"Mountain" is somewhat of a misnomer for a Florida landscape that is only 345 feet above sea level at its highest point (northern Walton County), but the first European settlers may have mistaken the Blue Mountain community's towering dunes for mountains after being at sea for months. They may also have been impressed by the lush vegetation covering the dunes, especially the spiky shape of the Gulf Coast lupine, which lives in the dune scrub along Florida's Emerald Coast. With its fuzzy blue leaves and purplish blue flowers that look like tiny sweet peas, it is easy to speculate that blue flowers covering tall dunes gave Blue Mountain its unusual name.

The 19-mile paved Timpoochee Trail rambles along Scenic Highway 30-A providing hikers and bikers an opportunity to enjoy the scenic beauty of the coastal dune lakes, dense woodlands and architecturally stunning communities that make up the Blue Mountain Beach area.

Today it is becoming quite common for friends to pool their resources to buy a larger home than either of them could afford alone. Some builders cater specifically to this group of buyers by offering homes with two "master suites" instead of the more typical room arrangement. If you are considering a joint purchase, you and your buying partner should outline clearly your agreements about your shares in the down payment, the monthly mortgage payments, and what you will do if one of you decides to move out.

Before committing to a property, sit down with a real estate professional to discuss your options. Should you take possession as joint tenants? Will you have a 50/50 interest in the property, or should the interest be adjusted to reflect each person's share of the down payment or the monthly mortgage payment? Your agreements with your buying partner should be clearly expressed in writing.

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