Homes and Condos in Destin, FL

I just sold this home in  Destin Florida at the great price of $148,000. The home was totally renovated and it is in a wonderful location close to The Destin Commons, the beach and fantastic restaurants.  Make Destin Flordia your home!  Live the Sweet life in the Salty air.

Bev Dudley, Realtor

Recentyl I sold two short sales in Destin Floirda both homes were occupied and occupied and occupied. The buyer is entitled to a walk through the day of closing to insure the home is in the same condition it was in the day they viewed it originally. At this time the sellers furnishings and personal belongings should be totally removed and the house swept clean.  Both homes were still occupied when to the homes before closing.....this is not a good situation.

The first buyers would not close, they went home and said they will close when the sellers get there belongings out. Two days later, we went to the house for the walk through.....now too much stuff has been removed, the seller removed the washer and dryer and they were to remain in the home, per the contract. “What a mess”.

In the next instance, the closing was originally to take place on May 31st, the sellers agent called me to say the seller needed a couple of extra days to get out of the house.....I said "no" the buyer needs to move in, that is why she is buying a house.  But the closing was delayed at the last minute for 8 days because of a loan issue that had to be corrected. So the seller had 8 more days to occupy the home.  Not a couple of extra days 8 more days.  On the 8th day the sellers still have belongings in the home and ask for 2 more days. “Again...what a mess”

Sellers!! Read the terms of the contract and make sure everyone understands what is expected of them to complete a transaction and have a successful closing.  If you do not understand ask your agent.  Closing and Occupancy clearly states “at the time of Closing the Seller shall have removed all items and trash from the property and deliver occupancy and possession along with all keys and garage door openers to the buyer”.  This is very clear according to the contact. 

Bev Dudley, Realtor

 I just sold a home in a Coastal Barrier Zone, better known as a COBRA zone, but we had to change the buyer's financing from an FHA loan to a Conventional loan at the last minute.
 
VA and FHA loans are not available in COBRA zones because the Coastal Barrier Resources Act removed the Federal government from financial involvement associated with building and development of these protected areas. Communities may permit development in these areas, provided the development meets the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
 
But as a buyer you will be required to go with a Conventional loan and a higher down payment if you plan to purchase a home in the COBRA zone. You can check to see if the property you plan to purchase is in a COBRA zone by visiting FEMA.com, then you will not be caught off guard at the last moment with the wrong type of loan.




Bev Dudley, Realtor

Although this is a tourist town, we also have plenty of wildlife to enjoy. This morning as I went out for a walk I noticed an area on the beach marked with colorful ribbons, I was so curious, I had to have a closer look, the sign indicated a Sea Turtle Nest.

Volunteers in the area comb the beaches for signs of Sea Turtles returning to the Gulf Waters after laying her eggs, they mark the area to give the little ones time to incubate, hatch and return to the Gulf waters for a chance of survival.

It will take these eggs 45 to 70 days to hatch depending on the species size, and also the temperature and humidity of the nest. It may take these babies three to seven days to climb to the surface of their nest, then they emerge at night, to avoid daytime predators, and return to the Gulf waters. These babies will swim for 24 to 48 hours to reach deeper waters where they are less vulnerable to predators.

It takes a lot of time and effort for these Sea Turtles to survive and many are on the endangered species list. I hope the tourist will enjoy and respect our beaches and wildlife, please keep in mind we are sharing our beaches with vulnerable baby Sea Turtles. The first obstacle for these babies to overcome is the trip from the nest to the water, this is why we ask....please cover any holes you may dig in the sand during the day and remove all personal items from the beach when you leave for the day. Less obstacles in the sand, means a smoother journey to the Gulf Waters for our little Sea Turtle friends.

Please help us help these babies.

Bev Dudley

If you own and reside in a home in Florida, as of January 1st you may qualify for the homestead exemption. You must file for this exemption by March 1st 2011 to qualify this year. If you file after the March 1st deadline you will not be eligible for the exemption until the following year. You must file in person, also go online or call the office in advance for required documentation.

Okaloosa County Property Appraiser's Office:
73 Eglin Parkway NE Suite 202, Fort Walton Beach or
101 E. James Lee Blvd., Room 104, Crestview
www.okaloosapa.com

Walton County Property Appraiser's Office:
571 US Highway 90 East, DeFuniak Springs or
31 Coastal Centre Blvd. Suite 600  Santa Rosa Beach
www.waltonpa.com

Hurry time is running out!!
Bev Dudley, Realtor

I recently listed a house as a short sale the legal description included lots 1, 2 and 3. The sellers also owned lot 4 not included in the short sale. So the sellers had to short sale their house and sell the adjacent lot as a regular sale. I listed the house and the lot separately and recommended that a buyer purchase the two properties together.

Then I had a buyer come along that ONLY wanted to buy lot 4. While doing research the boundary survey reviled a shed attached to the house was encroaching onto lot 4 and the RV structure on lot 4 was encroaching onto lots 1, 2 and 3. That was not the only problem. Walton County had abandoned the road in front of all lots 1, 2, 3, and 4 and deeded one half of the road to the sellers property. Now the buyer would need an easement to access lot 4.

The solution... have the buyer for lot 4 remove the encroachments and the sellers grant an easement across lots 1, 2 and 3 for access to lot 4.

We closed on the lot and the buyer removed the encroachments, easement was granted. The house with lots 1, 2 and 3 sold about 3 weeks later.

Problem solved!!

Bev Dudley

 We woke up at day light that morning and boarded The Golden Gaff, away we went into the Gulf Waters to see history in the making with our own eyes. On this day the USS Oriskany Air Craft Carrier will sink about 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola Beach, Florida. The Oriskany nicknamed the "Mighty O" operated primarily in the Pacific earning two battle stars for service in the Korean War and five in the Vietnam War.
 
An excited crew of 25 aboard The Golden Gaff arrived at the future resting place of the Oriskany around 9am. Many people were there for the event on their boats about one mile away from the Oriskany for safety precautions. We could see men scurrying around on the flight deck, preparing the ship for detonation.

We had been told it would take hours for the ship to sink, so everyone on the boat decided to get comfortable and kick back. As we were looking on, we saw smoke and a few seconds later we heard the blast, the C-4 explosives had been detonated on the Oriskany. Some of the guest on the Golden Gaff had gone below and was waiting in line for the restroom while the ship sank in just 37 minutes. I remember one of my friends coming back up to the boat deck and asked what happened....he had missed the sinking entirely.

The 904 foot Oriskany is the largest ship every intentionally sunk to make an artificial reef. It is also the first ever United States War Ship to become an artificial reef. The ship was used in Robin Williams film “What Dreams May Come” and it is also mentioned in the movie “Top Gun”.

I am delighted to say that on May 17, 2006 I was on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico and I saw the USS Oriskany sink. The ship now lies on the Gulf floor about 210 feet deep and has a new purpose, it is now home to fish and sea creatures, an interest for scuba divers and a hot spot for fisherman.  The Oriskan now nicknamed "The Great Carrier Reef".

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all veterans for their service in the military and for the freedom we enjoy in the United States of America.

Bev Dudley, Realtor

In current market conditions, with short sales and foreclosures being the brunt of the business it is difficult to determine what is fair when it comes to an Earnest Money Deposit. An EMD is a deposit that is held with a Title Company on behalf of the Buyer until contract closing, to ensure the Buyer preforms according to the terms of the contract. Although, the money should be returned to the Buyer if particular things arise such as inspection repair items or an appraisal that is not acceptable to the Buyer or the Buyer's lender. It should also be returned if the Seller does not preform his duties.

Recently a foreclosure bank demanded the Buyer put up the full down payment of the loan in EMD to assured the Buyer had the funds to close. This is becoming a more common practice with foreclosure banks. However the draw back is, if an inspection returns large repair items or the property does not appraise, it could take the Buyer a month or more to get the EMD back because of the workload foreclosure banks are experiencing. Fortunately in this case we completed the inspection before the EMD was deposited and the home appraised for more than the contract price. If things had not worked out accordingly the Buyer could have been without a home or the EMD for some time.

Another example is a recent short sale. The contract was signed by both Buyer and Seller then the EMD was deposited with the Title Company. The Seller failed to provide the documents needed for the Short Sale Lender and skipped town. At this point the contract is in limbo and the Buyer needed to recover his EMD. The Title Company was unable to release the EMD and recommended the Buyer get an Attorney which would cost the Buyer more than the deposit being held by Title. After further research we determined that the buyer could get his EMD back by securing a judgment through small claims court. The Buyer paid the fee for small claims court, and the Seller did not show up for court. The Buyer won the judgment and recovered the EMD. What I learned from this episode was to be sure to write into the contract when it is a short sale “The Buyer will deposit the EMD upon written proof that the short sale package with all Seller required documents has been submitted to the Seller's Lender” to ensure the Seller is preforming his duties.

Bev Dudley, Realtor
850-240-3933

That's right the whole month of October you can fish for food, money and prizes.  The weigh-ins take place at the docks at A.J.s Seafood and Oyster Bar from 10am to 7pm and it is free to the public.  

Over $70,000 in cash and prizes go to the fisherman with the big fish, for daily, weekly and monthly prizes.  

Shark Saturday's will be a hit this year, they are hoping to beat 2007's record a 638 pounder.  Cash prizes for the largest Shark brought in each Saturday.

October is also one of the most beautiful months of the year, with the highs in the 80's and lows in the 60's, the beaches are soft and cool and the water is clear and warm.

Don't miss out on October along the Emerald Coast!!!

See you here, Bev Dudley, Realtor