Fort Walton Beach real estate, Destin real estate

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Fort Walton Beach Florida Real Estate
Destin Florida Real Estate
Sales

The Pat Williams Team

Pat's Blog

Click Here for a Great Site for DECORATING IDEAS You Love it!!

ERA American Realty of Northwest Florida, Inc.

Sales:
Direct Line(Cell) 850 585-4062
E-Mail: erapat12@gmail.com

Rentals: Toll Free Call 800-372-0044
Direct Line 850-651-2454
(Ask for the Rental Department)

If we can't sell your home ERA will buy it!
(Please call for details)

Real Estate World Wide
Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS)

Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)

Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE)

Visit our new Web Site by Clicking Here

Specializing in the following real estate markets:
(All located within a 60 mile radius around Fort Walton Beach)

Okaloosa County is home to the communities of:

Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field,
Ft. Walton Beach, Destin, Crestview, Niceville, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Florosa, Valparaiso, Baker

Other counties: Walton County (east), home to:
DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Grayton Beach, Seaside, Seagrove, Sandestin, Santa Rosa Beach, Paxton

Santa Rosa County (west), home to:
Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Holley

Escambia County (West of Santa Rosa County), home to:
Pensacola

Bay County (East of Walton County), home to:
Panama City, Panama City Beach

Remember I can help you with any home you find on the MLS during your search!!

ERA American Realty of Northwest Florida Inc was voted the most popular Real Estate Office on the Emerald Coast by the people of Okaloosa County. A vote was taken to find the best of all different types of resturants, real estate offices, builders, etc. The results can be located at this Site: Click Here!!

County Auction Purchases, REO's, Short Sales, and Foreclosures typically listed below the market value.

I have a special new web page where I primarily deal with the above list of distressed properties. I think you will be able to find some real bargains on this web page. This is a new (March 2012) web page with lots of horse power that is always up to date because it has a direct feed from the Multiple Listing Service and has been set up specifically to search for the above distressed properties. The information from the MLS is updated every 30 minutes so you are looking at what is truly available at the instant you press the search button. Please Click Here to go directly to my new web page and look at these bargain priced homes. You will be surprised that you can purchase these homes well below Market Value. These are not just bargain priced homes well below $100,000, we also have Multi- Million dollar properties. The searches on the new web page are listed in dollar value of the listing from the lowest to highest price. Pat is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE designation) and has closed a large number of REO's, Short Sales, Auctioned and Foreclosure properties. If anyone can get it done Pat is the one to call. We (The Pat Williams Team) also work directly with investors out of South Florida that buy properties off the Court House Steps (online these days) in Okaloosa, Escambia, Walton and Bay Counties of Florida. Every week we physically drive to and view each of the properties before auction day and take pictures and pass along pertinent information about each, to the investors, so they can make an informed decision about buying the property at auction. In return the investors out of South Florida allow us to list all the properties they win at auction. These homes are cleaned up by the investors and resold at bargain prices, typically below market value. Ask Pat about her list of County Auction Properties. We continue to get new County Auction, REO's, Short Sales and other Foreclosure properties every week from the investors and other REO outlets like Bank of America. These homes move fast because of the great value and equity built into the property. Call now!!

Initial Announcement

"Expect a louder and much busier Air Base in the coming decade. Eglin Air Force Base gave that message to county and city officials at a meeting Wednesday morning September 21, 2005. Air Armament Center Commander Major General Robert Chedister and one of his top aides, Bob Arnold, also stressed that preparing Eglin for the influx of more than 3400 troops, contractors and scores of F-35 warplanes will take a lot of help from municipalities and state officials. To foster the process, the air base introduced the civilians to the Eglin Encroachment Committee's new goal, and its new name. Now dubbed the Mission Enhancement Committee, politicians and administrators can expect to hear from the 15 man group when Eglin requires help. "Instead of all requests coming to the Air Force, we are going to have an arrow going in both directions," Arnold said. In other words, when a city or business requests Air Force land for a project, it had better explain how the base would benefit. Arnold and Chedister used the nearly finished Base Realignment and Closure process to make the case for more tight-fisted property leasing or land swaps. The 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C., was realigned to Eglin during BRAC. The Green Berets - more than 2,000 are now expected - have chosen a triangle of Air Force land across state Road 85 from the 33rd Fighter Wing to build headquarters and barracks. As the presentation turned to F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training for pilots and maintainers also coming to Eglin, Arnold offered numbers to help explain the immense mission. One was an estimate of takeoffs and landings when the program is fully up and running: 135 daily sorties. That translates into a takeoff or landing every two to three minutes, assuming a 10 hour workday. Homeowners can expect more noise as a result. Joint Strike Force will be everywhere chipped Major General Chedister. This will be fighter town USA for the next 30 years. The Okaloosa County Commission chairman Bill Roberts said the county isn't ready for what's coming, but we will be. John Broxson, a Santa Rosa County commissioner, also jumped on the bandwagon. It's going to be a challenge, he said. We've all got to pull together. It's not going to be an easy transition."

by Samuel King Jr.
Team Eglin Public Affairs

7/15/2011 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- DoD's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft touched down at its new home here July 14, marking a major milestone in the nation's military history. Upon arrival, AF-9 officially became part of the Air Force inventory. It now belongs to the JSF training unit, the 33rd Fighter Wing. Flying it in was Lt. Col. Eric Smith of the 58th Fighter Squadron, the first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot. "It was a smooth ride in," said the colonel of the hour and 40 minute flight. "The jet behaved awesomely. I'm just so proud to bring it home to Eglin." A crowd of anxious 33rd FW people braved the 90 degree heat to watch the fifth generation fighter touchdown and taxi in. Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd Fighter Wing commander, was the first to greet his pilot upon arrival. "It's an exciting day here at the wing, where our joint and integrated team has been preparing for this day since October 2009," said Toth. "I have no doubt the caliber of the Airmen, Sailors, Marines and contractors will provide safe and effective training operations at Eglin. Now we look forward to the start of classes later this year." Pilot and maintenance training is on the schedule for tail number 747. Now that the aircraft is on station, F-35 maintainers will train and be certified here at home. "It's pretty exciting," said Tech. Sgt. Brian West, the crew chief for the new aircraft. "We're thrilled to be able to train with one of our own." As the world's first multi-role stealth fighter, the JSF is known for its superior range, cutting-edge avionics and next-generation sensor fusion. Each model shares breakthroughs in combat performance, survivability and support, while each is specifically tailored for unique service needs. This next-generation belongs to the 58th FS. Squadron commander, Lt. Col. J.D. Wilbourne, was thrilled to see his first aircraft arrive, one day before his change of command. "This is the best week ever," said the commander, who flew chase with 0747 in an F-16 Fighting Falcon. "This aircraft ensures air dominance for the next 30 years and today marks the first step toward that goal."

EGLIN AFB — Northwest Florida residents have put out the welcome mats for the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) since it was learned six years ago the unit would relocate here from Fort Bragg, N.C.

“Northwest Florida gets it. We get it,” Gaetz said. “We understand what you mean when you talk about the family business and we are now your family. As the senator for Northwest Florida, I make you this promise: You will never live in a place more military friendly than this. Your children will never go to better schools than these. No one will ever try harder than we will to find your spouse a job. No community will appreciate you more, and as long as you are here all of your relatives from up north will never leave you alone in the winter.”

Nearly 1,000 people attended the ribbon-cutting. The 7th Special Forces expected 2,500 to 3,000 people to attend the open house throughout the day.

The unit had been based at Fort Bragg since 1960 before the Base Realignment and Closure Act mandated that it had until Friday to move its operations to Eglin Air Force Base. The open house was held to celebrate the conclusion of the move.

Col. Antonio Fletcher, commander of the 7th Special Forces, said he was proud his group was the only BRAC unit to make the move while also undergoing significant contingency missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Latin America. He said that on any give day, between 300 and 500 soldiers from the 7th Special Forces were deployed around the globe during BRAC initiatives.

“We are overjoyed to be in the Emerald Coast and live as your neighbors,” Fletcher said. “For 50-plus years we called Fort Bragg home, and the bonds of our personal friendships and the connections throughout the countless Carolina communities ran extremely deep. In retrospect, six years ago when Congress mandated our move to Eglin, it was received with a bit of angst and nervous anxiety.

“Your smiling faces, unconditional community support, the Emerald Coast weather, world class facilities and unprecedented training opportunities quickly erased those fears,” Fletcher added. “This unparalleled blend provides this exceptional unit with a unique opportunity to focus on what matters most: training for our soldiers and caring for their families. We look forward to writing the next chapter in the 7th Group’s proud legacy with the Emerald Coast neighbors.”

After the short ceremony, which included demonstrations of soldiers performing High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) parachute tactics, the Special Forces opened a large portion of its compound to the public. There were demonstrations and booths that displayed weapons and equipment, as well as land, sea and air vehicles.

Once complete, the compound will contain 47 structures spanning more than 1 million square feet with more than 500 acres of training area. The square footage alone is three to four times larger than what the 7th Special Forces had at Fort Bragg, Fletcher said.

“Its inherent operational capacity is unmatched in the world,” Fletcher said. “With 12 different ranges, a multipurpose canine training facility, a rappelling and fast-rope tower, an indoor shooting range, maritime operation facility, an airborne trainer, ample combat vehicle storage, a medical clinic, a dining facility, a fitness training facility, a chapel, a gas station and living quarters for our single soldiers. What more could you ask for? This is indeed the premier Special Forces training facility in the inventory.”

Wayne Harris, executive director of the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce and an Okaloosa County commissioner, said the presence of the 7th Special Forces will have a phenomenal impact on the community.

“This is historic in the fact we are truly more purple-suited at Eglin Air Force Base than we’ve ever been before,” Harris said. “It’s an opportunity not just for the bases, but for the community to make us more profound in the inventory of the DOD.”

Welcome to The Pat Willliams Team web page. Please feel free to call or e-mail our office if there is anything that we can do to help you. If you are planning on buying or selling a home, business or real estate investment in the Fort Walton Beach area, including Destin Florida, Crestview Florida, Navarre Florida and other nearby communities please call Pat Williams at 850-585-4062. We have the information you need. We are the real estate experts in this area and our office is number one in residential sales in the greater Fort Walton Beach area. The Pat Williams Team closed 12.9 Million in 2011 and was ranked number one at ERA American Realty of Northwest Florida Inc. In 2010 Pat was ranked number 48 nationwide in ERA Realty out of a total of 28,000 agents. The National Rankings for ERA 2012 will come out in the fall. Pat should move up in the rankings.

Pat has twice won the National ERA 1ST IN SERVICE AWARD for Customer Satisfaction (see one of the awards below). Pat has been selling real estate in the Fort Walton Beach area for over 27 years. Pat knows the market, lenders and knows how to make your dreams of owning a home or buying an investment property come true. Speaking of investment property Pat also lists Bank Owned Properties (REO's) and we have investors that buy properties on the County Auction sites for Okaloosa, Walton, Escambia, and Walton Counties. The investors then rehab the properties and gives them to Pat for list and resale. If you are interested below market real estate, below is a list of the properties available today.

Great things happen when you find you're in sync with one another! Fostering a true team atmosphere is an ongoing practice for The Pat Williams Team. We enjoy our work, making the commitment to our careers and customers both enjoyable and productive. We can make it happen for you!

Free Credit Report Available (From the Fort Walton Beach Daily News)

Ever been denied credit for a purchase and thought you paid your bills on time? The answer might lie in your credit report, which until recently, you could not access without a fee. But with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, consumers in the South can now get a free credit report annually from each of the three credit reporting bureaus that supply businesses with information about customers. Consumers can apply once by phone to get a copy of all three reports, supplied by Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, the nation's largest credit reporting agencies. Or they can go online to access the reports, or download a printable copy of the application and mail it. By Internet: www.annualcreditreport.com, By Phone: 877-322-8228 or finally by mail: Fill out request form at www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf and mail it to :Annual Credit Report Request, Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281.

For Sale By Owners sell for $45,000 Less!
Of all the findings of a recent survey of Florida home buyers and sellers, here's one you can take to the bank:
Sellers who chose to sell their home on their own fetched $45,000 less than they would have if they used a real estate professional. To derive this figure, researchers at NAR compared the median price of a FSBO ($210,000) to the median price of a home listed by a real estate professional ($255,000). Perhaps this explains another survey result:

a. 67% of sellers relied on a real estate professional to sell their home, while 29% chose to go it alone.
b. 48% of first-time buyers used the Internet frequently to search for homes compared with 55% of repeat buyers.
c. Buyers searched for a median of two weeks on their own before contacting a real estate professional.
d. Buyers ranked reputation and knowledge of the neighborhood as the most important factors in choosing a real estate professional.
e. 36% of sellers used the same agent for their home purchase.
f. First impressions make a big difference: 71% of sellers contacted only one real estate professional before selecting their listing agent.

An annual study completed by Visit Florida and D.K. Shifflet & Associates, a travel industry-oriented market research firm, recently ranked Okaloosa county as "Florida's No. 2 Drive-To Destination" beaten out only by Orange County, home to Orlando's well-known tourist attractions. Fort Walton Beach/Destin has also won the title of "Best Beach in the South" and "Favorite Family Destination" from readers of Southern Living magazine for eight years in a row! The July 97 issue of Money Magazine ranks Fort Walton Beach, Florida as the tenth best place to live in the United States.

In looking at each municipality, new construction does not appear to be the major factor in the increase in values, as existing homes throughout this market area have fared very well in the past four years. We attribute this continued growth pattern to the desirability of the established neighborhoods, many shopping opportunities and mostly to this area's close proximity to the Gulf Coast beaches. Gulf Coast Beaches have pure white quartz sand and crystal clear waters and are the most beautiful beaches in the whole state. I have heard that people in Memphis, Tennessee refer to Destin as South Memphis.

With the growth we are experiencing and the long term projected growth for this area now is the time to buy property for investment or personal residence, whether it be an old or new home, land for sale, business investment or any other real estate investment. With the low interest rates and the growth in this area I purchased additional rental properties this year for my own personal investment. The price for real estate in this area of Florida has not peaked since we are more than 10% below the State of Florida average price for real estate. At this time growth in the Fort Walton Beach and Destin area makes real estate a much better investment than the stock market.

We look to Crestview for continued growth and diversity of price ranges due to the availability of land in the North end of Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The average price for residential property, is still well below the area and national averages. In addition the steady commercial growth in the past few years has made Crestview a very desirable place to live.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and thousands upon thousands of people are finding the beauty of Destin and South Walton County. Whether it's a cottage by the sea, a high-rise condominium or a home on one of the many fine golf courses, Destin has a product to fit every lifestyle. Prices have increased dramatically and the number of annual sales have almost doubled in the past four years making Destin and South Walton County a true real estate success story.

Based on all the accolades from Money Magazine and Southern Living above, the great investment opportunity, and the low cost of living it is easy to see why Fort Walton Beach and Destin are the last hidden real estate treasures in Florida.

Please give The Pat Williams Team a call today so we can help you grab a piece of the rainbow. We look forward to hearing from you! Call Soon!

We have "been there and done that". We understand all the problems associated with the military relocation and we are ready to assist you in any way we can. We relocated 12 times during our military career before retiring in 1980. My years of military experience coupled with 27 years in real estate in the Fort Walton Beach area qualifies me to really understand and appreciate the difficulties associated with the military move. Please let The Pat Williams Team help you make your next move the most pleasant of your career. There are a number of military links on this page and other pages where you can go directly to the Eglin AFB or Hurlburt Field Web page. Please call or e-mail us if there is anything we can do to help. We look forward to hearing from you!

History of Fort Walton Beach and Destin Florida

(written by: Susan Meyers)

Brief History of Fort Walton Beach

CONSIDERING SELLING? Don't list before you call The Pat Williams Team.

Moving to a new location? Be sure to call The Pat Williams Team for our worldwide referral program

What others have to say about The Pat Williams Team.

"The Pat Williams Team was the only one to respond to our e-mail and the only one that would go the extra mile to see that we were happy and satisfied. The Pat Williams Team is #1 with us! " Dawn & Kirk O'Hara.

"Penny & I want to express our deep thanks to The Pat Williams Team for their superb service. We never imagined we could sell our house in 2 1/2 weeks and it was due for the most part to your hard work. If we find ourselves back in the Fort Walton Beach area in a few years The Pat Williams Team will be the one we call on again." Michael & Penny Duperier

"The Pat Williams Team provided us with real estate information for over five years. They were always ready to show us homes when we visited the area. They are top notch and we consider them our friends." Joe & Lee Steen

"Pat made a very stressful decision and process much easier and at times even pleasant. She is always professional, positive and caring. I would definitely recommend her to friends." Gene Scott

"Pat was great to work with! She was helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and listened to what we needed. She was great and I recommend her to anyone looking for property in the Fort Walton Beach area." Bill Martin

Mrs. Williams is without a doubt the best real estate associate I have ever met. She has an effervescent, sunny disposition that makes working with her a pleasure. In addition, her team-mates Brenda and Zee are outstanding. They cover all the bases!" Roger and Fran Tarter

Pat Williams
ERA American Realty of Northwest Florida, Inc.
1270 N. Eglin Parkway - Shalimar, Florida 32579
850-585-4062
erapat12@gmail.com