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The Bay County area provides a wide variety of housing opportunities. Everything from modern waterfront homes to plantation-style houses with moss-covered trees. There are many family oriented neighborhoods, apartment complexes and mobile home parks and the relaxed lifestyle of townhouse and condominium living.
Many visitors who discover the beauty and charm of Bay County while on vacation have decided to make this their home, or second home. There are a number of advantages to having a second home in Florida. If your second home is in Florida and you are able to claim six months or more of living here, and change your driver’s license and voting precinct to Florida, you may qualify for up to $50,000 in homestead exemptions to be deducted from your property’s assessed value for property taxes each year. When you file for homestead exemption it also applies a 3% cap on the appraised value each year, starting at your base purchase price. If you purchase a home in Florida and are not able to live in it for more than six months per year, it is considered an investment, which as of 2009 has a cap of 10% per year maximum increase in assessed value. Please consult your tax advisor or CPA for additional tax benefits of owning investment property. The best part is the investment potential for purchasing property now. As the new airport is built and economic development continues, home values are predicted to slowly increase.
Art & Culture
Bay County and the surrounding areas are home to many artists – musical, theatrical, visual and otherwise – all brought here and inspired by the gorgeous landscape that they call home. Free outdoor concerts are enjoyed in both Panama City Beach and Downtown Panama City during the balmy summer months, and all styles of live music can be found at evening hotspots throughout the year. The Bay Arts Society brings national comedy, music, arts and dance acts to the area each year, at such local venues as the Marina Civic Center and the Visual Arts Center. Panama City is home to the Kaleidoscope Theatre, Bay County’s much acclaimed community theatre, the Martin Theatre, and the Amelia Center for the Performing Arts at Gulf Coast Community College.
New International Airport
- The FAA delivered its final Record of Decision on September 15, 2006, approving recommendation to move the current Panama City-Bay County International Airport to a 4,000-acre site at West Bay. Estimated construction time for the new airport is 30 months. This project is of major interest across the nation and around the world. It will be the first airport built in the United States in almost 20 years. Homeland Security will be testing new security measures here, and tech companies from around the world are seeing this as somewhat of a test lab for new technology. The longer runway is predicted to open Bay County to Latin American markets for cargo operations and attract other businesses and industry to the area.
St. Andrews State Park
Well known for its sugar white sands and emerald green waters, this former military reservation has over one-and-a-half miles of beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and Grand Lagoon. Water sports enthusiasts can enjoy canoeing, swimming, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, and scuba diving. A boat ramp, two fishing piers, and the jetty, provide great fishing for anglers from beginners to professionals. Bird watching is a favorite pass time along the two nature trails that zig zag through a rich diverse coastal plant community. Those wanting to relax can sunbathe on the beach or enjoy a leisurely lunch under the shade of a picnic pavilion. Full-facility campsites, as well as primitive youth group camping, make this park a popular overnight destination. A concession offers snacks, souvenirs, and fishing amenities. Shell Island Boat Tours are available during the spring and summer.
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