Gulf Coast Real Estate Info - CondoInvestment.com

The City of Gulf Shores recently won a $14.4 million grant through the Department of Transportation's BUILD program. This is great news for the city as it continuously works on long-term solutions associated with the growing number of residents and vacation traffic. The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program offers discretionary grant funding to transportation projects with significant local or regional impacts and focuses on improving infrastructure condition, addressing public health and safety, promoting regional connectivity, or facilitating economic growth.

Funding from the BUILD grant will go towards the following projects in Gulf Shores, AL:

• Addition of a third southbound lane on Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores

2019 Annual National Shrimp Festival - Gulf Shores, AL

The Annual National Shrimp Festival has arrived! Celebrating 48 years of entertaining both locals and out-of-towners, this popular beachside event features four days of live music, delicious food and is host to hundreds of talented artists and vendors showcasing unique crafts and merchandise! The Shrimp Fest is one of the busiest weekends for the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area attracting nearly 300,000 visitors each year! Most of the parking around the festival site is first-serve, first-come with many spaces rented out by private businesses and residential homes. We recommend arriving early (gates open at 10am) for a better chance of finding a parking spot or you can take one of the shuttle stops

For over 10 years, Zillow.com has reigned as the top website for home listings, rentals, mortgage rates, and other real estate data. Google "(any city name) homes for sale" and 99% of the time Zillow will take the #1 spot in the search results. Dominating the online real estate marketplace, it is no wonder homebuyers, sellers, and realtors turn to Zillow for their property research. Although the sheer amount of information found on Zillow is quite impressive, the mega site is often criticized due to its constant misrepresentation of properties such as advertising homes for sale that have already been sold or displaying inaccurate home values calculated by Zillow's popular "Zestimates" tool.

Misleading Data
Zillow and Trulia (also

Cottages at Romeo Beach - Gulf Shores, AL

Over the last five years, we've seen a number of new residential communities popping up in both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Aside from Brett Robinson developments, the Alabama Coast hasn't experienced much increase in new condo construction but rather a boom in new cottage communities particularly in the West Beach and East Beach areas of Gulf Shores. These small communities consist of 10 or more free-standing raised homes and offer shared amenities such as outdoor swimming pools and BBQ areas. Similar to a condo HOA, owners pay monthly dues that typically cover water, sewer, waste removal, cable TV, internet service, pool maintenance, and landscaping. 

We've compiled a list of new cottage communities in

The Wharf condos overlooking the marina and Intracoastal Canal

The Wharf at Orange Beach is one of the most unique and all-inclusive venues in the Gulf Coast region. Whether you are single, married, have kids or don't, the Wharf has something fun to offer you. There are several condominium units available for sale within the Wharf property itself. Established in 2007, there are 190 units on the property ranging from one to four bedrooms with a total square footage of 827 to 3,155. If your intent is to invest in Orange Beach real estate you will be interested in the following annual rental revenue production numbers at The Wharf: 1 BR: $19,000+ and 2BR & 3BR units can bring in more than $30,000.

Whether or not you are interested in investing in real

Photo: Escambia County Fire Rescue

A large multi-structural fire has destroyed a number of residences at Key Harbour condominium in Perdido Key, FL. The condominium complex consists of eight buildings situated along Ole River about 200 yards east of Flora-Bama Yacht Club. Several buildings were engulfed with flames in the early morning hours and rapidly spread to other structures including the east end of Pescador Landing located next door. Several employees of Flora-Bama and Waffle House are credited with helping dozens of residents escape the fire which grew quickly due to strong winds.

More than 70 emergency responders and fire units from Perdido Key, Pensacola, US Navy, and Baldwin County fled to the scene to extinguish the fire along Perdido

Fairhope Brewing Company in Fairhope, AL

Few things rival the satisfaction of an ice cold craft brew on a hot Alabama summer day. The
 craft beer scene has exploded across the United States in recent years thanks to the loosening of local
 alcoholic beverage regulations and coastal Alabama is no exception to this trend. In Baldwin County,
 Alabama, you will find two exceptional craft breweries; Fairhope Brewing Company and Big Beach 
Brewing Company. In neighboring Mobile County across Mobile Bay, you will find an outstanding trio of 
newly opened craft breweries: Serda Brewing Company, Haint Blue Brewing Company, and Iron Hand 
Brewing Company.


Big Beach Brewing Company, a mere two miles north of downtown Gulf Shores, has a tap
station of twelve

The Rookery III in Fort Morgan, AL

Do you know Gulf Shores, Alabama receives over 6 million visitors every year? Over the last several decades, the city's beachfront has grown tremendously with numerous residential developments, restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues. Take a left or right at the "T" intersection and you'll have hundreds of vacation rentals to select from on East Beach or West Beach. Although many people love the excitement of a lively town, there are some who miss the original character of Gulf Shores, circa 1950. Fortunately, these nostalgic memories can be reminisced along the Fort Morgan Peninsula down Highway 180. Here the stretch of land narrows and becomes flanked by the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile Bay, and Little Lagoon. As you

The Alabama Coast is host to many popular events with some of the biggest being the Hangout Music Festival, Flora-Bama's Mullet Toss, Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival, and Loxley's Strawberry Festival. As the busy season nears, weekends will be jam-packed with exciting entertainment and live music at great venues like The Wharf, OWA, Flora-Bama, and The Hangout. You will never get bored with plenty of fun things to do for any age whether it's an offshore fishing charter, a relaxing day at the beach, or just a nice evening out at your favorite restaurant. The following is a simplified list of all annual events taking place this year in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Foley, Fairhope, and more! Mark your calendars!

March

45th Annual Festival of Art
When:

Based in Orange Beach, Alabama, CondoInvestment.com is the number #1 real estate site and resource for Gulf Coast condos whether it's for a future purchase or upcoming beach vacation. Helpful information on our site includes current sales listings, brief description for each condo development, interior/exterior photos (including aerial imagery), amenity lists, maps, rental revenue projections, and SOLD prices of recently closed condos. The busiest time of the year for condo sales is early spring. The majority of these buyers are closing the deal before peak season to maximize their condo's rental income. As the busy season nears, we receive many inquiries regarding HOA dues and other expenses associated with owning a condo. To help out first-time