Freeport

If one word could describe the master-planned community of Hammock Bay, it would be intentional. From the homes that cater to first-time homeowners and retirees alike to the central square where neighbors meet for craft beers and live music, this 3,000-acre community located 16 miles north of the Emerald Coast was built with a purpose: to be an environmentally responsible collection of neighborhoods that fosters community engagement. “We moved from Fort Walton Beach in 2016 to Hammock Bay because we loved everything about the community for the kids to do,” says Amelia Garrett, a Walton County native and Realtor with Coldwell Banker United Realtors. “The people I’ve met are awesome. We use everything – from the pools to the playgrounds, to the general store and the walking trails up in the neighborhood. There are so many amenities; the idea is that you can kind of be self-contained. You don’t need to leave very often.” Residences are surrounded by abundant green spaces, nature trails, bike paths and outdoor activities. At least 1,000 acres of the 3,000-acre community are set aside for wetland and wilderness preserves, encouraging native flora and fauna to flourish in the area. Residents can explore more than 12 miles of hiking and biking trails, fish from one of the 16 stocked lakes in the community, or swim in one of two zero-entry pools. The soft, white sands and glimmering waters of the Emerald Coast are less than 16 miles away, as well as the enamoring beach towns of Scenic Highway 30A. “We have a ton of state parks and tons to do outdoors,” says Rick Gonzalez, a resident and Realtor with Real Broker LLC. “Paddleboarding, fishing, boating … There’s a lot of conservation.” Those who prefer the indoors can head to the 10,000-square-foot fitness center, which has room for strength training, cardio and group exercise classes. The 60-acre Freeport Regional Sports Complex is also located inside Hammock Bay. “It’s a county facility that has disc golf, soccer fields, football fields, a splash pad, and a playground. The list goes on,” Garrett says. “My son is in little league, and we just go right there for his games. We don’t have to drive all over the county.” The Windmills is Hammock Bay’s take on town squares of the past. Residents can sip on craft beers at the micro-brewery offshoot of Props Brewery and enjoy food from a rotating roster of food trucks at the food truck court just outside the brewery. “People usually snag food and eat outside or bring their own food and eat inside at Props,” Garrett says. A 1920s replica general store offers convenience store essentials, grab-and-go items and Hunt Brothers Pizza. Freeport is less than 2 miles away and has its fair share of chain restaurants, as well as a Publix grocery store. Many residents boat across Choctawhatchee Bay or cross U.S. Route 331 to enjoy waterfront eateries like The Bay, North Beach Social and Farm & Fire. Hammock Bay is roughly 20 miles northeast of several retail havens, including Silver Sands Premium Outlets in Sandestin and Destin Commons. Natural beauty and spacious lots are the heart of homesteads in Hammock Bay. The community consists of 24 neighborhoods, each with homes at varying price points. Most of the single-family homes in the community take inspiration from Craftsman-style architecture and feature wood siding, double gable roofs and porches supported by white columns. Homes range from $335,000 to $2.7 million, depending on the neighborhood. The three- and four-bedroom dwellings in the Schooner Landing neighborhood are often on the lower end of the price spectrum, ranging from $335,000 to $450,000. Larger homes in other neighborhoods that span more than 2,000 square feet tend to range from $400,000 to $650,000, which Garrett says is the most common price point. One of the most expensive neighborhoods is the gated Vineyards community, where resort-style estates cost $1 million or more. In addition, all homeowners incur a quarterly master association fee of roughly $500. “That includes Direct TV cable and amenities,” Garrett says. “At our old home we had to pay for the cable, we had a pool that we had to pay to maintain, we had a gym membership. Now we don’t have to pay for cable, our pool or the gym. We’re actually saving money.” Hammock Bay hosts year-round events to bring neighbors together and celebrate special occasions. Seasonal celebrations like the Hammock Bay Pumpkin Patch and the Christmas Festival of Lights ring in the holiday season. “We have an HOA-paid events coordinator who plans everything from family movie nights to comedy shows to live music,” Garrett says. “They show sporting events on this massive TV, and we have a farmers’ market on the first and third Saturday of the month.” Kids can attend Freeport Elementary School, which is graded B by Niche. Starting this fall, middle schoolers will be able to attend the new B-plus Freeport Middle School, which is located in the neighborhood on land donated to the county by The Jay Odom Group, the developer of Hammock Bay. Kids in grades 4-7 get to learn about native wildlife and plants when visiting the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center, a hands-on environmental science center. Teens can attend Freeport Senior High School, graded A-minus, and participate in career and technical education programs like applied robotics and digital information technology. Hammock Bay sits along Highway 20 and is close to several major thoroughfares including the north-south passageway of U.S. Route 331 and the east-west throughway of Interstate 10. The closest hospital, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, is 20 miles southwest. A trip 16 miles south leads to Scenic Highway 30A, a 24-mile corridor that hugs the coastline and is home to 16 unique coastal communities. Hammock Bay is 28 miles east of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport and is in close proximity to several military bases, including Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field and Duke Field. Hurricanes and tropical storms can occur along the Gulf Coast. Hammock Bay is positioned across the 331 bridge, an evacuation route that closes once winds reach 40 miles per hour. “We’re across the bridge, so that’s good for us,” Gonzalez says. “We’re lucky because we have not been directly impacted in a while.”