Year: 2009

Free Fishing Seminar: June 27th

Sunjammers Watersports is holding a FREE fishing seminar on Saturday June 27th.

Whether you’ve been fishing since you could hold a rig or still have trouble figuring out when and what lure or bait to use, you should stop by the free fishing seminar hosted by Sunjammers Watersports. This seminar is a family friendly clinic on all there is to know about fishing from tying knots to casting nets. It’s open to the public and totally free, so grab your pole and tackle box and head out to Sunjammers Watersports.

Seminar will run from 10:00am – 2:00pm

Clinic schedule
10:00 – 10:45 knot and rigging.
11:00- 11:45 cast net throwing.
12:00 – 12:30 picking out your gear.
12:45- 2:00 working lures to catch trout and reds.

Sunjammers Watersports is located 315 N Hwy 79 Panama City Beach, Florida 32413. For more information on the clinic call 850) 235-2281.

More on Sunjammers

“The Sunjammers Crew has been helping watersport enthusiasts buy the right gear and more affordable equipment since 1999.  Even before we opened Sunjammers our love and passion of the water extents to the mid 1970’s.  Sunjammers strives for happy customers that refer their friends.   Sunjammers doesn’t “upsell” we sell you the gear you need at a price that won’t “sink” your wallet.  A lot of our Florida customer base stops by occasionally and joins us for an afternoon sail or early morning kayak fishing trip on the local emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico.   So visit our ever changing online store and feel free to call or email us with any questions.  If you ever in the neighborhood, stop by our Panama City Beach location,  kick up your feet and let’s talk fishing and sailing!”

PC Airport Construction Update – PHOTOS

The new Panama City Airport is less than 12 months from completion and the on site action is really accelerating.  With new construction milestones being made on a weekly basis, new things seem to be growing out of the ground all the time.

The main 8,400 foot runway is 100% complete with final approval still pending from the FAA on the 10,000 foot extension.  I have no idea what the hold up is, only that I’ve been told that it is expected soon (they’ve been saying that for months!).  Once the approval comes in, however, construction of the runway extension will take less than 60 days.  They are also seeding and mulching the main access road for grass.   Sand is being installed on the bottom of Pond C.

The terminal construction is making great progress with the metal framing of the exterior walls in Area A on the 1st and 2nd floor helping to define the overall shape of the building.  The roof decking in Area A, B and a portion of C are almost complete.  The excavation for the pedestrian bridge construction has begun and the fire sprinkler installation in Area A (baggage claim area) has begun as well.

The existing terminal is just over 55,000 square feet.  The new terminal more than doubles the size at 120,000 square feet with ample room for ticket counters, baggage claim, TSA offices, and offices for the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau and a business center hosted by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

The air traffic control tower is growing with the structure over 100 feet tall.  The final tower will rise 15 stories into the sky.

Pet of the Week And Special for June!?

Pet of the Week: Mia

mia-in-sancutaryThis week’s pet is very special because she has been with us for months since she had babies. They all contracted an upper respiratory infection and were treated by Dr. Barr at Freeport Pet Clinic until they recovered. Mia is such a beautiiful, loving cat. She is definitely looking for a family that will let her be the only cat because she isn’t fond of other cats, and dogs aren’t her favorite animals. She is still mommy to all the babies in our sanctuary and is waiting for her forever family to take her home. She is already spayed and up-to-date on shots and ready to go home!

June is Adopt-A-Shelter Cat Month and we have a special offer. You can adopt a cat or kitten this month for $25.00 and a donation of cat litter. They have been completely vetted and will come with 1st and possibly 2nd shots, feline leukemia test, dewormed, spay/neuter certificate and rabies certificate.  It cost us much more to vet them, but we want to adopt our cats and kittens this month and join in helping more shelter cats find homes.

Friends of Bay County Animal Rescue is here to help the community and we would love for you to visit our site and call us or email if you have any questions about any of our pets. We also have a food bank for pets called Kritter Kupboard if you need temporary help with dog or cat food due to finances, as well as a low-cost spay/neuter program.

http://friendsofbcac.rescuegroups.com

Now Renting: Laketown Wharf

What was at one time riddled with controversy and held back by a cloud of uncertainty now has, what it would seem, a new and happy re-beginning.  Laketown Wharf, what was once dubbed Condo Canyon by its creator unaware of its negative connotations, is open for business and has 300 fresh new rentals available for rent to families who are traveling to Panama City Beach.

A breif summary:

Laketown Wharf was a victim of timing.  They pre-sold, they started building, the market tanked, very few actually closed.  With over 700 total condos, less than 50 condos fell into the hands of individual owners.  This threw the developer right in the middle of a very nasty spot, and the bank took the development over.

Fast-forward to today:

Sterling Resorts has been brought in by the bank to manage the hospitality side of the operation as the bank has smartly furnished 300 condos and made ready to rent to vacationers.  Sterling Resorts is known for managing (and being a part in the development of many) local resorts such as Sterling Breeze, Sterling Reef, Sterling Beach, Splash, and Reflections at Bay Point.  Having personally toured Sterling Beach, I’m well aware of their operation and excellent reputation for having some of the nicest properties around.

The furniture packages that were placed in the 300 condos were provided by Palette-Coastal and include many of the same furnishings used in Sterling Breeze.  I can’t attest to how it lives up to the kids, but I can say it looks fantastic.  From most of the condos, you have Gulf-views with plenty of space on the interior walkways to step outside and enjoy the view of the lake.  At night, the water show in synced with music and beautifully colored lights.

Laketown Wharf, despite all of the criticism (including me) is actually pretty cool.  With tons of amenities and a healthy supply of commercial space, the potential here can result in one of the best resorts in Panama City Beach.

Amenities include:

  • Five resort-style pools:
    • Zero-edge family pool, main level
    • Lagoon Pool on main level
    • Rooftop seasonally heated pool & spa with spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico, 10th floor
    • Large island pool on the lake
    • Kiddy interactive aqua play pool with delightful views of the beach, 4th floor
  • Steps away from the white sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico
  • Pristine freshwater lake
  • Over 52,000 sq. ft. lakefront boardwalk
  • Spectacular dancing-style lake fountains
  • Children’s playground overlooking the lake
  • Seasonal children’s activities
  • Fitness center
  • Meditation garden, 3rd floor
  • Port-a-corchere covered entry with stylish Welcome Center
  • Two covered multi-level parking garages
  • Convenience of nearby shopping, restaurants and attractions
  • Community management/security company on-site 24 hours
  • Complimentary guest parking

Be watching SeePCB.com for a full list and write up on this resort that will include a feature video on SeePCB TV later this summer.

Cut That Ribbon: The Palms is Now Open

palms15On Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Suite Hospitality, accompanied by both the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, cut the ceremonial ribbon on the new Palms Conference center, with plans to also cut into an under-appreciated business niche market on Panama City Beach.

Mayor Gayle Oberst and other officials were on hand to welcome the new addition to the Sleep Inn on the corner of Joan Avenue and Front Beach Road. With dozens in attendance, the ribbon cutting event turned into a nice social for everyone, as the facilities proved comfortably genial.

Previously the Mariner Restaurant, The Palms is an impressive 6,000 sq. ft. conference center, complete with outdoor patio and, the rather nicely appointed, Leaping Lizard Sports Bar, that has been revamped perfectly to suit meetings, seminars, wedding receptions and fundraisers. The Palms’ impact has been so well received that already, within a week of opening its doors, has been home to several seminars and has pre-booked weddings, Christmas parties and even a ballroom dancing event this July. What becomes apparent the moment you enter the Palms’ doors, is that it also fills the void of one of Panama City Beach’s most eschewed niches: the business traveler.

The facility at the new Palms Conference center lends well to every sort of endeavor requiring lots of space, food and a state-of-the-art sound system outfitted with projectors, surround sound and wireless internet. They offer in-house catering for events, prepared by local chef Dee Brown who, by Sales Manager Kathy Barrs’ account, makes “the best crab cakes on the beach. ” The layout of the building is broken into three large rooms, the largest of them able to seat 20 tables of 10 while the adjacent room provides additional seating or can be used as a buffet. The third room extends over to the Leaping Lizards sports bar. This addition, open to the public, has wall to wall 40-inch flat screens and an enormous 130-inch projection screen, for those who can’t miss a second of the game. If you’ve ever eaten at the Mariner Restaurant years back, you’ll notice immediately that the Leaping Lizard maintained the old nautical theme by keeping the infamous bar-top as well as the inlaid tables.

The Palms Conference Center and Leaping Lizard Sports Bar are both open to the public. For additional booking information please contact Kathy Barrs at 850-624-4150 or Kathy@suitehospitality.net

Episode #11 – 2 Bed Beachfront Condo for $234k

This week on The Beach Show we feature a super luxurious Wild Heron home that was just under contract and is back on the market, a great starter home in East Panama City Beach for less than $150k and a ready-to-use Gulf-front condo in the fabulous Majestic Beach Resort.

The Beach Show is your ONLY internet TV show all about Real Estate on Panama City Beach.

Remember, it doesn’t cost anything to work with us if you are a buyer.

Call us at 866-994-1770 to see these properties or for anything else you need regarding real estate in Panama City Beach.

Show Notes

Deal 1 – Super-Lux Wild Heron Home – HUGE

  • List Price: $450,000
  • Square Feet: 2,681
  • Price/SqFt: $167.85
  • 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bath
  • Built in 2006
  • This is the nicest home in Wild Heron that we’ve featured. Don’t be scared off by the price, if you’re in the market for top-of-the-line, with the best of everything, this is the home for you. With an elevator, two car garage, huge bedrooms, a dedicated study, tons of private space and an awesome wide open 3 door sliding glass door that opens up to a nature reserve, this is THE place to be if you are a high-end liver. This was under contract and has just come back on the market, it will not last long, Wild Heron is super hot right now being the ONLY neighborhood of this caliber available to Panama City Beach

Deal 2 – Move-in ready starter home for only$150k – only 4 blocks from the Gulf!

  • List Price: $149,500
  • Square Feet: 1,330
  • Price/SqFt: $112.41
  • 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
  • Built in 1982
  • This home has never been rented and was used as a weekend summer home for the current owners. This is not a short-sale or a foreclosure, but is priced to sell, heck, if it made it on here, then it’s got to be a screaming deal. The appliances are older, but everything seems to be working fine. The a/c was replace two years ago and the roof was replaced 4 years ago. The backyard is all sand, but with a reasonable offer, the seller will provide a sod allowance.

Deal 3 – 2 Bedroom 1,200 sf Gulf Front Condo for $234k

  • List Price: $234,900
  • Square Feet: 1,197
  • Price/SqFt: 196.24
  • 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
  • Built in 2005
  • Ok, just to clear up some confusion, the listing says this is a 3 bedroom, but the third bedroom is so small, I don’t want to call it that, just fyi. This condo is a foreclosure, but sure doesn’t seem like one. With travertine flooring, crown moulding and like new appliances, this thing is ready to go. In fact, I beleive this is the first foreclosure we’ve been into that you won’t have to do anything to start using. Situated on the Gulf, the views are amazing and the balcony is huge. This is a perfect opportunity to get into a Gulf-front condo for cheap. Majestic is an amazing resort with by far some of the best amenities on the beach: huge fitness room (over 50 Life Fitness cardio and weight-lifting machines), a huge theater room, dry sauna and steam room and 4 pools. Not to mention the location.

Call us at 866-994-1770 to see these properties or for anything else you need regarding real estate in Panama City Beach.

The Secret of What Your Home's Worth – REVEALED

I, like many other Realtors, send out a postcard when I sell a property proclaiming my excitement in hopes that someone will give me a call. Thankfully most of the people are sweet and just want some information, mostly on the value of their own home in that neighborhood and I am tickled to give them that information. This week I made a mistake. Although I knew better, I let a man convince me to give him a value of his home with only a little information. He was determined that I tell him what his house was worth sight unseen with little knowledge of his home other than the number of rooms and the year it was built. I kindly calculated what I thought it would be worth based on the homes that I know that have been selling and provided him a range of what I thought was reasonable. Apparently, I was WRONG, he did not like the number I gave him so that brings us to this weeks tip.

There are some things that your Realtor must know in order to give you an accurate value of your home. Doing it blindly over the phone is not the best bet and keep in mind it is every one’s best interest that she give you the right value. Realtors do not get excited about listing property – they love to sell it.

  1. Location: We have heard that one forever and it still remains one of the key factors in determining a homes value. For us at the beach, location to the beach and whether it is near a dedicated beach with easy access is a great factor as well. Also important is how many homes in your area are for ssle? How many are foreclosures? What is the general condition of the area? Are there high association fees in your area? If you live in an area with few houses for sale then you have a better chance typically of selling your home so make sure you ask your Realtor about the level of inventory in your neighborhood.
  2. Design, square footage and lot-size are all important to determine your homes value. Generally your Realtor will do a FREE Market analysis that will give you statistics of what the homes are selling for in your area and how long they have been on the market. If she is an active Realtor then she can give you a very good opinion of what your house will sell for but remember an estimate over the phone leaves her lacking vital information. PRICE is important today in that there are certain price categories that garner the greatest number of buyers.
  3. Loan availability and appraisals: Today more than ever it is important that buyers and sellers are aware if a property qualifies for a loan. Consumers are unaware that the type of property may determine whether a buyer can get a loan for that property. It is not safe to assume that if you qualify for a loan that qualifies the property as well. It is vital that you tell your lender what type of home you are considering and in the best case scenario have your Realtor send the mls listing to your lender that you are considering. Condos do NOT typically qualify in the same way a Detached single family home would and lots are an entirely different subject today.

There are many things to consider so please be patient with your Realtor and trust that she or he spends many hours working at her job and wants to provide you with good accurate information. Hey I did not even mention the economy because I figured you had enough to ponder for one week.

Of course I have to share the happy stuff as well because everyone that I talked to this week did not shoot the messenger. I got the sweetest note and flowers from a very kind lady that was grateful for me and that just made my day and made me think. . . I love this job I think I will stay.
Enjoy your week and be sweet to your Realtor!!!!!

Housing Starts Shoot UP 17%

Mortgage rates have eased somewhat this week as weakness in the stock market has translated into higher demand for bonds. Stocks have been hit by a renewed sense of uncertainty as investors wonder if the rally over the last several months has gotten ahead of the economic realities. A stock’s loss is a bond’s gain and the thirty-year fixed mortgage rate now stands at 5.50%. Fifteen year fixed rates are just below 5% at 4.875%. The jumbo market continues to be nearly non-existent with thirty year rates for loans over $417,000 back over 7% with no relief in sight.

More signs the housing market is stabilizing could be found in a report released by the Census Bureau that showed housing starts jumped 17.2% in May to an annualized pace of 532,000 after a revised estimate of 454,000 in April. The data also revealed that new building permits rose by 4% in May. Other news, on the economy as a whole, showed inflation at the wholesale level remains in check with the Producer Price Index rising by a modest .2% last month. Economists had expected a rise of three times that at .6%. Year over year, wholesale prices have fallen by 5% – the largest annual rate of price decline since 1949.

There is a lot of talk in the media about the fact that financing for real estate is so difficult to obtain these days and it is true that underwriting and credit standards have tightened significantly. Yet most of the difficulties lie in the second home, investor and condo markets. For primary residence purchasers buying single family detached homes, however, times could not be better. Low rates are still with us ( yes 5.50% is low) there is an $8,000 first –time buyer tax credit, home prices are their lowest in years and mortgage programs abound. FHA , Rural Development and VA loans are still extremely attractive options with relaxed down payment, credit, and debt ratio requirements and offer repeat and first-time buyers alike an opportunity to take advantage of the amazing deals to be found right now. I would be happy to explain these programs in detail with anyone interested.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-16

  • heading up to thomas donuts with wifey and one kiddy. #
  • mmmm, eating this German Pancake thingy that my wife made…. mmm, so good. #
  • Blog Post 5 Extreme Father’s Day Ideas on Panama City Beach: Happy Father’s Day
    1. Kayak Fishing .. http://tinyurl.com/laeo94 (via @seepcb) #
  • RT @pierpark we’re getting ready to go up to #Pier Park to see all the cool cars. pictures coming soon! #
  • Support our friends, BetsyAnn Riverboat http://ow.ly/dTJX #
  • Don’t forget to stop by the big top treats airstream trailer tonight in pier park. They open tonight for the first time #
  • Man its hot. #
  • Tons of people out at the summer concert series at pier park – Photo: http://bkite.com/08pA5 #
  • Already loves computers. At 6 mos old. That’s my boy! – Photo: http://bkite.com/08pkS #
  • Sneak peek new airstream snack shack at pier park – Photo: http://bkite.com/08p6P #
  • Jason at the end ofnthe new pier. http://twitpic.com/71qy2 #
  • Cebo and I on the new pier in panama city beach – Photo: http://bkite.com/08mE9 #
  • Going out onto the new pier. http://twitpic.com/71oz3 #

Dunkin Donuts Opens Wednesday

061509_dunkin

The highly anticipated maker of sweet round treats is all set to open this week as even today, excited teenagers train and eat donuts.  Dunkin Donuts on Panama City Beach has been under construction for a couple months, but “in the works for two years,” said owner, Bo Rivard.

Dunkin Donuts opens on Wedesday at 5 am serving all their donut and coffee goodness.

Located at the new Publix Shopping plaza at the intersection of R Jackson Blvd (formerly Bechrich Road) and Back Beach Road, the building is fresh and new and the donuts will be even fresher.