Wall Street Journal Article

[Coast is Clear]

Front page (sorry I do not have log in for online link) article ("Florida Panhandle Sees Property Boom") today on how hurricanes have only boosted demand and increased awareness of the FL Panhandle.

Does not give the impression that demand will be softening in the long run.

[TooFarTampa]

If anyone is a subscriber and can cut and paste the online version of the story, I'd love to read it.

Meantime, more food for thought, from yesterday's St. Pete Times:



By ROBERT TRIGAUX, Times Business Columnist
Published October 24, 2005

It's not a perfect economy by any stretch of the imagination. But month after month, Florida somehow manages to keep generating more jobs than other states. And Florida somehow manages to keep its unemployment rate dramatically lower than the nation's, even as people continue to flock to the state.

The new jobs are not perfect. Many do not pay much. The average wage here continues to trail the national standard. Still, most states would be delighted to trade places with Florida's economy.

Let's look at 10 recent numbers on the Sunshine State economy, from one to 1,000.

1

That's Florida's ranking among the 50 states when it came to creating jobs in September. This state generated 275,000 in the past year, and 17,700 jobs last month. That monthly gain surpasses the job increases in such larger-population states as New York and Texas. As for California, it shed more than 23,000 jobs last month.

2.5

That's the unemployment rate in September of Walton County on the Panhandle and the lowest rate among Florida's 67 counties. Who says the so-called Redneck Riviera isn't one of Florida's new economic engines?


And it goes on ...

[drsvelte]

Article formated as Word .doc is attached. Also, St. Joe reported earnings and provided guidance today. Altho both were below expectations, the effect on the stock was nil.

[wetwilly]

Bummer no mention of SoWal or WC/WS when they touched on Joe. But obviously when the Panhandle is mentioned, SoWal, Seaside, WC/WS, and Rosemary Beach are not out of mind. I guess we got some good pub when Joe did that article on the land being a bargain and last week when the WSJ did the spread/story on the dining and eateries in the area.

Also, never a month goes by that something close to or in SoWal doesn't get mentioned or featured in Southern Living or Coastal Living.

All good and I'm sure alot more pub coming as the media and marketing machine heats up for Spring and Summer 2006.

[Babyblue]

Bummer no mention of SoWal or WC/WS when they touched on Joe. But obviously when the Panhandle is mentioned, SoWal, Seaside, WC/WS, and Rosemary Beach are not out of mind. I guess we got some good pub when Joe did that article on the land being a bargain and last week when the WSJ did the spread/story on the dining and eateries in the area.

Also, never a month goes by that something close to or in SoWal doesn't get mentioned or featured in Southern Living or Coastal Living.

All good and I'm sure alot more pub coming as the media and marketing machine heats up for Spring and Summer 2006.

Oh how soon we forget