Emerald Coast Condo Map
Gulf Front

Sterling Sands

1080 E Hwy 98, Destin, FL 32541

Okaloosa County · Condo Row

By Josh Parish, Founding Editor · Updated 08/28/2026

Sterling Sands is a Gulf-Front tower in Destin, FL, built in 1994, standing 8 stories with 110 condos. Short-term rentals are allowed, recent sale prices fall in the $600K–$1.3M band, and on-site amenities include a pool and a fitness center.

1994
Built
110
Units
8
Stories
Gulf Front
Frontage
Allowed
Rentals
Google Maps →Street View →
Amenities
  • —Pool
  • —Fitness
  • —Elevator
Map
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Closest by car: private Gulf-front beach; grocery — Walmart Supercenter - Destin (0.9 mi); town center — Destin Commons (2.4 mi); hospital — Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast (9.4 mi); airport — Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) (9.2 mi).

Customary Use
Customary Use

Sterling Sands sits right on the Gulf. Along this coast, the wet sand below the mean high-water line is always open to the public. Where a beach has been rebuilt with public money, that open stretch can reach farther up, to a marked Erosion Control Line. The dry sand in front of it is private, with no public-use ruling on record. Reflects the public record as of June 2026.

How customary use works on the Emerald Coast →

County and court records. Editorial assessments are the author's own. Not legal advice.

Geographic Overlays
Geographic Overlays
FEMA flood zone (parcel): VE, X
FIRM panel: 12091C0489J, effective 03/09/2021
Base flood elevation: 18 ft
Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS): Outside all three
Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL): Seaward
Evacuation zone: B
Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS): Not in the DBPR dataset (as of 07/31/2026).
A structural integrity reserve study is a state-required engineering study of a building's big-ticket parts and the money set aside to replace them.
Florida law requires a structural integrity reserve study at least every 10 years for each residential condominium building three habitable stories or higher. Section 718.112(2)(g)1., Florida Statutes (2025).
Source: Florida DBPR SIRS Reporting Database (D7) — pre-July-2025 + July-2025-and-after lists, searched 2026-07-31 · as of 07/31/2026
Source: FEMA NFHL (https://hazards.fema.gov/arcgis/rest/services/public/NFHL/MapServer) layer 28 Flood Hazard Zones — flood zone, SFHA and base flood elevation; layer 3 FIRM Panels — FIRM panel and effective date. USFWS/USGS CBRS Mapper (https://gis1.wim.usgs.gov/server/rest/services/CBRSMapper/CoastalBarrierResourcesSystem/MapServer) layer 3 CBRS Units — CBRS status. Florida DEP (https://ca.dep.state.fl.us/arcgis/rest/services/OpenData/COASTAL_ENV_PERM/MapServer) layer 2 Coastal Construction Control Lines — CCCL position; layer 3 Coastal Critical Erosion Areas — critically eroded shoreline, read against FDEP's Critically Eroded Beaches in Florida, August 2025, in which Okaloosa and Walton were last revised June 2014. Florida DEM (https://services.arcgis.com/3wFbqsFPLeKqOlIK/ArcGIS/rest/services/Evacuation_Zones_20230608/FeatureServer) layer 12 Evacuation_Zones_20240226, last edited 2024-02-26 — evacuation zone. · as of 2026-07-27
Milestone inspection: Milestone Inspection (Phase I) completed 05/2024; Phase II inspection not required.
Source: City of Destin Building Department (public records) · as of 05/08/2024
County parcel record
Sterling Sands — Parcel parcel record
Parcel08/20/2026Okaloosa County · FDOR 2025 · Esri/Maxar
Sterling Sands — Block parcel record
Block08/20/2026Okaloosa County · FDOR 2025 · Esri/Maxar
Sterling Sands — Area parcel record
Area08/20/2026Okaloosa County · FDOR 2025 · Esri/Maxar
Association & Recorded Documents
Association: Sterling Sands Condominium Owners Association, Inc.
Declaration: Declaration of Condominium for Sterling Sands recorded 05/23/1994 (instrument #1338121)
Use Rules
Minimum rental term: No minimum lease term; transient occupancy permitted, leasing not restricted.
Common Questions

Can you rent short-term at Sterling Sands?

Yes. No minimum lease term; transient occupancy permitted, leasing not restricted. The declaration is the property's recorded rulebook, filed in the county records. Source: Okaloosa County official records, instrument #1338121.

What is the owners association at Sterling Sands, and when was its declaration recorded?

The association of record is Sterling Sands Condominium Owners Association, Inc. Recorded declaration: Declaration of Condominium for Sterling Sands recorded 05/23/1994 (instrument #1338121). Source: Okaloosa County official records.

The Buyer's Intelligence Report

Get the Buyer's Intelligence Report

What the report covers: HOA financials, milestone and SIRS status, insurance, comps, and county records — compiled in one place for Sterling Sands.

Prepared and delivered by Josh Parish, Emerald Coast Acquisitions · Destin, Florida. Access requires a signed buyer-broker agreement.

Building facts verified against the County Property Appraiser parcel records. Editorial assessments, metrics, and vibe are the author's own.