Housing starts, down almost 12% from February are the lowest they’ve been in 17 years. With 947,000 starts, building permits were also down to 927,000, from 984,000 in February.
The nationwide foreclosure rate is up 57% from last March with nearly 235,000 homes hit with foreclosure filings last month alone. Of this number, 51,393 homes were actually lost to foreclosure with “1 in every 538 households being affected by a filing in March.” (The Business Journal of Phoenix)
Over the weekend I was reading a fascinating article in Wired Magazine that explained that although many may think the idea of free municipal-sponsored wifi networks was dead, it was actually becoming a reality any many large and small cities alike.
The idea came a couple of years ago, from google, to set up free city-wide wireless networks all across the country. The idea, of course, came with much criticism and concern from the big tel-com companies out of fear they would eventually lose the market or become obsolete. The cost would be offset by advertising.
I actually hadn’t heard much about it is a while, but apparently San Francisco (the pioneer city), Chicago, and Atlanta just to name a few are in the process of getting this. In addition, Cupertino, CA, Athens, GA, and Ft. Lauderdale are up and running. Can any of our readers in these area verify this and give us feedback as to how this works?
I was surprised to see that among the “little” cities that was functioning was Panama City with a mark on the map to verify its location. I like to consider myself somewhat on the up-and-up, but I stay busy so maybe I missed something. I called around to the City of Panama City, the City of Panama City Beach, Callway and Lynn Haven, and all of them answered the question with a pause and a belittling “no, I mean, we have a router in city hall, but I don’t think it will go across the whole city.”
After doing a little research, I found cnet.com had a map that supposedly shows all the municipalities that offer free wifi city-wide. Panama City is on that map too.
Interesting. I wonder where they are getting their information.
An article in the News Herald this morning reported on a case before the Florida Supreme Court addressing the Walton County beach renourishment efforts. As the article reads, property owners are suing to prevent this and it may cause renourishment efforts to be their responsibility when they want to do it and how much effort/money they want to put into it.
The argument is that it may be the “unconstitutional taking of private property from beach-front homeowners.” Am I reading this wrong? Beach renourishment, in my opinion is a great thing for the property owners. As a property owner on the beach, why would I not want this? If I had 100 feet of beach in between my home and the water, and now I had 50 feet, I would want back that extra 50 feet.
I know the beach restoration project in Walton County has had problems in the past, with concerns of the sea turtle nests.
As reported, if the renourishment is found unconstitutional, the property owners would have the responsibility to cover the restoration costs.
Early voting starts Monday with polls to open April 22, 2008.
Panama City Beach Candidates:
Council Ward 2
Council Ward 4
Has the real estate market nationwide hit bottom? I hear Realtors all the time say that business is picking up for them. In addition, I was looking through the New York Times Real Estate section, and not one article in the 18+ articles posted was negative. Not one article was telling of how we are all doomed to suffer endless real estate woes for the next million years or that prices have dropped again for the umpteenth time.
The National Association of Realtors is predicting a “notable improvement” in the real estate market in the second half of 2008. Lawrence Yun, cheif economist for the NAR, said “Existing home sales could start to show a sustained increase within a few months, unless there are some additional economic problems or excessive inflationary pressure,” he said. “We’re looking for essentially stable sales in the near term, before higher mortgage loan limits translate into more sales in high-cost markets. The wider access to affordable credit should increase sales activity notably this summer as pent-up demand begins to be met.”
Yea I know, I should have posted this earlier, but I’ve been swamped with a new project at work. This weekend is the 10th annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam.
From MrSurfs.com:
Event Organizers: Tony & Lib Johnson 7220 Thomas Drive, PCB FL 32408 (850)235-2702
Location: Edgewater Beach Resort 11212 Front Beach Road
Dates: April 11th (OPEN SKIM MEET)
April 12th & 13th actual Days of Competition
FREE TO PUBLIC!!!
Activities include:
– The “10th Annual Zap Pro/Am Spring Skim Jam” – Northwest Florida’s largest national skim board competition featuring the best Pro & Amateur skimboarders from around the world
– Panama Jack’s Lil’ Sandiggers Treasure Hunt – A treasure hunt in the sand for kids 11 & under
– Other family fun-filled activities on the beach!
Proceeds to SKIM USA & Boys & Girls Club of Frank Brown Park
Continue reading “10th Annual Mr. Surf's Skim Jam this Weekend”
At the intersection of Thomas Drive and Magnolia Beach Road (the road that takes you to Bay Point) the new Publix has finally opened. In the mid to late 1990’s, Delchamps was the resident grocer there.
The shopping center was purchased in 2005 and renovations began early last year. The whole facade was completely redone and the spot where the Delchamps was placed was completely demolished. The Publix is brand new, from the dirt up.
Continue reading “New Publix Opened in place of old Delchamps”
Pier Park North is getting close with the interiors being fitted in many of the retailers. Old Navy should be opening in the next couple of weeks. Landscape crews are working tirelessly to finish off the landscaping with many of the retention ponds being dressed up.
Pennsylvania-based home builder, Toll Brothers, agrees the real estate market is still soft in many areas, but seems to have bottomed out in other areas.
Quote:
Only 5 of the 9 board members were present. Absent were Mike Nelson, Mayor Oberst, Yonnie Patronis, and Rick Russell.
College Spring Break Marketing
Although President Dan Rowe previously advised the Board that he would be asking them to consider their plans for 2009 at this meeting, he is now suggesting that the subject be postponed until the May meeting. Rowe explained that he would like to wait until the research and bed tax data is available for March.
While I understand Rowe’s reasoning, there is now a problem. Some Board and Marketing Committee members have previously suggested that the TDC/CVB should, at a minimum, discontinue direct funding of a College Spring Break marketing program. If implemented, this would still allow a co-op to request special event advertising support from the Board. However, the CVB’s Special Events Advertising Policy and Procedure requires that an application be filed by June 1, 2008. It would be difficult for an application to be prepared between the May 13th Board meeting and the June 1st deadline. I had hoped that the Board would have officially voted to give notice that 2009 College Spring Break funding might be discontinued at this meeting. As it stands now, the College Spring Break interests could claim that they had insufficient time to prepare a potential Special Event funding request.
Continue reading “Notes and Comments from the TDC/CVB Board Meeting 4/8/08”
PCBDaily 