Destin · Building Market Report
South Bay by the Gulf
Every number a buyer, seller, or investor needs on one building: live inventory, closed-sale history, rental benchmarks, and the neighborhood around it - refreshed monthly from MLS and market data.
Inventory updated daily · Sale statistics updated September 22, 2026 · Next statistics update early October 2026
How the building is trading
3 units closed at South Bay by the Gulf in the trailing 12 months at a median of $405,000, with a 95.1% median list-to-sale ratio. On the active side, 6 of 8 listings sit below original list price, and standing inventory works out to 32.0 months of supply at the current sales pace.
Two recorded footprints under one name is why a building-wide average explains very little here. The larger parcel's boundary is the Gulf shoreline and carries Zone VE at 12 and 15 feet. The smaller one reaches no water and carries no VE designation at all. A residence on each is a different asset before anything inside it is considered, because flood premiums and what the windows face split along that line. State coastal permitting does not: the control line crosses both footprints, so that exposure is shared. Vintage does no separating whatever, since all 109 residences were recorded in the same season. So parcel and condition carry the whole spread. A patient buyer should establish which of the two recorded parcels a candidate residence sits on before treating any figure drawn from the whole property as a comparable.
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Sample too small |
| 2022 | $455K |
| 2023 | Sample too small |
| 2024 | $525K |
| 2025 | Sample too small |
| 2026 YTD | $405K |
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Sample too small |
| 2022 | $384 |
| 2023 | Sample too small |
| 2024 | $407 |
| 2025 | Sample too small |
| 2026 YTD | $340 |
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Sep 24 | 0 |
| Oct 24 | 0 |
| Nov 24 | 0 |
| Dec 24 | 0 |
| Jan 25 | 0 |
| Feb 25 | 0 |
| Mar 25 | 0 |
| Apr 25 | 0 |
| May 25 | 0 |
| Jun 25 | 1 |
| Jul 25 | 0 |
| Aug 25 | 1 |
| Sep 25 | 0 |
| Oct 25 | 0 |
| Nov 25 | 0 |
| Dec 25 | 0 |
| Jan 26 | 0 |
| Feb 26 | 0 |
| Mar 26 | 0 |
| Apr 26 | 0 |
| May 26 | 1 |
| Jun 26 | 0 |
| Jul 26 | 2 |
| Aug 26 | 0 |
The monthly charts cover the 24 complete calendar months from September 2024 through August 2026, and a month with no closings is a zero bar rather than a gap. Those 12 months can differ from the trailing totals above, which run day-precise through September 22, 2026 rather than by whole calendar months.
Based on information from ECAR for the period September 23, 2021 through September 22, 2026.
From the active file
8 units are on the market at South Bay by the Gulf today - a sample of the current file:
$589,000
940 Highway 98 Highway Unit 81
Destin, FL 32541
$624,900
940 Highway 98 Unit 99
Destin, FL 32541
$425,000
940 Highway 98 Unit 33
Destin, FL 32541
$335,000
940 Highway 98 Unit 23
Destin, FL 32541
$445,000
940 Highway 98 Unit 32
Destin, FL 32541
$495,000
940 Highway 98 Unit 16
Destin, FL 32541
The short-term rental badge above is not a permission of record. It reflects the MLS short-term-rental field where a listing discloses one, and otherwise where the home sits. Confirm the association's current rules and the local registration requirement before relying on it.
The investor file
| Typical acquisition (median, 12 mo) | $405,000 |
|---|---|
| Median price, 2022 to 2026 | -11.0% ($455,000 to $405,000) |
| Average sale price (12 mo) | $454,000 |
| Sales volume, trailing 12 months | $1,362,000 |
| Sale price range, trailing 12 months | $397,000 - $560,000 |
| Bedrooms | Active | Sold (12 mo) | Median Sale Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 BR | 1 | 2 | Sample too small |
| 3 BR | 7 | 1 | Sample too small |
Based on information from ECAR for the period September 23, 2021 through September 22, 2026.
What similar rentals earn nearby
$314/night
Average Daily Rate
Trailing 12 months, average across Beachfront condos, 2-4 bedrooms, City of Destin
60%
Occupancy
Guest, owner and held nights over calendar nights, across Beachfront condos, 2-4 bedrooms, City of Destin
46 nights
Owner Use
Owner and maintenance nights per rental, trailing 12 months, across Beachfront condos, 2-4 bedrooms, City of Destin
$112 to $486
Monthly Rate Range
Average nightly rate by month, lowest in January, highest in July
1103
Rentals Tracked
Units in Beachfront condos, 2-4 bedrooms, City of Destin
6 nights
Average Stay
74 days
Booking Window
Average lead time before arrival
Market data by Key Data · 1103 similar rentals tracked (Beachfront condos, 2-4 bedrooms, City of Destin) · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Market statistics reflect the trailing performance of similar rental properties in this market, not this specific property, and are opinions of potential performance, not a guarantee of income. Performance varies with management, seasonality, and personal use. Verify rental eligibility and all figures independently.
The rental analysis is for signed-in readers
We publish each home's rental analysis on the signed-in side of the site, not on the open page. With a free account you will find, on the individual listings here that qualify, how rentals similar to that home perform: the average daily rate, occupancy, typical stay and booking window. The segment's daily rate, occupancy and tracked-rental count stay public on this page.
Sign in or create a free accountWhat decides whether a unit here can be rented
These are benchmarks for a segment of comparable rentals, not a finding about South Bay by the Gulf. What a unit here may actually do is set by documents, and there are three of them. The recorded declaration sets any minimum lease term. The association's current rules can add stay-length minimums, rental caps, or owner-occupancy requirements the local code does not impose, and a board can change them after a purchase. The city or county that governs this address runs its own short-term-rental registration requirements over both. Request all three in their current form from the association and the local government during diligence, before purchasing with rental income in mind.
Rental rules on the MLS today: 8 of 8 active listings disclose“Short Term Rental - Allowed”. Always verify the association's current policy.
The neighborhood: Dunes of Destin
South Bay by the Gulf sits in or beside the Dunes of Destin Census neighborhood - the area figures below describe that neighborhood, not this building alone.
Neighborhood Data
Dunes of Destin at a Glance
5,073
Properties
$624K
Median Home Value
95%
Second Homes / Seasonal
Source: LiveBy, via the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023. Figures are area estimates for general market context.
Demographic information is provided for general informational purposes only and must not be used to make housing decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, disability, or any other protected class. Dream Destin Realty supports the Fair Housing Act and equal-opportunity housing.
Reading this file
Where do these numbers come from?
Sale and inventory statistics are computed from ECAR MLS data by Dream Destin Realty and refreshed on a 30-day cycle. Based on information from ECAR for the period September 23, 2021 through September 22, 2026. Rental benchmarks are market-segment aggregates from Key Data - never figures for a specific unit. Neighborhood figures are LiveBy area estimates built on the U.S. Census American Community Survey.
Why is there no list of individual sold units?
3 units closed at South Bay by the Gulf in the trailing 12 months, from $397,000 to $560,000. MLS rules do not allow individual sold listings to be displayed publicly, so this page shows building-level statistics only - ask us for the unit-by-unitsold report and we'll walk you through it.
How are thin samples handled?
Any figure computed from fewer than three sales is withheld rather than published - a one-sale “median” is just that sale's price. Counts always show; prices earn their way onto the page.
Thinking about buying or selling at South Bay by the Gulf?
We track this building's sales and fees every month, and keep its rental rules on file - get the full picture before you commit.
- MLS market data (ECAR) - updated September 21, 2026
- Vacation-rental market data (Key Data) - updated September 21, 2026
- Neighborhood data (LiveBy / U.S. Census ACS) - updated September 21, 2026
Sale and inventory statistics are computed from ECAR MLS data by Dream Destin Realty.
Market statistics on this page are provided for informational purposes only. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, and figures are not a guarantee of future market performance. Rental-income benchmarks are not a guarantee of future performance, so verify independently every time. These figures are not tax, legal, or investment advice; consult the appropriate licensed professional before making a financial decision. Data as of September 22, 2026.
Sources
- Okaloosa County IGIS: Parcels layer, legal name SOUTHBAY BY THE GULF (accessed August 21, 2026)
- Okaloosa County IGIS: WaterBodies layer, the Gulf polygon and the shared pond (accessed August 23, 2026)
- Okaloosa County IGIS: FEMA FIRM flood zone polygons over the two recorded footprints (accessed August 23, 2026)
- Okaloosa County IGIS: Coastal Construction Control Line segments crossing this property (accessed August 23, 2026)
- Okaloosa County IGIS: SiteAddress points at 940 Highway 98 East (accessed August 21, 2026)
- Okaloosa County IGIS: BuildingFootprints layer, the outlines on this property (accessed August 23, 2026)
- Florida Statutes 509.242 and 509.241, vacation rental classification and license requirement (accessed August 21, 2026)
- City of Destin: Register a Short Term Rental (accessed August 21, 2026)