A look back at 2016 condo sales in Panama City Beach

The 2016 Panama City Beach condo market was a bit of a mixed bag. The average sales price per square foot for condos built in the area after 2001 are down less than 1% from last year. This year saw some floor plans increase in price while others were flat or fell lower. There is still a healthy demand for condos as the area continues to improve and mature. Strict financing requirements are providing a healthy market free from speculators and flippers.

Shores of Panama condominium is a long, complicated, ever changing story.  So rather than get into it, I will just post two graphs.  Here are some other articles about Shores of Panama.

The long overdue road improvement project on Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach, scheduled to begin over a year ago, is now ready to start after delays related to state permitting issues. The delays finally ended in July and the Panama City Beach City Council has agreed to take over control of the segment of road where the project is being completed. The part of road in question goes from 500 feet west of Richard Jackson Boulevard to South Thomas Drive. There are several condominium complexes that will benefit from this road project including: Long Beach Condominium, Twin Palms, Ocean Ritz, Grandview, Marisol, Majestic Beach Resort, and Ocean Villa. The project, a $14.2 million endeavor, was awarded to GAC contractors.  The goal of the project is to improve underground utilities in the area while also adding landscaped medians, sidewalks and new transit lanes.

After three consecutive years of price increases (2013 - 10.6%, 2014  10.4%, and 2015  7%), the fourth year failed to materialize. 2016 is a mixed year for condo sales prices in Panama City Beach. On average the sales prices are down 1.8% this year. Buildings and floor plans individually have been a mixed bag.

The average 2016 sales prices for most condominium floor plans are continuing to increase, though they are doing so at a much slower rate than in prior years. But not all condominiums have seen price increases this first quarter. Some condos are experiencing decreasing average sales prices and a few that have yet to see a sale this year.

Our sales volumes are also down 10% compared to the 2015 January through April time period. It is important to note the current pricing levels we are seeing in many buildings. If you look at many of the condominium preconstruction prices, deduct the 20% down payment, deduct closing costs and ignore all of the upkeep costs, this is roughly the same price at which the majority of condos are selling.

Close to $12 million in damages have been awarded by a jury to the Shores of Panama Resort Community Association following a lawsuit against some of the association's former directors.

One of the claims made by the association was that they were prevented from owning the beach located behind the condos by the former directors. They have also contended that they were deprived of rental revenues from services offered at the beach.