Tag: panama city beach

You Tell Us: Spring Break, To Be or Not To Be?

Let me preface this post by saying spring break isn’t just some event that can be shut off or closed down. It is a period of time in which students are on break from school, and they crave the leisure and activity of a tourist destination.  Regardless, college age kids on spring break will want to come to the beach.  We are a destination, and we’re attractive to those wanting to get away from their norm.

Now that I got that out of the way. . .

The activity on the beach the last few weeks has spurred a variety of appearances of our little beach town in national news outlets, all referencing spring break.  Local Mayoral candidates are using it to strengthen their position in the race, and locals all around seem to be furious about trashed beaches, too much traffic and a damaged perception of what they desire Panama City Beach to be.

Just two of the articles Panama City Beach has shown up on USA Today’s Travel section read, “Florida spring break mecca conflicted over its wild image“, and “The 10 trashiest spring break destinations“.  Of course, the later, when read, defines “trashiest” as a positive term, which for many, is equally as troubling.

Now, I’ve heard all the arguments from the businesses that seemingly do exceptionally well during this period, the businesses that heavily cater to this type of crowd.  And I’ve heard the arguments from others who claim Spring Break is 35% of the annual revenue here.  And while that may be the case for some, it’s certainly not the case for our rental properties.  If I did rent to the college kids (which I don’t, with the exception of a very few), it would still only account for about 1/6th of our total annual revenue and still wouldn’t be worth the headaches.

You’re the pundit – tell us your opinion on Spring Break

It seemed like a couple years ago we were trying to move away from the image we seem to be entrapped in again.

So I’d like to open this up to you.  You’ve been down here, you’ve read the articles, what do you think about the spring break activity we’ve had in Panama City Beach?

What do you think this activity will do to our image?

Do you think this will have a lasting impact on how our summer tourists look at our area?

Do you think we are making some summer tourist sacrifice to have a “good spring break?”

Bonus – Pictures from Spring Break Past

5 Reasons Why I love Short Sales!!!!

Short sales have gotten a really bad rap and I am hear to proclaim my Love for short sales but mostly in keeping with the old Song, “Love the one yours With”  Short sales are here to stay for a while and instead of lamenting about the evils and perils inherent in them we might as well just lean to embrace them.  I have learned to appreciate and celebrate the good stuff and so in case you are not yet convinced let me tell you why.

1.  Short sales are a means to help owners get out of an underwater property with some of their dignity and some of their credit in tact. When you have a home that is worth 200,000 and you owe 500,000 and your income is a fraction of that you need some answers.  A short sale will usually be a less ding on your credit than a Foreclosure.

2.  Short sales are better for the neighborhood.  Short sales tend to impact a neighborhood less than several foreclosed properties hitting the market.  Foreclosures generally bring less money thus driving the prices down even further in an already depressed community. There is also more of a psychological negative with a foreclosure in the consumers eyes.

3.  There are many programs out there for consumers such as Co Op  programs, Cash for Keys, HAFA  among others that may allow homeowners to actually do a short sale of their home and receive a check at closing.  I actually did a short sale recently and the homeowner got a check for 1,000 dollars at the closing table that helped with their move.  Check with your favorite Realtor to see if you qualify for any of the programs out there.

4.  Right now and for the rest of this year you are able to do a short sale without a tax implication if it is your homestead.  There is no guarantee after 2013.

5.  Another plus for us Agents is obvious!!! What in the world would we have sold this year if not for short sales???? I know that I said not too many years ago….”Yuck I will never do short sales they are so hard to get closed!!!” Needless to say I changed my tune and have gladly helped customers close them on the listing and the buying side.

This is my short list for why I love Short Sales but if I really share my heart my biggest reason is to hear the sigh of relief and the smiles on the faces of my customers when we come to the end of that chapter in their lives.  It is important to remember all the people that have been so impacted by our changing economy and the fear that has gripped those whose lives have been forever changed.  When the day is done and the sale is complete the homeowner can start over and get his life back on the path that is moving in a positive direction.  Although simple this list…. it can be daunting so my advice is to grab your favorite Realtor and ask some questions and see if you too can fall in love with Short Sales!!!!

“The only people we have to get even with are those that have helped us”  Thankfully my list is long.

Karen Key Smith

 

Pier Park Easter Egg Scramble This Weekend

Every year parents and kids come out en masse to shuffle in age-specific groups after a bunch of fun-filled eggs.  The event has evolved over the years, but it’s still a blast and the kids are rewarded with all sorts of neat treats.  The event happens annually at Miracle Strip at Pier Park and this year will start at high noon.

Details about the event.

Date: Saturday April 7, 2012

Start time: High Noon

Location: Miracle Strip at Pier Park

Cost: $0

The scramble will be broken into 3 age groups: 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10.

 

Giveaway – Win 2 Four-Day Passes to Seabreeze Jazz Fest

We’ve talked about this year’s line-up to the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, we’ve gone over the full event schedule and we just talked about some fascinating stats on this absolutely wonderful event.  So, you have no excuse to NOT go this year.  And now, we’re going to make going one step easier by doing an awesome giveaway!

We’ve done TONS of giveaways in the past and this time around, we’re going to make increasing your chances of winning even easier!

But first, let’s discuss what we’re giving away.

What we are giving away.

For this giveaway, we are giving away 2 four-day passes to the 2012 Seabreeze Jazz Festival.  To be specific, there are 2 tickets for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Each four-day pass is worth retail $200.  However, each single day individual ticket is worth retail $80.

So, this could be a $400 value or you could look at it as a $640 value.  Whichever makes you feel better! 🙂

Here is the very abbreviated event schedule:

  • Thursday – Gates open at 5 pm
  • Friday – Gates open at 5 pm
  • Saturday – Gates open at 10 am
  • Sunday – Gates open at 10 am
Multiple ways to enter.

Well, we’re all social people, right?  Our Facebook page is one of the most active in the area with over 14,000 Likes.  Our Twitter feed has almost 3,500 followers.  So, in addition to opening this up here on PCBDaily.com, in the comments section (like we’ve traditionally done), we’re opening this up to our Facebook page and Twitter followers.

Here are the ways you can win:

  • Comment below about your past Jazz Fest experiences or future Jazz Fest wishes.
  • Share this post on Facebook and Tag PCBDaily in the post. Here is the url for this contest: http://www.pcbdaily.com/win-2012-seabreeze-jazz-tickets
    • Or, you can just click the Share button to the left. 😉
  • Share the Facebook post we put on our Facebook page.
  • Tweet this: Win Free Seabreeze Jazz Fest Tix from @pcbdaily at http://goo.gl/RA0ZX
  • Or click this button:
One more way to get free tickets.

You can enter, but you leave getting free tickets up to the odds of winning.  But, for a limited quantity, if you book a beach condo with us on a three night minimum for that weekend we’ll give you 2 four-day passes too! In case you hadn’t noticed, we have Panama City Beach Luxury Properties and we’re booking up fast for that weekend!

So, just to summarize.  If you book a condo with us and stay with us for at least 3 nights, we’ll give you 2 four-day passes to the Seabreeze Jazz Festival!  This is a steal, especially if you’re coming down here anyway.  And if you’re local, it’s a great excuse to get out of the house for the weekend!

Rules and other details.
  • Each entrant can enter once and only once (we can verify this by ip AND cookies) and must use a valid first name and email address if they enter in comments below.
  • Contest begins when this post is published and ends on Friday, April 6, 2012 at 5 p.m. CST.
  • We will be doing the drawing regardless of how many people enter.
  • A winner will be chosen at random.  There will be 1 winner total.
  • By entering you are opting in to receive future newsletters and emails from PCBDaily and you are opening yourself up to the greatest resource for news and information Panama City Beach has to offer.
  • If you are selected and you do not respond to our email notifying you of winning 48 hours of the contest ending, then we reserve the right to either keep the prize for another giveaway in the future or award the prize to another entrant.
  • If you are selected from an entrant through either Facebook or Twitter and you do not respond to our notifications and contact attempts within 48 hours of the contest ending, the again, we reserve the right to either keep the prize for another giveaway in the future or award the prize to another entrant.
  • This giveaway is open to anyone in the continental United States.
  • We will not ship or mail the tickets, they must be picked up at our office listed below.
  • Our office address is 12118 Panama City Beach Parkway, Suite 10, Panama City Beach, FL  32407
  • Read full rules here.

Have you seen the water? It’s simply amazing.

The last couple days, the water has been crystal clear and emerald green.  And of course, complimented with deep blue skies and 80 degree weather, it’s been perfect for going to the beach!

Our friends over at PCBLP (me, hehe) shot this video earlier today on their iPhone in front of one of their west end vacation rentals.

Isn’t the water just amazing?

Seriously, it’s days like today that remind us why we live here, and why many of you come here year after year.

2011 Seabreeze Jazz Fest Stats

Year over year, since the Jazz Fest has come to Panama City Beach, the event has grown and drawn a sophisticated audience to the beach.  Many of the attendees upon their first event, had never been here before.  And many have a pattern of returning every year and at other times of year as well.

We recently had a discussion with Mark and Renee Carter, the event promoters, about the growth and success of the event.

Stats
  • Festival attendance topped 25,000 (includes dinner cruise, Meet- and Greet, Kick off concert, and all shows at Pier Park)
  • Named “Top 10 Jazz Festival in the USA” by JazzIZ Magazine
  • Named “Top 100 Event by the North American Tour Bus Association”
  • Demographic is 30-54 years old affluent adults, college-educated, professionals earning $100,000+ annually. Many attendees earn in excess of $250,000+.
  • 65% of tickets sold were outside the State of FL.
  • Most stay on an average of 4 nights.
  • Resorts such as Sterling and Resort Quest have tracked jazz festival attendees returning multiple times per year on vacation after the jazz festival is done.
  • The 2011 event created a $14.2 million impact to Panama City Beach and Bay County according to the HAAS Center at the University of West Florida Small Business Developmental Center.
  • Seabreeze Jazz Festival was #1 ticketed paid event in Bay County for 2011 in gross receipts and top gross receipts for a single event (Pollstar.com) with close to $1 million in ticket sales.
  • In 2011 — tickets were sold in 48 of the 50 states in the USA and 6 different countries.
  • Over 1 million hits to the festival website April 2011.
  • Music Scholarships, jazz band clinics, and instrument purchases were incorporated into the 2011 event with participating from Arnold High School in PCB and South Walton High School in Santa Rosa Beach.
  • Seabreeze Jazz Festival always offers free admissions to all local band students who wear their band shirt to the front gates.
  • WSBZ-FM 106.3 in Destin, FL is one of only 12 full-time smooth jazz radio stations in the USA.
Two ways to get free tickets

You want to know something awesome?  We’ve worked out a special deal to do a ticket giveaway and offer some free tickets to those that book their stay through us as well.

We’re going to do a ticket giveaway later this week, where we’ll give away 2 four-day passes to one lucky winner!  This is a $400 value!

Keep your eyes peeled!

Walmart Plans Moving Forward

With a ground-breaking date still having not been announced, the plans for the whole development have been released for bid.  The plans are telling as to the type of store we’ll see and it’s nothing short of exciting for me!

With the Target renovations coming online in the next few days, the new Walmart will definitely give them a run for the money, when they get opened.

Remember, the original projections for the new Walmart predict a ground breaking this spring and about a 12 month construction time.  However, as of this post, there hasn’t been any dirt moved yet.

What the plans tell us.

The plans that are available tell us everything from the orientation of the building to the types of sections that exist in side.

Looking at the plans, we have reason to expect the general look and feel will be consistent with Pier Park.  We already know the size of the store will be around 70% the size of the Walmart Super Center at the intersection of Middle Beach and Front Beach Roads, or 156,000 square feet.

Looking at the plans, we see a full bakery section, deli (with display coolers), fresh produce, garden center, and other general areas you’d expect to find in a Walmart.

So far, it is looking like an exact replica of the other Walmart, just smaller.

Full Event Schedule for the 2012 Seabreeze Jazz Festival

The Seabreeze Jazz Festival is coming up in a few short weeks, can you hear those sweet tunes yet?  I sure can.  In years past, we’ve attended this amazing event, shot tons of fun pictures and brushed shoulders with the best in the Jazz.  This year will be the same, and we’re looking forward to good weather, a great lineup and an amazing weekend.

Full schedule of events

Wednesday April 18th

  • SMOOTH JAZZ DINNER CRUISE presented by ResortQuest featuring Brian Culbertson
  • The Lady Anderson Dinner Yacht, Panama City Beach
  • 6:30pm Boarding
  • 7pm-10pm – Sailing the waterways

Thursday April 19th – 3pm FREE EVENT

  • Seabreeze Jazz Festival Kickoff Party
  • Featuring Urban Jazz Coalition and Friends
  • Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville in Pier Park – Panama City Beach, FL

Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater

  • (Gates open at 5 pm)
  • 6PM – The Seabreeze Groove Project” featuring Four 80 East, Matt Marshak, and Shilts
  • 8PM – “R n R” featuring Richard Elliot and Rick Bruan

Friday  April 20th

Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater

  • (Gates open at 5 pm)
  • 6PM Vincent Ingala and Chris Geith  (Seabreeze Rising Stars)
  • 7:15pm Urban Jazz Coalition
  • 8:30pm Brian Culbertson

After Party

  • 10:30pm Seabreeze After Party Jam – hosted by Nick Collione
  • Reggae J’s at Pier Park sponsored by Smooth Jazz.com

Saturday April 21st

Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater

  • (Gates open at 10 am)
  • 11:30am Down To The Bone
  • 1:30pm Jazz In Pink featuring Cindy Bradley, Althea Rene, Karen Briggs, Gail Jhonson, Mariea Antoninette, and others
  • 3:30pm Nick Colionne
  • 5:30pm Seabreeze Smooth Jazz All Stars featuring Eric Darius, Brian Simpson, Maysa, and Phil Perry
  • 8PM Fourplay

After Party

  • 10:30pm Seabreeze After Party Jam – hosted by Brian Culbertson
  • Reggae J’s at Pier Park sponsored by Smooth Lounge.com

Sunday April 22nd

Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater

  • (Gates open at 10 am)
  • 11:30am Alexander Zonjic and Jeff Lorber
  • 1pm Street Corner Renaissance
  • 2pm Mindi Abair featuring Jeff Golub and David Pack
  • 4pm Trombone Shorty
  • 6pm Dave Koz
Ticket pricing and where to buy

Tickets

  • Seabreeze Jazz Dinner Cruise — $145 per person SOLD OUT
  • Four day pass — $200 per person
  • Three day pass — $150 per person
  • Single day pass — $80 per person
  • VIP four day pass — $575 per person SOLD OUT
  • VIP four day reserved table for 10 — $7000 per table

Chair Rental

  • All weekend — $45
  • Single day — $15
For more information about the tickets, what you get for the price and where to buy, visit Seabreezejazzfestival.com/tickets

The festival promoters have said that no coolers are allowed, just a small, personal insulated tote no more than 12 inches high.  They’ve stated that no alcohol is permitted and attendees have their chairs out of their bags upon entry.

Bonus – Pictures from last year

Frank Brown Park Playground gets New Surface

In what was a badly pitted, scared and bruised playground surface, the Frank Brown Park Playground safety surface has finally been replaced.  When they first opened the playground in 2000, it was celebrated and welcomed.  Over the years it’s been heavily used, and I for one have been there like a million times.

What’s new

You may remember how battered the previous safety surface was.  Well, that’s gone and a new one has been installed.  And it looks beautiful.  The material is padded and protects against falls and injury.

The old one looked patched and dingy, but the new one looks cohesive and has that new padded-surface-smell.

They also replaced the fencing around the outside of the playground and replaced the table tops for the picnic benches.

The refurbished park should be open on Friday!