILL
June 3, 2010 -   11:00 a.m.

(From Okaloosa County & State Emergency Management Officials)

The latest projections from NOAA indicate weathered oil from the leading edge of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill could impact the Florida Panhandle as early as this week due to a shift in winds and currents. Any potential impacts to Florida’s shoreline will be highly weathered, in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse – a pudding-like oil/water mixture that could be brown, rust or orange in color. No tar balls have been found on Okaloosa beaches to this point.  

Oil sheen is now in the Navarre area, which is just about 30 miles away from Destin. The sheen was reported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approximately six miles from Navarre Pier on June 3.