Inheritable Homes are a Cherished Element of Seaside

A notable piece of Seaside’s charm is that it is a place for families to slow down, spend time together and make lasting memories. Those who saw the vision of town founders Robert and Daryl Davis when the town was in its early building phase are now bringing their kids, grandkids and great grandchildren to their special homes.

Instead of selling, they plan to pass those homes down to the younger generations, says Larry Davis, real estate broker for Seaside Community Realty, Inc.

“Seaside is built for inheritable homes. Well-planned, well-designed and well-built for generations to share memories and experiences,” he adds. 

Suellen and Hal Hudson have built seven homes in Seaside, beginning with their first 800-square-foot cottage in 1984. As Suellen was the enthusiastic project manager on each of their houses under construction, she brought her daughter Emily along with her on the weekly drive from Pensacola. 

“I started coming here when I was six years old, going back and forth until I was 14, when they finished the house on Seaside Ave,” Emily Mitchell says. “Seaside was practically empty then, so I spent time playing in the vacant lots and running barefoot along the pathways. I had to watch out for the short cactuses that were everywhere before lots were cleared.”

Now Emily and her husband, Scott, bring their kids, Hudson, Wilmer and Marian, to town regularly. “We’re fortunate to live close by, so we go a lot,” she says. We spent every Fourth of July here. It’s Hudson’s birthday. When he was little, he thought all the fireworks were for him.”

Now that the kids are in their teens, they enjoy doing their own things when they come to Seaside. “They still get hugs from Carmel Modica (at Modica Market) and love getting doughnuts.”

In the coming years, Emily predicts she will bring her future grandchildren to the family home in Seaside. “It’s a legacy house now, an heirloom and a part of our family,” she says. 

Peter Zimmerman, president of the Seaside Town Council in 2009 and 2010, and his wife, Leigh, discovered Seaside while vacationing in Destin. Turns out they liked this town better, and rented a cottage named No Angel three years in a row. Their first purchase was at 29 East Ruskin Street. Then, wanting to enlarge their space, they bought a beach-front home named Wilder, where their three young children could really run wild. Now they have a penthouse in the center of town that sleeps 14. “And we have 14 arriving for the Fourth of July,” Peter says. 

Now that they live downtown, every activity is just a few steps away. “It’s strange to think of how far East Ruskin sounds now,” Pete says. “When we bought Wilder we enjoyed the ocean. But downtown, we enjoy the activity and the happiness that exists. Our favorite view is the children playing in the amphitheater.” 

Both of the Zimmerman daughters were engaged in Seaside and married in the Chapel at Seaside. With five grandkids, the penthouse is a place of joy for three generations of the Zimmerman family. “As I have told Robert and Micah (Davis, town founder and son), it’s like no other place in the world. And I’ve been all over the world.”