Panama City Reporter

Bay County Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on November 22.

The first residents of Latitude Margaritaville Watersound have officially closed on their new homes and have been busy moving in and meeting neighbors. Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is located on Northwest Florida’s gorgeous Emerald Coast near Panama City Beach and the Scenic Highway 30A corridor. It is the third of the incredibly popular, award-winning Latitude Margaritaville communities for those 55 and better who are growing older…but not up.

Becky and Jim Entrekin from Collierville, Tennessee are the first to close on their new home. They began moving in on October 25. The sales and lifestyle team at Latitude Margaritaville made sure their closing was a celebration complete with streamers, leis, a Fins Up! balloon sculpture and champagne toast. Within days, Becky and Jim had neighbors directly across the street and next door. “We’re just living our dream,” says Becky.

Andrea and Ralph Adams from Indianapolis, Indiana are the second new residents to close on their home at Latitude Margaritaville Watersound. Their moving day was October 27. “It was completely different from any closing we’ve ever had and we’ve had lots of them,” says Andrea. “The room was all decorated. It was like lights, camera, action!”

In April 2021, 13 colorful island-style model homes opened to an overwhelmingly positive response from homebuyers. Planned to be the largest of the laid-back lifestyle communities to date, the initial phase of Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is anticipated to include approximately 3,500 homes.

The first 200 homesites released in May were quickly purchased and construction on the homes has started with 164 currently under construction. By the end of November, the community will have approximately 30 new homeowners in residence with approximately 40 closings slated for December. “We are currently releasing 50 homesites a month for sale, and we’re already preparing to start construction on another phase of homesites,” notes Minto Communities’ Latitude Margaritaville Division President William Bullock.

Phase one Town Center amenities also are underway and include a dynamic Town Square that features an amphitheater with a thatched roof bandshell, full-size concert stage, jumbo screen for concerts and movies, and special recessed dance floor that provides a little give and spring for dancers. Dining and refreshment choices will include a two-story Bar & Chill restaurant overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, Changes in Attitude Bar, and Overlook Bar. A state-of-the-art Fins Up! Fitness Center will include an indoor pool and spa. In addition, there will be a lagoon-style Paradise Pool with beach-like entry and Tiki Island. Additional amenities include tennis and pickleball courts with lighting for night play and a Barkaritaville Dog Park. Future planned amenities include a Workin’ N’ Playin’ Center, Last Mango Theater, Hangar Workshop for golf cart tune ups, and Barkaritaville Pet Spa.

Latitude Margaritaville’s all-new approach to active adult living has captured the imagination of today’s vibrant and active adult home buyers. More than 550,000 are registered as Latitude Margaritaville Paradise Club members to receive ongoing information on the communities.

The Latitude Margaritaville sales center and model homes are open daily. Four distinct home collections, the Conch Cottage Collection, Caribbean Villas Collection, and Beach and Island Collections of single-family homes, capture the “no worries” tropical vibe that defines Latitude Margaritaville. Floor plans range from 1,204 to 2,568 square feet under air with pricing from the mid $200s.

Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is being developed in a dynamic partnership that includes master developer Minto Communities USA (“Minto”), global lifestyle brand Margaritaville Holdings, and The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) (“St. Joe”). Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is the first of the popular communities to be developed in partnership with St. Joe. The first two Latitude Margaritaville communities by partners Minto and Margaritaville are located in Daytona Beach, Florida and near Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is located between Pensacola and Panama City, near Panama City Beach, and situated in the heart of St. Joe’s vast Bay-Walton Sector Plan that encompasses approximately 110,500 acres with approximately 15 miles of frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway. Just a short drive from the famed Scenic Highway 30-A corridor with its beautiful white-sand beaches, this region is the embodiment of the relaxed, beachy vibe that is at the heart of the Latitude Margaritaville lifestyle.

In addition to the many Latitude Margaritaville amenities, St. Joe has plans for a future full-service public marina and commercial village adjacent to the community. St. Joe also recently announced plans to develop a health care campus just minutes from Latitude Margaritaville Watersound with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Inc. and Florida State University College of Medicine (FSU). The proposed healthcare campus is planned for an 87-acre parcel near the intersection of State Highway 79 and Phillip Griffitts Sr. Parkway. In addition to a 100-bed inpatient facility, FSU intends to utilize the campus for research focused on successful aging and senior living technology.

The Latitude Margaritaville Watersound sales center is located at 9201 Highway 79, Panama City Beach, Florida. Open daily, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central. For information, call 866-524-0144.

For more information on Latitude Margaritaville and to sign up to receive regular development updates, visit www.LatitudeMargaritaville.com. Follow Latitude Margaritaville on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LatitudeMargaritaville and on Twitter at @LatitudeMville.

Original source can be found here.