AL Gulf Coast Over the Past Decade

The AL Gulf Coast's stretch of white-sandy beaches is changing right in front of us.  Gulf Shores and Orange Beach has grown at record pace in the past decade.  In 2006, we published an article that discussed the amazing growth of the Alabama beaches when compared to other coastal areas.  (See image left from article)  This may be partially due to the low taxes, more available land, population density, etc.., but Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are different places today.  The Alabama Gulf Coast accomplished this by simply taking care of its resources and making tough decisions that weren't always based on popularity.  A prime example happened earlier this year.  In the Spring of 2016, there was a huge jump in

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The Gulf Coast is experiencing a robust recovery. Tourism records set in 2011 were broken again in  2012 as visitors from across the country and the world flock to the Gulf Coast. The Gulf tourism industry  has seen a strong rebound in part due to BP monies. BP has supported the Gulf Coast tourism through  payments of:
• $179 million for state-led advertising campaigns • $7 million non-profit groups and government entities promoting tourism • A BP national advertising campaign that complemented these efforts to promote tourism along 
The Gulf Coast’s remarkably recovery is evidenced by:
• Taxable lodging revenue in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach set a new record in 2012, surpassing  the previous record set in 2011 by 15%. •…

Selling in the Fall or Winter.

Fall and its typically cooler temperatures and lower humidity brings a new season of house hunting to South Alabama.  Everywhere from Spanish Fort to Orange Beach will notice a pick up in appointments during this time of year.  Everything starts with the all-important first look;  curb appeal may be the most important factor in selling anything from a house to condominium.

Seller's should understand that the first time a prospective buyer walks through the door, it's really the second showing.  The reason I say this is simple.  Most all buyers in today's market begin their search for property using their computer.  If they're serious about the real estate their viewing, they've already seen it;  possibly many times. 

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After another record-breaking season of fun in the sun both guests and residents prompted the powers to approve a $48 million budget.  The plans include investing more in recreational facilities, strengthening public safety and provides a three percent cost-of-living raise to all city employees.

From the projected $48 million, $3 million is carried over from last year's budget, $25 million the city intends to draw, with $23 million carrying over from 2012.  Orange Beach expects to have a $4.5 million surplus for 2013 - $2.5 million more than expected - on December 31st.

"We had a huge surplus," Mayor Tony Kennon said.  "But you never know what next year brings, so, you know, make hay while the sun shines."  Total expenses in 2014 are expected to

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After three straight years of increases in the numbers of visitors and the economical benefits associated, Baldwin County is obviously gaining in popularity.  More people are visiting and spending more while they're here.

Over five million people visited the Alabama Gulf Coast in 2012 and spent $2.9 billion while visiting Baldwin County.  That's an increase of over 4 million visitors and over $100 million since 2011;  this year (2013) is slated to break these number and establish new record marks.

It's estimated the coastal cities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, AL will generate an estimated $343 million in rentals this year, an increase  from $323 million in 2012 and $280 million in 2011.  These numbers were based from the Gulf Shores and Orange

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According to Dr. Don Epley, director of the center for real estate and economic development (CRES) at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL, business and real estate activity along the Alabama Gulf Coast should outpace that of the U.S. average.  While speaking at the recent seminar, Epley cited reports from the Federal Reserve bank in Philadelphia which studies economic indicators for the region including parts of South Alabama including:  Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Spanish Fort, Daphne, Fairhope and Mobile, AL.  According to these reports, Epley and others believe Alabama will grow at a rate of 4.6 percent placing them in the top 5 U.S. states in terms of growth.  By contrast, the U.S. economy as a whole is expected to grow at a rate between 2

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Real Estate Rebound

     The local economy is moving in the right direction and this is partially due to the real estate market, according to Lee Lawson, president of Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance (EDA), based in Robertsdale, AL.  Lawson's recent comments were received at the Coastal Economy Outlook VI, the annual seminar produced by the University of South Alabama's Center for Real Estate Studies and Economic Development at which he outlined the various areas where Baldwin County experienced economic growth.
     Baldwin County had a “good solid year coming out of the recession,” having a population growth rate of over 2% bringing the total to approximately 190,000;  a 30% increase over the last 10 years.
     The Alabama Gulf Coast beaches of…

On Saturday, August 10th, the Wharf hosted the second annual "Top of the Hops" beer festival in Orange Beach, AL.  Crowds lined the streets waiting for the festivities which began at 4:00 p.m. officially, but we suspect some of the patrons had a head start.  Once inside guests of the event were treated to 175 different beers from 52 breweries.  The event took place under 4 large tents on the marina lawn.
Fairhope Brewing Company, Blue Pants brewery and Back Forty brewing Company were the in-state breweries featured in the Cask Garden serving unfiltered brews.  The Cask Garden was billed as the place where brewers could experiment with unfiltered, small batches and Dan Murphy from Fairhope Brewing Company served a cucumber juice beer that was probably the

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Turquoise Place condominiums consists of 400 units in two towers on the Gulf of Mexico in Orange Beach, AL.  The towers are the tallest on the Alabama Gulf Coast spanning over 400 ft.  The property is over 13 acres and features a 90 ft. corridor accessing the beach.  The towers stand out enclosed in turquoise glass featuring an amenity package that further separates it from any other condominiums in the area.  All of the units directly face the gulf and have balcony amenities that no other condos in the area can claim.

Turquoise Place is obviously and upscale development and is pricey, but you get what you pay for.  Many of the condos are used strictly for second homes and beach getaways, but the owners who rent the units are bringing in around $100,000

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When the Lighthouse condominium was released for pre sale, there were over 1,000 people vying for 253 units.  Needless to say, there were a lot of disappointed investors that day.  Shortly after the release, the fortunate few that reserved units began to list them for sale to make a quick profit.  This was a great opportunity to pick up a condo with plenty of time left in the construction phase, hold on to it for a while and sell it before closing.  This is referred to as "flipping" and was an extremely popular idea at the time.

When the Lighthouse was finished, price per square foot was around $500.  Currently, the price per square foot is under $300 which is a seven year low.  With proper exposure and a little effort, cash flowing is not that

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