Found 221 blog entries tagged as buyers.

How do you finance a second home on Florida's Forgotten Coast?

A second home on this coast is more within reach than most buyers expect. For a place you'll use yourself, you can start with as little as 10 percent down, and 30-year fixed rates have eased back into the high 6 percent range as of mid-June 2026, just a touch above a primary residence. Larger homes above the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750 in Gulf County open the jumbo path, and if you'd like to rent the place when you're not there, the investment-property route is a flexible option too. Rates move daily, so the best first step is a quick, live quote on your own scenario. Let's get you started.

By Billy Joe Smiley

Most of the buyers I work with on this coast aren't buying a…

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What will a buyer actually pay in closing costs on Florida's Forgotten Coast?

When you finance a home here, you can plan on buyer closing costs of roughly 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price, and every piece of that is easy to budget for once you know it. It covers Florida's documentary stamp tax on your mortgage note at $0.35 per $100 financed, the intangible tax at $2.00 per $1,000 financed, your lender's fees and lender's title policy, recording and inspection costs, and prepaids. The biggest line item on this coast is usually your insurance, since wind, flood, and homeowners are often paid a full year up front at closing, which is a normal part of owning a coastal home. A cash buyer skips the note stamps, intangible tax, and lender fees,…

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Is now a good time to buy on Florida's Forgotten Coast?

Yes, mid-2026 favors buyers on the Forgotten Coast. Inventory on Cape San Blas and the Highway 30A corridor has grown several weeks running, homes are sitting longer, and sellers are negotiating on price, concessions, and rate buydowns more than at any point since before the pandemic. With 30-year rates near 6.4 percent, your real advantage right now is leverage on terms. The smart move is a well-structured offer with full contingencies, not the highest number you can stretch to.

By Billy Joe Smiley | June 11, 2026

I get this question almost every week right now, usually from someone who has been watching listings for a few months and senses the market has shifted. They're right. After…

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How Much Is Wind Insurance on a Forgotten Coast Beach Home?

Wind insurance on a Forgotten Coast beach home usually runs somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000 a year, and on a higher-end Gulf-front property it can climb well past that. It is a separate policy from flood insurance and from your standard homeowners coverage, and it carries a percentage hurricane deductible rather than a flat dollar amount. Your real number depends on the roof, the elevation, the distance to open water, and the wind-resistant features the home was built with.

By Billy Joe Smiley | June 9, 2026

Most buyers I work with come in ready for the mortgage payment and braced for the flood policy. Then the wind insurance quote shows up, and the math on the whole purchase…

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How Much Are Property Taxes on a Vacation Home on Florida's Forgotten Coast?

Vacation homes in Gulf County, Florida are assessed as non-homestead property, which means you pay taxes on the full assessed value every year with no homestead exemption and no Save Our Homes cap. Annual property taxes on the Forgotten Coast typically run $9 to $12 per $1,000 of assessed value depending on your taxing district, putting a $1 million vacation home at roughly $9,000 to $12,000 per year. Port St. Joe city properties carry slightly higher rates than unincorporated Gulf County areas like Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, and St. Joe Beach.

By Billy Joe Smiley | June 4, 2026

Property taxes are one of the first things I walk buyers through when we're looking at…

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St. George Island and St. Joe Beach Carry a High-Dollar Week as Summer Inventory Keeps Building

Mid-June on the Forgotten Coast has its own flow. The lots at Salinas Park fill up before nine, the tarpon start rolling off the Cape, and the heat settles in for the long haul. This week's market moved the same way the fishing did. Not crowded, but the ones that hit were big.

Nine homes closed across the coast, and the dollar figures behind them ran high. A pair of $1.25 million sales on St. George Island and a five-home run at St. Joe Beach and Mexico Beach set the tone. Meanwhile inventory kept stacking up the way it does each summer, which keeps buyers in a comfortable seat.

What is the Forgotten Coast real estate market doing this week?

For…

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Summer Opens With a Quiet Week Across the Forgotten Coast

June arrived the way it usually does on the Forgotten Coast, with heat you can feel coming off the pavement and water so clear it almost doesn't look real. The crowds are building, the vacation rentals are turning over, and the real estate market is doing what it's been doing for several months now: moving at its own deliberate pace. Eight homes closed last week. The buyers who pulled the trigger found everything from a $292,000 entry-level in Port St. Joe to a $1.285 million estate on St. George Island. The spread tells the story.

Inventory held steady at 604 active residential listings coast-wide, and with only 8 homes closed during the week, supply remains elevated at 17.4 months. That…

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1.05 Acre RV-Acceptable Land with Utilities for Sale in Wewahitchka, FL

If you have been searching for land for sale in Wewahitchka, Florida, 246 McGlon Dr offers a practical opportunity in the heart of Gulf County. This 1.05-acre property is located near downtown Wewahitchka and features water, sewer, and electric available, making it an appealing option for buyers looking for utility-ready land, RV-friendly use, or a future homesite in North Florida.

Utility-Ready Land in Wewahitchka

One of the biggest advantages of this property is that essential utilities are already available. For many land buyers, access to water, sewer, and electric can be a major factor when comparing properties. Having utilities available may help simplify planning…

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Is Cape San Blas a Good Vacation Rental Investment in 2026?

Gulf front vacation rentals on Cape San Blas are generating six figures in gross annual income, with top performing properties earning $200,000 or more per year. The 2026 market has shifted clearly toward buyers. Prices are off recent peaks, inventory is climbing, and sellers have flexibility they haven't shown in years. The $34.5 million beach nourishment and breakwater project just completed, stabilizing the peninsula's shoreline for the long term. For investors who choose the right flood zone, the insurance cost advantage alone can add $10,000 or more to the bottom line annually.

This is what the investment case looks like right now.

By Billy Joe Smiley | June 2, 2026

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A Gulf-Front Luxury Vacation Rental Opportunity in Indian Pass

There are beach homes — and then there are properties that immediately make you imagine morning coffee with Gulf views, afternoons by the pool, and evenings spent entertaining under the coastal sky.

Welcome to 178 Red Hawk Ln in Indian Pass, Florida, a Gulf-front single-family vacation rental property in Indian Pass designed for buyers who want more than a second home. This is a luxury coastal retreat with the kind of setting, space, and lifestyle appeal that can make it especially attractive in the high-end vacation rental market.

Gulf-Front Luxury Designed for Coastal Living

Set along the natural beauty of Indian Pass, this 5-bedroom, 5.5-bath Gulf-front home offers a rare…

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