If you're a first-time buyer around Foley, Gulf Shores, or Perdido Key, here's a question I get a lot: can I buy a home that needs a little work, or is that more trouble than it's worth? For a lot of buyers, the assumption is that any house with a dated kitchen or a tired bathroom is automatically o

Gulf Shores is now home to the largest state park-operated RV campground in America. Gulf State Park added 103 new sites, which brings the park to 607 RV spots total — and the whole resort sits on about 70 acres of what used to be a golf course, with its own entrance off Canal Road at the new rounda

If you own a home on Florida’s Gulf Coast — or you’re planning to — a proposed change to the state’s property tax system is heading to voters this November. Here’s a clear, no-spin breakdown of what it would do. What the amendment proposes The Florida Legislature approved a proposed constitutional a

If you're researching what daily life looks like on the Alabama Gulf Coast, here's something that doesn't always make the relocation checklists but quietly shapes the whole week: water access. Baldwin County is one of the easiest places I've found to get a kayak in the water, and once that's part of

Summer's here, and I've been getting the kayak out more weekends than not. A few people have asked me lately where I like to paddle and what I'd point them to for a good day outside — so I figured I'd just put it all in one place. None of this is a secret, exactly. It's just my actual list: the rive

On May 11, 2026, the Orange Beach Planning Commission deferred the proposed Pirate's Voyage Dinner Theater Planned Unit Development application. The applicant pulled the project from the agenda before a vote could be taken. Under Orange Beach's planning process, the proposal has to return to the Com

Each spring, on a stretch of river in central Alabama, the rarest wildflower in the state opens its first blooms of the season. They're called Cahaba lilies — and outside of Alabama, Georgia, and a few rivers in South Carolina, they grow nowhere else on Earth. If you live in Alabama and you've never

Hurricane Season on the Gulf Coast: A Calm, Practical Guide for Baldwin County Hurricane season starts June 1. If you've lived on the Gulf Coast for any length of time, you already know the rhythm — the weather forecasters shift into watchful mode, the shelves at Home Depot start thinning out in lat

If you're researching a move to Pensacola in 2026, air quality probably wasn't the first item on your checklist. It should be on the list, though — especially if you or anyone in your household has asthma, allergies, COPD, or other respiratory considerations. The American Lung Association just relea

Gulf Shores moved more than 256 new residences through its approval pipeline in late April 2026 — a single week of City Council and Planning Commission meetings that significantly reshaped what's coming next to the south end of Baldwin County. If you're researching new construction in Gulf Shores ah

If you're getting ready to sell a home and you've talked to a few people about pricing, you've probably heard some version of this advice: price it a little high so you have room to negotiate down. It feels logical. If a buyer wants to negotiate, give them something to work with. If the right buyer

Real estate fraud just hit a record. The FBI's most recent Internet Crime Report tracked $275 million stolen from over 12,000 victims in 2025 alone — up from $173 million the year before. The numbers have nearly doubled in two years. If you own Gulf Coast property — especially if you live somewhere

If you've been Googling Foley, Alabama lately, you've probably seen the headlines. Foley landed on the U-Haul Growth Index as one of America's 15 fastest-growing cities — first in Alabama and 16th nationwide. NOLA and The Advocate ran a major feature. Local, regional, and national real estate public

If you've driven across the Foley Beach Express recently, you've seen the construction starting on the Intracoastal Waterway side of The Wharf in Orange Beach. That's the beginning of a project that will reshape one of the most visible stretches of coastline on the Gulf Coast — and the latest filing

Years ago, one of my dogs spent a long, terrifying night at the emergency vet. She hadn't eaten anything in our yard. My vet and I were pretty sure it was cross-contamination from a neighbor's lawn treatment that drifted onto ours — the kind of thing you don't even think about until you're sitting i

What are the easiest bedroom upgrades that make a home show better—without blowing your budget? Focus on what buyers feel in the space: clean, calm, and move-in ready. For most bedrooms, paint + bedding + lighting gives the biggest payoff, and you can scale up from there with window treatments, stor

If you’re relocating, should you rent first—or buy right away? Nationally, most people who move across state lines rent first. But a few markets—including Daphne–Fairhope–Foley—see a much higher share of movers buying immediately. The “right” move depends on your timeline, cash situation, and how we

How do you buy a home in Alabama or Florida while you’re still living in another state? You do it with a plan, a tight timeline, and a few “remote-buying” systems that keep you from making expensive guesses—especially around inspections, insurance, and closing logistics. Step 1: Get clear on your ti

What should you ask about your home if you’re going through a divorce? The house is usually the biggest asset (and the biggest stress) in a divorce. Before you decide to keep it, sell it, or “figure it out later,” ask these five questions so you don’t accidentally make an emotional decision with exp

If you’ve ever stood in a backyard and thought, “Whew… that road is louder than I expected,” you already understand the premise here. A recent Florida-based analysis looked at what happens to home prices when highway sound barriers go up. And the short version is: buyers do pay more for quiet—and th