Saturday, January 29, 2011

Tampa Gasparilla Flotilla

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Friday, January 28, 2011

Sleepy Housing Market to Awaken in 2011

The housing market will remain in hibernation this winter and, without the benefit of a federal home buying tax credit, keep snoring right on through the spring, according to two recent studies.

However, by the third quarter of 2011, pent up demand could stir the market from its slumber and generate a modest, groggy recovery.

During its recent NARdigras 2010 Realtor Conference and Expo, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) forecast an "uneven recovery" next year.

"Existing-home sales have shown some improvement, but the foreclosure moratorium is likely to cause some disruption and contribute to an uneven sales performance in the months ahead," said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.

"Tight credit and appraisals coming in below a negotiated price continue to constrain the market. Nonetheless, there appears to be a pent-up demand that eventually will be unleashed as banks resolve their issues with foreclosures and the labor market improves," Yun said.

Likewise, the recent Fiserv Case-Shiller Home Price Insight" reported that the home buyer tax credit delayed the housing market's slide to the bottom, and that will put off the recovery until late 2011.

Fiserv and Moody's Economy.com expect that home prices will drop over the next four quarters in nearly all metro markets, before prices have a shot at stabilizing by the end of 2011.

"Some of the largest declines in prices will occur in markets that had strong spring and summer 2010 price increases," said David Stiff, chief economist at Fiserv. "This is because the home buyer tax credit delayed the correction in home prices that is necessary to return housing affordability to its pre-bubble levels," Stiff added.

According to NAR, Existing-home sales, down 21.2 percent year-over-year in the third quarter this year, are forecast to drop 24.7 percent in the last quarter this year. The declines reflect the absence of the federal home buying tax credit, available this time last year, NAR said.

Next year, expect smaller sales declines of about 7 percent during the first two quarters, before sales begin to rebound with a near 26 percent year-over-year increase in sales, according to the forecast.

"We’ve added 30 million people to the U.S. population over the past 10 years, but sales are where they were in 2000, so there appears to be a sizable pent-up demand that could come to the (housing) market once the economy gathers momentum," Yun said.

Yun said existing home sales will rise from 4.8 million this year to 5.1 million next year while housing starts are expected to rise to 716,000 in 2011 from 598,000 this year. Housing starts bottomed out at 554,000 in 2009.

The boost in sales and starts is related to favorable growth in the Gross Domestic Product. NAR says it should grow 2.0 to 2.5 percent over the next two years. A projected and much needed 1.5 million additional jobs over the next two years will push the unemployment rate down to 8 percent by 2013, but it won't return to a normal level of about 6 percent until 2015.

Mortgage interest rates are at record lows now, but by the time housing market recovery is under way, they are expected to rise, creating an average 4.9 percent next year, Yun said.

Median prices for existing homes, nationwide at $177,100 in the third quarter this year (down 0.6 percent a year ago) are expected to continue to decline to $165,900 into the first quarter 2010, before managing $178,900 by the third quarter next year, an expected peak for the year.

New home prices, $218,000 in the third quarter, 2010 (up 2.5 percent from a year ago), are expected to continue rising each quarter in 2011 and peak out at $224,300 in the fourth quarter.


Written by Broderick Perkins

It is the Best time in History to buy waterfront properties in Florida -- Let me show you.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

US Experts Case/Shiller Index indicates bottom of US Housing Market

U.S. home prices have reached a bottom and may be set to rise in the first half as buyers take advantage of increased affordability, said Karl Case, the economist who co-founded the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. "Prices have gone flat, bouncing around at what I think is essentially a bottom," Case, a retired professor of economics at Wellesley College, said in a radio interview today on "Bloomberg Surveillance." "We're really going to have to wait to see what the spring market brings."

The S&P/Case-Shiller index of home values in 20 cities fell 1.6 percent in November from a year earlier, the biggest 12- month decrease since December 2009, the group said today in New York. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which measures sales financed with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said separately that prices slid 4.3 percent from November 2009.

An abundance of inexpensive homes and an expanding economy will support housing demand as it enters the so-called spring selling season when the bulk of transactions typically occur, said Case, who created the price index with Yale University Economics Professor Robert Shiller. The National Association of Realtors' affordability index, a gauge of median income against home prices, reached an all-time high of 184.5 in November.

Housing 'Bargains' "There are bargains out there," said Case. Affordability will entice first-time buyers to jump into the market "if jobs are created at a pretty good clip," he said.

A real estate boom pushed prices in the 20 cities covered by the Case-Shiller index to a record high in July 2006 after almost doubling in six years. The benchmark tumbled 33 percent from its peak to an April 2009 low that put homes at 2003 prices. It has gained 3.3 percent since then.

Tampa Coastal Homes Home - Tampa Coastal Homes

Tampa Coastal Homes Home - Tampa Coastal Homes

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

2011 Housing

From Bloomberg:

U.S. home prices have reached a bottom and may be set to rise in the first half as buyers take advantage of increased affordability, said Karl Case, the economist who co-founded the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index.

"Prices have gone flat, bouncing around at what I think is essentially a bottom," Case, a retired professor of economics at Wellesley College, said in a radio interview today on "Bloomberg Surveillance." "We're really going to have to wait to see what the spring market brings."

The S&P/Case-Shiller index of home values in 20 cities fell 1.6 percent in November from a year earlier, the biggest 12- month decrease since December 2009, the group said today in New York. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which measures sales financed with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said separately that prices slid 4.3 percent from November 2009.

An abundance of inexpensive homes and an expanding economy will support housing demand as it enters the so-called spring selling season when the bulk of transactions typically occur, said Case, who created the price index with Yale University Economics Professor Robert Shiller. The National Association of Realtors' affordability index, a gauge of median income against home prices, reached an all-time high of 184.5 in November.

Housing 'Bargains'

"There are bargains out there," said Case. Affordability will entice first-time buyers to jump into the market "if jobs are created at a pretty good clip," he said.

The unemployment rate dropped to 9.4 percent last month after reaching a seven-month high of 9.8 percent in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The jobless rate has remained above 9 percent for 20 months and will probably average 9.3 percent this year, according to a Bloomberg News survey of economists.

Consumer confidence in January climbed to the highest level in eight months as Americans became more optimistic about job prospects, according to a report today by the Conference Board. The share of people who said they intended to buy a home rose to 2.2 percent, the New York-based private research group said. That was the second consecutive gain after November's 1.7 percent, which matched an all-time low set at the end of 2009.

The Federal Open Market Committee today began a two-day meeting in Washington that culminates with a policy statement at around 2:15 p.m. tomorrow. Since reducing its target federal funds rate to near zero in December 2008, the central bank has used its balance sheet as a monetary policy tool. Its assets have tripled to $2.43 trillion from $873 billion in February 2008.

The Fed probably will push forward with its plan to buy $600 billion in securities to stimulate the economy, based on the minutes to last month's meeting released on Jan. 4. The recovery's pace is likely to "remain modest, with unemployment and inflation deviating from the committee's objectives for some time," according to the minutes.

A real estate boom pushed prices in the 20 cities covered by the Case-Shiller index to a record high in July 2006 after almost doubling in six years. The benchmark tumbled 33 percent from its peak to an April 2009 low that put homes at 2003 prices. It has gained 3.3 percent since then.
-- With assistance from Ken Prewitt in New York and Shobhana Chandra in Washington. Editors: Kara Wetzel, Rob Urban

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pirates invade Tampa

PIRATES TO CREATE SOME NOISE IN ADVANCE OF

REQUEST FOR THE MAYOR TO SURRENDER THE CITY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tampa, FL (January 25, 2011) - The Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, accompanied
by a group of Tampa's infamous pirates, are planning to visit downtown Tampa today,
January 25th, arriving at approximately 11:30 a.m. accompanied by the customary
theatrical noise props (cannons) to "discuss" the advantages of surrendering the
City of Tampa in advance of Saturday's Gasparilla Invasion. The actual negotiation
is rumored to begin around noon, with the Mayor respectfully escorted to meet up
with the Captain on Franklin Street, between Kennedy and Madison.

The 2011 Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest will be held on Saturday, January
29th in downtown Tampa. The Gasparilla Invasion is scheduled for 11 a.m. and the
Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates begins at 2 p.m. at Bay to Bay and Bayshore. Ye
Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla has presented Tampa's historic Gasparilla Invasion and
Parade of the Pirates since 1904.

2011 GASPARILLA RAIDING PARTY


* Tuesday, January 25, 2011

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:


* 11:30 a.m. Pirates arrive (noisily) in downtown Tampa via float ***
* NOON Pirates meet with Mayor to discuss city's surrender***
(*** indicates theatrical noise props may be used)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Tampa's Downtown Minute - January 2011

More Accolades

UF Ranks Second in National College "Value" Rankings

Despite a couple of years of consecutive 15 percent tuition increases, Florida's public universities are still a bargain when compared to schools nationally, according to the editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

Now Serving: The Florida Trend
Golden Spoons

With the holidays here, Florida's best restaurants are ready with exciting menus and meals by great chefs. Browse the Golden Spoons as well as our list of newcomers to find who made the list, and to locate a restaurant near you.
Golden Spoon
Jackson's
[Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink - Miami]
Kiplinger's "100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2011'' ranking, released Tuesday, includes six Florida schools -- led by the University of Florida, which was hailed as the second-best college value in the nation. For the 10th year in a row, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill took the top spot. Following UF among Florida schools was New College of Florida in Sarasota, ranked as the 11th-best value in the United States. Kiplinger's praised the two Sunshine State schools for offering "strong academics at a sticker price below $15,000. New College, a tiny honors school with a spectacular view of Sarasota Bay, drops the price to less than half that amount for in-staters who qualify for need-based aid. For a rock-bottom $4,545, students get the view, the company of other highly competitive students and a 10-1 student-faculty ratio.'' [Source: Miami Herald]

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!!

Hello Anglers,


Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and had all your needs met. I want to thank all of you that fished with Reel Simple Fishing Adventures in 2010. You made my year fantastic and I appreciate it. It was a successful year despite a lot of adversity brought by inclement weather and the BP spill. Thank goodness the spill never directly impacted the fishing in the Tampa Bay area. I expect 2011 to be a great year as well. We closed out the year with some very good days on the water catching plenty of shark and small Redfish. We also had a few pretty good days fishing for Grouper, mostly Gags. Trout season was closed so we did not target them a lot. That was then and this is now. Trout are back in season a of January 1st and I expect to have pretty steady action with them this month. The Redfish and Grouper bite should be fair this month but remember that Grouper season is closed in federal waters. That does not effect me as I only fish for them in state waters on my charters. The shark bite will be steady all winter with a decent by-catch of cobia and a variety of other species. I can't wait to get the year started. I heard the other day an old saying that I will keep in mind all year long. "You can't control how you die, but you can control how you live". I'm gonna have a fun year. Until next time, good luck and be safe on the water. Remember: don't let your kid be the one that got away, take them fishing. Take care and tightlines.


Thanks again,
Ric



Capt. Ric Liles
REEL SIMPLE FISHING ADVENTURES
www.ReelSimpleFishing.com
www.ReelSimpleCharters.com
(813)601-2900
K9 FISHING RODS ~ feel the bite!
www.K9Fishing.com
(813)655-2800
CO-HOST - OUTDOOR FISHING ADVENTURES, ESPN Radio