Buying a Second Home on 30A: The Complete 2026 Guide

By Harrison Lilly Emerald Coast | August 12, 2026

Most people decide they want a place on 30A in about four days. The math takes longer.

That gap — between the decision and the underwriting — is where second-home buyers get hurt. Not because 30A is a bad place to own. Because the carrying costs on Gulf-adjacent Florida property are structurally different from what a buyer coming from Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, or St. Louis expects, and nobody quotes them until you're under contract.

Here's the full picture before you write an offer.

What 30A actually costs to buy right now

The 30A corridor is not one market. It's a chain of communities with a spread wide enough that "30A pricing" is close to meaningless.

Recent snapshots put the tiers roughly here:

• Alys Beach — average home value around $5.55 million, with very thin inventory. Roughly 21 homes listed in a recent count.
• Rosemary Beach — average around $2.68 million.
• WaterSound Beach — average around $1.91 million.
• Santa Rosa Beach broadly — average sale price near $1.06 million as of June 2026, with median sale prices reported between roughly $895,000 and $950,000 and median list prices closer to $1.2 million.

Treat those as tiers, not quotes. The community figures come from a March 2026 snapshot, and sources disagree meaningfully at the Santa Rosa Beach level — Zillow shows an average home value near $858,000 and down 2.3% year over year, while Redfin shows $1.06 million and up 1.9%. That spread tells you something real: this market is thin enough that a handful of transactions move the average.

What matters more than the median is that the 30A market has normalized. Days on market are long by resort-community standards, and disciplined pricing works again. You have time to underwrite properly. Use it.

The carrying costs nobody quotes you

This is the section that changes minds.

Property taxes. Walton County's median effective rate runs about 0.79% of value, with the Santa Rosa Beach average closer to 0.86%. On a $1.2 million home, budget roughly $9,500 to $10,500 a year. On a $3 million Gulf-front property, $24,000 to $26,000.

Homeowners insurance. Typical Emerald Coast single-family homes run $3,800 to $9,900 annually. Gulf-front and beachfront 30A properties commonly run $10,000 to $20,000 or more. Wind is the driver.

Flood insurance — separate policy, and the widest variable you'll face. In 2026, lower-risk Zone X properties commonly run $400 to $1,200 a year. High-risk Zone AE runs roughly $2,000 to $8,000. Coastal high-hazard Zone VE runs $5,000 to $15,000 or more, and true Gulf-front runs higher still.

That flood number deserves a warning. Since 2023, FEMA has priced flood under Risk Rating 2.0, which rates each property individually by elevation, distance to water, and rebuild cost rather than by a flat zone tier. Two houses on the same street can carry very different premiums. Never estimate flood from a neighbor's bill or a zone map alone — get a quote on the specific address before your inspection period closes.

Everything else. HOA and community dues vary widely across 30A. Budget 1% of value annually for maintenance and reserves; salt air is unkind to exteriors, HVAC, and anything metal.

Add it up on a $1.2 million Santa Rosa Beach home in Zone AE: roughly $10,000 in taxes, $7,000 in homeowners, $4,000 in flood, and $12,000 in maintenance and reserves. That's about $33,000 a year before HOA dues, before management, and before a single mortgage payment.

What rental income really covers

If you plan to rent the house when you're not in it, run the numbers as an investor and let the lifestyle be the bonus. Not the other way around.

The documented benchmarks:

• Occupancy on 30A runs roughly 57% to 66%, against 68% to 74% in Destin. Destin is the cash-flow market; 30A is the appreciation market. That trade is the whole story.
• Larger homes carry the revenue. Six-plus bedroom Emerald Coast homes average roughly $173,000 a year in gross revenue at about a $790 average daily rate and 66% occupancy.
• Gross yields run near 7.18% on average, with Gulf-front properties in Miramar Beach and Okaloosa Island regularly grossing 8% to 12% of purchase price.

Now subtract, because gross is not income:

• Roughly 12% to 13% of gross rental revenue goes to tax — 6% Florida sales tax, about 1% county discretionary surtax, and 5% to 6% Tourist Development Tax.
• Professional management typically takes 20% to 30% of gross on a full-service vacation rental.
• Then your carrying costs, all of them, from the section above.

A $1.2 million home grossing 7% brings in about $84,000. Take off 12.5% in taxes and 25% in management, and you're near $52,500. Subtract $33,000 in carrying costs and you're around $19,500 before debt service and before the weeks you block for yourself. Every week you use is a week that doesn't earn.

That can still be a good outcome. It is not passive income, and it is not the number the listing agent quotes.

Verify short-term rental eligibility before you make an offer. Rules vary by jurisdiction and by community, and some HOAs are stricter than the municipality. This is a disqualifying question, not a detail.

The tax rules that change when it's not your primary home

This is where out-of-state buyers get surprised, and it's worth understanding precisely.

You do not get the Homestead Exemption. Florida's Homestead Exemption takes up to $50,000 off assessed value and activates the Save Our Homes cap, which limits annual assessed value increases to 3% or CPI, whichever is lower. Both apply only to your permanent Florida residence. A vacation home, second home, or rental does not qualify.

Non-homestead property has its own cap — currently 10%. Assessed value on non-homestead property can rise up to 10% a year for non-school taxes. That's more headroom than a homesteaded neighbor faces, and in an appreciating stretch it compounds.

A change is on the ballot. Florida's proposed Amendment 3 (CS/HJR 1F) would lower that non-homestead cap from 10% to 5%. It appears on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot and requires at least 60% voter approval. If it passes, it takes effect January 1, 2027 and would first show up on August 2027 TRIM notices and November 2027 tax bills. It is a proposal, not current law — underwrite at 10% today and treat any change as upside.

On the sell side, budget the Documentary Stamp Tax. Florida charges $0.70 per $100 of sale price, customarily paid by the seller. That's $8,400 on a $1.2 million sale and $21,000 on a $3 million sale.

One more, if you're looking at a condo rather than a house: financing rules changed materially this month. Fannie Mae eliminated Limited Review effective August 3, 2026, and every established project over 10 units now requires a Full Review of the association's finances regardless of your down payment. If a beach condo is on your list, read what the new condo financing rules mean for Emerald Coast buyersbefore you write an offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the Homestead Exemption on a 30A second home?

No. The Homestead Exemption and the Save Our Homes 3% cap apply only to your permanent Florida residence. A second home, vacation property, or short-term rental is assessed as non-homestead property, which currently carries a 10% annual assessment cap for non-school taxes.

How much are property taxes on a 30A home?

Walton County's median effective rate runs about 0.79% of value, with the Santa Rosa Beach average nearer 0.86%. On a $1.2 million home that's roughly $9,500 to $10,500 annually. Rates vary by taxing district, so confirm the specific parcel with the Walton County Property Appraiser rather than working from a county average.

What does flood insurance cost on 30A?

It depends almost entirely on your FEMA flood zone and the individual property. Zone X commonly runs $400 to $1,200 a year, Zone AE roughly $2,000 to $8,000, and Zone VE $5,000 to $15,000 or more. Under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0, two homes on the same street can price very differently, so get a quote on the specific address.

Will a 30A rental cover my carrying costs?

Often, but with less margin than most buyers expect. On a $1.2 million home grossing around 7%, roughly 12% to 13% goes to sales, surtax, and Tourist Development Tax, and management typically takes 20% to 30% more. What's left has to cover taxes, insurance, and maintenance before it covers debt. Every week you use the home yourself is a week it doesn't earn.

Should I buy on 30A or in Destin?

Destin generally produces stronger rental cash flow, with occupancy running 68% to 74% against 30A's 57% to 66%, and it offers deeper inventory at lower entry points. 30A carries higher prices, tighter supply, and the stronger appreciation case. Cash-flow buyers tend toward Destin; buyers prioritizing scarcity and long-term value tend toward 30A.

The bottom line

A 30A second home is a good asset bought carefully and an expensive one bought on feel. The buyers who do well here underwrite the carrying costs first, verify the flood quote and rental eligibility on the specific address, and treat rental income as a partial offset rather than a business plan.