All Blog Entries by Rachel Kelly

Aaron Pugh with SEC MarketingAaron Pugh and SEC Marketing use CondoInvestment.com and hundreds of other websites to promote the Alabama / Florida Gulf Coast.  From the small Gulf Coast town of Robertsdale, Alabama, Aaron was an outfielder for the South Alabama Jaguars while he studied business management and marketing. After getting his real estate license, Aaron worked with one of the area's most accomplished real estate developers - collaborating on projects from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Panama City, Florida.  After creating CondoInvestment.com in 2001, he began learning the ins-and-outs of web design and online marketing.  Ten years later, he merged the area's most popular condominium sales website with a social media following of 60,000 to create a hybrid real estate service that facilitates client needs well after closing.
After getting a series 107 pilot's license in 2016, Aaron has been gathering aerial imagery used to offer exclusive perspectives of our Gulf Coast.  CondoInvestment.com ranks #1 for almost all local condo and many subdivision searches and improving each day.  This huge network is not only a place to market real estate, but also helps clients supplement revenue and actively promotes the Children's Miracle Network to millions and millions of people every year.  Aaron's background in real estate, web development, and current efforts in professional aerial imagery and video production helps to promote the beautiful Gulf Coast while providing helpful area info and local resources.  Follow us socially and keep in touch at:

Facebook/gulfcondos

Twitter/gulfcondos

YouTube/CondoInvestment

Google+CondoInvestment

Pinterest/CondoInvestment

Instagram/Condo_Investment

LinkedIn/CondoInvestment

Found 90 blog entries published by Rachel Kelly.

Aerial view of the Alabama Gulf Coast near the Florida state line at Ono IslandThe Gulf Coast is known for its famously sunny, warm weathers that keeps visitors coming here all year long. In particular, this area is very popular with snowbirds looking for the perfect place for secondary winter home or just a long vacation on the beach over Christmas. The coldest month of the year around here is in January, with an average low of 43F and an average high of 61F. The closest you'll get to snow down here are those fluffy white-sand beaches everyone talks about.

Coastal Alabama, like most of the southeastern United States, does get the occasional hurricane and, if not hurricanes, thunderstorms in the summer months. In fact, 66% of the precipitation in the Gulf Shores area occurs during thunderstorms. The rainiest months are July and

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New feature:  View all of the menus for the local restaurants in one place.

Let's be honest: the best part of most vacations is trying new food and local specialties wherever you go. Whether you're looking for fine dining for date night, a casual eatery you can bring the kids to, a delicious and filling brunch, or even some place that will deliver when you're too worn out to go to a restaurant, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach has a wide variety of solutions even the pickiest eaters.

This area of Alabama is famous for its fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, so seafood restaurants are a staple around here. When you're looking for a quick bite in a very casual setting, The Shrimp Basket in Gulf Shores can't be beat! Grab a fried shrimp or catfish

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Looking for your next family-friendly activity in Gulf Shores, Alabama? The Track Family Recreation Center offers attractions and activities that parents and children alike will enjoy. The Track is located north of Portage Creek, about ten minutes away from The Wharf in Orange Beach. Just off of Gulf Shores Parkway, The Track is about 25 minutes away from Fairhope Bay and just up the road from Gulf Place in downtown Gulf Shores. The Track Family Recreation Center also has locations in Destin, Florida and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Perhaps The Track is best known for Wild Woody, a three-story go-kart track where visitors can choose between single-rider or double-rider go-karts and race friends or family all over the track. In addition to Wild

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Aerial picture of the Cantonment plant

At about 7:30 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2017, residents of Cantonment, Florida and some people as far away as Santa Rosa County heard a large explosion, followed shortly by a shower of slimy black soot. The nearby International Paper plant on Muskogee Road had exploded, emitting a concoction of water, wood fibers, and pulping liquor into the air and which later fell on people's houses, cars, and yards. Emergency responders arrived at the plant shortly after, quickly ascertaining the safety of all employees and workers before turning to the site of the explosion. At the plant, only one building sustained structural damage on multiple stories while the rest of the area was deemed safe.  Fortunately, no one was around and no was was injured.

A

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Growth along the Alabama & Florida Gulf CoastAs we have recently seen, Gulf Shores, Alabama is becoming a more and more popular choice for potential home buyers, vacationers, and investors. As the word gets out, there has been a gradual increase in the number of tourists, who come here for both the beautiful white-sand beaches and to stay in some of the Gulf Coast's most popular rental condos. This increase in tourism and the popularity of staying in a rental condo versus a hotel makes Gulf Shores particularly appealing to potential investors.

People flock to the Gulf Coast for spring break, summer break, or just to enjoy the sunshine after a long winter. October is typically one of the last months of the year that sees a large influx of tourists to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. In October

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Aerial view of the presidential vacation condo in Hawaii

Just before the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, the Obama family took their traditional winter vacation to Hawaii. President Obama was born in Honolulu in 1961, spent much of his childhood on the same island, and the area continues to be a favorite retreat for the entire Obama family. Between 2008 and 2011 and again in December 2016, the Obama family has favorite the Plantation Estate, part of Paradise Point at Kailua Bay on Oahu. This sprawling retreat, also known as the Obama Winter White House, commands spectacular view of the ocean, a number of luxurious amenities, and a high degree of security for vacationers. Paradise Point is about 25 minutes away from Honolulu and the nearest airport and within easy walking distance of some of the most

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Aerial view of Gulf Shores golf courses and condos

Cotton Creek Estates is located near the Emerald Greens Golf Course. These are townhome-style condos and amenities here include a clubhouse and outdoor pool. The Gulf Shores Public Beach and the Hangout are about ten minutes way.

Cypress Point is located on the Craft Farms Golf Course just minutes from the Gulf Shores Hangout and public beach access. Craft Farms offers great shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities in one of the most popular golf communities in Baldwin County.

Emerald Greens is a golf course condo complex off of hwy 59 in Northern Gulf Shores, AL.  The condos have a short golf course, sit directly next to Craft Farms and various shopping outlets, theaters, restaurants and other amenities.  The beaches and Gulf Place is

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Aerial view of downtown Gulf Shores ALWell, the gig’s up. Word’s out. We’ve been discovered.
Gulf Shores was just named on Trip.com’s list of the top ten 2017 Rising Star Destinations for the USA. Gulf Shores, Alabama is second only to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Once a hidden gem in the area known as the “Emerald Coast”, Gulf Shores is quickly becoming the hottest beach getaway in the country. Is it really such a surprise, though? Those of us familiar with Gulf Shores know that this place has so much more than meets the eye. I mean, yes, the beaches are spectacular, the water is warm, and the Gulf-front condos here offer first-rate service and amenities, but that’s just barely scratching the surface of all that Gulf Shores has to offer.
First off, the culture. Ever heard the phrase “southern

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On January 9, less than two weeks before he would have to leave office, former President Obama made the decision to make a cut to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance premiums by a quarter of a percent, citing the current financial stability of the insurance fund. The cut would have taken effect on January 27, 2017 and was set to save new homeowners hundreds of dollars every year ($500 on a $200,000 home) and enable thousands of people to buy their first home. Within one hour of his presidential inauguration, President Donald Trump effectively halted these cuts and they are now "suspended indefinitely".

Mortgage rates have been rising lately, with the current rate on a 30-year fixed loan being 4.09% (one year ago it was 3.81%)

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Fort Morgan is an unincorporated community just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama. This area, as we have discussed in another blog post, has a long and rich history as home to Fort Morgan, which served as a defensive point for Mobile Bay starting in the early 19th century. Today, the quiet beaches along the Fort Morgan peninsula serve as a respite from the heavily tourist-filled areas of downtown Gulf Shores. Wildlife preserves and refuges, museums, golf courses, homes, and condominiums can all be found here, but much of the peninsula is protected and, therefore, undeveloped.

Gulf Shores is hugely popular as a vacation destination. For decades, the tourism industry has really kept Gulf Shores alive and, thanks to new developments and plans for major

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