Florida Leads the way in Luxury Golf Course Real Estate

UNIQUE HOMES: Stateside, Florida Leads the Way in luxury golf course real estate with 545 golf-course communities. Since 2001, 1764 new golf holes have been added, which would equal 98 new 18-hole golf courses. In 2006, 153 new holes appeared through August.

PORTABILITY PETITION (re property taxes)

TO SIGN and WHERE TO MAIL PORTABILITY PETITION (re property taxes) go to:

http://www.co.palm-beach.fl..us/papa/

and click on link to portability petition - get address to mail petition to, print it out and sign and mail it.

"The Florida Legislature could add the issue of Portability to its January special session agenda and adopt our ballot language," said Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits, a member of the Board that sponsors the petition drive. "That would save us the work of gathering the nearly 750,000 signatures needed to place the issue on the ballot," he added.

MARILYN FARBER JACOBS

STATE OF FLORIDA MANDATES HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMEN MUST CHOOSE A MAJOR

HIGH SCHOOL WAS DIFFERENT IN OUR DAY… A new state law mandates that incoming high school freshmen must choose a major. Palm Beach County School Board members recently approved the Florida Department of Education’s high school major areas of interest, including: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts; A/V Technology and Communicaions; Business Management and Administration; Education & Training; Finance; Government & Public Administration; Health Science; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; information Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; Manufacturing; Marketing; Sales & Service; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics. Students must take for of 8 credits in their field of interest in addition to 16 core curriculum credits, to graduate. Majors can be changed during the registration process.

COUNTY OFFERS FREE AMPLIFIED PHONES FOR PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS

All Palm Beach County residents who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are offered specialized telephone equipment, at no charge, provided by the Deaf Service Center in West Palm Beach and Florida Telecommunications Relay.

According to the Deaf Center, there are more than 170,000 residents who are entitled to use this equipment and the proper training to use it. Requirements are proof of Florida residency and hearing loss.

For those with a moderate hearing loss, telephones with volume and tone control are provided, easily operated by both the hard-of-hearing individual and anyone else living in the same household. For those with a severe to profound hearing loss, and who also have intelligible speech the Center can provide a CapTel telephone which uses relay operator assistance to communicate messages. The relay operation captions everything said and it appears on the phone display screen. The telephone also has amplification, so the hard-of-hearing person can both listen to the conversation and read the captions.

A text telephone (“TTY”) is offered to deaf clients. The message is either directly typed to another TTY user, or to a person using a standard telephone through a third party relay service.

Proper training and instructions on how to operate the phones are provided.
Those eligible can call for an appointment at the Delray Beach office at 561-278-6444.

CRA OFFERS HELP TO HOMEOWNERS

The Community Redevelopment Agency has a new grant program oferring up to $20,000 to some of the 3,193 residence in the Heart of Boynton, a long-neglected area targeted for redevelopment stretching from Boynton Beach Boulevard north to the Boynton Canal and from I95 East to Federal Highway.

$440,000 has been set aside for the fiscal year that began October 1. The CRA's old grant program, which covered exterior upgrades only and required matching money, was not used by a single homeowner during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

The new program allows owners to apply for outright grants to improve their homes both inside and out. Eligible projects include but are not limited to interior and exterior painting, hurricane shutters, landscaping, roof repair or replacement, electrical and plumbing upgrades, appliance replacement, removal of debris and correction of code violations.

TRUTH or FICTION in the headlines?

An article in the Wall St Journal on September 12, 2006, stated that home sales have "plunged over the past year in many areas where prices had soard over the preceding five years." The full story is that prices only went down 1.7% although the number of home sales did plummet 12.6% in August 2006 vs. August 2005. More accurately, sales have EASED. Not a huge plunging change! Although not the case in 2004 and 2005, there is a slowdown in home sales during most summers in home sales in Florida!

SOME COURT DOCS GOING ONLINE Oct 17, 2006

30 years of criminal and traffic court records will begin being converted to a modernized computer system that the public will be able to access online at http://pbcountyclerk.com/.

Included will be traffic citations (which can be paid online), court dates and other information docketed in a court file, e.g., listing of filings and activity. The ability to view the individual documents in a particular case is not yet available, but is slated for the future.

From 5 pm this coming Friday until Oct. 9, court filings will be done the old-fashioned way, by hand while all the records are being transferred. The information will be entered into the new system once it is up and running.

The vendor, Affiliated Computer Systems, signed a contract in 1999 for $4.9 million to convert the civil and juvenile records, which went online in 2002. That same year, the county signed contracts totaling $6.9 million to do the same thing for criminal and traffic records.

With 7,000 hits per day, the Palm Beach County Clerk of Court's Web site -- www.pbcountyclerk.com -- already competes with the property appraiser's site as the county's busiest. That number is expected to double when criminal and traffic records are added.

NEWSPAPERS HAVE LOST MANY REAL ESTATE ADS TO THE INTERNET

Newspapers will face a huge loss of real estate ads to the Internet, according to Borrell Associates, a national consulting and research firm that tracks local internet advertising and crafts strategies for media and websites. See http://www.borrellassociates.com/product.cfm?prodID=55 .

"Toward the end of 2005, the Internet became the most-used method of selling a home -- beating out even the old-faithful yard sign," says Borrell. “The $11 billion spent on total real estate advertising stagnated, growing less than 4% over the past four years, while the available advertising inventory -- the number of existing homes for sale on the market -- rose 41 percent in the last 12 months. That metric alone is enough to stop a real estate advertising executive dead in his or her tracks."

The Newspaper Association of America reports that classified ad revenue amounted to $16.6 billion in 2004 -- down from $19.6 billion from 2000. Corrected for inflation the situation is far worse: Newspapers would have to have taken in $21.5 billion in 2005 to equal their 2000 classified revenues. See http://www.naa.org/thesource/20.asp .

Will INTEREST RATES GO FARTHER DOWN NOW?

September 18, 2006 - Says David Lereah, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, "Mortgage rates are one of the bright spots in the economy right now, with an unexpected decline recently in the 30-year fixed rate to a narrow range around six-and-a-half percent. This should encourage some of the nearly 4 million people who’ve found newly created jobs over the last two years.”

CITIZEN's DEFICIT to cost ALL FL HOMEOWNERS

CITIZEN’s DEFICIT to cost ALL FL HOMEOWNERS

A one-time charge of $20.70 for every $1000 of annual homeowner insurance premiums due for Florida homeowners with their next renewal bills, added to rate hikes that have already appeared. This is to HELP cover Citizen’s Property Insurance Corp’s $1.7-Billion deficit from 2005, to shore up the state’s home insurer of last resort and now its biggest property insurer.

This is the second time in 2 years that all Florida home insurance policyholders are being forced to bail out Citizens, which has been drained by hurricane-related claims.

Once the assessment gets the go-ahead from the state Office of Insurance Regulation, homeowner insurance companies will pay Citizens and pass the charge on to their customers when the policies are renewed.

This assessment, already approved, is expected to raise $163-MM, and combined with $715-MM in sales tax money already set aside, plus the assessment Citizens is to consider next month which is expected to raise $822-MM.

This information is from the 9-17-06 issue of the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.

COMMUNITIES TAKE NOTE: DEVELOPERS ARE WOOING FAMILIES

9-1-06: Today’s Wall St Journal has an article about the ways developers are wooing families to their properties, and the ideas may have merit everywhere.

Developers tout fancy gyms, pools just for children, water parks, fake “fossil digs”, couture designer romper rooms, playgrounds with slides and climbing equipment, “kids-only” activity rooms, child-sized “Wild West” sets with saloons and teepees, squirt-gun shootout areas, plastic monkey bars, tunnel labyrinths, and on-call “nanny” staff.

According to Packaged Facts, a New York-based consumer-research company, it costs a middle-income family $191,000 to raise a child to age 18.

County Authorizes Limited Debris Clean-up in Gated Communities

“To create safe passage” of vehicles on roadways upon declaration of a disaster, within a gated community, a new ordinance has been adopted to collect and remove debris from private gated communities and/or private roads, with FEMA “more likely” providing reimbursement for the debris removal. Up to now, FEMA has denied any application for debris removal reimbursement involving private communities.

FEMA’s early targeting of debris removal is to make highways and roads safe for travel and to remove debris if it constitutes a health or safety hazard. Hurricane debris removal costs are shared 75/25 between FEMA and the state with removal, storage and disposal performed by local governments or by contractors selected by those governmental entities. Pheasant Walk on the east side of Military Trail above Clint Moore had incurred more than $20,000 in removal costs using their landscape contractor, but the County was only offering $15,000 in repayment “because that’s what it would have cost the county to do the job,” but Commissioner Burt Aronson said that if Pheasant Walk was reimbursed, “then I want other communities included.”
Last week’s action to permit country debris removal in general from gated community roads at least now gives the county a statutory basis to argue that health and safety were at issue and therefore the county should be reimbursed, and permits residents in gated communities to receive the same road clearing treatment as those along public roadways.

Have You Read About CarePages?

CarePages.com is a free secure private internet space for families and invited friends to form an online support community around a patient. This space can be used to post get-well wishes, upload photos and share info about the loved one’s illness, recovery and/or rehab. Patients can respond online, and family members can communicate with staff.

One family member is designated to be in charge of the space. CarePages currently manages over 50,000 individual CarePages communities with over 5-MM members in 190 countries around the world. Over 500 hospital and health care facilities across the US and Canada are offering their own customized versions of CarePages.

Go to www.carepages.com for a visit.

CONDO INSURANCE RATES MAY FALL

CONDO INSURANCE RATES MAY FALL
There has been a change in how association’s policies are handled by Citizens Property Insurance Company. Previously one policy would group condo buildings together, and now Citizen’s board decided they will treat the buildings separately. A stricter criteria will still apply to individual condo buildings that cost $10-MM or more to replace. This change could save associations thousands of dollars on their insurance premiums. Depending on how the associations decide to use the refunds, either homeowners could receive refunds or the funds could be held in reserve by the association. Rate reductions could be 20% to 30%, but that will still be more than associations paid to Poe Financial Group previously. Change will apply retroactively to any policies issued on or after May 15, which is when Citizens first issued condo association policies using the stricter standards. About 2000 associations are affected. It will take 60-90 days for Citizens to process the refunds.

SINGLE WOMEN HOME BUYERS: A Market Segment to Consider

The Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies’ report states that unmarried women (2/3 were previously married) have become a large segment of the home buying population, with 63% of buyers being married couples, 17% being unmarried men, and 20% being single women. Many of the women have children.

While single women average 11% less median income than single men, at $37,000, and while at first the single women do not purchase single family homes, they tend to move up by building their net worth by buying low, selling when the market grows and moving into a larger, more expensive dwelling.
The Women’s Mortgage Industry Network was launched four years ago to help women in their quest for home ownership, and is sponsored by Freddie Mac.

PB COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION TARGETS LEGISLATURE

The South County Partnership, a 3-year old group, is an umbrella community association organization. It recently assessed its influence on legistlators during this year’s session and outlined a plan for 2007.

The partnership comprises the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations, the West Boca Community Council and the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations and plans to reach out and invite similar organizations in northwest Broward County to join. The group represents nearly 300 communities and about 500,000 residents. The West Boca council, which has 115 members, was formed in 1980, and a year later came the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations, which has 79 members representing about 100,000 people. In 1994, the areas west of Delray Beach organized into The Alliance of Delray Residential Associations, which represents communities that are home to 70,000 people.Community leaders hope those numbers, along with memberships to larger organizations such as the Florida Coalition of Community Associations, pull weight with legislators.

Rob Schulbaum, president of Alliance of Delray Residential Associations, said, “We had some influence in keeping the bills with punitive actions against condo and HOAs from being passed.”

Introductions of bills limiting the powers of condo and HOAs since 2004 included several restricting the power associations have to enforce many of their laws, including collecting past dues or fining homeowners for violations. Schulbaum said, “Our fear is that these bills will pass next year.” A big current issue is over insurance not being renewed for communities.

HOA and CONDO laws

FL OFFICIALS DECIDE CONDOS MUST HAVE GENERATORS and HOAS CAN CONTINUE OPERATING WITHOUT RESERVE FUND TO PAY EMERGENCY CLEANUP AND OTHER EXPENSES
While the lack of reserves last year forced many association to impose huge special assessments on owners, the mandatory HOAs can continue operating without a reserve fund to pay emergency cleanup and other expenses.

High-rise condos must install sprinklers in hallways and lobbies by 2013, and associations must provide a generator for at least one elevator in each building by 2007 for at least 5 days after a disaster, so that the elderly and infirm residents won’t again get trapped on upper floors.

The length of time a condo owner or association can file suit against the buildrer for construction defects has been reduced from 15 years to 10 years.
State condo law is 93 pages, compared with 30 pages for the homeowner law. Governor Jeb Bush has ordered the state Department of Business & Professional Regulation to recommend by October 1st whether the state should consider combining laws for all “common interest communities,” include HOAs, condos, co-ops and timeshares.

Palm Beach County studies slightly larger cut in property taxes

Palm Beach County studies slightly larger cut in property taxes

A proposal to cut property taxes by 2% has been upped to a proposal to cut by 3% bby Commissioner Mary McCarty, with residents with homestead exemptions having no change in their county tax bills. The 3% tax rate cut would offset the rise in property values, with homeowners paying $4.30 for every $1000 in assessed values instead of the current $4.45.

Public hearings on the budget are set for July with voting in September. The 2006 budget was $3.9-billion; the 2007 budget calls for a $4.3-billion spending plan.
With a 21% spike in property values, about $100-million in extra revenues was created, even after McCarty’s proposed tax rate cut. Property value growth is expected to slow in 2007 due to a softened real estate market.

The Economic Council of Palm Beach County submitted a letter saying the tax rate reductions being discussed aren’t enough, considering the county has benefited from a soaring real estate market in recent years.
A 9% property tax cut was voted on for Broward County, although new projects proposed there might eat deeply into that tax cut.

Grants Received for Planting New Trees

Four Boynton Beach areas have received grant money to replace trees destroyed in hurricanes Frances, Jeanne and Wilma. A contractor hired by the non-profit environmental grant group, Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc., will do the planting, and recipients will maintain the trees.

Brighton Lakes, a 124-home development on Military Trail north of Woolbright, lost pines, oaks and palms, and received nearly $10,000 from the 30 new trees will be planted at it’s Military Trail entrance. As a result of recent hurricanes this community has borne a heavy price for tree loss. Hurricane Wilma resulted in loss of new trees that had been planted after previous hurricanes.

Boynton Beach High School received 21 new trees in early 2004 from the group,
Some of which were lost in the hurricanes, so the school applied for a $10,000 reforestation grant to put new trees throughout the campus.

Forty-one trees will be planted at a passive 2 ½ acre park under construction at State Road A1A and Woolbright Road in Ocean Ridge where Hurricane Wilma destroyed or damaged strangler figs and palm trees.

Funds were also received for new trees along the Federal Highway medians in Boynton Beach. The City, as well, is contributing $11,970 for 31 new trees along the medians.

Glenda Hall, forestry and grounds manager for Boynton Beach, said the planting must go on. "You have to continue forward like it's OK," said Hall, who added that trees aren't only for looks. They clean and cool the air and break up wind so that it doesn't hit buildings with full force, she said. "People don't realize that trees are a benefit when it comes to hurricanes," Hall said.As part of its $150,000 Hurricane Reforestation Program, to provide 460 new storm-tolerant trees in publicly visible areas of the county, the group chose 16 locations throughout Palm Beach County to receive money to restore tree canopy. Each project will total $10,000 or less.

Pets Get Shelter from Hurricanes in Palm Beach County

County officials on Thursday said the West Boynton Recreation Center on Jog Road would be the safe haven for 300 people, 240 dogs, 400 cats, 250 birds and small "pocket pets" (e.g., gerbils) during a storm. The county's original plan was to pair owners and their pets at schools, which serve as hurricane shelters, but the School Board rejected it because of concerns about sanitation and sickness. Pets and their owners would stay in separate areas of the 22,000-square-foot recreation center. Estimates show there are about 450,000 pets in the county.

The shelter will be available primarily to county residents who live in mandatory evacuation zones or mobile homes. Pet owners living outside evacuation zones would be allowed to stay if there were space.

The county is spending about $170,000 for shutters, a generator and other supplies for the recreation center, said Vince Bonvento, assistant county administrator. It should be ready sometime in July, but it is not considered a long-term solution. County officials, plan to prove how smoothly a pet shelter can be run. The county is ordering cages in case owners show up without them, or bring the wrong size for their pets, Bonvento said.

County Commissioner Addie Greene, herself a dog owner, was pleased the county found a facility just as hurricane season revs up. "It's perfect timing," she said. "I'm really thinking about senior citizens. They can't just pick up and leave like younger people can. They don't know where to go and have enough on their minds than to worry about their only friend."Plans call for owners and pets to leave the shelter after the storm passes. People whose homes are uninhabitable would be given some consideration."We'll take a look on a case-by-case basis," she said.

NEW DOWNTOWN AREA

The new downtown area will offer a yachting marina, outdoor performance square and exhibit of kinetic art sculptures. Promenade Park, a natural preserve, will provide scenic walking and jogging trails bordering the ICW and Pedestrian Promenade, and interconnecting walkway, and will link the city's 40-acre Mangrove Nature Walk and RiverWalk with the marina and performance square.