Check out the 5 most expensive homes sold in Escambia in 2023

Despite rising interest and insurance rates, there were still plenty of seven figure home sales in Escambia County throughout 2023.

Three of these homes were listed by Mark Lee's team with Levine Rinke Realty, which totaled over $100 million in sales this year for the third time in their history.

According to Operations Director Gary Michaels, this year was their second-highest in terms of sales.

"I think our area is so unique and is in such a growth mode that I think people still want to come here," Michaels said. "I think there was an initial pause at the beginning of the year with some of the interest rates, but I think that calmed since it was our second-best year on record.

"I definitely think insurance continues to probably be one of Florida's biggest crises, and I think it's very important for our legislators to get to work on it," Michaels continued. "I'm still optimistic that people are going to want to keep moving here."

Sherlyn Waghalter, a real estate agent in the area for two decades and a broker/associate with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services PenFed Realty, is the listing agent for the fourth highest-selling home during 2023. She shared Michaels' enthusiasm that 2024 would also be a big year for sales.

“I feel like as far as the Panhandle goes, people consider it a pocket of paradise here. For 2024 they’re mentioning lowering interest rates, which would be a big help. I think all of our politicians in Florida are aware that this insurance issue needs to be addressed," Waghalter said.

Regardless of the economic factors impacting the housing market, the beach lifestyle offered by the the Gulf of Mexico remains a major draw. Four of the most expensive homes sold in 2023 were on the Gulf, though the most expensive home sold last year sits on a bayou rather than the beach.

Here's a look at the five highest-selling homes within Escambia County in 2023.

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5. 104 Siguenza Drive, $2.99 million

This Pensacola Beach property is a three-bedroom, four-bathroom home with views of the Gulf that sold in August for $2.99 million.

The home’s olive-green exterior is complimented by its orange, metal roof that has held strong for 50 years, as well as its white-trim windows and pillars porches.

The home's living room features a ceiling with natural wood beams and a corner fireplace as part of its open floor plan that creates a spacious living space.

One of the most creative aspects of this property is “The Tower,” which is situated on the home’s roof and provides an elevated view of the bay for events like Blue Angels.

4. 112 Ariola Drive, $4.2 million

This home in Pensacola Beach sold for $4.2 million in November, only three months after being listed. Since construction on this home finished during 2020, its developers kept the need for accommodating numerous people at the forefront of their minds when building it.

The home’s previous owner invested in several upgrades for the property such as tropical landscaping, iron fencing, electric awnings and shades throughout the home. The property was listed and sold with the assistance of Waghalter and Berkshire Hathaway Home Services PenFed Realty.

“That particular house was built with insulating concrete forms (ICF), which makes a big difference on insurance premiums,” Waghalter said. “That helped us to sell the homes compared to other Gulf-front homes because of the quality of the construction as well as the fact that it’s a newer home.”

This home features five-bedrooms, six-bathrooms, wood floors all throughout and a large porch facing the Gulf. Its kitchen has high-end appliances, including a six-burner gas cooktop, a 10-foot island, a built in-refrigerator and custom white cabinetry.

The upper levels of the home are where most of its bedrooms can be found. There are four bedrooms in the upper level and each have their own ensuite bathroom.

The master suite features a master bath with a soaking tub, custom-tiled shower and a walk-in closet.

The residence also has a metal roof, impact proof windows, a built-in elevator, a built-in water filter system for the entire home and a laundry room on both levels.

3. 808 Ariola Drive, $4.35 million

A six-bedroom, five-bathroom Pensacola Beach home was sold on Sept. 20 for $4.35 million through the Emerald Coast Branch of Keller Williams Realty and purchased through Hollee Thornton with Emerald Coast Realty Pros.

This property provides multiple views of the Gulf from one of Pensacola Beach’s highest elevations and underwent a complete renovation over the course of two years.

The home’s renovations finished in 2020 and now features a mostly white interior with hints of marble throughout, adorning the kitchen’s island and along the walls of one the bathroom showers.

The kitchen features a 48-inch gas cooktop, a countertop that seats six and another view of the Gulf through nearby glass sliding doors.

The home also features a wraparound porch leading from one of the bedrooms to outside, in addition to a spacious three-car garage.

2. 1106 Ariola Drive, $4.4 million

This beachfront property was built in 2018 and sold through Mark Lee’s team at Levin Rinke Realty for $4.4 million in April.

The five-bedroom, five-bathroom home features an interior with an open floor plan and an all-white exterior with black accents for its windows and porches, which face the street and Gulf respectively.

An in-home elevator was built for the home and provides access to its multiple levels and rooms that each have their own view of the Gulf.

The kitchen has high-end stainless Wolf appliances, a wall oven and six-burner gas stove top while providing an additional view of the beach.

1. 2120 Whaley Ave, $4.7 million

The most expensive home sold in the Pensacola area during 2023 was sold at the very beginning of the year for $4.7 million. This home is uniquely positioned on Bayou Texar in East Hill and provides multiple views of the water from a variety of places within the property.

The home has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms as well as 230 feet of waterfront views. It also features an infinity-edge pool, a private boat dock and a small golf course with four holes overlooking the water.

Not only does the home’s main kitchen feature high-end appliances, but so does its “in-law suite” with another separate kitchen and recreation space for the entertainment of guests and visitors of the property.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Highest-selling homes in Pensacola area, Escambia County real estate