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beachmouse

Beach Fanatic
Dec 5, 2004
3,504
741
Bluewater Bay, FL
Eglin Reservation does a ton of enangered species management for the red-cockaded woodpecker, okaloosa darter, assorted beach mice, black bears, etc and has multiple ongoing projects for restoring native longleaf pine forest to its original state. (Though that one's going to take decades) It's also one of the largest designated wilderness areas east of the Mississippi River.

They aren't perfect on environmental issues, but have done enough to get a number of environmental stewardship awards over the years.

but if u think sowal is losing its funkiness now, wait until a bunch of corporations open there doors....sheer brutality!!

I'll gladly take the corporate brutality of a small but lively metro area like Boulder, Colorado or Ann Arbor, Michigan.

But then I've got about zero concern about someone's ability to sell their McCondo for $1.5 million, and a lot of interest in seeing a thriving economically diverse area where my future offspring don't have to chose between living close to family and having a career that's more than just waiting tables or managing a store at the outlet mall.

As it is right now, there just aren't many reasons for the recent college grads to try to come back and live here unless they've got very specific technical skill sets, or feel like they can make a living on comissioned sales. And if you lose the young people in the area, you lose the funkiness and imagination that you claim to want so much.
 

trying2makeabuc

Beach Comber
Mar 25, 2007
29
0
Great thread. I would like to go back to how it started, "How long is a real estate cycle?" Gosh, I wish I knew. My comments below:

1) I don't think anyone "needs" a $1.5 million beach place.

2) Yes, people who own $1.5 million beach places can be just as stupid as people who can't afford them and have to sweat out the payments.

3) Ah, I rememeber way back in 2004 when a 35 year old insurance agent was going to buy a $650,000 lot on spec and was going to have to borrow the down payment. Thankfully, this friend of mine bought a big house with a huge mortgage in Atlanta and at the last minute didn't buy. See, so many of the sales in the 04 era were to investors or tourists who speculated. When the market soured, the investors left. As has been noted, supply and demand, water testers receded, yada, yada, yada and we are waiting now for a little absorption.

4) My beach house is renting more than ever. People are visiting here from IL, MN, MI and Canada in record numbers. This is a great place. People are noticing. Demand will improve prices.

5) as for selling at "wow", why? If you can't afford your house, I am sorry. You will have to dump. (Not as pretty as WoW.) I also own some investment property and I am willing to hold on and pay the carrying costs until the market turns. I like the agent who told me to hold on, that it wasn't a good time to sell.

Being a curious sort, however, I would like to see the harbingers of sales go in the right direction. increased rentals, open houses with lots of traffic, and increased offers (at whatever price, it's still better than no offers.)

Interested in your observations.
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,816
1,921
SJ, I think Beachmouse answered as I would have. Eglin probably does more for the native pine trees than any other entity. They do have entire departments devoted to wilderness protection which translates into protection for lots of areas because others use the research and management techniques found (and sometimes created) here by the Air Force.
 

2bfabian

Banned
Dec 29, 2006
323
0
63
on grand lagoon
I'm reminded of something I once said,any fool can give a diamond away but it takes a good jeweler to get what it's worth. We go back to my prior statement and that is these Realtors are dropping the prices because many of them did not manage their money during the frenzy, so now they go back to the home owner and out of their desperation (the Realtor) talk Mr and Mrs home owner into thinking there place is not worth anything and to go ahead and drop the price 10-30%. The way they look at it is they need to eat and 3% of something is all they care about. Basically continuing to drop the price and have Mr buyer say wait a minute I was going to buy but I'm just going to hold on longer because the prices will drop more. In the mean time nothing sells even with the continued drop of prices. My simple advice is to hold to your price and realize if you don't it's only going to continue downward. Ask your self with all the price dropping has is caused the market to change. No, and it won't until people realize this is the price to live in paradise. Not everyone needs a graduate degree and not everyone needs to live on the beach. Yes it is expensive but so is good health care. You get what you pay for so stop giving your property away and quit letting these Realtors who have absolutely no loyalty toward the seller and hold to your price. Because if you don't trust me you will be dropping them for the next 5 years. But if you hold to your guns you get the fair price that many are asking for right now but are being talk into giving there places away by Mr and Mrs Realtor.
:banging:
 

SHELLY

SoWal Insider
Jun 13, 2005
5,770
802
I like the agent who told me to hold on, that it wasn't a good time to sell.

Interested in your observations.

Truth be told, there are a lot of agents who are sweating bullets because they've got their own RE they're trying to unload...and their desperation is doubled since they are getting hammered from both ends (their job income AND their investment outgo--kinda like what the folks at Enron went through).

/
 
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2bfabian

Banned
Dec 29, 2006
323
0
63
on grand lagoon
A friend once told me that people won't change until they SEE it. I said clarify. He said until they have had that sudden emotional event. I believe Mr and Mrs :shark: Realtor still don't SEE whats going on but if they don't stop dropping these prices, trust me they will.
 

JoshMclean

Beach Fanatic
Jan 15, 2007
995
128
Santa Rosa Beach
I'm reminded of something I once said,any fool can give a diamond away but it takes a good jeweler to get what it's worth. We go back to my prior statement and that is these Realtors are dropping the prices because many of them did not manage their money during the frenzy, so now they go back to the home owner and out of their desperation (the Realtor) talk Mr and Mrs home owner into thinking there place is not worth anything and to go ahead and drop the price 10-30%. The way they look at it is they need to eat and 3% of something is all they care about. Basically continuing to drop the price and have Mr buyer say wait a minute I was going to buy but I'm just going to hold on longer because the prices will drop more. In the mean time nothing sells even with the continued drop of prices. My simple advice is to hold to your price and realize if you don't it's only going to continue downward. Ask your self with all the price dropping has is caused the market to change. No, and it won't until people realize this is the price to live in paradise. Not everyone needs a graduate degree and not everyone needs to live on the beach. Yes it is expensive but so is good health care. You get what you pay for so stop giving your property away and quit letting these Realtors who have absolutely no loyalty toward the seller and hold to your price. Because if you don't trust me you will be dropping them for the next 5 years. But if you hold to your guns you get the fair price that many are asking for right now but are being talk into giving there places away by Mr and Mrs Realtor.
:banging:

Looks like someone's property isn't selling. The market will determine what your property is worth my friend. Don't get mad at your neighbors and Realtors because it's not now worth what it was. :roll:
 

SHELLY

SoWal Insider
Jun 13, 2005
5,770
802
A friend once told me that people won't change until they SEE it. I said clarify. He said until they have had that sudden emotional event. I believe Mr and Mrs :shark: Realtor still don't SEE whats going on but if they don't stop dropping these prices, trust me they will.

I didn't think a realtor drop a price without the seller's consent :dunno:

/
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
SJ, I think Beachmouse answered as I would have. Eglin probably does more for the native pine trees than any other entity. They do have entire departments devoted to wilderness protection which translates into protection for lots of areas because others use the research and management techniques found (and sometimes created) here by the Air Force.
I can see your point. I was too stuck in the idea of all of the jet fuel being burned and the test bombs exploding all night. ;-)
 

2bfabian

Banned
Dec 29, 2006
323
0
63
on grand lagoon
Well first let me talk to josh. I see you have been trying to give your property away, haven't you? Well, has it sold. NO, I did'nt think so. At any rate I was fortunate to have not dove in and and bought one of those condo's on the beach in 04,but those who did need to sit tight and hold on to their prices or it's going to be bad,bad timez for those realitors convinceing mr seller to gibb it all away you'llz be bezer off because people don't buy on the fall of prices they buy on the rise or bottom. I'm not da moz edumacated person but I doz noze dat. And to shelly I say be nice and more agreeable sometimez:roll:
 
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