So you want to live on the Coast!

For many of us our dream is to find a place where we could smell the salt water, hear the waves, walk the beach, fish, and or simply be inspired by nature or the architecture of an area. Whatever sort of creature you are, find you. Then, search for that dreamy place.

Coastal Living, “the magazine for people who love the coast”, keeps you in touch with that dream. In the April 2005 issue, William G. Scheller gives readers an excellent article on defining “what sort of creature you are” and which coastal areas would satisfy your style.

So let’s see what your coastal personality is. Our beloved Forgotten Coast, although not as well known as the towns and cities cited in this article, meets the criteria for five out of seven “coastal personalities”.

Beach Bums: folks whose idea of something to do is doing nothing in particular.

Water Bugs: active types, happiest when in the water, or under it.

Nature Lovers: always have their binoculars handy, and love nothing more than communing with the wilderness on a pristine headland or crescent of sand.

The Boat Crew: has to get out on the sea, by motor, sail or paddle.

Fishing Buddies: the serious offshore fisherman; prowling the surface of a great trove of dinners and trophies.

I have news for you; all of the above personalities can find a home in our area. The Forgotten Coast has a slow pace of life and an abundance of waterways: the Gulf of Mexico, St. Joseph Bay, Indian Pass Lagoon, the Intracoastal Waterway, and numerous lakes. Sailing, kayaking, scalloping, boating are mostly non-commercialized. The area is mostly untouched by development with several parks, conservation areas, several wild life refuges, and we can’t forget Port St. Joe being a bird sanctuary. Surf fishing and bay fishing are family pastimes. There are more or less a dozen charter companies that specialize in offshore fishing.

The other two personalities, Cultured Pearls and Golf Club, may find that we do have in Apalachicola some of what the Cultured Pearls are seeking, and if the Golf Club types can be happy with just the game, we have two local golf courses, St. Joe Bay Country Club and St. James, with others to follow in the future. Yet, for now, we are still an area with great growth potential.

Living well means nurturing your life and style; we offer a unique blend of life and style for the taking.  We offer great appeal for the second home or vacation owner looking for the periodic refuge from the hustle and bustle of more cosmopolitan concrete jungles.

 
Florida's Forgotten Coast PLEIN AIR Invitational coming soon! 

Watch the artists at work, attend a demostration, an exhibit or social and visit the wetroom for an opportunity to purchase exceptional works of art.  Plein Air Paint-Out event is a celebration of art and culture meant to educate, entertain and inspire residents and visitors. Come and see it! For details contact Gulf Alliance for the Local Art www.gulfalliance.org  www.Pleinairfl.com or 800-378-8419

What is a Short-Sale?

 "A short sale is a sales transaction in which the seller's mortgage lender agrees to accept a payoff of less than the balance due on the loan," according to the California Association of REALTORS®. "A short sale may or may not involve a property in foreclosure." 
It can help in many cases to avoid and stop foreclosure and prevent serious damage to your credit record.

Short Sale Advantages

Short sales appear on your credit report as "pre-foreclosure in redemption", not as "debt discharged due to foreclosure"

Less impact on your credit score

All mortgage debt is fully discharged

Source: Dual upside to foreclosure alternative, (The Early Show (CBS), June 21, 2007).
 

Short Sales can only be considered during the pre-foreclosure period and the following has to occur first:

1)       Stop making payments on your mortgage

2)       You still own the property

3)       You can prove you are experiencing hardship

Here is the process of selling your property thru a Short-Sale:

1)       Know the current market value of your property. Check with your realtor, if               you have it listed, for an updated market value.

2)       Once a written offer comes in, review all closing cost, and check with the                 broker or title company for an estimated closing cost or HUD1.

3)       Contact your lender and get your broker to handle the negotiations. In most    cases the lender will pay for the commissions.

4)       Have an open communication with your lender. The lender could work with      you in reducing the amount owed or making arrangements to avoid     foreclosures.

5)       Most lenders will require that you list your property for sale, and look to the    brokers involved to see if they are willing to make concessions.

6)       Once the offer is approved by the lender, the property will close.                           

Keep in mind our team of agents is trained to handle short-sales and foreclosures; contact us with your comments and questions.  

The Next Great Growth Region of Florida

Centers on the Central Counties of Northwest Florida: Bay, Walton, Washington, Holmes, Jackson Calhoun and Gulf ( Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass & St Joe Beach Area).

Among the major infrastructure being re-designed for the growth is the Panama City-Bay County International Airport which was recently contracted to sell to a subsidiary of Leucadia National Corporation of New York (NYSE:LUK) for $56.5 million plus transfer fees. The contract is considered the final step in plans to relocate the airport to northwest Bay County. The Airport Authority anticipates the completion to be late 2009 early 2010. Leucadia, a diversified holding company, developed Rosemanry Beach and Draper Lake in Northwest Florida. 

The time to explore the region and invest for the future is now!

IT IS TIME TO BUY!

Improving conditions in the mortgage market bode well for the housing sector in 2008, according to National Association of Realtors’ latest outlook, including a widening availability of credit at historically favorable mortgage rates and jumbo mortgage rates that have improved since August. National Association of Realtors’ latest predictions include:

Existing-home sales: 5.78 million in 2007, rising to 6.12 million next year, in contrast with 6.48 million in 2006.

30-year FRM: Average 6.4 percent for the next two quarters and edging up to the 6.6 percent range in the second half of 2008.

Existing-home prices: Down 1.3 percent to a median of $219,000 in 2007 before rising 1.3 percent next year to $221,800.

New-home prices: Down 2.1 percent to $241,400 this year, and then increasing 1.0 percent in 2008 to $243,900.”

Above taken from Headlines, a weekly news service of the National Association of Realtors, Volume 12 Issue 25, and October 15, 2007.

Another article by Liz Pulliam Weston exclusive columnist on MSN Money talks about the “The Next Hot Housing Markets” defining again the elements that makes it and, how to approach the study of them. Follow the link below for the entire article.  http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/Homebuyingguide/P129581.asp 

The Forgotten Coast market has the basic elements: (1) Location for a sound real estate investment. We have pristine beaches, a fisherman’s paradise, small town with no high rise buildings, pet friendly beaches / vacation rental homes, quaint and selected shopping areas, affordable beach homes, coastal bungalows, and most important…not overdeveloped. (2) Below average prices for “detached” beach front homes and lots. Appreciation in this market was steady from 1995-2005 (low teens to up to 30%+ in 2005) and with up to 50% reductions on 2005 prices now it is the time to get in it.  

As Donald Trump advised in “The Billionaire Inside” on October 17, 2007 this is the time to buy or at least to begin negotiations. If you want to own that beach house to enjoy with your family or invest in land or rental vacation properties… act now as the next six months will be critical…for an educated buyer there are always good-buys.  

Free markets do have cycles and we have gone thru a down turn here, this is the time when savvy investors make their money! 

RETIRE LATER, BUY THE HOUSE NOW

With prices in many areas at a low ebb, baby boomers should consider buying their retirement home now, even if they’re still years away from actually moving, allowing renters to pay the bills for now. Here’s some advice for people considering this strategy:
• Shop carefully. Buy a home that can be rented for a rate that, after tax considerations, covers the mortgage, real estate taxes and insurance.
• Study housing trends. Ask the local or state planning department for demographic and economic data. The information can reveal facts that will influence whether or not to buy. For example, big companies going out of business or military base closings can be bad news.
• Don’t forget maintenance. Property managers usually charge a percentage of the monthly rent. Family members may do the job for free but could be ill equipped to make repairs.
• Consider financing. Boomers with sufficient equity in their current home can tap it to either buy their retirement home outright or secure a much lower mortgage rate compared to the loan rate usually charged to buyers of investment property.

Source: The Washington Post, Belly L. Kass, Esq. (08/11/2007)
© Copyright 2007 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Why Invest in Gulf County Real Estate?

• As of June 21, 2007 Sacred Heart Hospital is breaking ground in Port St. Joe, a new level of Health Care is under way in Port St. Joe. Sacred Heart Health System in partnership with the City of Port St. Joe and the St. Joe Company will open a new 25-bed hospital complete with 24 hour emergency department.  Sacred Heart Health System, a not-for-profit company, has operated in Northwest Florida since 1915.
• Two main entities that are working to transform the town of Port St. Joe. The Downtown Redevelopment Agency (PSJRA) and the Waterfront Florida Partnership are both working together to make our waterfront and the commercial section of the city a thriving and vital now and for years to come. Retail expert Rick Segel, retail industry journals have called him “the leading retail speaker in the country” has come to meet one-one with business owners in Port St. Joe to help them n this critical time. For more information on PSJRA visit  www.celebrateportstjoe.org  
• St. Joe Company ( JOE) and the Florida government working together and thinking regionally for a greater impact and giving access to the panhandle: Panama City Airport to be built ( approx. 45 miles from Port St. Joe), and $46 millions approved by Florida government to be spent in roads.  See the whole story       http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9885550
• Port St. Joe Marina after being bought from the City of Port St. Joe in 2006 is now under renovations expanding their capacity and enhancing its facilities as a Jetty Park. This local hub of recreational activity is leasing space to the premier yacht retailer Galati Yachts www.galatiyatches.com  
• The City of Port St. Joe in conjunction with St. Joe Company (JOE) have reached an agreement for JOE to develop the Town Center Planned Unit Development District by ordinance 334 which was approved by the City of Port St. Joe on November 1, 2005 and amended by Ordinance 345 approved on April 18, 2006.  The Town Center Planned Development Zoning District will be developed as a mixed community which will include residential units with a density of 4 units per acre, up to 350,000 square feet of retail commercial space, up to 150,000 square feet of office commercial space, a hotel with up to 350 rooms, and marina use with wet slips and dry slips in a total amount not to exceed 500 slips, and open spaces.  All of these to be accomplished on the old site of the Paper Mill on 175 acres of bay front property right in the heart of Port St. Joe

The Latest News and Great for Local Real Estate Market, article below from JOE's site released May 1, 2007

The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) Reaches Agreement With Miraval To Create Miraval Village At Windmark Beach

Jacksonville, Florida – (May 1, 2007) – The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) announced today it has signed an agreement with Miraval Holding LLC to jointly design, develop and operate Miraval Village at WindMark Beach, which will be the next incarnation of Miraval's acclaimed, signature experiences in an inspired town and resort destination.

Separately, Exclusive Resorts, the world's largest luxury destination club, plans to purchase 30 home sites at JOE's WindMark Beach and its Southern Accents Home. Exclusive Resorts intends to build luxury residences and offer its members privileges and access to the amenities and programs in the planned Miraval Village at WindMark Beach.

For the full story, http://www.joe.com/web/Corporate/News/IRPressRelease.aspx?ID=240161

Port St. Joe Marina Makeover Nears Completion
The Star, Port St. Joe, April 12, 2007
By Tim Croft
..."The makeover of the Port St. Joe Marina and Jetty Park behind it, picked up the pace this week as construction nears an early to midsummer completion...construction of a boat sales office, including a tower providing an elevated view of the marina and St. Joseph Bay , was the buzzing of table saws and the hammering of guardrails and steps. They are the eraly tangible signs that the overhaul of marina aesthetics and operations promised by the St. Joe Company when it purchased the marina from the city last year is nearing a completion point...  

The article continues to describe the new features of the marina as Jetty Park with restrooms, several picnic pavillions, and boardwalks..."the old fishing pier were dismantled and new, refurbished and longer piers will take their place. There will be considerably more parking of 80-plus parking spaces...weaving away form the Jetty Park and along the marina's break wall is another feature that those who attended this past weekend Kids Win Fishing Tournament enjoyed- a new boardwalk.

 The boardwalk has already been constructed around and to the front of the marina, with just a short distance to be built to reach Jetty Park.  Lines drawn on the ground from the front of the marina across open sapce to the Maddox House and onto Frank Pate Park demarcate where the boardwalk will continue its journey. Utlimately that boardwalk becomes the first phase of a proposed BayWalk which will meander past Frank Pate to the Constitution Museum Park grounds to C-30. ...

The hope is that a bordwalk would be completed to Frank Pate Park in roughly a similar timeline as the improvements at Jetty Park, midsummer. ...To view updates and follow the progress of improvements go to www.psjmarina.com

Sacred Heart Hospital Cleared for Take-Off
The Star, Port St. Joe, March 29, 2007
By Marie Logan
"Joe Rentfro, vice president of land sales and development for the St. Joe Company described the news of the hospital being on its way toward reality as "momentous", as he spoke during the March 27 Gulf County Commission meeting. He said that The St. Joe Company received the necessary dredge-and-fill permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) on March 23, 2007. It was the last permit needed. Now they are in the finalization of the drawings with Sacred Heart and they should start moving "dirt" within the next 30 to 60 days..." 

It is exciting to be living and being participant of the changes for Port St. Joe and the surrounding areas. Contact us for a free  Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency newsletter and for Boardwalks's newsletter...full of priceless  information!

News from Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency
Creating a Community
"Livability comes down to an emotional response to a place...sometimes you walk into a space and feel immediately at ease" Daniel Perez, Urban Planner

Smart communities use design to explore community identity and create people-based places. Moving forward a comom identity requires change, and change is never easy...even when it may be for the benefit of all.

Port St. Joe is of necesity evolving from an industrial "company" town to a tourist destination and looking toward additonal diversity both now and into the future. According to Robert McNulty, president of Partners for Livable COmmunities, "the design of places influences how they function and how comfortable, convenient and accessible they are. Well designed places have the potential to become place-based ammenities that create definitions of value for a community."

A livable community looks toward the future, identifies challenges and works together to resolve them. While focusing on issues, it is also important to focus on what is right...and there are many, many "right" things about Port St. Joe- its people, their strength and their history being foremost.

The PSRA (Port St. Joe Redevelopmet Agency) Redevelopment Plan will assist in creating a civic theme and architectural design guidelines to celebrate our history and strengthen our present values while embracing our future. Fom this visual framework we will begin to build our enhanced identity together.

PSJ Developments is the official newsletter for the Port St. Joe Redevelopment agency which is published quarterly.  This article was printed from the newsletter with the permission of their Execuitve Director Gail Alsobrook. To follow their progress visit their site www.celebrateportstjoe.com

Progress Continues Toward New Hospital in Gulf County

The local newspaper The Star published on September 20, 2006 the following update on the progress of a new hospital coming to service our community.

Sacred Heart Health System expects to begin construction next year on a 25-bed hospital and medical office building in Port St. Joe to provide needed health care to residents of Gulf County and Franklin County. The target time for opening is now 2008. Few points of Interest:

• The hospital will be a 49,000 square foot facility with 25-private rooms, and intensive care unit, three operating rooms, and urgent care clinic and a 24-hour Emergency Department. 
• The site plan is approved for the 20-acre parcel on Highway 98 near Gulf Coast Community College. The site will include the hospital, a Medical Office Building and a helicopter pad with allowance for future expansion as the needs of the region grow.
• The site has been annexed into the City of Port St. Joe and rezoned for use by the hospital.
• Sacred Heart has retained DAG Architects of Destin to create detailed drawings for the hospital based on an already finished, detailed floor and site plan.
• The Florida Office of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development has approved the project for the "Fast Track Permitting Process".  All required state permitting agencies have had the opportunity to receive a preliminary overview of the project and are committed to expediting the issuance of necessary permits.
• Although the Army Corps of Engineers is not subejct to the Florida Fast Track Process, the Corps understand the importance of the new hospital to the community. The corps has jurisdiction in determining exact site usage, as there are wetlands on the site and in the surrounding area. The Corps' reviews and permits are needed before commencement of the project.
• Environmental Research Consultants has graciously donated its services in conducting the required environmental research and preparing the necessary permit applications.
• Once the site is ready for construction, the 20-acre parcel will be officially donated to Sacred Heart by the St. Joe Company. The time frame for begining construction is the first quarter of 2007 and completion will be 14 months thereafter.

Sacred Heart Health System has established itself as Northwest Florida's leader in providing high quality health care to children and adults. Sacred Heart has been recognized for eight straight years by the National Research Corporation as winner of the Consumer Choice Award as the most preferred health care system in the Northwest Florida. For more information, visit www.sacred-heart.org 

Panama City-Bay County International Airport Update (August 31, 2006)

The Walton Sun’s article by Valerie Lovett on August 26, 2006 reported on the progress as was given to the Panama City-Bay County International Airport Authority on the new airport look and progress thus far.

 “Architect Neil Craffey, of Bechtel Infrastructure Corp., said the approx. 100,000 square foot building will feature floor-to-ceiling windows throughout with views from 90 percent of the space inside. The design was intended to reflect the natural beauty of the area by not being dominating in design. An interior courtyard, separated by glass, will bring nature inside the terminal… the main direction was to make the architecture blend into the environment, picking up some of the cracker traditional design…The building also is designed to withstand wind gusts of up to 140 mph in the event of a hurricane…Craffey added,…his group studied the angles that the sun would hit the building at all times of the year and took that into account when adding sun louvers to the roof of the building that will help control the temperature inside. The natural light being brought into the building also will help keep lighting cost down…”

 The current airport is just more than 55,000 square feet with a regional airport runaway. Work on the new airport is expected to begin early next year with completion slated for 2009.

 Port St. Joe and the surrounding communities of Mexico Beach, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Apalachicola and WinMark Beach will benefit from having the airport come to completion. It will change to some degree our “slow pace of life” and gain easy accessibility to our piece of Paradise to all of you who wish to have a second home in these pristine and unspoiled waterfront spaces yet, find us too remote to travel here today.

I will be updating this section again by September 29, 2006 so come back and see what is new in our area and how that impacts our real estate market. You may contact me at anytime (877) 512-9366 or libiat@floridabeachdream.com

Location is Everything! (August 3, 2006)

Downtown Port St. Joe is changing its façade one-store at a time; on our main downtown street, Reid Avenue, we have restaurants, beauty salons, a gallery, a book store, and furniture & home accessories stores among many other shops. The future plans of this not so sleepy coastal town are to convert this charming waterfront community into a destination place.

Conducting business in our town is rewarding as “the locals” are the friendliest people you will ever encounter. The potential for you to reside in a very pleasant coastal place and to run a profitable business is untapped. For the visionary who is searching for the right opportunity to leave the “concrete jungle” behind to re-invent his/her life in Paradise the opportunities are endless. The market to be serviced is composed of the local residents in Port St. Joe, the tourists population who graciously visit our unspoiled area every year to enjoy the not so forgotten “Forgotten Coast”, and the second-home owner with large and small homes in neighborhoods such as Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, WindMark Beach/ St. Joe Beach, and Mexico Beach which are all within 10-15 miles from downtown Port St. Joe.

Port St. Joe is a friendly community with a local government debating and planning for its upcoming changes. The new full time Downtown Redevelop Agency (DRA) Executive Director, Gail Alsobrook, already has plans to enhance the quality of our business community and the opportunity for you to re-direct your life to live and work in Paradise.

Contact us with your comments and questions as to how you can also re-locate to Paradise. Toll free 877-512-9366.

Our Coastal Lifestyle has more to offer than simply the beach. This past May the landscape and people along the Forgotten Coast were recorded on canvas during our first Plein Air Paintout in the Forgotten Coast; marshes, sandy beaches, the local architecture and the basic raw beauty of our area were depicted masterfully by a group of renowned artists from around the country. It is because of the vision of The Gulf Alliance for the Local Arts (http://www.gulfalliance.org) with the support of a first class group of volunteers and the St. Joe Co that this event was a tremendous success. If you are interested in art, make plans to attend this fine event next May 2007.

As always stay informed by finding a reliable source in the area. We would be glad to be that source for you and keep you up to date. Send us an email to infosales@floridabeachdream.com or libiat@floridabeachdream.com. Have a safe, fun summer!

Location is Everything!

Pre Christmas Studio Sale at Cape Glass Studio, 6335 C30A. Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24. The time both days is 10-4. Local artists will have glass, pottery, photography, paintings, weavings, quilts, jewelry, and other gifts. Shop early for unique Christmas presents. 

Jewelry ShowcaseWhen: 11/28/2007 - 11/28/2007
Where: The Thirsty Goat

Still looking for that perfect gift? Local jewelry maker Ann Massanovich of Mexico Beach will be showcasing her unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry for your shopping pleasure. Showcase will run from 5:30-8:30. An abundance of wine and appetizers to accommodate you!

Book SigningWhen: 12/01/2007 - 12/01/2007
Where: The Palm Tree Book Store 306 Reid Ave

NPR & Vision Bank Sponsor a Book Signing
Dwan Hightower Author of The Deal
Marjorie McCoy interviewer for ?Between the Lines? will be interviewing Ms. Hightower and other authors. Frank Sundram, general manager of NPR, will be presiding over a ?Meet and Greet? program for the community to meet the staff from the local NPR at WKCG. Refreshments will be served and local television and radio stations will be in attendance.