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Governor Signs 'Support Homeownership for All' License Plate Bill
Florida Realtors® and the Florida Association of Realtors'® (FAR) applaud the recent signing of HB 1589 by Gov. Jeb Bush. Sponsored by state Rep. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, and Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, the legislation establishes the "Support Homeownership for All" specialty license plate with proceeds targeted to help workforce housing programs.
"The 'Support Homeownership for All' license plate offers a wonderful opportunity for each of us who live and work in Florida to be part of the solution concerning the critical housing needs of so many residents," says 2006 FAR President Mike Dooley. "'Many hands make light work' is a well-known saying and, in this case, many sold license plates will allow families to achieve their dream of owning a home in the communities where they live and work."
He adds, "Florida Realtors and FAR hope that proceeds from license plate sales will provide money for affordable, attainable housing programs. Homeownership for All Inc., made up of Realtors and other statewide housing advocates, looks forward to providing real solutions to help meet the ever-pressing needs of so many families who are without housing."
FAR sponsored a contest to come up with the design for the "Support Homeownership for All" license plate. The winner was Melissa Bourke, 27, of Naples, a graphic artist for the Naples-based John R. Wood Realtors. Of more than 275 entries sent in by Realtors and non-Realtors from all over Florida, Bourke's entry was chosen as the $1,000 contest winner. Her color scheme and graphic images inspired FAR's art department to put the finishing touches on the license plate design recently submitted to the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
"I am so proud that Florida Realtors have taken the lead in providing a creative solution to the attainable workforce housing crisis," says John Sebree, FAR's vice president of public policy. "We hope the 'Support Homeownership For All' license plate will break all previous specialty license plate sales in our state."
The legislation became effective July 1, 2006. According to DMV officials, the "Support Homeownership for All" license plates should be available for purchase sometime within a year.
It's official!!! Governor Bush approved Senate Bill #676 designating key lime pie as Florida's official state pie. The act shall take effect on July 1, 2006. Florida residents and visitors alike have made key lime pie among the most popular desserts in Florida restaurants.
With all the talk of recent increases in the price of gas, I thought this would be a good time to do a bit of research and also discuss how I personally think this can positively affect the real estate industry.
One interesting site that I found lists Florida gas prices throughout 12 of Florida's larger metropolitan regions and the site seems to be sponsored by AAA. Per their list, on the day this article is being published, the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area has the highest-priced gas at $3.017 per gallon (of regular gas), while the lowest-priced gas can be found in the Jacksonville area for $2.902. For the sake of perspective, last year the same areas had recorded gas prices of $2.335 and $2.245 respectively. This means gas is now costing Floridians approximately 67 cents (or about 30%) more per gallon than last year. This can add up to a cost increase of several hundred dollars when you take into account the fact that the average driver puts about 12,000 miles on their car each year and likely doesn't get more than about 15-25 miles per gallon. If you would like to see the gas prices for another state, click here.
Now... for how the real estate industry can make a difference:
If listing agents took the time to properly market their listings, buyers would be better able to narrow down the homes they'd want to see. This saves everyone time (=money) and gas, and doesn't inconvenience the seller with home showings to buyers that would never buy their home. Agents who work with buyers would be better equipped to decide which homes to preview before showing to their customers/clients. Truthfully, I've seen used cars that are marketed better than most resale homes. Notice that I wrote "resale" homes. This is because new home builders already know how to properly market their inventory. New home builders include a wealth of information about each of their homes on full-color brochures with multiple photos, a floorplan, and their websites sometimes even offer a virtual tour. You could say that agents who market resale homes the same way new home builders do are "eco-friendly". Think about that the next time you're deciding which Florida real estate broker you choose to market what is likely your biggest investment.
If Florida were an independent country, it would rank as the world's 15th largest economy. The gross state product reached $594 billion last year and real estate activity accounted for 44% of that total — a stagering $263 billion.
Real property — building it, buying it — directly provides jobs for 769,000 Floridians. That impact outpaces the contributions of other Florida industries, including tourism, which contributed an estimated $62 billion to the state's economy in 2005.
Florida lawmakers had been debating which should be declared Florida's official state pie: key lime pie, pecan pie or strawberry pie. Key lime pie seemed to be the strongest contender when Florida residents were asked for their opinion, believing that key lime better represents the state due to the fact that Florida is so well known for its citrus. The measure (SB 676) now goes to the House of Representatives.
Last year's ENVY winner for residential development was Lakewood Ranch, a master-planned community which spans both Sarasota and Manatee counties. Lakewood Ranch won, in part, due to its generous greenways, a wetland preserve, a nature preserve and a multitude of man-made lakes.
The winner in each category will receive a hand-crafted Lucite trophy, recognition at FAR's annual Convention and Trade Show, Sept. 13-17, 2006, and statewide news coverage as Florida's top environmentally-conscious builder. The competition is judged by three distinguished environmental and planning professionals. The entry deadline is Friday, July 7, 2006.
ELIGIBILITY: All Florida commercial developments are eligible. Also, all planned residential developments with a minimum of 30 residential units in Florida qualify. Residential developments must be currently available for marketing and must include a model home.
JUDGING CRITERIA: Commercial: (1) Preservation of natural flora and fauna; (2) architectural compatibility; (3) design in scale and context with surrounding environment; (4) open space and access/usability of surrounding environment; (5) common area access and usefulness; (6) streets, pedestrian and bicycle access; (7) drainage as a design feature; and (8) marketability.
JUDGING CRITERIA: Residential: (1) Preservation of natural flora and fauna; (2) landscaping/compatibility with surrounding environment; (3) design in scale and context with surrounding environment; (4) open space and access/usability of open space; (5) family recreation and common areas (playgrounds, nature trails, etc.); (6) streets and safety features; (7) drainage; and (8) marketability.
SUBMISSION: There is no entry limit and no cost to enter. Simply organize a three-ring notebook with the following material in this order: (1) a written overview of the development (maximum of four pages, typed, double spaced, on 8.5" by 11" paper); (2) supporting material and photographs that address the judging criteria in order as listed above - no videotapes or slides; and (3) a complete set of land development plans and other supporting data. All entry materials will be returned after judging.
DEADLINE: All entries must be received at FAR's headquarters by Friday, July 7, 2006. Send submissions to ENVY Award, Florida Association of Realtors, 7025 Augusta National Drive, Orlando, FL 32822-5017.
For more information about the ENVY award, call 407-438-1400, ext. 2326.
Florida residents should soon have a new specialty license plate to pick from. This one is titled "Homeownership for All" and is sponsored by the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR).
FAR hopes that proceeds from sales of the license plate will provide much needed money for Florida affordable housing programs. Homeownership for All, Inc. is made up of Realtors and other housing advocates to assist in choosing the projects and beneficiaries of the license plate proceeds. Advertising and marketing of the specialty plate will be aimed at Florida Realtors as well as the general public.
Florida became the 27th state of the U.S. in 1845.
Florida Population: 15,982,378 (2000 Census)
Florida is the 4th most populated state in the U.S.
Florida's Major Industries: tourism is first, followed by agriculture,
then banking, electronics, plastics, construction, and real estate.
Florida has 1197 miles of coastline and 663 miles of beaches.
The highest point in Florida is Britton Hill which is located in Lakewood, FL
(Walton County) and is Florida's highest elevation at 345 feet above sea level.
Florida's geographic center is 12 miles NW of Brooksville, FL (Hernando County).
The St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida, measuring 273 miles.
Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida at 700 square miles.
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