'A great moment': Latitude Margaritaville Watersound sells its 1,000th home

PANAMA CITY BEACH − A popular and growing Jimmy Buffett-themed community in Bay County hit a major milestone.

According to a Friday news release from Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, the resort now has sold 1,000 homes since its properties hit the market in May 2021. It is located north of Panama City Beach and is being built through a partnership between the St. Joe Company, Minto Communities USA and Margaritaville Holdings.

"Reaching the 1,000th sale milestone is a great moment for this community," Jorge Gonzalez, president and CEO of St. Joe, said in the release. "The immense demand for new homes in the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound community speaks not only to the quality of the homes and abundance of amenities that residents can enjoy, but also to the appeal of the quality of life in Northwest Florida.

"More home buyers from more parts of the country are discovering this region, and the 1,000th home sale ... is evidence of that."

More homes on the way:Bay County commissioners OK 92 more lots at Latitude Margaritaville Watersound

Helping the community:St. Joe Community Foundation donates $5.3 million in 2022, the most in its history

The community is the third Latitude location, with others in Daytona Beach and Hilton Head, South Carolina. It offers four styles of homes that range from about 1,200 square feet to more than 2,500 square feet. The cheapest models cost more than $300,000.

All three communities were named on the John Burns Real Estate Consulting list of Top 50 Master Planned Communities in the U.S. for 2022.

Latitude Margaritaville Watersound ranked the highest among the three, coming in at No. 14 on the list. The Daytona Beach location ranked 15, and the Hilton Head location ranked 25.

In the the first phase of development at the local Latitude, the plans include 3,500 homes, and there is room in the surrounding area to build additional properties.

The release notes the initial phase will include a town square with a "multi-tiered amphitheater, thatched roof bandshell, full-size concert stage, jumbo screen for concerts and movies, and special area designed for dancing." There also will be a two-story restaurant and rooftop bar, along with a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Latitude Margaritaville Watersound made its 1,000th sale in December to Dorothy Scattone of Jackson, Mississippi.

"I've always dreamed of living in a beach town," Scattone said in the release. "Here was the opportunity to stop dreaming about being a local and actually become one. The timing was right. It was now or never, (and) I chose now."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Latitude Margaritaville Watersound in Bay County sells 1,000 homes