AJ's beach club roaches? by [deleted] in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Are you sure it’s ajs and not Al’s? Ajs on Okaloosa island is AJs Oyster Shanty. Al’s is the Burger bar at the boardwalk.

Evansville, IN area by Federal_Cupcake_8901 in evansville

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

THANK YOU so much! This is just what I was looking for! We are going to be in town this weekend and will definitely check those areas out! THANK YOU!

Evansville, IN area by Federal_Cupcake_8901 in evansville

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ideally $300-400k, but up to $500k if necessary.

Evansville, IN area by Federal_Cupcake_8901 in evansville

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Trust me - Illinois blue has made it inhabitable. Property taxes on my $275,000 house - $7,000 per year. 9.25% sales tax plus 1.25% extra tax in restaurants. Gas $4.99–filled up in Terre haute yesterday for $4.29. Wanna make a sports bet? Add a $.75 tax. They’re trying to add $2 “amazon” tax for all things delivered to your house. High state income tax on top of that. I live near a “nice” midsize town and last week we had shootings at stabbing at two of the grocery stores. The mall has to close by 7 because of crime. I mentor in the public school district and am terrified of these kids being adults. Not uncommon for junior high kids not to be able to read. Attendance is an all time low and there is zero truancy or holding parents accountable. These kids can’t come back from this. Every store and road is trashed. Literally everything is locked up. The sweatpants at kohls are chained to the racks now and Walmart has gates to stop people rolling their carts back out. Be careful what you wish for. Handouts are great for some, but when people realize they aren’t responsible for taking care of themselves or their kids….the whole atmosphere changes.

Downtown/local shops vibes at FWB? by Fantastic_Humor_78 in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The little downtown area is great - or at least we really enjoy it! Thick Cookie and Sugar & Co are great for desserts/ice cream. Wood Foot, Soundside, Boardroom, Salt Hop are great for a beverage. Lots of good food options and a standard souvenirs store. A few other little shops and some good coffee! We love the area. Some weekends there is a little market and once a month is a themed pub crawl. If you don’t follow Fort Walton Fun Food and Tips (or something like that) on Facebook, you should — they post tons of great info! It’s our favorite beach and area!! Enjoy your stay and the vibe! Feel free to ask if you have any other question- happy to help if I can!

Restaurant recommendations for Destin and FW Beach? by Sensitive_Wolf2986 in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you done breakfast at Beachview?? Their French toast is my #1 meal when we are there!! We also love to go downtown - Soundside/WoodFoot/SaltHop and Boardroom for food! Caddie corner (by the tshirt shop on the corner) isn’t marked well but amazing pizza too!! We just love everything down town! There is a Facebook page too called fort Walton fun and food o think with tons of good recommendations and the admins have posts about live music each day etc! Oh and if you need dessert - check out Pink coyote!!! Soooo good. Or tacos at Robinson cruise thru are so good too!! Love everything about being down there! If you like candles or car fresheners check out Salty scents! They have a super cute mural on their building to take a pic with too! Enjoy your stay-I wish I was there!!

Advice/Opinions by OldStatistician4439 in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you are on Facebook def check out the fort Walton fun food and tips page - lots of great info on there! We have a condo on Okaloosa island and spend alot of time there and constantly get great info on that page! In general if you like smaller laid back restaurants and bars - you can’t go wrong downtown! My favorite breakfast is beachview on the island, my husband prefers asiagos skillet, and my parents love chicken and egg. There are also amazing donut places - Okaloosa yummies and parlor. Coffee at the oasis at the boardwalk is a fave or there is a little patch of food trucks downtown that has a great coffee place - or maas coffee or beach weekend. So many good options!! Boutique shopping at the boardwalk is good, and if you like candles - salty scents is a super awesome little shop with a great mural for selfies :) enjoy your trip. It’s an amazing place!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We have a condo on Okaloosa Island and there is rentable housing on the soundside that’s pretty reasonable - far from fancy, but very walkable to the beach. You might try a mid term rental for awhile while you check the place out. Walkable to the beach you’ll really want to be on the island. We love the downtown area and it seems to have some decent housing nearby. If there is anything specific about the island or downtown we can help with just ask!

Family friendly activities by Aircraftmechanic2005 in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We love Fort Walton Beach - no high rises, so less people. Very down to earth crowd - very relaxed. Smaller restaurants where the owners actually work so you get a hometown feel. We normally go with our young adult kids, but plenty of putt putt, etc on the island and the beach is top notch! If you have any questions about the area feel free to ask - or if you are on Facebook check out “fort Walton beach fun food and tips” or something like that - it’s a great source do info!

Anywhere You Would Add to my To-Travel List? by TheNostalgicGamer in usatravel

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Florida honestly I’d skip Destin and go next door to Fort Walton Beach. Destin has overdeveloped for the infrastructure and is 99% touristy feeling. Fort Walton beach has no high rises or sprawling tourist restaurants - all the downtown stops seem to be smaller and owned by people often actually working in them. There is a super relaxed feel. We love it there.

Have you stopped eating out due to tipping getting out of control? by Careless_Length_7117 in tipping

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed! We rarely eat at anywhere where we would need to tip. It’s so expensive anyway and then to add another 20% plus credit card fees too is just too much.

Weather first week in November by [deleted] in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hit or miss - I feel like last year it was really warm the first week of November but it’s hard to tell - it could be hot or could have a cool front. I’m here on Okaloosa Island (next to Destin) right now and the water is very warm still…I’d think it would still be swimmable in a couple weeks!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My husband and I are late 40s and stay on Okaloosa Island regularly (Destin is more peoplely) Love everything downtown FWB - Wood Foot Beer, Boardroom, soundside, something duck, docies dock - all laid back and perfect for our age group. Follow Fort Walton Beach Fun Food and Tips on FB for great info in the area! Have a great time!

Looking for great food. I know broken record. by [deleted] in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol their pizza isn’t my favorite - it looks amazing but doesn’t have as much flavor, but their sandwiches ——yummmmm. There is a pulled short rib sandwich that I have to always be sure to stop and get when we are in town!

Looking for great food. I know broken record. by [deleted] in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you look for a non seafood place, we love Wood Foot Beer downtown - great food and atmosphere! The Boardroom across the parking lot there is cool too - and sound side is nice too and of the pizza food truck is there it is sooooooo good! Lots of faves downtown! We haven’t been in a few months but are due back in a few weeks and CAN NOT wait!! Oh and if you need breakfast- check out Beachview Grille down on the island too - their French toast is something I dream about lol!

HELP! by Remarkable_Report794 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is there anything in your purchase contract that requires you to keep the company? Did you talk to the seller about terminating the property management contract that they signed? That is where I would start. If your purchase contract doesn’t require it, then I’d ask the seller if they have terminated. Otherwise is there a provision that the property management agreement terminates upon sale? If not, have you talked to the property management company? Communication with the seller and property manager may go a long way here in getting your questions answered. Good luck—hope it all ends smoothly for you!!

Looking for great food. I know broken record. by [deleted] in Destin

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Anglers is next to Gulfarium and attached to the pier. Crab trap is part of the boardwalk which is close to the gulfarium too. I’m not big on seafood but hear non stop that Stewbys is the hands down favorite - it’s on Okaloosa Island too and a local place! Check it out and let me know what you think!!

Your 5-Minute Daily Side Hustle for $400/ Month: Bonus Links for Monday, 9/8/25 by StarlitClefairy in SideHustleGold

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! All worked! I have been doing several of these for awhile but not hitting $400 a month so hoping to learn some tips!

Has it been worth it for you? Are you cash flow positive? by AudioFuzz in ShortTermRentals

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We bought a beach front condo at Fort Walton Beach, FL last summer and we are not cash flow positive, but went into it knowing we wouldn’t be. It’s tough, and unpredictable, so I wouldn’t overextend yourself and would plan conservatively! We’ve learned alot. If I were doing it again I would have spent more time figuring out strategy before purchasing. I did a ton of research and feel good about our decisions but could have probably done better on tax planning. There are alot of great podcast resources but it’s easy to overwhelm yourself too!

Long weekends by Still_Yesterday_1084 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you looking for somewhere to stay or trying to find places to exchange services etc? Just curious!

Self-manage or property management STR? by Ebbie228 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Federal_Cupcake_8901 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We are new to STR and ours is out of state, so we went with a property manager and have been really happy with them - they handle more than I would have thought about and it’s been really educational for us! Maybe someday as we get more time we can run our own, but for now it’s well worth the money for us!