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Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?

After 11 years with no storms landing on our shores, it’s easy for people to believe that the Emerald Coast is safe from hurricane season. There’s even a name for it – hurricane amnesia.

 

Ask any long-time local about Hurricane Dennis (2005), Hurricane Ivan (2004), or Hurricane Opal (1995) and they can probably tell you every detail of trees down, streets flooded, and homes torn apart by wind and rain.

 

And those were just the bigger storms to impact the Emerald Coast.

 

Our corner of Florida may be the most beautiful, but it’s also one of the areas most prone to hurricanes. The question you have to ask yourself is this: are you ready for hurricane season?

 

Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 15 – 21

 

Hurricane season officially begins June 1, but you can start getting ready now. Technically, there’s already been one storm this year – Hurricane Alex in January. Being prepared is a year-round thing. To get ready and stay prepared, text HURRICANE to 43362 (4FEMA) to receive bi-monthly hurricane tips to your cell phone directly from FEMA.

 

#HurricaneStrong

 

Want to share your own preparations or get more tips while you’re on Twitter? Follow #hurricanestrong or use it in your tweets to show how you’re getting ready for this year’s season. You’ll see tips from other parts of Florida and across the Gulf Coast region. The Coast Guard, FEMA, and National Hurricane Center also share good information on a regular basis.

 

Get Your Supplies Together Now

 

Anyone who’s lived through the aftermath of a storm can tell you how miserable it is. Stock up now on batteries, flashlights, water, a self-powered radio, a first aid kit, and even portable generators and tie down kits. For the past few years, we’ve had a tax holiday to purchase hurricane supplies. No official date has been announced, but one site listed May 28 through June 5. Keep your eye on the news or social media to find out for sure.

 

The time to buy gas cans or bottles of water isn’t when the storm is a few days out or when Jim Cantore does his weather report from Destin. Supplies become limited when that happens. It best to stock up now and know you’re ready if a storm heads our way.

 

Don’t let the past several years make you think it can’t happen here. We’re the one part of Florida where a hurricane is almost guaranteed to affect us, even a little bit, if it gets into the Gulf of Mexico. Getting ready now and learning as much as you can about how to stay safe and what to do can save lives.

13 Facts About Memorial Day You Might Not Know

Here along the Emerald Coast, Memorial Day means a lot of things: the unofficial start of summer tourist season, the start of Crab Island season, the time when you avoid Highway 98 as much as possible. It’s also a time to remember those who died in service to our country.

 

With much of the focus being on trips to the beach, cookouts, and even fireworks, there are plenty of things you might not know about Memorial Day.

 

1. Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day.
2. Decoration Day was officially started three years after the end of the Civil War.
3. On May 5, 1868, the nation was asked to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers.
4. May 30 became the official Decoration Day holiday because it was believed flowers would be in bloom across the country on that day.
5. The first large observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery.
6. The amount of people at the first observance and the amount of people who attend now are about the same number: 5,000 people.
7. Several places claim to be the birthplace of Decoration Day: Columbus, MS; Macon and Columbus, GA; Richmond, VA; Boalsburg, PA; Carbondale, IL; and Waterloo, NY.
8. In 1966, Waterloo was declared the “official” birthplace of what was known at that point as Memorial Day.
9. Memorial Day wasn’t expanded to include deceased soldiers of all American wars until after World War I.
10. In 1971, Memorial Day became an official national holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May.
11. December 2000 – the National Moment of Remembrance Act was passed and signed into law.
12. All Americans are encouraged to observe a moment of silence at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor those who’ve died in service to the nation.
13. This year, Memorial Day is May 30, 2016.

 

Plan to have a great time at the beach or invite your friends and family over for a barbecue this Memorial Day. But don’t forget to remember the reason for the holiday, and take a moment to remember those who gave everything for our country.

Stress-Free Travel Planning

If you’ve ever planned a trip, you know just how time consuming and even frustrating the process can be. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, with all the technology available today, coordinating the various aspects of your trip can be done with ease. Add some peace of mind to the process with the following tips.

Keep it simple. Planning a trip can be stressful, especially when it comes to searching for cheap flights, a nice hotel in a good location and a car that can accommodate your needs. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, search the Web for a company that will take care of the planning and comparison shopping for you.

Put your smartphone to use. No matter how much—or little—time you spend traveling, your smartphone can be your best ally whenever you hit the road. Use your phone to easily access confirmation numbers and to keep all of your travel documents handy.

Be in the know. Take advantage of technology such as Siri and other websites and apps like Yelp, Trip Advisor or TripIt when looking for maps, directions and nearby restaurants and merchants.

Stay connected. Give a copy of your itinerary to friends and family so that everyone knows where you’ll be throughout your trip. Be sure to include flight numbers, arrival times, and hotel names and contact information.

6 Events on the Emerald Coast in May You Don’t Want to Miss!

In between the end of Spring Break and the start of the “official” summer tourism season, May is a great time to enjoy the beautiful weather, the local events, and everything the Emerald Coast has to offer. Take a look at these upcoming events and find something new to try or a new event to attend.

 

59th Blessing of the Fleet

Thursday, May 5, 2016; 4:00 p.m.

Behind Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer

 

This week is the 13th Annual Week of Blessings in Destin, and the 59th annual Blessing of the Fleet. Local pastors gather to bless charter fishing boats and anyone else who earns their living from the sea for safe passage and bountiful catches. Learn more.

 

Burning Up the Beaches!

Thursday, May 5 – Sunday, May 8, 2016

Destin Commons

 

If you love classic cars or you want to show your’s off, head on over to Destin Commons for a classic car weekend. All proceeds go to The Arc of the Emerald Coast. Learn more.

 

48th Annual EOD Warrior Foundation Annual Ball

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Emerald Coast Convention Center

 

This annual ball to support the EOD Warrior Foundation features LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) as the keynote speaker! Tickets are $75 each. Learn more.

 

NFSO Stars of Tomorrow Meet Beethoven

Friday, May 13, 2016; 7:30 p.m.

Mattie Kelly Arts Center, Niceville

 

This family-friendly concert features the talent of youth winners of the 29th Concerto Competition as Guest Soloists. Come hear this amazing musicians before they become famous. Learn more.

 

Emerald Coast Relay for Life

Friday, May 20 – Saturday, May 21, 2016

6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Destin Middle School

 

Paint your paradise purple and help raise money for a cure. This is a time to remember loved ones, support survivors and their family, and do your part to make cancer a thing of the past. Learn more.

 

Gate-to-Gate 4.4 Mile Run/Walk

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Eglin Air Force Base

 

This family-friendly event brings thousands of people to Eglin AFB every year. Whether you’re a walker or a runner – or you’d rather cheer from the sidelines – this is a great event start your Memorial Day weekend! Learn more.

March 2016: Sales Dip on Emerald Coast But It’s Not All Bad News

The slow start to 2016 continues with fewer real estate sales along most of the Emerald Coast in March. It’s not all bad news, though. Pending sales were up which is a good sign for the months ahead and prices remain steady in many areas. Inventory continues to be an issue, but with record-high new listings for single family homes, buyers may soon have more options. All data is a comparison of March 2016 to March 2015.

 

               Single Family Home Sales

 

Emerald Coast

• Closed sales increased 1.3%
• Pending sales increased 4.7%
• Median prices increased 4.6%
• Inventory decreased 8.4%
• Months supply decreased 15.9% to 5.8 months of inventory

 

Okaloosa County

• Closed sales decreased 1.3%
• Pending sales increased 5.3%
• Median prices increased 2.6%
• Inventory decreased 9.3%
• Months supply decreased 17.5% to 4.7 months of inventory

 

Walton County

• Closed sales increased 8.9%
• Pending sales increased 10.7%
• Median prices increased 6.1%
• Inventory decreased 3.2%
• Months supply decreased 11.8% to 7.5 months of inventory

 

               Townhouse and Condo Sales

 

Emerald Coast

• Closed sales decreased 14.3%
• Pending sales increased 1.5%
• Median prices decreased 11.7%
• Inventory decreased 0.2%
• Months supply decreased 5.1% to 9.4 months of inventory

 

Okaloosa County

• Closed sales decreased 4.5%
• Pending sales increased 25.4%
• Median prices decreased 18.8%
• Inventory decreased 10.2%
• Months supply decreased 8.4% to 9.8 months of inventory

 

Walton County

• Closed sales decreased 26.9%
• Pending sales decreased 11.5%
• Median prices increased 11%
• Inventory increased 0.5%
• Months supply decreased 2.2% to 8.9 months of inventory

 

 

A few things to remember…

 

New inventory for single family homes appears to be on the rise with March numbers being the highest on record for the Emerald Coast (909 total), Okaloosa County (417 total) and Walton County (330 total). While this may increase the inventory numbers temporarily, it also gives buyers more options and may spur real estate sales with the start of the new selling season.

 

Single family homes along the Emerald Coast are either in a seller’s market or close to it. A healthy real estate market – where neither the buyer nor seller have an advantage – is between six and eight months. Townhouses and condos are in the upper levels with Okaloosa close to 10 months of inventory. Below six months means that inventory is scarce and can drive up prices. Above 8 months means there is too much inventory which can drive prices down.

 

Pending sales continue to falter making an increase in sales for the following month more difficult. If enough new inventory can come onto the market, it’s possible, this trend may reverse itself over the next couple of months, especially as we get closer to our spring and summer selling season.

 

It’s best to look at the data as part of an on-going trend. One month does not dictate the entire market. If you view the data collected since 2011 for the Emerald Coast, Okaloosa County, and Walton County as a whole, you can get a good feel for what’s happening in the local housing market. Overall, the market has improved greatly.

 

All sales data is from the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors® (ECAR) Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and is compiled by Florida Realtors®, the state association for Florida. The Emerald Coast statistics cover both Okaloosa and Walton counties as well as surrounding areas based on the listings entered into the MLS by ECAR MLS participants.

Is Now a Good Time to Sell?

Watch the news for a little while, and it’s easy to become confused about what’s going on with real estate. Is now a good time to sell? Are prices going up, staying the same, or going down? What is actually going on?

 

The first thing to remember is that all real estate is local. No matter what’s going on at the national or even state level, there are exceptions and here on the Emerald Coast, we rarely follow national trends. That being said, there are a few things to be aware of that are making national news and may lead you to wonder if you should sell now or in the future.

 

Seller and Buyer Confidence is Down

 

Fannie Mae just released the results of a survey called the Home Purchase Sentiment. They surveyed 1,000 Americans across the country and asked how they feel about buying or selling a home, among other questions. The results were a little startling:

 

• Confidence that now is a good time to sell went down eight percent.
• Confidence in keeping your job went down seven percent.
• Only 33 percent of Americans believe now is a good time to buy.

 

Here on the Emerald Coast, inventory is tightening up in some areas for single family homes. This means that good properties that are priced right will be highly competitive. Sellers who get their home ready and put it on the market at the right price may see a few things: multiple offers, full-price and above-asking-price offers, quicker closings.

 

Prices Aren’t Dropping in Florida Anytime Soon

 

Another study released recently is the Spring 2016 Housing and Mortgage Market Research report from Arch Mortgage Insurance Company (Arch MI). They studied the possibility of price declines over the next two years. Nationally, the possibility of price declines will be about five percent. Here in Florida, between two and three percent.

 

The chances are really good that home prices here on the Emerald Coast will continue to go up incrementally. This is good news if you want to sell your home now or in the next year or so. Of course, for buyers, it’s better to get that offer in sooner rather than later to avoid paying more. Either way, the news is favorable for sellers. The states with the highest risk of declining home prices are North Dakota, Wyoming, West Virginia, and Alaska.

 

It’s projected that two million jobs will be created this year, and the March numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that job creation is still going strong. While we may never see the type of growth from 2004/2005 (and we probably shouldn’t), prices are on the rise, and for anyone looking to sell, this may be the perfect time to put your home on the market.