Updated Nov 13, 2026
Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is a 55+ community on Highway 79 near Panama City Beach, developed by Minto Communities and The St. Joe Company under license from Margaritaville Holdings. Town Square sits along the Intracoastal Waterway, with dining, live music, a lagoon-style pool, fitness space and shops for hobbies. My Latitude search link below is filtered to this community. The cards above can include a commercial site on Highway 388 that is not inside Latitude, and they show only some of the homes for sale. Below is what I check for buyers before an offer, and what I tell owners before they list.
View Latitude Margaritaville Watersound homes for sale · Call or text me: 850-596-5844
The community is on Highway 79 near Panama City Beach, in St. Joe's Bay-Walton Sector Plan, per Minto's Phase Two announcement. It is along the Intracoastal Waterway, not on the Gulf beach. Plan beach days as a separate trip, and confirm shuttle destinations, schedules and any extra fees before you rely on a shuttle.
Nearby communities with different rules and a different age mix include WaterSound Origins, WaterSound Camp Creek, WaterSound West Beach and WaterSound Beach. For newer houses closer to the west end of Panama City Beach, compare Ward Creek and Salt Grass at Ward Creek. Salt Grass is open to all ages; Latitude is the 55+ option in this part of the market. The wider area guide is Panama City Beach homes and condos.
St. Joe is building Watersound West Bay Center next to the community, including a Publix already under construction, and has plans for a public marina on the Intracoastal Waterway. A healthcare campus near Highway 79 and Phillip Griffitts Sr. Parkway has its first phase open, with an FSU acute-care hospital under construction, per the same September 17, 2026 announcement. I cover those projects in my Pier Park and Panama City Beach development update. For a longer briefing on this community, see Latitude Margaritaville Watersound: what buyers should know.
The five collections give you a cottage, a villa or a single-family house, including two-story Vista homes the developer markets along the Intracoastal Waterway. The September 17, 2026 announcement said 14 model homes are open daily. The community overview page, when I checked it on November 13, 2026, still said 13 models. Confirm the current model count on your tour.
When I compare two Latitude homes, I look at:
For new construction, compare included features, upgrade prices, contract terms and the homesite with the resales on this page. Ask me about builder inventory that may not appear in the MLS.
Town Square is complete. Official lifestyle and news pages describe:
The kayak-launch rules on the homeowners-association site require a waiver, and you bring your own equipment. Overnight storage and motorized craft are not permitted at that launch. Hours, guest rules and activity fees can change, so confirm them with the association.
The public marina and the second amenity center are still plans. The mid-2027 Phase Two target is for groundbreaking, not for finished homes or a finished second amenity center. Ask separately about sales releases, closing dates and when any new amenity would be available to the home you are buying.
Obtain the current written age-qualification and occupancy policy for every person who intends to live in the home, including younger household members and extended stays. Guest access varies by facility. If children or grandchildren will visit, read the current amenity handbook for pool hours and any limits on the fitness center and sports courts.
I could not confirm a public, official leasing schedule on the pages I opened. Before you buy with rental use in mind, get leasing eligibility, minimum terms, tenant qualifications, approvals and tenant amenity rights in writing from the association. Then confirm the parcel's city or county jurisdiction, because short-term rental ordinances differ. See WJHG's report on Ordinance 1632 and WJHG's report on Bay County short-term rental rules. A Florida DBPR license, Florida sales tax registration and, where it applies, tourist development tax registration are separate requirements. The Bay County Tax Collector handles the county tourist development tax.
It's a weaker fit if someone under the age minimum needs to live in the home, if you want a Gulf-front condo, or if you want a neighborhood with no age restriction. In those cases I would look at WaterSound Origins, Camp Creek or Ward Creek instead.
Start with how you will use the home, which collection you want, and whether a new builder home or a resale fits your timing. Tell me your budget and the collection you want, and I'll set up a search that only sends you those listings. You can also browse the Latitude map search yourself.
Selling a home somewhere else to buy here? Get a value estimate on your current home first so we know your budget. Call or text me at 850-596-5844.
Buyers here ask about the collection, the dues, what the association maintains, the walk to Town Square, age-qualification rules and whatever construction is underway nearby. Have your estoppel figures, association documents and a list of upgrades ready before we list.
Get a value estimate for your Latitude Margaritaville Watersound home, and I'll price it against recent sales in the same collection. Call or text 850-596-5844.
No. It is on Highway 79 along the Intracoastal Waterway, near Panama City Beach. Plan Gulf beach visits as a separate trip.
The developer identifies this as a 55+ community. Request the current age-verification and occupancy policy for every intended resident before you select a home.
On the developer's HOA fees page, checked November 13, 2026, 2026 monthly fees ranged from $336.84 (Beach collection) to $377.26 (Vista collection), with villas at $370.85 and cottages at $340.82, plus a $100 foundation fee at closing and a $500 working-fund contribution. Get the current amount for the specific home from the estoppel letter and the association, because those posted fees can change.
Yes. Town Square, the pools, the fitness center, the courts, the theater and the creative spaces are open. The public marina and the second amenity center are still plans.
Minto, St. Joe and Margaritaville announced Phase Two on September 17, 2026: about 3,500 additional homes on 3,565 acres, with groundbreaking projected for mid-2027, and a second amenity center. That date is for groundbreaking, not for finished homes.
Confirm current leasing rules, tenant qualifications and amenity access in writing with the association before you rely on rental income. Local registration and tax rules also apply, and they depend on the parcel's jurisdiction.
Five, on the developer's floor plans page: Conch cottages, Caribbean villas, and the Beach, Island and Vista single-family collections.
I'm Roger Rietsema with Allison James Estates & Homes, selling on this coast since 2003. Reach me at 850-596-5844 by call or text.
Checked November 13, 2026:
Rules, fees and amenity access change, so ask the association for current copies. Posted 2026 HOA fees come from the developer's official fees page; the amount that applies to a specific home comes from the estoppel letter and the management company.
