American Sandsculpting Championship – Fort Myers Beach September 30, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Community Spotlights.Tags: fort myers beach, fort myers events, fort myers sandsculpting festival
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The 2009 American Sandsculpting Championship and Beach Festival continues to be one of the most popular, family-friendly events in Florida — attracting over 100,000 attendees. The annual event, now in its 23rd year, owes much of its success to the area’s natural resources, which are considered the best in the world for sand sculpting events.
The combined lineup of Master Sculptors participating this year, hold an amazing 27 World Sandsculpting Champion Titles and 18 American Sandsculpting Champion Titles.
This year’s event takes place Nov 3-8. Click here to view the festival schedule.
Fort Myers, Sanibel Online Visitor’s Guide September 23, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, Real Estate, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: captiva islands, fort myers beach, lee county visitors guide, sanibel beach, travelling to lee county florida
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From arts, to beaches and fishing, to full color photos of southwest Florida wildlife, this searchable online travel guide is brimming with useful and fun information. It’s a robust 150 pages complete with restaurant and accommodation directories, maps, and area history.
Marina Village On Schedule September 19, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Florida, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Community Spotlights, Southwest Florida Real Estate, cape coral homes.Tags: cape coral resort, cape coral shopping, cape coral waterfront, tarpon point marina
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From the News-Press, September 19, 2009
Cape Coral Resort to Open November 1
Construction is nearing completion at The Resort at MarinaVillage at Tarpon Point Marina.
The $150-million dollar project is Cape Coral’s first waterfront resort. The Shops at MarinaVillage and the adjacent six-story parking garage are also almost complete.
MarinaVillage will be a commercial, residential and retail center within Tarpon Point Marina that will be open to the public. Pavilions situated along a waterfront promenade will offer boutiques and retail outlets, a day spa and fitness center. Restaurant plans include two casual restaurants, Marker 92 and the Nauti Mermaid. Both will feature marina views, a full bar and award-winning cuisine.
The Resort at MarinaVillage will be managed by Fort Myers Beach-based SunStream Hotels & Resorts. About 1,000 people came out to a job fair SunStream held at the resort on Thursday, and another fair was scheduled for Saturday. Sunstream was taking applications for more than 100 management and entry-level positions, ranging from sales and catering and food and beverage to guest services and housekeeping.
The resort at MarinaVillage features fully furnished, two- and three-bedroom residence-style rooms ranging in size from 1,235 to 2,195 square feet.
Resort guests will be able to use all the amenities of Tarpon Point Marina, plus concierge and spa services, room service, housekeeping and access to a resort-style pool, spa and deck.
Checking Out Cape Coral? May 1, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle, cape coral homes.Tags: cape coral parks, cape coral things to do, Cape Harbour, jaycee park, rotary park, sunsplash park
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For those visiting Cape Coral Florida for the first time, here are a few of our favorite places to check out while you are touring the area.
Cape Harbour – Dining, Shopping, Marina.
View Cape Harbour information and location now.
Rotary Park – Nature Center, Trails, and Dog Park
Get Rotary Park Map Location
Yacht Club – Beach, Pavillion, Marina
Get Yacht Club Map Location
Jaycee Park, along the Caloosahatchee River
Get Jaycee Park map location.
Sunsplash Waterpark - Family Fun
Lee County Florida – A Great Place for Small Business March 31, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Florida, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: cape coral real estate, cape coral small business, fort myers real estate, fort myers small business, lee county real estate, lee county small business
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Bizjournals.com has ranked the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area No. 20 in its list of best places in the United States to launch a small business.
Bizjournals used a six-part formula to analyze the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, noting population growth between 2002 and 2007, employment growth from 2003 to 2008, small-business growth from 2005 to 2006 and small-business population. Bizjournals defines a small business as any private-sector employer with 99 or fewer employees.
Compared to other Florida metropolitan areas Cape Coral-Fort Myers scored behind No. 7 Orlando and No. 12 Miami-Fort Lauderdale, but ahead of No. 25 Jacksonville, No. 43 Palm Bay-Melbourne, No. 44 Bradenton-Sarasota, No. 51 Daytona Beach, No. 53 Tampa-St. Petersburg and No. 81 Lakeland.
The country’s top five rankings went to Raleigh, N.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Seattle, Wash.; Austin, Texas; and Boise, Idaho.
Cape Coral, the largest city in Southwest Florida, also was ranked No. 1 by INC Magazine in its list of best mid-sized cities for doing business. The Cape Coral Economic Development Office assists existing businesses and recruits new ones, administers incentive programs and conducts global marketing for the city. Visit www.bizcapecoral.com or call 239-574-0444 or toll-free 866-573-3089.
Geo’s Italian Restaurant Now Open In Cape Coral November 5, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.2 comments
Geo’s Italian Restaurant brings a wealth of family owned and operated, community based, experience to Cape Coral. The owners, George and Lauren Lukas, Rear Admiral Richard (NOAA, ret.) and Alisa Behn, are all in the community as residents of Cape Coral.
The Lukas’ have previously been part of the highly successful chain of italian resteraunts which their success lead to George Lukas being selected as the Olney Business Person of the Year for 2006. Geo’s has a wealth of expertise when it comes to the many challenges of starting and running a successful business, like how to combine fresh ingredients- to create authentic Italian dishes that you’ll enjoy sharing with your family & friends.
Red Sox Spring Training to Stay in Fort Myers November 2, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.add a comment
From the News-Press, Nov 2, 2008
The Boston Red Sox signed a deal Saturday with Lee County that could keep the team in Lee County beyond the middle of this century. Commission chairman Ray Judah said the team would like a new stadium in south Lee County by 2012 but would be willing to wait until 2013 for the entire facility to be ready. The stadium, according to the agreement, will resemble Fenway Park, the team’s home in Boston.
Cape Coral Cocofest Nov 7-9 2008 November 1, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: cape coral cocofest, cape coral festivals, fort myers festivals, souwthest florida events
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This year’s Cape Coral Cocofest at SunSplash waterpark is jam-packed with family activities and evening concerts. The celebration is Nov 7-9th, 2008.
Evening concerts:
Friday Night – COCO Country – Craig Morgan
Saturday Night – COCO Rock Grammy winners – Survivor
20+ Captivating Carnival Rides! • Live Music with National Performing Artists! • Creative Coconut Contests and Crafts for the Kids! • Fabulous Fireworks Display! • Festive Food, Games and More for All Ages!
Fort Myers Beach Sand Sclupting Festival Nov 5-9 2008 November 1, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: fort myers sand sculpting festival, souwthwest florida festivals, things to do in florida
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22nd Annual Sand Sculpting Festival, Nov 5-9 2008
The American Sandsculpting Championship Festival is one of Fort Myers Beach’s most popular events every year. Masters of the craft and amateur sand sculptors join to create amazing works of art.
Visit the Festival’s web site for details. Get a calender of events, meet the sculptors, find out about transportation options and more.
Cape Coral Farmers Market is Back for Season October 25, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.add a comment
The Cape Coral Street Market is back for season. The event offers fresh, local produce, fruits, bakery items, fresh seafood, cut flowers, jewlery and much more.
The Cape Coral Farmers Market will be open October 25th, 2008 through May 9, 2009.
Location:
Club Square Parking Lot
SE 47th Terrace ad SE 10th Place
Fort Myers, Sanibel Tourism Bureau Game – Win Trips and Cash October 17, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, Real Estate, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: captiva beach, fort myers beach, lee county visitors, sanibel beach, trip contest
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The Sanibel-Fort Myers Tourism is offering trips and cash to winners of this fun and educational online treasure hunt. Good luck!
Click here to play the online treasure game… you can play once per day!
Bonefish Grill Now Open in Cape Coral FL October 15, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.add a comment
If you’ve ever been to a Bonefish Grill you’ll understand how thrilled we are to have another one in Southwest Florida (there is also a Bonefish Grill in Fort Myers). We’re big fans of the bang bang shrimp and will probably be heading out to enjoy some at the new restaurant this weekend!
Lee County Gets Younger August 8, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.add a comment
From the News-Press, August 7 2008
U.S. Census numbers released today show the median age in Lee County dipped from 45 in 2000 to a spry 42 in 2007. The latest figures reflect a younger, more diverse Fort Myers area with a hefty gain in residents in their 20s and teens.
“I’m happy to hear that Lee County is getting a little younger,” said Sean Terwilliger, Florida Gulf Coast University’s 20-year-old student body president. “The first people who jump on that will be the lucky ones.”
The federal government tallied about 20,000 more individuals in the 25- to 29-year-old set in Lee, as that sector of the population almost doubled to 41,800 from 2000 to July 2007. The number of people in the first half of their 20s swelled more than 60 percent.
83 New Businesses, and More On the Way to Cape Coral February 17, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Florida, Real Estate, Real Estate Industry, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Real Estate.Tags: cape coral business, cape coral growth, cape coral lifestyle
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From the News-Press, Originally posted on February 16, 2008
Economy gripes are common these days.
But in the last three months of 2007, there were 83 new businesses that moved to Cape Coral. That doesn’t even account for the home-based businesses, which make up 65 percent of the total operations here.
Still, the city wants more.
Mike Jackson, director of Economic Development, is kicking off a new, national ad campaign to get the word out that businesses can flourish here — and workers can have fun doing it.
“Work. Play. Repeat. Now do both in the same place.”
That’s the slogan. It’s designed to promote the city’s tenant-ready commercial properties and market niches, as well as the waterfront lifestyle. It’s set to be unleashed later this year at business conventions, in trade magazines and in a television commercial airing on CNBC and MSNBC.
“When people think of Florida, they think of retirement and old people,” Jackson said.
“So when I go to these conventions in Chicago or other big cities, people are always surprised to hear that we’re the fourth-fastest-growing city in the country, and that our median age is 43. We want to try to change those perceptions.”
Specifically, the target is the smaller businesses that can afford to quickly pick up and move, and for whom quality of life is a big factor in where they do business.
Elmer Tabor, owner of Wonderland Realty, said the draw for many new business owners is the sunshine. But the Cape is also attractive because the market hasn’t fallen completely flat, he said.
“I always like to ask people why they moved here, and it’s almost always, ‘I was sick of shoveling snow,’” Tabor said. “And regardless of what the economy is, we still have a greater place to live than Ohio or Michigan or Minnesota. Southwest Florida still provides jobs, still provides growth. We’re in tough economic times, but we’re not near as bad as some places.”
Northern areas are dealing with redevelopment, and what is commonly referred to as “The Brain Drain,” in which younger workers move out after being educated in search of better jobs. In the Cape, the challenge is more first-time, smart development rather than redevelopment. Jackson said his office is constantly trying to find solutions to the fact that 90 percent of the city’s developable land is pre-platted residential. When the city was first built, it was broken up into small, residential-sized plots. For years, anyone could build a house almost anywhere they chose.
“The result is not only that utilities and services have to catch up,” Jackson said. “But also we are running into a commercial land use shortage.”
In a future land use analysis report, Jackson indicates that if the city does nothing, it will face a 2,526-acre shortage of commercial land by the time the population is built-out, roughly in about 60 years. Annexation of the Zemel property would reduce that shortage to 1,754 acres, but it won’t eliminate it. To combat this, Jackson is proposing to convert residential land use to commercial/industrial, increase annexations for commercial/industrial development, increase commercial/industrial densities, increase the size of existing commercial/industrial zones and acquire and develop parcels for commercial/industrial uses.
But some might wonder why the city would push for more commercial land when roughly 430,000 square feet of office space is currently vacant. But Jackson sees that vacancy not as an omen of a stagnant economy, but rather a draw for new business owners.
“New companies generally don’t want to move in to a place where they’re going to have to deal with the hassle of building their new office space,” he said. “They want to go somewhere it’s already waiting for them.”
Another tool his office is using is the Cape Coral Prospector Web site, at bizcapecoralgis.com, which was launched in December. With just a few clicks, interested parties can research brokers, building vacancies, see satellite and interior pictures, check out the structure’s proximity to other businesses as well as bus stops and traffic lights.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people,” Jackson said. “It’s like free market research.”
While it will be difficult to measure the city’s direct success with the advertising campaigns and land use restructuring, Tabor said educating people about what Cape Coral is — and isn’t — can only help.
“In the early days in development in Cape Coral, it was the young, gutsy pioneers who came down to establish businesses,” he said. “When they started seeing they could enjoy it, that’s when the retirees started moving in. They brought their money, and then there was a need for younger employment. So we hope that’s a trend that continues, because it really is an overall great place to live.”
Cape Coral pushes to lure business October 1, 2007
Posted by Brenda in Florida, Real Estate Industry, Resources - City and County.3 comments
High-skill, high-salary jobs are goals of city
News-Press
September 28, 2007
Don’t let the economic downturn fool you: New businesses are moving into Cape Coral at an average of about 30 each month.
That’s according to city economic development director Mike Jackson, who said more than 65 percent of the now 8,584 businesses in the city are home-based operations. The three highest categories of industry in the Cape are administration and support, then construction, then professional.
The goal through the next year, he said, is going to be continuing that surge and simultaneously attracting more of the high-skill, high-salary kind of commercialism that means long-term economic strength.
“We’re looking for relatively smart workers and relatively advanced technology sectors,” Jackson said. “We have companies like that here today, and we’re trying to figure out the best way to help them grow and attract more like them.”
He wouldn’t be specific on exact corporations the city wants to hook, but he said his office will be transforming in the next few years into somewhat of a sales operation.
“It is our goal to be able to focus exclusively on identifying the gazelles,” he said. “Those are the fast-growing companies with high wages. We want to look for those in Cape Coral, and we want to identify and target those on the outside. That means literally calling them up, getting them to take a tour of the city, meeting our developers and showing them what a high quality of life we have here that is attractive to workers.
“We’ve been doing extensive advertising in the central U.S. edition of the Wall Street Journal and Crain’s business publications. These are advertising campaigns that allow us to increase people’s awareness of Cape Coral as a large city in Southwest Florida that is not just a retirement community.”
And the city is hoping the results of recent studies will help drive business the city’s way. Two studies — a workforce study and a target industry study — are set to be released in the next month. They will identify, Jackson said, what sort of business clusters would be a good fit for the kind of labor force and businesses already in the city.
About 48 percent of the city’s population works full time, and the median age has dropped since the last census from 45.2 to 43. From 2004 to 2006, the median household income rose from $46,933 to $54,026.
Mayor Eric Feichthaler said he wants to develop the city as a cultural center before going after the big businesses.
“High technology businesses are looking for more of an educational base,” Feichthaler said. “It means we need to provide them with what other cities have, and we simply do not have those cultural amenities right now. We have the land, but we need to mature as a city before we start seeing those results.”
But he does want to focus more on attracting office professional and light manufacturing-type operations, while moving away from the construction and real estate industries. Landing one large corporation, he said, could spur others to follow. He doubted whether the studies were going to be helpful.
“What I said to the economic director is I expect to see substantial and immediate results,” Feichthaler said. “For the money we’re putting into surveys and studies, I’ve not seen the benefits citywide. If they lead us to attracting those businesses, I’ll be happy about that, but I’m not sure it will bring the benefits of that promise.”
The studies are costing the city about $205,000. Jackson said they won’t be a “magic bullet,” but, at worst, they will be a “compass.”
One thing he thinks the studies will show is that building office space before big businesses arrive would be a smart move.
“I don’t like to say, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ ” he said. “But if you don’t build it, they won’t come.”
Large corporations don’t rush to relocate when office space isn’t already available, he said. Site selection can take years, and most want to be able to move in right away, either buying or leasing buildings that already exist.
In the second quarter of 2007, real estate firm Cushman & Wakeman determined Cape Coral had 263,684 square feet of vacant office space, 100,840 square feet of industrial space and 72,110 square feet of vacant medical space. Office space vacancy really did not exist in the city less than two years ago.
Anita Simmons, who owns the Cape Dog Bakery downtown, said that while she doesn’t think the city needs more “big box stores,” bringing in more professionals is probably a good thing.
“There are some businesses suffering, and it’s because we’ve relied so heavily on real estate,” Simmons said. “We need things that will draw big companies to this area — clean up the landscape and have more unique shops and restaurants that will make this a destination.”
Related Posts: INC Magazine Rates Cape Coral-Fort Myers #1
Cape Coral CRA August 20, 2007
Posted by Brenda in Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, Resources - City and County, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Real Estate.add a comment
One of the reasons we chose Cape Coral was our excitement about the long-term vision of the Cape Coral Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for the downtown area of the Cape. While we are frustrated that the CRA’s progress has been slower than anyone would like, we are glad to see them dogging it along and making some progress.
The mission statement for the agency is that it “will facilitate the emergence of a vibrant urban village where people of all ages will live, work, shop and be entertained.” The master plan adopted by the CRA and City Council designed the Downtown as a compact urban village.
The primary goal is to create a high-intensity pedestrian friendly urban area with open spaces and a system of both pedestrian and traffic circulation so that visitors, employees, and residents alike can easily find their way, park, and enjoy their walk to their destinations. And the CRA aims, through development incentives, to assist in the development of plazas and covered pedestrians walkways that improve access to waterways and the riverfront.
Visit the Cape Coral CRA website.
Tarpon Point Marina August 20, 2007
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Buying Real Estate, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Florida, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Real Estate.add a comment
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Hensley, CEO of Grosse Pointe Development Company, and the developer of the beautiful Tarpon Point Marina community in Cape Coral. What a breath of fresh air. Bob is one of the few developers in the Cape that is still making significant investment in his holdings and he’s got the passion, vision, and resources to get the job done. Soon Grosse Pointe will break ground on Marina Village, a condo-hotel project on the waterfront with full resort services along with retail and office spaces.
Tarpon Point Marina is a luxury waterfront community on the Caloosahatchee River, with full service marina and many other amenities. Shown here is Tarpon Landings, the most recently completed project in the community.
It’s heavenly now and with Marina Village built-out fall of 2009, it’ll be one of the most spectacular waterfront resorts in South Florida. Oh, and Brenda was happy to confirm what we’ve long suspected: yes, that’s Bob’s helicopter that passes over our neighborhood every Friday afternoon on his way home from his commercial projects in Orlando.
Can’t wait until 2009? Check out current resales in Tarpon Point Marina.
Florida Passes Property Tax Reform Package June 15, 2007
Posted by Brenda in Florida, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate.10 comments
The latest version of property tax reform was passed by voters January 29, 2008.
How it works- Nov 1 2007
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Nov. 1, 2007 – The Florida Legislature, caught in a game of “chicken,” approved a measure that will appear before voters on the Jan. 29, 2008, ballot. With time working against them, lawmakers agreed on a measure that scaled back earlier initiatives, and even current reforms pushed by the House.
What the current amendment includes:
Homestead exemption
The homestead exemption increases. The current $25,000 homestead exemption remains; but a second $25,000 exemption is added for home values over $50,000. The second $25,000 exemption does not apply to school taxes, however, which translates into a lower-than-expected savings of about $240 per homesteaded owner. The portion of a home valued between $25,000 and $50,000 will still be taxed at all levels.
Portability – Moving up
Property tax savings portability (money saved over time on property taxes because of yearly increase limits through Florida’s Save Our Homes amendment) applies to homesteaders (homeowners with a homestead exemption) moving anywhere within Florida. Up to $500,000 of accumulated savings, applied to taxable value, may be transferred when one home is sold and another is purchased, with the transfer applying to all taxes, including the school portion. Homeowners have two years after they sell a home to buy a new one and transfer the savings.
If buying a more expensive home, a homesteader calculates savings by subtracting the assessed value (taxable value) from the just value (market value). The amount (savings over time) is then subtracted from the just value on the new home purchased. In most cases, the $50,000 homestead exemption will also be subtracted.
Example: Susie currently owns a home and has lived there for a long time. The house’s just value is $500,000, but because of Save Our Homes, the assessed value is only $200,000. Susie buys a new house for $700,000. The following year, she’ll pay taxes on only $400,000, however, because she’s “porting” $300,000 in value to her new home. After factoring in the new homestead exemption of $50,000, her total assessed value would be $350,000.
If buying a less-expensive home, the calculation changes and is based on the percentage of tax savings rather than a dollar amount. If the assessed value on the original home was 50 percent of the just value, for example, the homesteader would transfer that percentage to the new home, or have a new assessed value that is 50 percent of the new home’s just value. The percentage system was created to keep homesteaders from effectively eliminating their property taxes altogether by moving from a high-cost area of Florida to a low-cost area – a change that could severely hurt smaller rural economies.
Example: Susie currently owns a home and has lived there for a long time. The house’s just value is $500,000, but because of Save Our Homes, the assessed value is only $200,000. Susie buys a new town home for $300,000. She’ll pay taxes only on $120,000 because when buying down in value, she’ll keep the same ratio (40 percent) of assessed value to just value that she enjoyed in her old home. After factoring in the new homestead exemption of $50,000, her total assessed value would be $70,000.
Also, portability is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2007 – so everyone who bought this year and moved from an established homestead will be able to “port” their savings for next year. Since yearly tax values are based on ownership as of Jan. 1 each year, portability would not affect this year’s tax bills, which most homeowners have already received; but the savings will be applicable to next year’s tax bill.
Non-homesteaded property tax cap
An important piece of the amendment is a 10 percent annual assessment cap on non-homestead property. Similar to Save Our Homes, this cap limits the assessed increases of commercial, rental and second home property taxes to a maximum amount of 10 percent per year starting in 2009, protecting against high spikes in taxes from year-to-year.
While property values will not rise 10 percent every year, FAR believes the cap offers some relief and protection to properties in high-value markets and waterfronts from unpredictable tax increases. The Constitution mandates a tax reassessment to just value upon transfer for non-homestead residential properties of nine units or less, but allows the Florida Legislature to determine how reassessment will occur for commercial and higher-unit residential properties. However, implementing legislation passed during the Special Session provides for reassessment of these properties upon a change in ownership or use.
Tangible personal property exemption
Under the amendment, the Tangible Personal Property (TPP) exemption for businesses is $25,000. The Legislature estimates that this tax – paid to local governments on items such as shelving, desks, computers, and other office equipment – will exempt about 1 million of Florida’s 1.2 million businesses that currently pay it. The amendment also drops the requirement to file for the TPP tax.
Work not done
While the proposed amendment will save property owners as much as $12 billion (depending on the portability amount used), FAR will work for greater relief measures. The association also has serious concerns about a challenge to the constitutionality of portability.
Earlier versions of property tax reform included provisions to help first-time homebuyers, a move missing in the current version. With that protection gone, FAR considers it possible that it will be challenged under the U.S. Constitution along with the entire Save Our Homes property tax system. If that happens, it could bring everyone back to the table yet again.
FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Click the “more” tag to read about earlier versions that failed.
Florida House approves two tax-cut bills April 20, 2007
Posted by Brenda in Florida, Real Estate Industry.add a comment
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – April 19, 2007 – The state House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to roll back property taxes to 2001 levels, while also passing, along party lines, a second plan to rewrite Florida’s tax code and give voters the option of eliminating property taxes on their homes by raising the sales tax.
House Democrats said they support the rollback bill because it sends the message they support tax cuts, but warned that they want it revised to have a less harsh impact on local government.
The second plan, advocated aggressively by House Speaker Marco Rubio, won a divided vote of 78-40, with only two Democrats, Reps. Luis Garcia and Ed Bullard, both of Miami, voting with Republicans. Two Republicans, Reps. Gayle Harrell of Stuart and Andy Gardiner of Orlando, voted against it. None explained their votes.
The measures are the first step to a resolution on the top issue of the legislative session: lowering property taxes across the state. Neither approach is expected to be accepted by the Senate but will serve as the starting point in the debate to begin next week when a joint committee hammers out the differences.
(more…)
Burnt Store Marina Closes Golf Course March 16, 2007
Posted by Brenda in Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Florida, Real Estate, Southwest Florida Real Estate.3 comments
UPDATE: Residents were successful – the coure is open!
UPDATE MAY 31, 2007. Local papers reported today that the residents will be re-opening the course in June of this year. They are taking Stout up on his offer to lease for $1 per year and pay all operating costs through HOA dues.
Below is the original post on the course closing and rationale behind it.
______________
Hot off the press. Will Stout of RealMark closes the executive golf course to make way for new development. Here’s the story as reported in this morning’s local paper.
Golfers, expecting to play their usual round of golf at Burnt Store Marina on Thursday, were greeted instead by no-trespassing signs.
Owner/developer Will Stout shut down their course without warning but later promised new shops, restaurants and condos for the area.
At an 11 a.m. meeting, about 700 people greeted Stout for a meeting at Burnt Store Presbyterian Church. They wanted to know why the course was closed and what plans he has for the community near the Lee-Charlotte county line off Burnt Store Road.
“I am a member of the club, and I pay $3,500 for a couple to play here,” said George Peterson, 60. “I know the course wasn’t making money. I guess he did it to stop the bleeding.”
Stout said he closed the executive style, 27-hole layout and its restaurant because it’s losing money and he can’t afford to subsidize a golf course that has drained more than $1.1 million from his Realmark Group company since he paid $5.5 million for it Dec. 31, 2005. Golf course employees were told of the closing Thursday morning.
“I have let go 46 employees from the course and restaurant with 60 days’ pay,” Stout said. “I have put $401,000 in pro-rated refunds to club members in the mail yesterday.”
He also told the crowd he has $750 million worth of projects on the way. The idea, Stout said, is to bring a shared downtown to the more than 30-year-old community.
He said he would rent the course for $1 to any group that wants to bear expenses such as insurance, employee salaries and other associated costs of running a golf club. “We closed the club to first give notice to the employees rather than have them be uncertain,” Stout said. “Now, we gave 60 days’ notice to anyone who can come up with a business plan to keep the club going. Come and see us.”
Many in the crowd applauded, others booed.
The crowd shouted down Mary Gelinas, who interrupted the meeting three times. “I was just so angry at what he’s doing,” Gelinas said. “He is just not right.” Countered resident Jim Hinch, 60: “About 80 percent of the people in Burnt Store Marina agree with Stout’s plans. The others just don’t want anything to change.”
Zoning for the property will have to be changed for a new entertainment and shopping district to be developed, Stout said.
He said he was led to believe the land was zoned for commercial projects, but it’s not. “The land is zoned (agricultural) with an exception for the golf course,” Stout said. “I wasn’t told that until November.”
Craig Dearden, Realmark chief operating officer, said he hopes to have the rezoning done within 90 days. Groundbreaking for the projects probably won’t begin for two years. Golf course struggles Realmark officials blamed lack of play for the course’s failure.
“We have about 30,000 rounds played on the course a year,” Dearden said. “To stay open we’d need at least 60,000.”
Coral Oaks Golf Course in Cape Coral, a championship 18-hole layout near Burnt Store, had about 60,000 rounds last year. Of 1,898 residents in the Burnt Store Marina complex, 157 are active golf club members.
“The problem is that it’s an executive course and not as challenging,” said Burnt Store resident Tom Purdy, 69. “I still played there twice a week.” An executive course typically has shorter holes than a full-length course. Development plans The proposal for the marina area would include a hotel, a computerized boat house, retail shops and restaurants.
The plans are only concepts but are similar to the development Stout built at Cape Harbour in Cape Coral.
“There is no sense of community here,” Stout said. “The key to having a sense of community is to have a downtown.” At Cape Harbour, Stout built restaurants, boutiques and a modern boat-storage facility, all overlooking a marina and waterway to the Caloosahatchee.
Although disappointed the course closed, Burnt Store Marina resident Paula DiDonato, 65, was happy to see Stout bring a popular plan to the table. “… I fully support Will Stout’s plans to bring us a downtown at the marina,” DiDonato said. “I’m on my way to Cape Harbour now because I have company. We always take them to restaurants downtown in Cape Harbour.”
Captiva’s South Seas Resort is Back March 16, 2007
Posted by markstrebel in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, Resources - City and County, SW Florida Lifestyle.1 comment so far
Normalcy is returning to South Seas Island Resort.
A year after reopening on a limited basis, the Captiva resort pummeled by Hurricane Charley in 2004 has undergone an estimated $140 million makeover.
“It’s a rebirth,” said managing director Craig Schwan. His biggest challenge, Schwan said, “is really getting the word out that we’ve reopened.”
To that end, owner LXR Luxury Resorts will throw a grand reopening celebration tonight for about 250 local movers and shakers. A separate party and open house for neighboring Captiva residents is planned for April or May. After the VIP party, Schwan will go to New York City to meet with key travel publications.
Schwan estimated 1,600 to 1,800 people will stay at the resort this week. That’s about half the population Schwan’s predecessor said filled the resort during a weekend in the high winter season before Charley. Schwan said the pre-Charley estimate probably included non-overnight guests who used to be permitted on the property to shop and dine. With weather up north still chilly, this week is one of the most desirable and pricey.
Accommodations range from about $300 a day at the Harborside Hotel to $1,300 for a three-bedroom condo at Seabreeze overlooking Pine Island Sound on the resort’s north end.
About 529 out of 579 lodging units in the resort rental pool are restored and ready for use, Schwan said. The rest, all privately owned condos, are close to completion, he said.
With about 700 workers on the 330-acre property, the resort is close to pre-Charley staffing.
New owners, new look
Owner LXR is an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, which bought South Seas and nine other Florida properties in early 2005 for $367 million.
LXR took over South Seas in the middle of post-hurricane repairs and injected its ideas into the evolving plans. Choice property along Pine Island Sound was stripped of damaged and outdated meeting spaces and a couple of older pools.
In their place: The Pointe Restaurant & Grill and two pools ringed with cabanas that are soon to have LCD and plasma TVs as well as high-speed wireless Internet access.
With the exception of the clubby old King’s Crown restaurant — now reserved for private social functions such as weddings — group meeting space is concentrated away from the water and closer to the public Captiva Drive. In January, LXR “privatized” South Seas. That means only overnight guests and community members of the resort’s club are able to dine and shop behind the security gate.
Schwan said privatization is working out better than he expected.
“It provides exclusivity, and allows us to provide the best service possible,” he said.
Memberships for people who aren’t property owners start at $500 a year for access to all restaurants and shops and the on-resort trolley service.
A second level at $2,000 adds use of the fitness center and golf course. A $3,000 premium membership includes all available amenities such as a private stretch of beach with comfy chairs and beach toys.
Steep adjustment
Michigan resident Edward Thomas said he doesn’t mind privatization, but noted there aren’t as many dining options as before and “the food prices are high.” “Four dollars for one scoop of ice cream, $10 for a hamburger. I can afford it, but I don’t need to pay $10 for a hamburger.”
As he watched his 21Ú2-year-old grandson, Carsten Melbye, play in one of the new swimming pools, Thomas said he’s most impressed with the new landscaping.
On the golf course alone, that included adding about 200 coconut palms, 330 sabal palms and 7,000 shrubs, along with 5,000 aquatic and dune plants.
Thomas has been coming to South Seas for more than 30 years and especially prizes “the relaxed atmosphere, the weather and meeting good people who have become friends.”
This is Thomas’ first visit since Hurricane Charley because he couldn’t bear to see the resort in tatters. Plus he had health problems to overcome.
Now, he said, he’s well and the resort is, too.
“Some things have a different flavor, but that’s all right,” Thomas said. “I just hope the prices don’t drive away the families.”
From the News-Press, March 2007
Ethicist questions insurance rate data January 15, 2007
Posted by Brenda in Florida, Real Estate, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate.add a comment
TAMPA, Fla. – Jan. 15, 2007 – A new computer model that has contributed to large spikes in property insurance rates in coastal areas should have had full review by outside experts before it was released, the ethics chief of the world’s largest general scientific society said.
Research Management Solutions of Newark, Calif., introduced the product to the market long before the scientific peer review process was finished.
“It’s ridiculous from a scientific point of view. It just doesn’t wash well in the context of the way science is conducted,” said Mark S. Frankel, director of the Scientific Freedom, Responsibility & Law Program at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.
In March, RMS announced a major change to the leading computer modeling program for the insurance industry and made the update available to its clients.
The program predicts a 40 percent increase in losses from hurricanes in Florida, the Gulf Coast and the Southeast. Although not yet approved by the state for use by Florida insurers, it is being used by reinsurance companies that provide financial backing to insurance companies, indirectly increasing rates. The cost of reinsurance makes up 30 percent to 60 percent of premiums, according to the state.
RMS has said development of the new short-term model, which focuses on weather from 2006 to 2010 instead of depending on 100 years of historical data, was well documented.
The company said Thursday that the results are in the process of being published in Tellus, a journal put out by the Swedish Geophysical Society.
That’s the wrong order for several reasons, other experts said.
“In the future doesn’t count” in terms of peer review publication, said Sara Rockwell, director of the Office of Scientific Affairs at the Yale University School of Medicine.
Charles Watson, an engineer who specializes in numerical hazard models, said RMS acted irresponsibly.
“You publish; then you apply it,” Watson said. “Especially for something with trillions of dollars in property value, and people’s lives and livelihood are literally at stake in these decisions. It is irresponsible to implement before peer review. There are tremendous policy implications.”
Key West Express December 15, 2006
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.add a comment
We would not want to live in Key West, but we sure are glad it’s any easy trip to get there. With our freinds visiting from Stillwater, Minnesota, we boarded the Key West Express ferry boat at Salty Sam’s marina on Fort Myers Beach for a short weekend trip.
The big twin-hull ferry boat impressed us both in comfort and speed. Once we got on the Gulf of Mexico, we cruised at about 45 mph and could hardly notice any movement nor did we see anyone get sea sick. Our morning cruise was about half capacity (capacity is about 500 people) with a wide variety of passengers, from boomers like us to seniors and toddlers.
During the journey, we roamed about the three decks for different vantage points and alternating between sun and wind (the upper open-air deck, at 45 mph is very windy) and the calm of the air-conditioned interior on the main level.
About 3 1/2 hours later, we were in Key West, armed with cameras and comfortable shoes and ready to play our roles as tourtistas. True to our roles, we took the Conch Train for a guided tour of the island’s rich history, then headed out to the famous night spots for some drinking, dancing, and good food. (Our 60-something friend won the hula-hoop contest on the dance floor, and even though she was the only contestent, we still think her technique was the best. In fact, later that evening she was giving hula lessons to touristas from Germany.)
After contributing to the local economy on Sunday afternoon with lots of shopping, we boarded for our trip home Sunday evening. By midnight we were tuckered out and glad to be tucked away for the night.
Next time we head that way, we plan to travel there in our own boat and stay longer so that we can tour more of the area and take advantage of the fishing, water sports, and wonderful sights.
Cape Harbour Just Keeps Getting Better December 15, 2006
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Real Estate.1 comment so far
One of our favorite local spots for a stop off when we are boating is RumRunners at Cape Harbour. But it just got better. Now there are two more restaurants at the marina.
The Joint has the look of a hip South Beach bistro and open kitchen, with gourmet pizzas and more. The outdoor Cabana Bar sits facing the marina, has large televisions for sports viewing, and live music on Tuesday nights. A third restaurant, Run Agrounds, serves coffee, gelato, and pastries.
UPDATE: We hopped on the boat Tuesday night to check out the live music at the Cabana bar, a spectacular blues band that had eveyone tapping their toes and a few of us dancing. And it’s already a popular spot. Here are some snaps.
If you are interested in purchasing property in the Cape Harbour Development, we can help. Contact us to get started or learn more or visit our site to learn about this and other communities. Here is a link to the location.
