July 2, 2009 - 9:52 AM Jack Simpson

The magazine ad pictured here was the beginning of my Destin experience.

The year was 1974. The ad was in Southern Scene, the in-flight magazine for Southern Airways. New Sandpiper Cove condominiums were selling for $24,500. I bought one. It changed my life forever.

Here are some of my observation of the ups, downs, whys and wherefores of the Destin real estate market since then.