Gulf Shores Real Estate
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The Alabama Gulf Coast is a 32-mile stretch of sugar-white sand beaches. Currently there are lots of condos for sale in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores including foreclosures, short-sales and traditional listings. The market suffered slow real estate sales after hurricane Katrina like everywhere else, however, the rentals were the highest on record and will increase this year (2011) to set another record. Slow real estate movement post Katrina has caused prices to drop which is not good for the owners who were trying to "flip" condos for quick profits, however, the prices are essentially where they were in 2003 and a cash-flow scenario is definitely possible again. Going back to the last quarter of 2008, more Gulf Shores condominiums sold than all of the previouse 3 quarters combined. Real estate sales in Gulf Shores have shown steady improvement since 2008 and due to the current prices and high rental numbers which are expected to climb in 2012 with all of the attractions that have been added to our area.

The Alabama Gulf Coast is a 1st class resort vacation area that offers championship golf, deep sea fishing, boating, water sports, amusement & water parks, a zoo, fresh gulf seafood restaurants, numerous nightclubs, plenty of shopping and the many historical parks and nature preserves, make it one of the finest resort areas on the Gulf Coast. There are over 10,000 condo units in the Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan areas. A higher than usual percentage of condos for sale in Gulf Shores is fueling the buyer's market investors are currently enjoying.

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Alabama Condominium Investing

Gulf Coast vacation condo investing was a very attractive and popular alternative to the stock market in 2004. Gulf Shores rapid growth and the need for vacation rentals caused a huge development spurt and the number of condominium projects skyrocketed in 2004. Gulf front construction prices went from $300 per foot to $600 in a 2 year period, that's a 100% increase over 2 years. (The chart below expresses the growth percentage for the last decade.)

There are tons of Gulf Shores condos for sale now creating a great opportunity for buyers. The cost of buying a condo is back to comparable prices of 2003. The sheer inventory in Orange Beach has doubled in the past 2 years. In 2004 buyers were hard pressed to even find something to buy and when they did they were often competing with other buyers; a bad situation for a buyer. The current economic climate is basically weeding out all of the owners who are not serious about selling and ensuring a great buy.

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Condos In The Future

The Hangout and Wharf with its ampitheatre are the newest to bring vacationers to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. As a "drive to" destination, the Alabama Gulf Shores & Orange Beach area saw an increase in visitors in 2008 and it has gotten better each year breaking records in the process. I remember when Katrina scarred the economy hearing "how will we reboud?" and after the oil spill, "how will we rebound?" The answer was help from those who call Gulf Shores a part of their life. When the area needed attention it seemed like Jimmy Buffet was throwing a free concert or 3 Doors Down or somebody else was doing something to bring tourism to the area. In essence, help from people who love Gulf Shores brought the area back from disaster and, if needed, will do the same in the future. We have a beautiful area which is loved by many and I know now more than ever that we will prevail in the face of adversity. More and more people want to vacation in a water front condo on or near the beach and that demand is driving Gulf Shores & Orange Beach real estate sales and condo development.

Costs Of Owning A Condo On The Gulf Coast

Many people share a common misconception that owning a condo at the beach is financially strenuous. Even though hurricane Katrina did not physically harm any Gulf Shores real estate, the aftermath slowed the economy down to a standstill. Prior to the storm, owning a Gulf front condominium was a lot more expensive. As I mentioned earlier, prior to Katrina the price per square foot was over $600. The prices have since dropped to approximately $300 per square foot and the rentals are as high as they have ever been. Now it's as easy as it will probably ever be to own your place at the beach and with a little effort, you too could run a positive cash flow in your Orange Beach condo or your Gulf Shores condo.

I'm here to show you how to minimize out-of-pocket expense owning condos in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. You can make that dream a reality at virtually no monthly out of pocket expense with the help of my rental web sites and with others like VRBO. There are currently several Orange Beach condos for sale that are still in the pre cosntruction phase; Turquoise Place and Phoenix West II are both in different phases of pre-construction and offer different opportunities and amenities for interested buyers. Please look through the basic information I have provided and contact me with any questions you have.

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