Newsletter 60

Dear friends,

When I moved to this beautiful part of the world, I thought that the change of seasons were left behind. While our seasonal changes are not as extreme as the north, I was pleasantly surprised to experience the change in weather. We are currently experiencing the weather patterns that Florida full-time residents dream about during the oppressive heat & humidity of the summer months. Lower humidity, less rain, and the opportunity to work in our yards & gardens without sweating profusely. Some days we can even open our windows and doors and turn off the AC. It’s gorgeous, and it’s definitely my favorite time of the year on the Suncoast.

We are proud to be accredited members of the National Home Watch Association (NWHA). Our bonded and insured services offer peace of mind to our clients. We take great pride in maintaining and enhancing their homes in paradise. The greatest compliment we can receive is a referral.

Visit our website for more information on our services and how we can help: Suncoast Home Concierge

Here’s some recent Suncoast area news:

SAND & CHALK FESTIVALS: Last weekend was an exciting time to witness examples of artistic creativity on the Suncoast.
Sand sculptors from around the globe dug their fingers into the crystalline grains of Siesta Beach, creating lifelike castles and creatures that drop jaws and defy physics. These masters describe their artistic process as “a total creative immersion” and “magic” and spectators just stand by to marvel. Fourteen duos – from the United States, Canada, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Bulgaria – completed in the Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival. Please click here for more, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: SKCC, and click here to see the Facebook page with the winners: SKCC FB Winners. Just a few miles south of Sarasota, the Chalk Festival was held at the Venice Airport Festival Grounds. Perfect weather helped spur a healthy turnout for the Chalk Festival, attracting roughly 50,000 people to the airport venue. Click here for some pics and more: Chalk Festival

THREAT & OPPORTUNITY: The planet’s ice has melted before – even the skeptics will stipulate to that – and it will do so again, scientists say. The atmosphere will get warmer, which may or may not be caused by the burning of fossil fuels by humans. So, the questions become, will the sea rise and by how much, and what will it mean for a Florida economy that is built around the waterfront dream? And, most importantly, what should be do about it? Many scientists believe that a 3-foot estimate is inadequate; the rise should be 6 feet or more.
Besides raising infrastructure, installing pumps in storm sewers and elevating buildings (steps for which the architects would play critical roles), the simple answer for the state’s homeowners, should the sea rise appreciably in this or the next century, would be to evacuate the coasts. Property along the Lake Wales Ridge, in Highlands, Polk and Lake counties, could rise in value, as elevations of 150 to 250 feet above sea level are common there. Clermont soars to 305 feet.
Sarasota’s average elevation – and it is the highest coastal city in southern Florida – is 16 feet. Venice and North Port are at 9.8, Bradenton and Punta Gorda 5.9, Naples and Holmes Beach 2.95.
Sea-level rise believers, such as Englander and Ringling College futurist-in-residence Dr. David Houle, say Sarasota could become an island – and one whose fabled beaches will be underwater by 2040. There’s more on this story here: Sea Level Rise

HOUSING STARTS HIT BEST PACE SINCE 2006: The boomers are blowing up the new home market in South-West Florida. Housing starts surged to the fastest rate in a decade during the third quarter, and the demand from new and upcoming retirees will continue to grow, according to a new report by data supplier MetroStudy. Builders broke ground on 1,488 single-family units in the region during the July-September period, a 14.5% gain over the year. Follow the jump for more on this: Housing Pace Surges

TRAFFIC PLAN GETS STICKY: City leaders must undo, then redo, their vote on changes to Sarasota’s comprehensive traffic plan to meet state deadlines without potential legal repercussions. The awkward do-si-do comes after the City Commission voted 3-2 last month to reflect updates to the city’s plan, which includes certain required revisions to bring it into line with state law, amid questions from development control advocates about traffic studies and their criteria. Please click here for more: Traffic Do-Si-Do

MARIJUANA COULD BE $1.6B INDUSTRY: A company that bills itself as the “authority in cannabis Big Data analytics” predicts that passage of Amendment 2 in Florida means the Sunshine State will have a $1.6 billion medical marijuana market by 2020. That would still pale in comparison to big economic drivers like the tourism industry – $82 billion and 1.5 million jobs – but would still represent one of the largest marijuana industries in the nation. More than 71% of voters approved Amendment 2: “Use Of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions” on Election Day. There’s more on this story here: Pot Industry Huge In Florida

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