Year: 2010

It's Official: NW Florida Beaches International Airport Open For Business

ECP is officially opened for business, and ladies and gentleman, if you didn’t get to take a trip down to the new Northwest Florida International Airport this weekend, you missed one heck of a gala, complete with live music, food, a marching band and a pep rally-style arrival for those lucky few who were first to arrive at the new airport .

Big names were in attendance for the big weekend long event, including governor Charlie Crist, Senator George LeMieux, Senator Ben Nelson and other state an local dignitaries. There was even an invitation to President Obama. Continue reading “It's Official: NW Florida Beaches International Airport Open For Business” →

Keep On Selling Those Hot Dogs

Okay, I know you think Karen has finally lost it, talking about hot dogs in a Real Estate article!!! As you know I always base my articles on real life situations and questions that I am asked and I tend to keep it on the positive. Many people have come to me with great concern since the Oil Spill and have become gripped in fear of their investment and their career. While this has been a daunting and challenging situation, there is every reason to keep the enthusiasm for what is right in our world instead of focusing on the negative. I had many things to write about this week but thought it a great time to remind you of one of my all time favorite stories. Continue reading “Keep On Selling Those Hot Dogs” →

Homes Data Promising

The National Association of Homebuilders reported this week that their “Housing Market Index”, a survey among its members to quantify builder sentiment about the housing market, rose three points in May to 22. While this is still well below the 50 mark which indicates builders feel optimistic about the housing market, it is the highest reading since August of 2007. It has not been above 50 since April of 2006. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported that new home construction soared in April – up nearly 41% from the same moth last year. The number of starts in April was also 5.8% higher than the previous month. The number of applications for new building permits actually fell for the month – down 11.5% from March. April 2010 applications were, however, still nearly 16% higher than the same month in 2009. Continue reading “Homes Data Promising” →

Walton County Resolves to Oppose Offshore Drilling in the Gulf

One of the best ways to show  support for our beautiful beaches is to encourage the city council, county commission and other local organizations to pass a resolution opposing drilling off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

On April 30th, Walton Area Chamber of Commerce did just that and threw its support behind a proposed Constitutional Amendment banning the offshore drilling practices off Florida’s coast, which have the potential to threaten the economy of Northwest Florida. Here’s the resolution in its entirety.

Click to download larger file

Video Preview of New Airport

Having been under construction for two and a half years, the new airport in Panama City is finally about to open.  Dubbed Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, the new facility boasts the title of being the first commercial airport build in the U.S. since 9/11.  Not only is the new airport expected to change the dynamics of travel to our area, many are expecting increased growth and prosperity that would have been difficult to realize without this new addition to our area.

The grand opening ceremonies are this weekend with the airport being open to the public on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm.  But, if you can’t wait, here is a video of the new airport.

The Treasure Ship – An Update

After last month’s devastating fire at Panama City Beach’s Treasure Ship, there’s still no real news to speak of, or plans for the future of this beloved landmark. I spoke to Lisa Todd, Treasure Ship owner, who said that basically it’s just too early to know anything yet. Workers are currently removing the damaged sections of the structure to make sure that it is safe and that nothing is left precariously perching, plus carpets and ceilings are being ripped out.

The process will likely take months, and then engineers will look closely at the ship and make sure it is all structurally sound. Only then will a decision be made about the future of the Treasure Ship. “We’ve been here for 32 years and and it’s hard to let go” says Todd, “but life goes on.”

Members of the community wanting to help can do so by visiting the Treasure Island Marina and supporting the charter boats that are open and ready for business. In addition, from this Friday, May 21st, the gift shop will be open and selling Treasure Ship merchandise at 25-50% off.

Rural Development – Good News/ Bad News

As a flood of first-time homebuyers rushed to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit the Rural Development program has been strained to the limit with a year’s allocation of funds expected to be depleted sometime tomorrow. There has been little interest in Congress to extend funding and it now appears that without a last minute vote to re-fund the program, Rural Development will be out of funds on Wednesday. This will leave lenders with only the ability to secure “conditional commitments” from Rural Development. Continue reading “Rural Development – Good News/ Bad News” →