Homes for sale inWaterColor
WaterColor at a glance
WaterColor is about 1,000 homes in five phases, wrapped around Western Lake next to Seaside. Phases 1 to 4 allow short-term rentals. Phase 5 doesn't. Most homes sell between about $2 million and $6 million, with some just over $1 million.
Beach town
WaterColor
WaterColor is one of the beach communities along Scenic Highway 30A in South Walton, Florida.
Ask Garett about WaterColorFor sale
Homes for sale in WaterColor
- $2,199,0003 bd · 3 ba · 2,050 sq ft · 18 Lyonia Lane, WaterColor
- $2,995,0004 bd · 4.5 ba · 2,697 sq ft · 13 Lake District Lane, WaterColor
- $1,995,0002 bd · 2 ba · 1,320 sq ft · 11 W Watercolor Boulevard, UNIT 301, WaterColor
- $3,790,0005 bd · 5.5 ba · 5,020 sq ft · 202 Climbing Rose Way, WaterColor
- $3,400,0003 bd · 4 ba · 2,650 sq ft · 204 Spartina Circle, WaterColor
- $2,390,0004 bd · 4.5 ba · 2,641 sq ft · 231 Wisteria Way, WaterColor
Market stats
WaterColor by the numbers
All of 30AWaterColor homes sold for a median $1,000/sq ft in the last 12 months, 62% above 30A overall ($619/sq ft).
- Median price
- $2.94M
- Last 12 months
- Days to contract
- 84
- Median, last 12 months
- Of asking price
- 97%
- Median, last 12 months
WaterColor homes sold for a median $2.92M in the 6 months to October 2026, 2.0 times all of 30A ($1.43M).
- WaterColor
- All of 30A
The middle sale price. Gray: all of 30A. Each month pools its sales with the five months before; gaps had fewer than 10 sales.
- Homes for sale
- 28
- Now
- Median price: 2.1 times all of 30A ($1.43M).
- Days to contract: Faster than all of 30A (97 days).
- Of asking price: About the same as all of 30A (96.3%).
- Homes for sale: 3.5 months of supply, a seller's market.
1 of 2: Median price
WaterColor homes sold for a median $2.92M in the 6 months to October 2026, 2.0 times all of 30A ($1.43M).
- WaterColor
- All of 30A
The middle sale price. Gray: all of 30A. Each month pools its sales with the five months before; gaps had fewer than 10 sales.
1 of 3: Homes for sale
27 WaterColor homes were for sale on October 15, 2026, 3% of all 30A's 959, 41% fewer than a year ago.
Homes for sale on the 15th of each month (not counting homes under contract).
1 of 2: Days to contract
WaterColor homes took a median 75 days to go under contract in the 6 months to October 2026; all of 30A took 79.
- WaterColor
- All of 30A
Days from listing to an accepted contract, counting a relisting of the same home within 90 days as one stretch. Gray: all of 30A. Each month pools its sales with the five months before; gaps had fewer than 10 sales.
1 of 5: Price cuts
About half of the WaterColor listings that left the market in 2025 had cut their price; all of 30A: 48%.
Listings that sold, expired or were taken off the market each year, and the share whose last asking price was below their first. Years with fewer than 10 are left blank.
Show the numbers
| Year off the market | Listings | Cut their price | Share | Typical cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 155 | 65 | 41.9% | 5.4% |
| 2018 | 137 | 63 | 46.0% | 5.6% |
| 2019 | 120 | 42 | 35.0% | 4.1% |
| 2020 | 199 | 66 | 33.2% | 4.8% |
| 2021 | 181 | 30 | 16.6% | 4.6% |
| 2022 | 105 | 34 | 32.4% | 6.4% |
| 2023 | 104 | 50 | 48.1% | 4.8% |
| 2024 | 113 | 45 | 39.8% | 4.8% |
| 2025 | 150 | 69 | 46.0% | 5.6% |
Living in WaterColor
I had a cabinet company back when WaterColor was getting started, and I was working in there when Phase 1 first went in. Driving east back then, Seaside was the first thing you came to. When Phase 1 was built, the roads were bare. Nothing was there. You'd never have guessed it would get this big. Now it's close to a thousand homes in five phases.
Here's how I explain the phases. Phase 1 sits on both sides of 30A: the Beach Club and the Inn on the Gulf side, and Western Lake Drive and Sunset Ridge to the north, running up to the tennis courts, where Phase 2 begins. Phase 2 is around Spartina Circle and Camp WaterColor. Phase 3 was the newest when it opened, built with short-term rentals in mind, with the frog pool (the Sandhill Pool). Phases 1 and 2 are the oldest now, so some of those homes are ready for updating. The final phase is the only one where you can't rent, and it has its own pool.
When Publix opened at WaterColor Crossings, that was a big deal. It made everyday life here a lot easier.
WaterColor has always felt quiet to me, even with so many people enjoying it. Folks love riding their bikes all over. And here's something I love seeing: people out walking and biking on vacation, when back home they'd be inside on a computer or a game. A place like this brings that out in people. If you want the beach plus bikes, trails, tennis and nature, this is your spot. The houses are really nice, and they get pricier every year.
For everything you get, the dues are reasonable. Dues are $1,200 a quarter, plus $310 for cable and internet. Some homes also owe a $330 quarterly special assessment until 2030, which paid for the Beach Club and Camp WaterColor expansions, unless it was paid off at an earlier sale. You could pay it all at once or spread it out over time.
One client of mine, a developer himself, spent years researching WaterColor, right down to which agent to work with, and I was glad he picked me. He bought a lot in the final, no-rental phase for around $1.1 to $1.2 million and built his house there. He saw it as a good investment in a unique corner of WaterColor. Some buyers just don't want short-term rentals next door, even here.
People ask me about Western Lake flooding. The lakes themselves don't really flood. The real risk is surge from the Gulf. I have a client right on the lake who's never had a problem.
The five phases on a map
- Blue: Phase 1, Original Town Phase
- Purple: Phase 2, Camp WaterColor
- Green: Phase 3, Lakeside
- Yellow: Phase 4, the Crossings
- Red: Phase 5, Park District
Coming in on 30A from the west, you enter Phase 1 first. Western Lake Drive is the main road. It runs from Phase 1 through Phase 2, and Lake Forest Drive runs back to Phase 3 and from Phase 2 takes you out to County Road 395, where Phase 5 sits on the north side and Phase 4 sits across 395 to the east.
- Phase 1: the original town, on both sides of 30A. The Beach Club, the Inn, Town Center and the tennis courts are here.
- Phase 2: around Spartina Circle and Camp WaterColor, with its zero-entry pool, tower slide and lazy river.
- Phase 3: the north shore of Western Lake. Homes on Vermilion look out over the lake, and the Frog Pool, also called the Sand Hill Pool, is here. A foot and bike bridge at the BoatHouse links it to Phase 1.
- Phase 4: east of County Road 395, around WaterColor Crossings and the Publix. It's quieter and has its own pool, the Dragonfly Pool.
- Phase 5: the newest phase, 41 homesites west of 395, with its own homeowners-only pool. No short-term rentals.
For the full detail, see the official WaterColor community map.
Getting to the beach
Most people walk, bike or take the golf cart. The main beach access is right by the Beach Club pool, on the Gulf side of Phase 1. From the eastern side of the community, you can also head to the public beach accesses in Seagrove.
There's also a free trolley for owners and rental guests. You request it on the app, and it picks you up anywhere in WaterColor, daily from 9 to 7. One thing to know: golf carts can't use the bridge at the BoatHouse, so from Phase 3 they go the long way around by road.
Pools and amenities
WaterColor has 10 pools: three at the Beach Club, three at Camp WaterColor and four around the neighborhoods. Everyone 5 and older needs a wristband for the pools, the Beach Club and the piers. You can paddle Western Lake from the BoatHouse, and there are events through the year.
Carriage houses
Many WaterColor homes have a carriage house, and many buyers want to add one if their lot allows it. It's a great place for guests or a long-term tenant.
Know the rule first: since October 2024, if the main house is rented for less than 12 months, the carriage house can only be rented on its own for 12 months or longer.
Adding one counts as a major project for the Design Review Board, which has to approve it. It can be no more than 25 feet long or wide and must be lower than the main house. I've been told it can add roughly a couple hundred thousand dollars, depending on the project.
A cost buyers don't expect
When a WaterColor home sells, the buyer pays a transfer fee of 0.5% of the price, written into the community's recorded rules. On a $2 million home, that's $10,000. On a $5 million home, $25,000. Ask about it before you write an offer.
Lots and building in WaterColor
WaterColor is nearly built out, with about 1,021 of its 1,063 homes already built. Empty lots don't come up often, so building new here usually means a teardown or a remodel.
Phase 5, the Park District, is the newest phase: 41 homesites west of County Road 395, with its own homeowners-only pool and no short-term rentals. That's where my developer client bought his lot and built his house.
The look is controlled: a design board and pattern books set the style, and there are no private lawns. Even a carriage house needs the Design Review Board's approval, so plan for that review in your timeline.
Things to know before you buy
- Rentals have more rules here than anywhere on 30A. Every stay under six months is registered with the association, guests are capped at two per approved bedroom plus two or four more, the owner or rental manager pays a nightly guest fee the board sets each year, based on the home's maximum occupancy, and everyone five and older wears a wristband.
- Phase 5, the Park District, doesn't allow short-term rentals. When St. Joe first offered the lots for sale, we were told it would be a private, non-rental neighborhood.
- St. Joe still owns the Inn, the shops and the restaurants, while the owners' association runs the pools, the Beach Club and Camp buildings, tennis and the trolley. That's why owner perks come as discounts, not free everything.
- Carts: only street-legal electric LSVs registered with the association, one per home, and never on the paths or the Western Lake bridge. Renters can rent only from the approved cart company.
- Parking is strict: no street parking, and hangtags are required.
- The look is controlled. A design board and pattern books set the style, and there are no private lawns.
- The community is nearly built out (about 1,021 of 1,063 homes), so "new" usually means a teardown or a remodel.
- The tennis center has been under rebuild since February 2026. The Tennis Center is being rebuilt. Check with the HOA for the reopening date.
Questions buyers ask
Can I rent my home short-term?
Yes, everywhere except the final phase. Every stay under six months gets registered with the association, and guest limits and a nightly guest fee apply.
What are the HOA dues?
Dues are $1,200 a quarter, plus $310 for cable and internet. Some homes also owe a $330 quarterly special assessment until 2030, which paid for the Beach Club and Camp WaterColor expansions, unless it was paid off at an earlier sale. I'll pull the exact figure for any home you're looking at.
What beach access comes with a home?
Private beach through the Beach Club and walkovers, for owners, registered renters and Inn guests, on about 1,400 feet of beachfront.
Can I drive a golf cart?
Only a street-legal electric LSV registered with the association, one per home, and not on the paths.
What do owners get that renters don't?
Early hours at the Beach Club and Camp WaterColor, a homeowners-only pool, and discounts around town.
Does Western Lake flood?
Not in my experience. The bigger risk is Gulf storm surge, so check the flood zone and get an elevation certificate.
Is it walkable?
Yes. About five miles of trails inside WaterColor, with many more miles of trails in the state park and state forest right next door. There's a free trolley, and Seaside is right next door.
Are there condos in WaterColor?
Yes. There are condos in Phase 1 and on the beach side, and some of them are fractional ownership.
Rules and fees last checked October 2026. They change, so confirm before you buy.
Who can help me buy or sell in WaterColor?
I can. I'm Garett Huber, a realtor on 30A. I've lived here for 30 years and run my own vacation rental. Text or email me anytime, and I'll walk you through it.
I was here when WaterColor was first being developed, and I worked in homes here for years with my custom closet business, starting with early clients in Phase 1. When I became a realtor, I held many open houses here, and I've sold multiple properties in WaterColor since, including a home on Vermilion overlooking the lake in Phase 3 and a lot in Phase 5, the private, non-rental Park District. For one buyer, I called the owners of a home that wasn't for sale to see if they'd sell. They did, and about 18 months later I sold it for him with more than a million dollars in profit.
Looking at WaterColor? Text or email me anytime, and I'll walk you through it.
WaterColor on the blog
30A week in review: tax vote, storm help, fall events
Amendment 3 passed this week, and it changes property taxes for both full-time and second-home owners. Hurricane Isaias recovery help is now open in Walton County, and a full weekend of wine, film and music is underway along 30A.
Mountainfilm on Tour Returns to WaterColor Nov. 6 and 7
The 26th annual Mountainfilm on Tour screens outdoors at WaterColor Marina Park Amphitheater on Nov. 6 and 7.
What's happening on 30A this week
A busy first week of November on 30A: a BBQ festival, a Seaside wine weekend, outdoor films and an arts festival.