Destin and Ft. Walton Beach, Florida Blogs

Sandcastle Escapes would like to share some of our new properties available for 2008.

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Last news: April 8, 2010 02:25:00

My Blog is dedicated to bringing Destin real estate news and market updates to buyers and sellers of Destin homes, condos and beach property.

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Last news: July 5, 2009 11:22:13

Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast

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Last news: December 14, 2009 20:19:45

The Host of The Burnie Thompson Show on Talk Radio 101

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Last news: October 2, 2009 09:15:23

Seen by millions of people around the world, this must see Cirque extravaganza has broken box office records all over the Globe including becoming the biggest ever selling shows in the history of the Sydney Opera house.

Le Grand Cirque is a jaw-dropping visual feast of breathtaking group acrobatics and white-knuckle stunts and has been described by the press as

“The Next generation of Cirque Du Soleil” (Southen Style)
Featuring more than 40 champion acrobats and performers from Brazil, Canada, Russia, Mongolia, Europe and China, the performers have been hand picked from around the globe for their amazing abilities and precision skill. The result is a fast-paced, heart-pounding spectacle that will astound you and keep you at the edge of your seats!

This spectacular production features, contortionists, tumblers, incredible aerial acts as well as the breathtaking Wheel of Death -- one of the most dangerous circus tricks ever attempted, and so much more packed into a 2 hour extravaganza! Extravagant and mesmerizing, Le Grand Cirque is a spectacular experience the family will never forget.

Starting May 25th, Le Grand Cirque will be performing at Grand Boulevard for the whole summer in its custom designed, air conditioned Italian tent which has been designed to hold just under 1100 people.

Just about this time every year our friends up north have stopped dreaming of sugar plums and started seeing sandy white beaches and skimpy bathing suites. Its time to put down the snow shovel and grab your suitecase for your Destin vacation getaway!



From Destin to Seagrove beach we are so pumped up for 2010 we cant wait to hear from you, we have definitely seen an increase in booking for this year. Despite the economy our guests have given us nothing but positive feedback regarding their vacation plans for 2010. So what are you waiting for lets go!

I lived in Miami Beach for more than half of my life and – with the exception of my college years spent in Gainesville (oh, go Gators!) and a three-month stint in New York City – I haven’t had much experience living elsewhere in the good ol’ U.S. of A. This is probably why I was so shocked (make that, very pleasantly surprised) at what I found upon my arrival to Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast three months ago. You see, it seems the farther I’ve traveled North, the farther South I’ve come…and blessedly so!

I find that people along THE Beach smile more often (then again, why would you frown when the beach serves as the backdrop to your daily life?) and display a gracious Southern charm that has been truly refreshing for a jaded Big City Gal like me. While there’s certainly much to be said for Miami’s beaches and for all of their allure, there’s an incomparable appeal to the white sand and blue-green water strewn from Perdido Key to Carrabelle. I frankly never thought this little piece of paradise could exist hundreds of miles north from what I once believed to be the best beach in the world. The charismatic Southern drawls, unspoiled countryside, gentler pace and old-fashioned hospitality make Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast quite a hidden gem.

With Frommer’s recent ranking of this region as one of the top 12 destinations for 2010, it seems the secret is quickly getting out! Additionally, with Southwest Airlines beginning service to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in May 2010, people from all over the country will get to experience what life is like here at THE Beach. I have a feeling they’re going to fall in love with it!

I’m enjoying getting to know this region better and feel so blessed to be able to call it my new home. On my downtime, I like to explore different beach towns (all with their own unique yet equally stunning splendor!), take a walk along the oh-so-many nature trails and snap pictures with my phone during almost every single sunset. Whenever I get a chance, I serve myself a tall glass of Sweet Tea and dig into the fresh catch of the day. In those moments I am reminded why this beach is THE Beach and why it has been said that this way of life will forever change yours. It has certainly changed mine.

How long have you lived here? For how many years have you been visiting? What makes this beach THE Beach? I look forward to hearing from y’all.

Fireworks light up the skies over the Destin harbor - photo by Jon Ervin, Cottage Rental Agency

The sun has set on another Taste of THE Beach – Wine.Dine.Donate extravaganza. Hopefully you were able to go to at least one of the nearly dozen events across the region last weekend. Restaurants from Destin to Panama City were cooking up their specialties and serving them with outstanding wines poured by Southern Wine and Spirits. Yum.

Besides the delicious food and wine, perhaps the greatest take away was the warm and fuzzy feeling patrons got from knowing they helped children’s’ charities along the coast. Nearly a dozen charities benefitted from the fun the rest of us had during an evening of eating and tasting fine wines.

On Friday night, I was able to enjoy some great food, wine and friendship during the Taste of the Destin Harbor. Great gumbo, crab cakes, kabobs, fresh shrimp … the food just seemed to keep coming. The view overlooking the Destin harbor was breath taking, especially as the sun was setting over the Gulf of Mexico. As the skies darkened, the fireworks began along with the ooohs and aaaahs, a fitting end to a fabulous evening.

Sunday was the final day and included the charity auction. 30A TV was there and offered this video postcard. http://www.30atelevision.com. Check under News at THE Beach on our home page for coverage of the Taste of Bay by pcbdaily.com. Now we have a whole year to wait until next year’s Taste of THE Beach. Hum. Think I’ll go down to the seafood market. I need some shrimp.

The air has finally turned cool, and just in time for all of the great fall events happening all along THE Beach. This weekend it’s Autumn Tides at the Beaches of South Walton. Lots of fun family outdoor events and ecotourism experiences are taking place all along Scenic Highway 30A such as canoeing and Yolo Boarding on the beautiful coastal dune lakes, hiking, biking and kids activities at Seaside.

Next weeked (October 24 & 25) Destin will show off her artistic side with the 14th annual Destin Festival of the Arts at Henderson Beach State Park. Over 100 fine artists from all over the country will display and sell their original artworks. Festival hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3.

With the weather this cool and inviting, it’s a great time to get out and enjoy a festival, a picnic, a hike in the woods or a long walk on the beach. Fall weather always makes me want to go into the kitchen and bake things like pumpkin bread. Actually a pot of chili sounds good.

I’m going to need that long walk.

Recently our executive director Mel Ponder was a guest on the rapidly growing 30A TV. The interview was streamed live and is now available for view online at http://30atelevision.com. Mel talks about CV3000 and some of the great fall food festivals going on all along THE Beach. Great interview, Mel.

The Panama City Beach City Council believes in recycling. Unfortunately, it believes in recycling bad ideas. Take the mandatory single trash-hauler proposal — please! Before Mike Thomas was a Bay County commissioner he was a PCB city councilman. His attempt to foist this bad idea on residents in the late ... - [Read more]

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is on John McCains vice-presidential short list. Talk-radio host Glenn Beck has predicted that Mr. McCain would tap Mr. Crist. Mr. McCain would be hard pressed to make a worse choice. True, Mr. McCain won Floridas primary on the wave of Mr. Crists late endorsement, which Mr. McCain ... - [Read more]

Lately, when I read The News Herald’s Viewpoints section I feel like a long-tailed cat in a room full of angry rocking chairs. Much credit has been given to my talk-radio show for the defeat of the half-cent sales tax, and it’s generated a vicious barrage of vitriol. Take, for instance, ... - [Read more]

Walter Lippmann once said, “The theory of a free press is that the truth will emerge from reporting and free discussion.” He should have been more specific: Truth will emerge if the reporting is good and honest. The news media have consistently distorted the facts surrounding the Martin Lee Anderson ... - [Read more]

We are losing jobs in America faster than Vice President Joe Biden can contradict President Obama. While Biden tells us that the administration misread the economy, Obama says the so-called stimulus bill is working as intended. The administration warned six months ago that if we didn’t pass the stimulus bill right ... - [Read more]

Too many liberals and conservatives have one thing in common: They want to unleash the coercive power of government against free people in order to pursue their ideas of justice. The great battle in human history has been between liberty and state power. Liberty has usually lost. Many Americans think ... - [Read more]

"So this is how liberty dies – to thunderous applause." – Padme Amidala, Star Wars III Weeks after cheering throngs wept in jubilation over the election of Barack Obama, dissenters are now being urged to support the president-elect and come together as one. This is a splendid idea if you want higher ... - [Read more]

Twice recently the Florida Highway Patrol asked me to show my driver license. Well, they didnt exactly ask me. They seized me. Not just me — theyre setting up roadblocks all over Florida and demanding you show your papers. They call them driver license and vehicle inspection checkpoints. They say it ... - [Read more]

From grape vines come great wines

Autumn is my favorite season – it always has been. When I lived up “Nawth” I loved the change of colors (although not the grey skies and chilling cold that followed them). Fall gets me in the baking mood, so I know that when September arrives, pumpkin bread will soon be coming out of my oven.

At THE Beach as well, fall means food.  Over the next couple of months, food festivals will reign supreme with local seafood taking the crown. Check out the many Northwest Florida Fall Food Festivals and create your own culinary travel adventure.

As a matter of fact, you can kick things off tonight at the Taste of THE Beach preview event, Vines to Wine. Between 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Baithouse Restaurant at Watercolor, more that 240 mines will be poured from the Taste of THE Beach wine judging. The Best of Show white and red winners will be announced and there will be lots of delicious food to sample. Tickets are $50, but don’t worry if you haven’t bought yours yet. You can buy them at the door.

For more information call 850-267-0683 or visit the Taste of THE Beach website. Bon appetit!

The Coastal Vision 3000 annual General Membership Meeting is scheduled for September 29, 2009 at Tops’l Beach & Racquet Resort, 9011 Hwy. 98 East, next to Sandestin Resort. The meeting starts at noon and is a lunch meeting in the Centre Court room of the Tennis Centre. All CV3000 Members are encouraged to attend this important meeting. Please RSVP by calling 850-337-3424 or by emailing Mel, Pam or Val. See you there.

The blogger has been MIA – where did the summer go?  Wish I could say I was just kicking back, beachcombing and reading books, but I’ve actually been busy finding more fun things to do at THE Beach. I also spent two weeks in jolly olde England, visiting family and seeing the sights of London and the English countryside. The funny thing is that, like Americans, English folks LOVE the beach and are happy to take every opportunity to travel to warmer climates and sandy shores. I, of course, pointed out that the best beaches for that purpose are in Northwest Florida.

Speaking of that, the September/October issue of  Tallahassee Magazine just just hit the newstands with an article listing Tallahassee residents’ votes for “best of.” Here’s one of their picks.

Best Weekend Getaway  |  Destin
Sugar-fine sand. Azure waters and towering dunes. Toasting glorious sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico with a fine glass of wine. Plenty of good eating mixed with fun things to do and a wide variety of places to stay. All this waits just a short drive from Tallahassee along the pristine shores of Destin. For romance or family time, it doesn’t get better than this.
• Honorable Mention – St. George Island

It’s always great to be recognized. Thanks Tallahassee. Y’all come on down for the weekend. We’re here.

Hey CV3000 Members,

How has Summer 2009 treated everyone? From the looks of busy restaurants, crowded shopping centers, full hotels and crawling traffic on 98, it seems that this summer has treated everyone quite well! As children prepare to return to school and our visitors slowly head home, we find ourselves preparing for a fabulous Fall. Coastal Vision 3000 will be embracing the idea of a Culinary Fall at THE Beach. Between September and November, THE Beach will play host to six major seafood and food festivals. October is also National Seafood Month, so we’ll surely take advantage of that. Don’t forget about the Second Annual Taste of THE Beach event, slated for November 5-8. Join us for fantastic food, world-renowned wines, and breath-taking views of the Gulf of Mexico.

Smiles and Sunshine,

Molly

Hello Coastal Vision 3000 Members,

This post officially kicks off the CV3 Members Only Blog! We will be using this as a forum to communicate with our partners. While the main THE Beach blog is primarily filled with consumer-friendly posts, this blog will be just for YOU! Check the blog regularly for information about the behind-the-scenes happenings at THE Beach. Feel free to post comments, also. We love your input!

Smiles and Sunshine,

Molly

I just received this information about changing FHA requirements from Mark Elkins today.

Hello, I have received a few questions recently regarding the new required FHA down payment. Here is some clarification:

Beginning on January 1, 2009 the new required minimum down payment will increase from 3% to 3.5%. There is also another difference. Currently, we only need 3% in the whole transaction, which allows for part of that 3% to be used for closing costs. In the new requirement, the 3.5% will be for down payment only.

There will still be a maximum of 6% of seller concessions to the transaction towards closing costs.

Here is a link for you to view the FHA loan limits by county:

https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/hicostlook.cfm

If you have a borrower considering an FHA loan, there is still time to get the transaction closed by months end before the changes go in to affect. With our local underwriting and processing, we can move quickly.

We can also refinance FHA up to 95% LTV. Credit scores down to 620 with no credit score adds. With the new rates, it may be time to take advantage of this.

Call today for pricing or to enquire about one of our many financing programs.

Happy Holidays!!


Mark

850.420.4833