Panama City and the Beaches Real Estate

Update of Shrimpboat Opening

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:44:17 -0600

In response to feedback from my posting about the much awaited opening of the Shrimp Boat Restaurant in Panama City, here are some pictures for those who haven't been able to visit since the opening. This is the entrance on Beck Avenue.

Go to dinner by boat!

Future dining options will expand with the opening of Gracie Rae"s Bar and Grille with a large deck over-looking St Andrews Bay

Walk the Boardwalk and watch the boats unload thier catch of the day!

Shrimp Boat Restuarant Opens in St. Andrews!

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:03:23 -0600

The buzz question around town has been a toss up between who is going to win the presidential election and when is the Shrimp Boat going to open. Saturday at 4:30 it happened! The Shrimp Boat opened it's doors to the awaiting crowd of local diners.

Thursday Night I was pleased to have been a part of the pre-opening party and am pleased to report it was worth the wait. The interior decor was pleasing with touches of nostalgia in pictures of the original Shrimp Boat restaurant and its owner, Lowe Smith. The magnitude of the new building is realized when you first enter the front doors and gaze upon the old Shrimp Boat sign which once stood on the front of the original restaurant now hangs in the interior of the building over the bar. There is a sushi bar to the left of the large venue and the open kitchen immediately follows the sushi bar. Two floors of windows give great views of the water and marina which caters to the increasingly popular activity of boating to dinner.

The menu offers both steak and seafood dishes. The guests at our table tried the Grilled Grouper, Shrimp over Smoked Gouda Grits, Filet Mignon, and a seafood casserole which was great! There is plenty of variety to choose from and every dish which came to our table was tasty exceeding all our expectations. Thank you Shrimp Boat for a great evening!

We look forward to the opening of Gracie Rae's Bar and Grille, the seafood market, and the continuing success of new businesses in Historic St. Andrews!

October Market Report for Residential Bay County, Florida

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:06:40 -0600

The numbers are in and it looks as if October's numbers the lowest in the last four years. Per the local MLS, there were 144 solds with a difference of list price to sold price of 91.41% at an average sold price of $235,860. Assuming no new properties were listed and based on the number of properties sold this month, it would take over 32 months to sell all the 4637 properties currently in the market. The positive number to look at is that inventory was at the lowest number since August of 2005 which had 4591 properties on the market and lower than July 2006 which recorded a high of 6743 residential properties on the market.

October

2008

144

$258,036

$235,860

91.41%

144.0

4637

32.20

October

2007

220

$287,517

$272,340

94.72%

114.0

5458

24.81

October

2006

195

$259,735

$243,267

93.66%

136.0

6430

32.97

October

2005

271

$271,771

$262,233

96.49%

103.0

5170

19.08

These numbers were taken from the local MLS Statistics and is not guaranteed.

Great Home with Boat House and Bay/Gulf Access

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:19:35 -0500

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE

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Description and Features

Excellent opportunity to obtain a much sought after Cove Waterfront Home in one of the most sought after locations in Panama City. Sitting on Watson Bayou, this home offers safe harbour from rough water yet convenient to both Shell Island and the Gulf of Mexico for watersports and and fishing. Conveniently located near Downtown Panama City, the Cove boasts of family traditions among beautiful oak covered properties along the St. Andrews Bay. Walk or bike along shaded roads to local coffee shops and restuarants in the area. The Marina Civic Center is close by as well as Art Galleries and the Martin Theatre. Bay Medical Center, a variety of churches, private and neighborhood schools are all a part of the life in the Cove. Locals are spoiled by a small full service gas station and a great local grocery store both being a part of this community for many years. Come see why living in the Cove is more than a location it is a lifestyle!

Bedrooms:	4
Bathrooms:	2
Parking Spaces:	2
Square Feet:	2226
Lot Size:	20988
Year Built:	1952
Floors:	1
MLS #:	384238

Location

Click to view map: 203 Cove Lane South Panama City 32401

Links

Kayaking Group For Fun

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:14:27 -0500

Realizing that we have a playgound for adventure right in our backyard and only steps from the back gate, a group has formed for kayaking fun on the St. Andrews Bay. A kayak rack was built in close proximity to the South Gate for easy access to the beach. The water is shallow and sandy which helps in launching the boats.

We have several participants who kayak for premium fishing spots and the rest for recreation. Our group includes young and old, and even a dog.

A shrimp boil is in the works as a kick-off for our paddling friends along with a sunset and full moon cruise.

Residents interested in joining the group or anyone else who would like to paddle with us may call the Association Office 215-5252 for Melinda's number to get information.

Dolphin Encounter

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:37:41 -0500

It's wonderful to live in an area where people pay to come on vacation. We are on vacation everyday! It rang true again the other night when a group of fun friends decided to go kayaking on St. Andrews Bay launching from the St. Andrews Marina.

This is a convenient spot for us to launch from, The Canoe Shop is right across the street and rents kayaks for those that don't own one. Parking is easy and there is a small sandy beach great for loading the boats and launching as a group.

The sun soon begins to set illuminating the sky with shades of orange and pink with dark shadows of clouds along the horizon simulating a mountain range with majestic peaks. It was another fantastic sunset, no two being exactly alike.

As we headed east toward the rising moon, we realized that maybe our plans should have been reversed, paddle towards the sunset going west then return heading east towards the moon. We'll switch directions next time.

After watching the moon rise, we started back towards the marina in the darkness. The water calms down after sunset making the trip back smoother and we are enjoying having the bay to ourselves. At least so we thought, about that time I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and hear a pffffhhh sound. The light from the moon is more than enough to scan the surface of the bay but nothing is there. After a few minutes I begin paddling again and catch up to the group. Again I hear the sound but this time it is slightly in front of me and I see a dolphin roll in the water between myself and another kayak. The dolpin would disappear each time I stopped so when he reappeared this time I continued paddling with a steady pace with my fellow paddler. It was awesome knowing that the dolphin was choosing to swim with us at our pace, much slower than he was capable of swimming. After a fair distance he left as quietly as he appeared and we paddled on.

The dolphin experience took this moonlit trip from awesome to WOW! One of those experiences you hope for on a vacation but we get in our own backyard.

Picture Perfect??

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:28:21 -0500

FIRST IMRESSIONS are the MOST IMPORTANT because YOU MAY NOT GET a SECOND CHANCE (meaning a showing). With more buyers searching on the internet before contacting an agent, doesn't it make sense to make sure your photos tell the buyer what a great house your offering by showing them? Buyers are visual, that is why pictures are so important in marketing a property. That is why we take someone to "view" a property, we're visual. Everyone wants to "see" a property before they buy. If your properties show better online, you will get the call when the buyer is ready to buy.

I suggest that when you list a property an appointment is made to "shoot the property". Schedule a time when the children are at school and the family is not in front of the television. Talk to the seller about preparing for the photos and how important it is to outshine the competition, especially now when there are so many properties to compete with. Give examples of preparations that need to be made such as asking the seller to remove clutter from the refrigerator and counters. Explain that you will be moving items and "staging" shots to make the home appear open and roomy. Unlike staging a home (which I highly recommend) you only need to stage the areas within a particular shot and stuff can be moved temporarily out of view.

Don't be a doorway photographer. Even before you take a single shot, move around a room and look for the best shot. Try shots from different angles. So many times agents try to capture too much in one shot loosing depth and interest. It is better to have several good shots that may not get the "whole" room rather than one bad shot that is too busy or makes the room appear small. Look at the area you are about to photograph, are the pictures hanging straight? Curtains open and even, cushions on the couch arranged, stuff picked up off the floor and off the furniture? Are the lights on and all the bulbs burning? Turn off ceiling fans. Did you move your purse, keys and briefcase off the table and out of sight? After making all the necessary adjustments to the room, its time to look through the viewfinder...

Now look through the viewfinder, move around the room again and find the best presentation of the room. Take several shots from different viewpoints.

Sometimes you need to bend your knees and stoop a little to get the best shot. Go ahead, try it, it sounds stupid but it works. Small rooms like bathrooms show better in these type shots. Make sure a door frame or corner of a wall is not in sight. I know, you say you can crop it later, but cropping takes a lot more time than to make a slight camera adjustment now. And more times than not you don't make that adjustment and just post the picture anyway. Yuk!!!

If there is a wonderful view from a house, shoot the view from the outside but also shoot the view through a room window. Let the buyer know that they don't have to climb a tree or stand out in the road to see that wonderful vista.

It is better not to get every room in a photo if you just can't get a good shot of the room. Some rooms are not designed for Architectural Digest. And even if they are great rooms they do not photograph well. Fine, move on or take a shot of a unique light fixture or special molding, even a well organized closet unit.

Buyers love to see those rooms that aren't necessarily pretty but offer great work space like laundries, pantries, mudrooms, storage areas. They can be an important selling point. Just remember to shoot them as neat and uncluttered as you can even if you have to move stuff.

I could tell you about all the great software and the great camera equipment available....but the simple truth of the matter is that a good eye and attention to detail is all you need to make simply great pictures. A few more tips when shooting a property:

Almost all your shots should be done horizontally.

Stand as far back out of a small room as possible without getting doorways or wall edges in the shot. Again, try stooping.

Take close-up shots of chandeliers, architectural details, and furniture details. These can be used to add interest and give a feel to brochures and handouts.

Be careful when taking shots facing a window because with the detail digital cameras give you may get unwanted views from outside the windows.

Look out for reflections from glass front furniture and mirrors. These can also be used to your advantage.

Keep people and pets out of your photos. Pets may be cute but they are also turning off those buyers who are not pet lovers and become concerned about pet odors and damage.

Always photograph any unusual feature of the property.

Take lots of outside shots if that is a selling point.

Include shots of the neighborhood.

And the most important tip for photography that I can relate to you is that it is VERY time consuming to edit photos. It is more efficient to adequately frame your pictures when you are snapping them rather than make adjustments later.

And last, I know I told you that you don't need to purchase expensive software or equipment. There is one invaluable tool that I use in real estate almost everyday and saves a tremendous amount of time and effort. Microsoft offers a free tool called Image Sizer Power Toy which can be used with the right click of your mouse at most any time and does not alter the original image, you don't have to open a program and it does not require you to resave the new image yourself. Its easy and FREE. With many websites which require photos to be a certain size to upload, I can resize even after I have hit the BROWSE button. Wow.

Have a Mary Day and keep shooting!!!!

New Bay County Public Library Opens in Panama City

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:29:46 -0500

It just keeps getting better Bay! And this time the good news is the Bay County Public Library moved into a newly constructed building at 898 W. 11th Street. This new location is conveniently located next to the new Bay County Administrative Building Site and walkable from the Downtown Panama City, Garden Club, and St. Andrews areas. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Friday, May 16th and attendees were treated to refreshments, speeches and a look at the new facilities.

The new location has over 5500 square feet adding much needed space to the crowded former facility on the Panama City Marina which had only 2700 square feet. All new shelving was purchased by the Bay County Commission which gave the library 50% more shelving. This allowed for less crowding and for collections to be able to be shelved together. The old shelving did not allow for oversized books causing them to be kept in a separate area. Now in the new library these oversized books will fit on the shelves in the section in which they belong.

Staff used ideas from the Suggestion Box to help make the new library more appealing to its customers. Two drive-up book drops were placed in front of the main entrance allowing for convenient book return at any time. A coffee café area was incorporated into the lobby and drinks can be purchased during book store hours. Other new editions include a Young Adult Room and Used Book Store.

There are 21 computer stations and WI-FI is available throughout the library. With summer on top of us, the opening of the library came at just in time for the summer reading season!

Challenge is met with Discovery

Mary Sowell-Panama City Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Success Realty) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:46:48 -0500

Hi, my name is Mary and I am a newbie. I feel like I have discovered gold in them there hills!!! I am again overwhelmed... not from starting a new career after 25 years in the hospitality industry.....not from starting a career in real estate with so much to learn in so many different areas.....but with finding a community of people who reach out and share all they have to give, with such enthusiasm. I've struck gold!!! Thanks to all of you.

Writing is very hard for me, so I am making myself enter this blog just to get started. Sort of like when I jumped into the local college pool for the first time to learn to swim for a triathlon. Oh sure, I knew how to swim, been swimming all my life. But swim a distance of 1.2 miles? In open water? With 1200 other swimmers kicking all around me? I had my new Speedo sleek one piece racing suit, athletic looking swim cap and goggles! It is all about the outfit. Yep, I'll warm up with just a few laps to test myself. The minute I pushed off the wall, the 25 yard distance to the other end of the pool seemed to double. The harder I worked towards the wall, the further it moved away. After just a few awkward strokes, it became evident to me that I wasn't going to make it to the other side. I was already gasping for breath and realized my strokes were not fluid and my feet were sinking. I couldn't keep them up. The harder I tried the harder it was to breath. Oh my gosh, how embarrassing, I think I'm dog paddling now, ok whatever it takes just get my hand on that wonderful piece of concrete and tile on the other side, one more kick, there, (gasp for breathe), I made it. It may not be pretty, but it IS a start.