Bay County Property Tax
Thursday September 13, 2007

Last night State Senator Don Gaetz, along with other local officials and the Bay County Commission met at Gulf Coast Community College to discuss the recent rejection of the 2007 Tax Rolls from the Bay County Property Appraiser's Office. The recent increase in property values over the last couple of years has sparked a sharp increase (500 - 600% in some cases) in assessed value. The milliage was reduced last year, but property assessments have increased so much so that the reduced milliage rates still did little to curb the increased tax bill. For some on a fixed income or with rental property, this affects their ability to own real estate because their operating costs sky rocket.

I just got off the phone with the property appraiser's office, trying to understand how the valuation process works and how it could be improved. The way I understand it, the assessment is based on an average of "like" homes in the immediate area, not the individual home itself. So you end up averaging some homes of a slightly higher value with homes of a slightly lower value and you end up with skewed numbers.

At the meeting on Wednesday night, it was mentioned that the Florida Department of Revenue had agreed to review the current entire tax roll. Local tax payers gathered at the public meeting to voice their opinion on the recent increase and express their concern. Senator Gaetz, Representative Jimmy Patronis and Representative Marti Coley, R-Marianna questioned local spending and the offered the possibility of a milliage rate reduction.

I don't know that I fully understand what could be done with the valuation process to make it better, does anyone have any insight on this?

Posted by Jason at 3:30 PM

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Panama City Airport Relocation in the News Elsewhere
Thursday September 13, 2007

News of the Panama City Bay County International Airport is in the news in Jacksonville. This makes sense as St. Joe, with one of Florida's largest real estate holdings with over 800,000 acres, is based in Jacksonville. read more

The latest word on groundbreaking falls sometime in October. I haven't heard any solid dates as of yet, but I hope to attend.

Recently Phoenix Construction of Lynn Haven was awarded the bid on construction of the first phase of the new Bay County Airport construction. Their bid was the lowest at $80 million and includes clearing the land and building roads runways, fences and other infrastructure. Recently there was scrutiny with how Phoenix Construction bid for the fill dirt, where they stand to make up to $9 million more if they get all of the 5.8 million cubic yards of dirt from the relocation site. Phoenix Construction is not a new company, and definitely not new to working with our local county municipalities. They've been working with Bay County since 2001 and have been praised many times for their work.

Bay County has a rating system in place for work it contracts out. Phoenix has scored "very good", the second highest rating, each time it has completed a job for the County. In 2006 they were given an award for their work on the Florida International Airport’s Midfield Terminal Complex near Fort Myers.

Posted by Jason at 3:07 PM

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Proponents to a consolidated City/County Government?
Tuesday September 11, 2007

As written by one of our readers, Johnothan Jones:

The County Road 388 issues are a small example of the short sighted way the county government constantly approaches things. Commissioner Gainer typically is the worst of the county leadership when looking at things in a tasteful meaningful way to improve the county infrastructure. I have lived in here for 7 years and worked within the county government and seen the ill conceived short sighted approach to many problems and issues. Hwy 388 will be a main artery to the new airport and instead of embracing the things to come Commissioner Gainer and many others would rather pass the buck to someone else instead fulfilling the county's responsibilities to it's citizens. One issue that continually happens is the "ego" issues of the county and city politicians. When you have 8 municipalities and 5 are basically directly across the street from one another, how in the world can you get anything done in a efficient cost effective manner.

An example of this is by taking a look at 11th St, which is a main thoroughfare from Tyndall Parkway to St. Andrews. It crosses 3 different cities and none of which are willing to put the money up and work together to resurface, widen and make safer for the thousands of citizens that traverse that road on a daily basis. Hwy 390 is another perfect example of passing the buck and not thinking ahead until it's too late. that road has needed to be 4-laned for at least 15 years, yet because of improper planning and the county/city governments not working together on a conceptive vision through planning and zoning of the county infrastructure it is still not 4-laned or even 6-laned (which was a state recommendation due to traffic counts in 2004) to bare the huge traffic numbers that strain it daily.

These are but a few examples of the main problems that will plague our community until we have the right leadership with vision and know how to get things done correctly. I and many others have felt a consolidated county/city government is the best remedy to push our county to the next level and get the results we need as a community. With a population of roughly 160,000 and growing daily the time is right to change the way we do things. With only 5 county commissioners controlling our future's along with the fractured city governments in the middle, it's time for a change in approach, mindset and vision for the changes coming to our area. In the 2002 elections there was a non-binding referendum on the ballot asking the citizens if they wanted a consolidated government and 68% vote "YES". Most people don't realize the positive effects this would make on our community as a whole. It would mean completely streamlining the tax codes for the county, consolidating fire and police services, which many people know in the smaller cities such as Cedar Grove and others is inadequate in most cases. The Planning and Zoning Departments would be consolidated so that everyone would be on the same page and not just throwing up whatever because the same guidelines would apply for everyone. It would mean constructive thought and consideration of our neighbors instead of the isolationism that often occurs. Currently the county has just 4 Code Enforcement officers for the whole county entrusted to clean up the numerous rundown properties, which include many dilapidated mobile home and housing areas that get overlooked because traversing the mountain to get things changed seems out of reach in most cases. With consolidation, Code Enforcement could actually make a difference with more resources and officers out on the streets making sure property owners are maintaining their properties in a respectful and acceptable manner.

Most opponents of the consolidation approach use the fear tactic that the little guy won't have a voice with the county politicians like they do with their city leaders. This would be completely the opposite due to the fact the county commission would be expanded to probably a 9 seat board and many of the city and county department heads would be integrated into the revamped/streamlined agencies that oversee the road department, planning and zoning and code enforcement to name a few. The difference would be everyone working from the same rule book, on the same team and with common goals working for the betterment of the citizens as a whole.

Regardless of what some think, we are all in this together as a county and for the individualists that want to maintain their "Big Fish in a Little Pond" approach, it's just not going to work in the long term. The impact of the new airport is going to significantly change our county regardless and sticking our heads in the sand and continually doing things as they've been done is just not going to work. The increase of population, expectations of the voters and just plain decency of doing something meaningful for the betterment of the county we live in demands a change in current mindset. Given the tight hold the county power brokers wield the best and most effective way to get the changes made is to facilitate a "Binding" referendum on the ballots forcing the county to make these changes.

Thank you for this outlet to voice concerns and discuss options for our area.

Best Regards,
Johnothan Jones

What do you think about this? Do you think this would work for our area? It sure sounds like it would simplify of local governments.

Posted by Jason at 7:16 AM

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Comments

I agree with Jonathan Jones.  I have been a resident of PC since Nov. 1992.  Within a few short weeks of living here I discovered there existed what seems like a half a dozen ‘cities’, each with their own governing bodies, resources, budgets and tax roles.  

Consolidation makes sense from a variety of issues.  As Jonathan pointed out duplication of public services, doesn’t make sense.  The money could be better spent managing growth and offering more diversified community services for everyone.  

Thank you,

 Catrina Raevens

Towne of Seahaven Update - Pictures
Friday September 7, 2007

Many are familiar with The Towne of Seahaven, and some of you are buyers in the first phase, Origin. Seahaven, when completed will bring much to our area, including a water park, spa and conference space. The vision is a village concept, not unlike the Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin. My family is buying in there, and despite market conditions, still excited to close. This will truly be a great addition to our area.

Posted by Jason at 9:51 AM

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Computer crashed, installed Windows Vista - review
Friday September 7, 2007

Ok, I know it's not real estate related, nor is it necessarily related to Panama City Beach, but I just wanted to share my Windows Vista experience. Upon powering up my computer on Saturday, I quickly discovered that some of the key software I use day to day was not working right. I ultimately ended up reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling everything and figured since I was going this far, why not upgrade to Vista. I had heard horror stories on how the upgrade had been a disaster with countless compatibility issues and unfamiliar error codes, but I figured, "why not, I'm a genius." Well, I'm no genius, but I did get it all figured out; I spent the better part of 3 days working through error codes and compatibility fixes, but finally, everything works perfectly.

I must say, Vista is cool, definitely cool. There are little quirks that are annoying (like how it assumes you are not an administrator even though you are signed into an administrative account and ceaselessly asks for verification whenever you are making system changes, even minor ones), and certainly some things are in different places (such as the user directory hierarchy is a little different the ODBC registry works a little differently), but all in all I like it.

My wife made fun of my initial response that was based on only what I knew at the time, not knowing how everything, system-wise, would work. "I find it very visually appealing." With the smooth movements and crisp imagery, the windows seem to "fly" in and out and the subtle yet effective little pings it gives you to indicate changes are being made seem to be, somehow, soothing. We can't forget the cool "switch between windows" feature in the quick launch toolbar, and the "gadgets" on the side that keep the news at your finger tips and help you monitor your cpu usage..

Its funny, and somewhat geeky, but I actually look forward to turning on my computer and entering the cool, exciting world of Windows Vista. Perhaps I'm not a true geek. All my geeky friends loathe Vista with their grip firm on XP, but isn't this how most geeks felt about XP when it came out? What can I say, I'm a sucker for something that looks cool, and Vista looks really cool, even though it does seem to suck up 25% to 35% of my 2 gigs of RAM. :(

Posted by Jason at 9:51 AM

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Bay County Commission Rejects 2007 Tax Rolls
Thursday September 6, 2007

It's no secret the appraisal process for the Bay County Property Appraisers office is flawed. On the radio this morning I heard a caller into the Burnie Thompson Show on Talk Radio 101 that said that his assessed value from the Bay County Property Appraisers office was more than $200,000, yet his appraisal that just came back on a refi came in at less than $100,000. He couldn't understand where the difference was coming from.

I, fortunately, do not have first hand experience with this, but have heard the stories like everyone else. The action of "rejecting" the tax rolls by the Bay County Commission is goaled at challenging the state to ultimately lower property taxes.

Lee Sullilvan was on the show this morning promoting is organization BayTaxPayers.org. BayTaxPayers.org has the goal of "advocate for fairness in taxes and accountability in local government." They've been around since 2006 and have over 5000 members.

Posted by Jason at 9:10 AM

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2007 Tourism up from 2006
Thursday September 6, 2007

Labor Day marked the end of the 2007 tourism season. Numbers were up this year from last year with total gross revenues from October 2006 to August 2007 exceeding $176 million. 2006 revenue was around $158 million. This resulted in an estimated $550,000 increase in bed tax collections. Estimates claim that revenue from tourist related goods and services will be around $400 million.

As the real estate market is slow, the rental market seems to be gaining strength. People are not buying, but they seem to be renting, and with the economy being in pretty good shape, people have the money to vacation.

Posted by Jason at 9:10 AM

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2007 Tax Roll doesn't reflect falling prices
Thursday August 30, 2007

Commissioner George Gainer claims that the new tax rolls don't reflect the price correction this market has experienced stating that valuations and assessments are still too high. He plans to challenge this in the September 4th commission meeting, although it is uncertain whether he has the authority. Bay County Property Appraiser, Wayne Spitzer encouraged this as he believes that the appraisals were high. The current millage rate was recently lowered from 4.1620 to 3.7915, but Gainer wants to take a closer look at the actual assessments.

Posted by Jason at 7:10 AM

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Agreed. - Jason

The Bay County TDC cut Spring Break Marketing Budget
Wednesday August 29, 2007

In a meeting Tuesday the 28th, the Bay County Tourist Development Council slashed the spring break budget in half, from $300,000 to $150,000. In addition they approved a $112,500 budget for a market research study to determine who best to market to instead of college spring breakers. Among other things, a new two year contract with YPartnership in Orlando was approved with an increase in their monthly retainer form $9,500 to $12,500. YPartnership has recomended a partnership with MTV to produce the "college spring break" period. In the past, the 3 to 5 week period of spring break received over a third of the entire marketing budget, but generated only 10% of the annual bed tax collections.

This is all in an effort to get a more family-oriented demographic to our area during peak vacation seasons and ultimately to help change the image of Panama City Beach to that of a more family friendly area and shift away from the images of kids drinking and partying on our beaches.

Posted by Jason at 10:56 PM

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Panama City Bay County Airport Relocation in the News
Monday August 27, 2007

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the Atlanta Journal Constitution covered a story on the Panama City Bay County Airport relocation. With Atlanta being the largest feeder market for our area, a new airport means the possibility of cheaper fairs and more frequent flights to the beached commonly termed "Atlanta's Beaches". (read more)

Realtors, what's the buzz out there? The 404 permit was announced to have been received on Thursday the 16th of this month and a buddy of mine got a call the very next day from someone that he had been working with in the past that said he heard about the final permit for the airport being issued and is ready to make a move towards purchasing here. I've heard at least one other story like this, has anyone else had similar experiences?

Some of the rumors that I'm hearing is that FedEx will be using the new Bay County Airport as a shipping hub and that between that, the staffing at the Bay County Airport and Pier Park, our area will have over 8,000 new jobs. I've also heard rumors that Southwest is indeed coming this way and that they are in negotiations with AirTran and JetBlue, to other low cost carriers.

Posted by Jason at 7:06 AM

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Point well taken, John. However, I don't think that rumors of "Disney" and "Six Flags" caused price escalation. People did not buy in this area because of unconfirmed facts that we were getting a theme park or a new Wal-Mart. This area experienced a frenzy, like many other areas, because buying real estate made great sense as an investment and people wanted to boost their quality of life by purchasing a second home or making lifestyle changes. There has been a lot of hype in this area, and frankly, the airport and Pier Park was amongst some of that hype 3 and 4 years ago; many said they weren't going to happen either. Hype is caused by excitement; I'd rather there by hype than no hype. This means the area is growing and people are excited about it.

- Jason

County Road 388
Monday August 27, 2007

In January, it was reported that Bay County and FDOT agreed to swap County Road 388 for some local state-owned roads that were more "local" for Bay County with regards to maintenance and upkeep. Bay County was to have its chance to relinquish its responsibility to re-surface the badly worn 388. Now it is being reported that the deal is off the table, with the County bearing the responsibility. Confused, but oh well.

For those of you that don't know, 388 is a sad description of a road. It has been a couple of years since I've driven it and mostly because I fear my little car being literally tossed off the road by the heavy grooving or one of hundreds of potholes.

Those that travel the road daily know that it is just flat out unsafe. The condition is terrible (an understatement) and needs to be dealt with. Commissioner Gainer contends that 388 will be the main artery for the new airport traffic and responsibility for resurfacing should fall on the parties involved in the relocation. However, the resurfacing of 388 has been put off for too long. This road was badly in need of repair several years ago, and its condition has been allowed to get worse.

The bottom line is that regardless of what the road will be used for, County Road, County Responsibility.

Posted by Jason at 6:30 AM

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Some of our county planners just don’t give up do they? 10% of bed taxes in one partial month, typically is pretty good as far as income. It beats 0% by a long shot. This is what we would have if it weren’t for Spring Breakers. There are no attractions in March for others. Grown-ups work and children go to school during this time. Who does that leave? 

I wonder what the Tourist Development Board spends this money on.

I looked at YPartnerships’ site to see what kind of record they have. It appears that they have an excellent record of producing income. (For themselves.) Their data could be interpreted any number of ways. Working with MTV would, of course, increase the attraction to young adults. Anyone could have figured that out, without a fee. 

Let’s let our county planners know that, as investors, we shouldn’t be so critical of this group and turn up our noses at their wealth.

This week in Pier Park
Thursday August 23, 2007

Pier Park is moving along, here are some pictures.

Posted by Jason at 4:48 PM

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WestBay Florida Blog - Airport Construction "Fraud"?
Monday August 20, 2007

What is Mitigation

When local environmentalist talk seriously about the airport relocation project and the creation of the West Bay Preservation Area, you hear the term “mitigation land” thrown around. But what is mitigation? If you understand what it means, it helps you understand the environmental value of the West Bay Sector Plan (and by extension, airport relocation). Here’s a brief (and non-expert’s) explanation. . ." (read entire article)

"Fraud" is a Serious Allegation

"A week ago a News Herald headline boldly proclaimed that KBR, the company hired to provide oversight for the construction of the new airport, “has a history of fraud.” But the story didn’t support the headline or charge. The lead in the story refers to “allegations of overbilling and fraud” – but no proof was presented. Perhaps the reporter is saving the proof for presentation to a grand jury. Because when you say a company has “a history of fraud,” you’d better have something more than “allegations.” (read entire post)

An Avalanche of Local Experts

Yesterday a friend told me he was amazed by the sheer number of aviation experts we have in Bay County. We must have more per capita than any other county in the country. Every few days another person writes a letter or a longer piece in the News Herald expressing doubts about the new airport. Strange, though, how they all seem to be working off the same set of discredited arguments and talking points. . ." (read entire post)

Safety First

"Is our airport unsafe? No, it is not unsafe. Is our airport as safe as it could be and should be? No, it is not as safe as it could or should be. Is it possible to have an honest discussion about how to make our airport as safe as it could be? If recent events are any indication, probably not. A week or more ago, a member of the Airport Authority raised the “safety issue” at our existing airport – and the danger of taking off and landing on short runways – by raising the example of the recent crash in Brazil. . ." (read entire post)

Posted by Jason at 9:24 PM

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St. Joe buys Shark's Tooth Golf Course in Wild Heron
Saturday August 18, 2007

There certainly has been a lot of buzz about the acquisition of Shark's Tooth Golf Course in Wild Heron by St. Joe in the last couple of months. Every since Playground left in January, I've been hearing rumors of this very thing taking place. St. Joe closed on Thursday paying $30 million with the acquisition including Shark's Tooth Golf Course, a 10 acre practice facility, a 21,000 square foot clubhouse, a huge cart storage facility, a 4,000 square foot pro shop, four lighted HydroCourt Har-Tru tennis courts and the private 100' waterfront beach club property.

Click here for the entire press release.

Posted by Jason at 9:24 PM

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404 Permit issued for Airport Relocation
Thursday August 16, 2007

This is what we've all been waiting for, this is what many have claimed will be the beginning of the end of all their problems. The final federal permit needed for the Panama City Airport Relocation, the 404 Permit, was received as announced today by the Bay County International Airport and Industrial District (Airport Authority).

Quote:

"In issuing the Section 404 permit, the USACE concurred with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) analysis.  In its analysis, FDEP cited a number of net ecosystem benefits that will result from the project, including:

•  The conservation and permanent protection of significant contiguous portions of the West Bay region, including bay shoreline, wetlands, streams, uplands and the overall watershed;
• A wetlands function lift significantly in excess of that needed to compensate for functional losses (impacts);
•  A mitigation plan that significantly exceeds both state and federal requirements for all possible current and future impacts; and
• An effort to restore a large contiguous tract of uplands and wetlands to approximate historical conditions more suitable for dependent species native to the area. . .

The Airport Authority is nearing completion of a ten-year process to relocate the Panama City – Bay County airport.  In the late 1980s, the Airport Authority began an effort to address significant deficiencies at the existing airport, including non-standard runway safety areas.  When local environmentalists and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection objected to extending the existing runway system into Goose Bayou, a particularly environmentally sensitive part of St. Andrews Bay, the Airport Authority began considering relocating the airport.

After completion of a feasibility study in 2000 and a site selection study in 2001, the Airport Authority identified a new site for the airport in northwestern Bay County (West Bay) on land owned by The St. Joe Company.

Following the FAA’s selection of the site, the Airport Authority partnered with the State of Florida, Bay County and St. Joe in an innovative planning process authorized by Florida law known as “optional sector planning.”  The process included numerous public meetings, data gathering, analysis and visioning for the future.   The plan was approved by Bay County and the State of Florida in 2002 and detailed specific area plans were also approved in 2003.

The sector plan incorporates approximately 78,000 acres and of particular significance is that the boundary of the plan includes an entire bay system (West Bay) thereby allowing unprecedented planning to protect an entire watershed.  The purpose of the plan was to ensure that appropriate land uses were placed near the airport and that appropriate environmental protection measures were built into the plan.  The plan is conceptual and guides future development and conservation. . ."

Read the entire press release here.

Posted by Jason at 9:24 PM

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Mobile Homes in Laguna Beach
Monday August 13, 2007

An issue growing warmer every day is the ever decaying presence of mobile homes in Laguna Beach. The half sized lots from blocks 2 and up have been attractive for mobile homes for years, even decades and many of the residents want that to change. I will be the first to agree that not all residents of mobile homes are trash, contrary to what many believe, however, they do have a tendency to attract those of a certain socioeconomic status that often participate in illegal activities and lack the financial capabilities for proper and regular maintenance and upkeep.

With that said, actually, the typical resident in this particular situation, I believe, is a renter, with the owner/landlord actually holding the responsibility to keep these "homes" in good order. A new ordinance proposed by Bay County Commissioners will require newly arrived mobile homes to look more permanent, covering the wheels and axles and kept up to code. In addition, local code enforcement needs to visit the area more frequently.

Personally, I think Laguna Beach is a very charming area, but I think many owners have let their properties become dilapidated over the years in an attempt to minimize cost. I can respect not wanting to spend money, but I think the owners should be expected to keep their properties up.

Posted by Jason at 7:25 PM

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Pictures of Pier Park and Churchill Road Improvements
Saturday August 11, 2007

Posted by Jason at 9:30 PM

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Front Beach Road CRA
Saturday August 11, 2007

This month's Friday at the Beach was held at the Edgewater Beach Resort yesterday and featured guest speakers Ben Faust from DRMP and Panama City Beach Planning Director Mel Leonard. The topic was the highly anticipated Front Beach Road CRA and details and updates.

CRA is short for Community Redevelopment Area and was created a couple of years ago because of the sprawling growth and development and concerns over whether the infrastructure in place could handle the automobile and pedestrian traffic in addition to the increase in strain to existing utilities infrastructure. The goal of the CRA is to not only increase the workability and viability of the infrastructure, but also to beautify the area and make it more pedestrian friendly and "walkable".

The first project to begin as part of the CRA is Churchwell Drive, by the post office on the beach. Faust said that this was the first, not because of priority, but because the FDOT funds were ready for that one, so they decided to begin. Included in this section of the CRA will be landscaping, underground utilities and 127 parking spaces for the public beach access. I could be wrong on this date, but scheduled completion is in the summer of 2008.

The official "ground-breaking" for the Bechrich Road CRA will be on September 12, 2007 with approximately a 22 month construction time. I don't have details as to what exactly this will involve, but I plan to stop by the DRMP office in the next couple of weeks. Currently they are working on getting some of the Edgewater property ready for these improvements.

In addition to the parcel purchased on Thomas Drive, the city is negotiating and preparing to purchase 8 other parcels on this section of Thomas Drive to help improve and prepare for the Multi modal Tram Station to go on the large parcel the link shows you above. They are also planning on having a separate Station on the west end of Panama City Beach around the Highway 79 area on the City Hall Campus. Faust mentioned that in the designing of the East End Multi modal Station, that they recognize that it needs to be more than just a tram station, it needs to be a place where people will want to gather and it has got to offer amenities that people will use and enjoy in addition to being beautiful.

The actual Front Beach Road planning is done with approval for the first phase to go before the city next month. The "typical" Front Beach Road layout will the the 100' width streetscape example with a Tram pullout lane, pedestrian walkways and bike paths on either side of the road way. Although, now that I think about it, I don't know that most of the roadway will be like the 66' wide example, with the 100' wide example representing what the roadway will look like periodically at Tram stops.

The end result will feature walkways all along Front Beach Road, landscaping to accentuate the roadways and beautify the pedestrian experience and bike and transit lanes so that people will be able to move up and down the beach without their cars, I can't wait.

For updates visit PCBOnTheMove.com

Pictures from the event.

Posted by Jason at 4:30 PM

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Market Updates, More Positive Agents
Thursday August 9, 2007

John Skinner, a local agent also known as the "Condo Man" was kind enough to allow me to post his monthly newsletter providing some current data on sold pre-construction condos.

As of right now, he indicates that the MLS shows:

• 188 active 1 bedroom gulf front condos
• 326 active 2 bedroom gulf front condos
• 134 active 3 bedroom gulf front condos
• 32 active 4 bedroom gulf front condos
• 86 sold 1 bedroom gulf front condos built 2003 - 2007 this year so far
• 188 sold 2 bedroom gulf front condos built 2003 - 2007 this year so far
• 41 sold 3 bedroom gulf front condos built 2003 - 2007 this year so far
• 9 sold 4 bedroom gulf front condos built 2003 - 2007 this year so far

This brings the total of new condos sold this year to 254. He also notes that the current inventory has gone down consistently since August 2006. (more)

I continue to get emails from agents telling their positive stories:

Posted by Jason at 7:30 AM

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Florida Home Insurance
Monday August 6, 2007

Despite promises of a new Governor, urgings, and passed bills, Florida home owners have yet to see any relief on their insurance premiums. Personally, my premium went up 33%, but from what I heard from readers and other locals, this is nothing. I talked with some whose premiums went up 100% and more. So far, the average final rate filing is at an increase of over 30% although the insurance commissioner's office has rejected these increases. The insurance companies seem to be having trouble making everything pencil with the estimated $40 billion paid out by insurance companies during the active hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, claiming that they still have to have enough cash on hand should we have another active hurricane season, despite how painful it may be to the wallets of the policy holders.

Posted by Jason at 7:30 AM

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Front Beach Road CRA
Friday August 3, 2007

As some of you may know, there is a CRA (community redevelopment area) for all of Front Beach Road. This was created to funnel some of the tax money from all the new condos into improving the infrastructure. Planned is a complete reworking of all of Front Beach Road, along with many of the feeder streets as well. The vision seems awesome and will certainly be beautiful when it is done. I'm just wondering when it WILL be done.

I've seen little activity other than the Churchwell Drive improvements. I think the answer may be that they will start on another project when they complete Churchwell Drive, but I don't understand why that can't start other projects more immediately. If someone has some insight to this, or more information, that would be great.

PCBOnTheMove.com seems to have some pretty good information, but it is a little vague. I sent an email to info@pcbonthemove.com asking for more specifics on project information, including projected start and end dates. I got no response last time I sent them an email, so hopefully they'll respond this time.

The plans for the redevelopment of Front Beach Road include an expansion of the road way to a combination of 66' wide and 100' wide road ways with three lanes and a dedicated tram/bike lane on each side. There is a planned multi-modal tram station proposed at the east end of Front Beach Road, just down from Walmart.

At the web site, there is a short movie showing and explaining what the new Front Beach Road will be like. All in all, it is going to be a great thing, I'm just a little impatient, and want it now.

Posted by Jason at 8:00 AM

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