re: Gulf Shores/Orange Beach condos - good or bad idea to buy?

Condos are in general not great investments.

That doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad idea to buy. If you're going to the beach 10 times a year with the family and you're going to rent it out the rest of the year, go ahead and buy a beach condo. If you never go to the beach but just think it'd be a cool thing to buy and try to make money on rent, do not buy a beach condo. There are hundreds of better ways to make money than buying a beach condo. The way you can "make money" on a beach condo will be rent saved on not renting out other condos if you go to the beach a lot.