The unit I purchased is a ground floor end unit. 3 bedroom, 2 baths, granite countertops and a largish heated pool. This is a nice condo but not a top of the line one, for instance there is no patio or garage and the bedrooms are about 12 x 11 1/2. I don't need 3 bedrooms but it is easier to resell a 3 bedroom rather than a 2, so I am just planning ahead.
For some time I have been interested in having a condo in Florida. I looked in the St. Augustine/Jacksonville area a few years ago and saw nothing of interest.Then there were 4 hurricanes hitting Florida the same year and I gave up on the idea for a bit. I wintered in Panama City this past year, renting a 1/1 condo for 7 months and while there I looked again and came up with this new condo development.
I decided to make an offer and got it at what I consider a favorable price of $165,900 which was $4,000 less than was asked, so I am now a condo owner in PC.
These are some interior shots of the place before I put in furniture and generally get it messed up.
I took out a Home Equity Line of Credit Loan against my fully paid for home in Kennesaw so that I could pay 'cash' on this unit rather than go for a conventional mortgage and all the paperwork that would go with it.
I found that my 'credit score' was a 772 which is considered to be 'excellent'. Always nice to know.I plan to spend about six months here and six in Kennesaw.
Now I have to get some furniture arranged for and have been going to various local stores. I will most likely spend about $5,000 on stuff for the place living room, 1 bedroom, office stuff for the 2nd bedroom and a washer and dryer. I will not furnish the 3rd bedroom and the 2nd bedroom will be an 'office'.
I am considering a roll top desk and chair for the dining area as I don't have any use for just a table and 4 chairs sitting there. I don't know 3 other people and if I did the chances are I wouldn't want them hanging around my dining room anyway.
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For just the 5 windows I paid a bit over $1,000!
For some time I have been interested in having a condo in Florida. I looked in the St. Augustine/Jacksonville area a few years ago and saw nothing of interest.
I finally got tired of the Georgia winters, so this year I decided to be a 'snow bird' and winter in Florida this year at a condo in Panama City. I am just one county away from Chipola College where I went to school my freshman year (1964-5). I have both a mug and sweatshirt from there that I got on a prior visit to the campus.
I rented it furnished but of course brought down some of my own minor items. The rent is $795 a month for 7 months. Paid the security and first month in cash to the realtor. In yesterdays paper I saw that she had been arrested for stealing $35,000 in cash from her realty company over the last 6 months! Fortunately I got a receipt for my cash payment so I should be OK.
The complex was built in 1969 and has about 200 units, it was initially a rental complex but changed to condos about 2 years ago. My unit is only a 1 bedroom 1 bath which sort of explains the lower price. There are 2 pools on the property, this is right next door to my building, but it isn't heated so not usable for about 3/4's of the time I will be here.
There is a king size bed and while there were 2 TV's supplied I brought my own (in photo) and my own DVD/VCR player from Georgia. While the complex is right on St. Andrews Bay, my unit is on the opposite end and just has a view of the parking lot and street. I am about 340 miles from 'home' in Kennesaw, have been back there once and will of course go back several times over the 7 months of the rental. 
Here are a couple of photos from around the house. The above shows my efforts to dress up the place with some flowers in the front.
The yard has been a bit of a problem this year with so many days in the 90's and only a bit of rain. The north side strip of lawn is kaput and I will be putting down 400 lbs. of dirt and grass seed this Labor Day 'weekend' to get things back to normal.
The garage always looks like Fred Sandford's Junk Yard, good thing I just have the one Ford Explorer to park there, a second vehicle wouldn't fit! 
About 2 yrs ago the zoning for the property between our subdivision and the main road was changed to commercial and now the trees have been taken down for a strip mall to be put in on that property. The owners who abut that developing property are of course unhappy and were up in arms two years ago when the change was proposed. It does not bother me at all as I am on the opposite side of the 54 home subdivision, I just hope that they put in a good sit down restaurant!
Although this picture is from my files, the scene is the same in downtown Kennesaw today as this weekend they are 'reenacting' the battle of Kennesaw Mountain. From my residence I clearly hear the boom of the cannons and rifle fire. I am sure that it sounds just like it did 143 years ago.
