The Beauty and Charm of 30A Continues to Attract Buyers

A String of Pearls

You could say there are 13 beautiful reasons to invest in real estate in the area simply known as “30A.” That’s how many distinctly different beach communities are peppered along this official Scenic Highway in Santa Rosa Beach. With more than 700 active listings (at press time), a 15 percent increase in 30A home sales, a $31 dollar per square foot price increase and a big dip in the average number of days a 30A home sits on the market, it appears there are more than a few reasons to nab property in this patch of paradise on the Emerald Coast.

So what is the mystique of an area named after a 16-mile stretch of a two-lane road? Beachy Beach realtor/broker Gary Gibson says 30A delivers more than just an address with cache. “Our beaches are among the most beautiful on the planet; yet we have lower population density than surrounding areas. That coupled with world-class properties, dining, shopping, hiking/biking trails through Point Washington State Forest and around rare coastal dune lakes and higher elevations affording stunning views, and you have a desirable beach community that anyone would want to be a part of,” he says.

Gibson would know. His in-laws have lived in Seagrove for generations, and his family of four lives just off 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. “We really enjoy being able to be near family and living close enough to the beach to smell the salty air and hear the waves at night,” he says.

A look at real estate trends provided by the Emerald Coast Realtor Association, confirms that the rebound of Northwest Florida most definitely includes 30A. The data reflects that all property types are selling on 30A, including single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums and vacant home sites (lots). But Gibson says second-home investment remains the dominant use for 30A buyers.

Drive down the Scenic Highway and it’s no surprise that 30A is the location of choice for those who desire the coastal lifestyle. To put it another way, it’s hard to beat a town like Seaside, which nearly upstaged Jim Carey in the “The Truman Show,” a film about a picturesque, idyllic quintessential beach town. 

Seaside may be one of the most famous communities to emerge from 30A over the past 30 years, but there are a dozen others with a distinctive sense of place, too. If you follow a map west to east you’ll find what the South Walton Tourist Development Council calls a “string of pearls.” Nearly all of these communities offer condominiums, townhomes and single-family beach homes, ranging from $50,500 to $8.5 million, but each “town” has its own distinctive personality and charm: 

Just minutes from Highway 98, nestled on Stallworth and Oyster Lake, is Dune Allen Beach, a residential community with biking paths and walking trails. 

Gulf Place is a popular vacation spot that has become a hip hub filled with quaint shops, lively eateries and vacation rentals. 

Blue Mountain Beach is named for the blue lupine flowers, which still cover much of the sand dunes. At an elevation of 345 feet, the tall sand dunes and many coastal lakes offer up stunning pristine views. 

Founded in 1885, Grayton Beach is the first beach town on 30A. Known for its funky flair found in the laid back Red Bar, eclectic Zoo Gallery shop and art galleries, Grayton Beach is a haven for artists and art lovers.

Centered around a stunning 500-acre resort designed by famed architect David Rockwell, WaterColor seamlessly marries modern conveniences with the nostalgia of an unassuming beach town from days gone by.

Founded in 1981, Seaside gave birth to New Urbanism and has become synonymous with the ideal beach town. There are nine streets in the town of Seaside and no two picket fences on a street are the same. 

The nostalgia of beach-town living is still alive in Seagrove, where modest beach homes are intermixed with upscale, one-of-a-kind Gulf-front vacation homes.

WaterSound Beach is a gated Gulf-front resort community with condos, townhomes and single-family homes situated among pristine sand dunes, peaceful coastal lakes and natural wetlands.

The whitewashed stucco walls of Alys Beach are reminiscent of the coastal homes in Antiqua and Bermuda. A commitment to sustainable building has garnered international awards and accolades for this stunning planned community.

Seacrest is home to beautiful Camp Creek Lake. Nature lovers come here to kayak, canoe and paddle board amid a variety of wildlife, including many unusual wading birds in the marshlands. 

Founded in 1995, Rosemary Beach has the unique charm of a European village with a beach that rivals the Caribbean. The town center is filled with boutique shops and continental cuisine easily accessed by peaceful boardwalks and footpaths.

Perched at the eastern edge of South Walton, Inlet Beach has a laid-back, residential feel, with an eclectic mix of classic Florida beach cottages and new multi-story homes.

Carillon Beach is an exclusive modern family resort located on the eastern end of 30A, featuring a vibrant village and large, languid lake for which the town was named.