Hi, SoWal pals,
Just a note to let you know that as of this morning, Ye Olde Conch Out is no longer up for grabs. It was taken off the real estate market. I am really happy about this, as many of you can imagine. And here's my prediction for the future of well located beach estate at SoWal...
The market is not going to "tank." We are going through a correction period that is actually healthy for the sustainability of the area. The rampant speculation had ratcheted prices up to an artificially high level that was not sustainable. The cumulative impacts of a record storm year, record high insurance rates (and unpredictability for the future), and the County speculating about actually raising property taxes now (Are you nuts?) translated into a major erosion of buyer confidence. The highest of these on my list was the insurance situation, which I am thankful that Gov. Crist has introduced some sanity into. (We wuz robbed, folks!) Anyway, a check for nearly $5K arrived here several weeks back from the insurance company. We know that property taxes will be reduced after the 2005 reassessments kick in. All we need now is a storm year that is not Biblical by nature. Smilin' Joe, can you put in a good word for us? And there is that international airport in 2009, in spite of Shelly's dire predictions to the contrary. Shelly, will you please take a powder?
Well, all that $$$ talk aside...I am so thrilled that Conch Out is still mine. And she actually also belongs, in a sense, to all the people who have enjoyed time there for all these years, too and have taken such good care of this big house.
With any luck, I will see some of you in April. Unfortunately, I have winery hearings in CA and library business in Bainbridge to attend to. But hopefully there will be time for a week Conching Out at SoWal. Yes, yes...I know that you are way overdue for a story and I'm working on it. Donna :clap_1:
Just a note to let you know that as of this morning, Ye Olde Conch Out is no longer up for grabs. It was taken off the real estate market. I am really happy about this, as many of you can imagine. And here's my prediction for the future of well located beach estate at SoWal...
The market is not going to "tank." We are going through a correction period that is actually healthy for the sustainability of the area. The rampant speculation had ratcheted prices up to an artificially high level that was not sustainable. The cumulative impacts of a record storm year, record high insurance rates (and unpredictability for the future), and the County speculating about actually raising property taxes now (Are you nuts?) translated into a major erosion of buyer confidence. The highest of these on my list was the insurance situation, which I am thankful that Gov. Crist has introduced some sanity into. (We wuz robbed, folks!) Anyway, a check for nearly $5K arrived here several weeks back from the insurance company. We know that property taxes will be reduced after the 2005 reassessments kick in. All we need now is a storm year that is not Biblical by nature. Smilin' Joe, can you put in a good word for us? And there is that international airport in 2009, in spite of Shelly's dire predictions to the contrary. Shelly, will you please take a powder?
Well, all that $$$ talk aside...I am so thrilled that Conch Out is still mine. And she actually also belongs, in a sense, to all the people who have enjoyed time there for all these years, too and have taken such good care of this big house.
With any luck, I will see some of you in April. Unfortunately, I have winery hearings in CA and library business in Bainbridge to attend to. But hopefully there will be time for a week Conching Out at SoWal. Yes, yes...I know that you are way overdue for a story and I'm working on it. Donna :clap_1:
