land purchase

[Bobby J]

I would like to thank everyone for their comments. I am not a land surveyor but I can see by the terrain that there are issues at Treetop. In addition, for a seller to take a big lost one would wonder. I did not see any comments on Lakeside at Inlet Beach, does anyone have any information on this new development or some advice on where to buy in or around 30A for good price. 200k is the highest i will go.

Thank you

I just listed a lot in Cottages of Eastern Lake for $99,000. This is not a short sale or foreclosure. South of 30A with a pool. I think this will be hard to beat for the price. I also think we could put a 3br 3 bath home on it (1500sq feet), for around $200,000. So for about $300,000 you could be south of 30A! I don't think this one will be around very long. Every deal like this I have posted on SoWal is SOLD. This should be next.

 

[AAbsolute]

I just listed a lot in Cottages of Eastern Lake for $99,000. This is not a short sale or foreclosure. South of 30A with a pool. I think this will be hard to beat for the price. I also think we could put a 3br 3 bath home on it (1500sq feet), for around $200,000. So for about $300,000 you could be south of 30A! I don't think this one will be around very long. Every deal like this I have posted on SoWal is SOLD. This should be next.

I agree with Bobby. That sounds like a property you can't get hurt on.

Another Lot: I bought a bucket truck from a power company and I drive around from time to time and boom up on lots for sale to check out views. There's a lot in Inlet Beach for sale, but I don't know anything about the little development. If you head South on South Walton Lakeshore then turn right on West Park Place you'll see a gate on the left with a paver street. The older homes around it look rough compared to some other neighborhoods. The 2nd lot on the right has the best views I've seen in the whole county and proximity to the beach compared to the list price. You'd think your primary view is South, but it's actually SouthWest looking over State owned beachfront land.

I don't know the owners or the realtor's name. I just happened upon it when I was working one day. I haven't done full due diligence on the neighborhood and there may be something out of the ordinary. That's my take.

 

[beachmouse]

Curious TFT, have you ever experienced any flooding or seen the water rise up "too close for comfort" during a bigt storm? I've been wondering about this since places like Grayton are completely within a surge zone, but AFAIK they've never seen the ocean come in that far. (Could be wrong about that though.)

If you go out on the small side deck of the Red Bar, they've got a marker up that is allegedly the high water mark from Hurricane Opal.

 

[DD]

 

[30ashopper]

If you go out on the small side deck of the Red Bar, they've got a marker up that is allegedly the high water mark from Hurricane Opal.

I found a survey online on Opal, seems that storm really did flood the whole area. I'm surprised more people don't talk about it.

 

[TooFarTampa]

I found a survey online on Opal, seems that storm really did flood the whole area. I'm surprised more people don't talk about it.

Think you can find it again and link it here?

 

[30ashopper]

Think you can find it again and link it here?

Found it in my history, not sure what I searched for to find it originally. It's a flood water line survey for the entire area, includes some maps and has some photos at the end that were taken after the storm.

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/hes/docs/stormEffects/OPAL_FL_PANHANDLE_WIND_WATER_LINE_SURVEY.pdf

 

[Bob]

photo number 16....grayton??

 

[InletBchDweller]

Yes. We had a hard time pumping water out of the footing trench. The County did not want us to bring in fill and the builder who sold us the plan and sat as the Town Architect wouldn't respond to our requests for plan modifications. We had to replace the Architect of Record that was the true Licensed Architect for him and hire an independant Florida Engineer. The developer's rep came out drunk at the end of our work day one evening bragging that it was his neighborhood now that his sister-in-law was gone and while me and my crew remained humble we eventually had to call the Walton County Sherriff in order to get him to give us some space. Of course as soon as we called the sherriff he was out of there like he had to go put out a fire. Before he sped away, he told us all the big plans he had to develop housing out there, but it's been 2 years and I don't know if he's started any homes yet. He may not be a licensed builder, but I don't know.


We've had much better experiences building elsewhere and were happy to hand off the job with our customers consent to another builder. I tried to purchase that land from Doodle in 1999 with the intentions to build apartments and was going to scatter the units on the uplands, but that's when Doodle, Pete and I had our meetings over a speaker phone at the small office trailer before Seacrest's Pool was complete.

I'm not a realtor or financial adviser. The only business plan that works for me there would be to buy lots for 60,000. I'd install concrete pier foundations with 2,300 sq. ft. 3 bed and 3 bath homes with bunk rooms and screen porches that some designer's term treehouses with comfortable interior's and bring them to the public at 445,000. I think the demographic who would buy there would take them at that price. I think a developer would have to develop a cluster of about 10 near the pool in a cohesive manner to take some of the mystery out of what the neighborhood intent was in order to pull it together.

Of course I could be very wrong. Only the future will show what will really work. :roll:

Sorry Dunebug to not stay on topic but I need to clear this up.​

hmm, funny, this is not the story that I know.

I know the house very well that you are speaking of. I have a feeling that you are the first original builder of the house. I am not going to stoop to your level and name names such as you. Some people do not get on this board to defend themselves. I don't think coming on this board naming names and names of their company without them here to defend themselves is wrong.

I do know that the original builder that the owner wanted to build his house was not an approved builder for Treetop for very good reasons. I know that he (the builder) was unauthorized, he knew it, and was told several times that he was not to build in there. The owners of the lot knew it as well and were called and sent certified letters and would not respond. BOth the builder and the owners ignored the DRB and BOD of Treetop requests. I really could go on and on and on about the problems with "that house."

I am just trying to make a statement that there are certainly 2 sides to every story.....oh, and yes I have dug a hole 3 feet with no problems. ;-)

 

[AAbsolute]

I was in the first meeting at Treetops and was given the contractor standards and there was no such thing as an approved buiilders list. I still have the doc's and if you were there you should have them too. It said all someone had to do to build in Treetops was submit a check and sign a form.

I was at the 2nd DRB meeting in the house on the pool at Seacrest Beach that my partners owned and were renting to the DRB and Seacrest too. At that meeting, which was 3 months after we obtained a construction loan and filed our Notice of Commencement, the Treetops DRB began dealing off the bottom of the deck and brought out proposed revisions to the construction approval process. I have those doc's as well that are hand marked "DRAFT COPY" as of the date of the second meeting. The have hand written notes all over them and large portions of the rules that were in place on that day were being crossed out with pen with proposed revisions.

If anyone says that the DRB wasn't changing the rules to suit a business purpose they aren't being genuine. That being said, if you are the developer you have the advantage of "amending the restrictive covenants from time to time as you see fit." Unfortunately for people who buy in these small neighborhoods run by inexperienced boards they will suffer at liberal hands.

When my customer bought in there it was not at my recommendation. It was only later that they came to me and said, "How can we build in here and at least break even?" We did everything the way the rules said and immediately after we filed our NOC the developer's builder friend called my customer and told them that they were going to try and stop us from commencing and that it would be best if he just hired him to build, at a much higher price, the facts show.

I truly feel bad for anyone who was sold a lot in Treetops by a realtor friend. If their realtor is a true advocate they should buy back the lot and bail out their customer or at least kick them some commission. Anyone who has been here active like I have since 1995 saw that equity trap coming from a mile away, and I don't think it's funny when I point these things out and try to advise against these things and people try to malign me and my advice.

I built and sold my 1st home in Rosemary Beach for 450,000, earned 100,000 in the process, and that's what it's rental ability was worth. Everytime you see one of my models go for sale we sell it for what the rental market will bear for other homes like it. I've never built a perfect house, but nobody has in this area. We build and sell homes based on their rental potential and for years gave a money back gauranty. There are few people who put their money where their mouth is like that.

Please give us a little peace and a little space. We're not here to hurt anyone.;-)