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Emerald Coast · Florida · Second & Vacation Homes

Your place on the Emerald Coast.

Licensed in Florida and specializing in second homes and vacation homes from 30A to Destin to Panama City Beach. Owned with intention, enjoyed with the ones you love.

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Licensed in FloridaSecond & Vacation HomesChase Rackley, BrokerResults That Move You
Your Emerald Coast team

Second homes, handled with first-class care.

Chase Rackley is a licensed Florida Broker, and every Emerald Coast Closing gets the same honest counsel and celebratory care the Rackley name is known for in Arkansas.

Chase Rackley
Chase Rackley
Broker · Florida & Arkansas
Owner and Principal Broker of Rackley Realty and a licensed Florida Broker, Chase personally fronts the Emerald Coast: the search, the insurance and tax questions nobody else answers, and the Closing.
(501) 519-4889 · Chase@RackleyTeam.com
Nathan Brown
Nathan Brown
Realtor · Buyer Specialist
Nathan works with buyers across the Rackley footprint and leads Savings for Stars, our program for military families and veterans, who make up a meaningful share of Emerald Coast buyers near Eglin and Hurlburt.
(501) 431-8181 · Nathan@RackleyTeam.com
Blake Wiggins
Blake Wiggins
Real Estate Broker / Developer
Blake specializes in new construction and development, overseeing day-to-day operations on more than $200 million of real estate development. On the coast, he is the one who reads a build and a builder honestly.
(501) 630-7224 · Wiggins@RackleyTeam.com
Communities we serve

From 30A to Destin to Panama City Beach.

The Emerald Coast is not one market. Insurance, taxes, and rental rules change town by town, and so does the right price.

Destin
The harbor, the pass, and the widest range of condos and homes on the coast. City millage on top of Okaloosa County.
Miramar Beach
Unincorporated Walton County, so a lower tax stack, with Sandestin and the Gulf a short walk from most streets.
Santa Rosa Beach & 30A
Seaside, WaterColor, Rosemary, and the neighborhoods between. The highest prices on the coast and the deepest second-home demand.
Fort Walton Beach
Okaloosa Island access, Eglin and Hurlburt next door, and the most attainable prices west of Destin.
Niceville & Bluewater Bay
Bay life instead of beach life, top-rated schools, and a quieter pace fifteen minutes from the sand.
Panama City Beach
No city property tax, a rebuilt beachfront, and value that keeps drawing buyers east from Destin.
Rackley Tools

Know your numbers before you make your move.

Free calculators already set to Florida's Emerald Coast: local county tax rates, real insurance costs, and no gate in front of the answer.

Mortgage Calculator
What will this house actually cost every month, with local taxes and insurance included?
Run the payment
Price Range Finder
How to pick the right price range: not the most a lender will approve, but the range that is a wise investment.
Find my range
Rent vs. Buy
The honest break-even math on staying put versus buying, year by year.
Compare the two
Straight numbers

Buying on the Emerald Coast, honestly.

The numbers national calculators get wrong here, and the ones our tools are built on.

Property tax
0.8% to 1.2% of price
Florida taxes close to full market value and resets it when you buy. Walton County (30A, Miramar Beach) runs about 0.8%, Destin about 1.1%, Panama City Beach about 1.2%, before the homestead exemption on a primary residence.
Insurance incl. wind & flood
1.5% to 2.5% of value
A wind-inclusive policy plus flood is the single biggest surprise for out-of-state buyers. Newer construction and distance from the water cut it substantially. We start every estimate at 1.75%.
Homestead exemption
About $51,000 off
On a primary residence, Florida removes roughly $51,000 of value from the tax roll and caps assessed growth at 3% a year. Second homes do not qualify, and their assessed value can rise up to 10% a year.
State income tax
None
Florida has no personal income tax, so the only capital gains tax when you sell is federal. That changes the rent-vs-buy math and the estate math.
Straight answers

Emerald Coast questions, answered honestly.

Is Rackley Realty licensed in Florida?

Chase Rackley is a licensed Florida Broker and personally handles Emerald Coast transactions. Every Florida transaction is conducted under the Florida licensure noted at the bottom of this page.

Do you handle second homes and vacation rentals?

That is the specialty. Most of our Emerald Coast clients are buying a second home, a vacation home, or a property they will rent part of the year. We will tell you honestly which towns and buildings allow short-term rentals, what the HOA and county rules are, and what the numbers look like before you fall in love with a view.

How much is homeowners insurance on the Emerald Coast?

More than anywhere in Arkansas, and it varies more. A wind-inclusive policy on a newer home away from the water can be 1 to 1.5 percent of value a year; older roofs, Gulf-front lots, and flood zones push it to 2.5 percent or beyond, plus flood. Hurricane deductibles are typically 2 to 5 percent. Get real quotes early, because insurance moves an Emerald Coast payment more than the interest rate does.

How do Florida property taxes work for a second home?

Florida taxes close to full market value, and the assessed value resets to your purchase price. The homestead exemption and the 3 percent Save Our Homes cap only apply to a primary residence. A second home is assessed at market with a 10 percent annual cap on non-homestead growth, so budget for the full rate.

Can you help me buy from Arkansas without flying down for every showing?

Yes. That is how most of our Emerald Coast clients buy. We tour with voice-guided video, coordinate inspections and insurance quotes, and handle Closing remotely. You come down for the good part.

Ready for your place on the water?

Tell us what you are picturing. Chase will call you back personally.

Let's do the deal

Florida real estate services are provided by Chase Rackley, Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker, License BK3584648. Rackley Realty is a licensed real estate brokerage in the State of Arkansas. Equal Housing Opportunity.