Surfside Investments

06/02/2023

Checking out another possible house to buy for rentals 😃

03/06/2022

06/07/2021

04/08/2021

Blessed by the Sea was our first venture into Destin vacation properties. While we love this home in the exclusive Destiny By The Sea neighborhood and the time we have spent renovating it and staying in it, it is now under contract with a closing date of May 7. There will be a new Blessed by the Sea eventually, we are sure. ❤

03/05/2021

On our last trip down, which was my first time to Thankful By the Sea, we did our best to use items left in the house mixed with some things we brought with us (see photo 1).

We knew the couch needed replaced and I came across a rug that works better in the space as well. In addition to the couch, we bought the matching chair rather than a loveseat or sectional which would have closed down the space to much. We also replaced the left over coffee table and added some decor.

Does this look like a homey room that you could relax in? Is there anything you would change or add to it?

03/05/2021

What's a beach house without a place to wash off the sand before you head back inside? Our newest rental didn't have such a place so my handy dandy husband created this for our renters 😄

03/04/2021

What are you thankful for today? I'm thankful the sun is out down here in Destin after several gloomy, rainy, cold days. This photo is from the master bedroom at our new Thankful By the Sea location within walking distance to Pompano Joe's. 😋

01/20/2021

Our newest acquisition is now listed on our management company's website. It's been booked twice so far for this spring. Check it out!

https://www.sowalrentals.com/thankful-by-the-sea-300-to-beach-access-pool-orp5b4831bx

Thankful by The Sea is just steps away from the sugary white sand beaches and turquoise waters of Destin/Miramar Beach. In this luxury retreat, with accommodations for up to 16 guests, you will truly find something for everyone to enjoy. 

01/02/2021

We got in a little more decorating at our newest rental home, Thankful By the Sea ❤. This one is a 5 minute walk to the beach. 3 stories with 2 kings, 2 queens, 3 fulls and 3 twin beds plus a sleeper sofa. Being a smaller home, it will cost less to rent. 😁 It also has a small pool in a private backyard.

01/02/2021

Our newest addition, Thankful By the Sea, is coming along! Here's a sneak peak of some of the decor we've snagged so far. Some came from Bargains and Buyouts in Cincinnati and some from our favorite shop in Destin - Ava's Attic Consignment Boutique ❤.

11/03/2020

My husband just spent a little over 2 weeks in Destin (without me 😭) working on 2 of our 3 properties. We replaced the kitchen counters in Blessed as well as all the countertops in all the bathrooms and the laundry room there as well. Here is a snapshot he sent me. I'll upload some better photos of it next time I am down there. The granite is called Fantasy Brown...you would think there would be some brown in the slab, right? 😂 It's not so easy to choose slabs of granite via cell phone photos, but regardless of the lack of any brown and the lack of the pale aqua swirls that was in our sample slab, I'm happy with how this turned out. 😄 I especially love the hammered stainless steel sink he found at Bargains and Buyouts.

09/18/2020

The Gulf took quite a hit by Sally. So much water dropped off by this slow-moving hurricane. Thankfully, both our properties are in good shape! If you are headed south for a vacation, check-in with your property before you go.

08/23/2020

It's counter top update time! Dennis picked this one out. 😍 The kitchen and bathroom counter tops will be replaced as soon as suitable slabs come in. This is called Fantasy Brown and it varies tremendously from one stone to the next. We prefer the light tones rather than dark for this house.

08/19/2020

Touring a potential rental home

08/19/2020

We are touring a possible 3rd rental property today. Is anyone interested in touring with us via fb live?

08/17/2020

Have you ever wondered why rental properties charge such a high cleaning fee? We sure used to. It seems like you pay a premium to rent the property and then there is a huge cleaning charge on top of it all. It used to drive us crazy until we became vacation property owners.
When we check in on our properties, we find all kinds of craziness left behind from renters. Renters will actually move furniture from one floor to another! We have found mattresses on different levels, decor scattered in rooms they weren't originally in, inside chairs on the outside of the house, you name it -it happens. We have had white towels so stained and dirty bleach isn't cutting through in the wash. What we have discovered is cleaning teams only have so long to spend on a property. Renters checkout at 10am and new renters check in at 4pm. With multiple properties to get to, it's a ton of work for a cleaning crew. Stripping beds, doing dishes, moving furniture, removing towels and replacing, sweeping small sandboxes out of the house, and now with more stringent covid requirements, the cleaning fees that you are being charged is really the bottom line cost that a property can charge.
If the cleaning is extensive (as we've had happen here), the cleaning crew charges the property owners additional fees. From drink spills on carpets and even in beds, their list of things to tackle is enormous! As much as I love our renters and hope they had a fantastic getaway, the high cleaning fee is a necessary expense that we have to impose in an effort to help clean up their week of fun.

05/19/2020

Woohoo! The short-term rental ban in Florida has been lifted effective immediately :) There are lots of small businesses (like ours) that have multiple cancelations and are ready for renters. Contact www.sowalrentals.com and get your vacation scheduled!

05/12/2020

The beaches are open from dawn to dusk! Support your small businesses please! The Florida Governor has opened lodging for hotels and large resorts but not for us. All logic is out the window here, but the view out the window is on point!

04/22/2020

Starting May 1, beaches within Okaloosa County’s jurisdiction will be open to the general public from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with all beach activities permitted. This does not include beaches within the City of Destin’s jurisdiction.

03/27/2020

Update that may affect your travel plans, as if they haven't been affected already...

By: WCTV Eyewitness News

March 27, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Friday that the state is setting up roadside checkpoints on interstates to check for potential COVID-19 cases coming into the state.

This comes as DeSantis calls for a 14-day quarantine for anyone traveling from New Orleans into Florida.

The checkpoints will be on the main thoroughfares coming in from the Gulf Coast. The governor said that drivers with certain license plates will be diverted.

The governor also announced that the state is suspending any new vacation rentals for two weeks. Governor DeSantis did make it clear that anyone currently in a vacation rental can stay and finish out their time.

03/27/2020

03/26/2020

Grateful By The Sea Tour

03/15/2020

With the privacy of your own personal lodging, and a private beach in a gated community, being quarantined at the beach is not half bad! Before I got down here, I was dreading the chaos. Now, I could handle a longer time of solitude. We hope you are all well and as stress free as possible during this global pandemic.

01/09/2020

It's sneak peek time! The exterior is finally being painted! Not too drastic of a difference, but definitely an updated and fresh look by eliminating the yellow.😄

01/04/2020

Vacations should be relaxing, carefree and stress free. One way we help you reach this feeling is by providing 12 beach towels so you don't have to pack your own. Save room in your suitcase to bring home some souvenirs...just don't take home the towels too. 😃

01/02/2020

We are having a baby! A new beach house fixer-upper is being adopted next week and we need to name her. We would love to hear your suggestions! Three we have tossed around are: Ocean Blue, Walking on Water and Grateful By The Sea. Please chime in 😁

12/29/2019

When rain comes to Destin, it only makes sense it comes in the shape of a seahorse ❤

12/28/2019

For all you avid Destin vacationers, you probably know about Destin Commons already. We spent some time enjoying the shops and lights this trip. I could get used to the holidays with this weather. 71 today. Not too hot and not too cold.