January 2012 
There are 20 blog entries for January 2012.
West Palm officials hungry for a downtown Trader Joe's boutique grocery
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 6:46am. 181 Views, 0 Comments.
Trader Joe's, a chain that has 365 stores in 31 states, is expanding to Florida, with a store opening in Naples next week.
WEST PALM BEACH — City officials so badly want to bring a Trader Joe's boutique grocery store to downtown that Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell said she'd consider renaming West Palm Beach .
"For a day we would become not West Palm Beach but Trader Joe's, Florida," Mitchell said at Monday's commission workshop.
The Monrovia, Calif. chain has 365 stores in 31 states and is expanding to Florida, with a store opening in Naples next week.
West Palm Beach's Downtown Development Authority is starting a marketing campaign called "What would I trade for Trader Joe's?" They'll film city icons giving up…
Temple Emanu-El to start yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary with Saturday concert
Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 6:16pm. 110 Views, 0 Comments.
The interior of the sanctuary at Temple Emanu-El. The synagogue will kick off a fundraising campaign to help give it a 'beautiful face lift,’ according to Rabbi Michael Resnick.
It’s been nearly 50 years since Temple Emanu-El, the island’s oldest synagogue, got its start by holding services at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.
In celebration of its anniversary in January 2013, the synagogue is kicking off a year of events and fundraisers Saturday with a concert featuring the Craig Taubman Band. Ticket prices range from $25 to $125 and can be reserved by calling 832-0804.
Cantor David Feuer will join Taubman and his band during the 7:30 p.m. performance.
Installed at the synagogue in 1986, Feuer is now the…
New featured listing! A very cute cottage on Park Ave in Palm Beach for under $1.4M
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 8:07am. 300 Views, 0 Comments.
Hello Website Visitor,
Just a heads up regarding a nice little 2200 square foot 3 bedroom / 3 bath cottage at 260 Park Avenue in Palm Beach. Please follow the link here:
http://www.stuarthowardsmith.com/listing/pbbor/11-2832-260-park-avenue-palm-beach-fl-33480/ (link works after the jump to the Full Post).
You can bring it up on Google Earth or use the Bird's Eye View on the website. The cottage backs up onto the parking lot behind Fedco but otherwise is so cute you might forgive the location. It’s just around the corner from the new Publix and just over one block to the beach. It is also very close to many of the better restaurants on the island. To get to the beach you make your way to County Road, jog north half a block and turn right…
New Featured Listing! A nice 4 Bedroom 4 and a half bath home on the water in Manalapan Priced at $1.825M
Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 2:02pm. 177 Views, 0 Comments.
Hello Visitor,
I thought you might appreciate seeing this. An attractive, circa 1977 Florida/Bermuda style home with approximately 3700 square feet under air, 120 foot dock, split bedroom plan, and a large lot of about 16,500 square feet has been listed in Point Manalapan. The home features the master, guest suite and living room opening onto the pool area and dock. The north side of the home contains a good sized office and a sauna. You can find the listing here on my website: http://www.stuarthowardsmith.com/listing/pbbor/12-210-55-curlew-road-manalapan-fl-33462/ (the link works after the jump to Full Post). The present owners purchased the home in 1999, before the big run up in real estate prices, leaving room for negotiation. If I can provide…
Palm Beach County Home Sales Up 24 percent in 2011 are Prices Next?
Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 9:12am. 89 Views, 0 Comments.
A third year of surging home sales in Palm Beach County has buoyed hopes of a market turnaround as 2011 ended with a 24 percent hike in purchases.
And while year-end median prices for existing single-family homes slipped 15 percent to $193,700, Realtors said Friday that low inventory has kicked up bidding wars that may boost prices.
"It's been a long down cycle, but it can't last forever," said Bill Richardson, president of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. "I really do believe we are in a recovery. It won't be meteoric, but there will be a steady climb."
According to the Florida Realtors, which on Friday released total sales numbers for last year and December, 185,921 homes were purchased statewide in 2011, a 9 percent increase from…
Last year ended with a surge in home building, best since 2008
Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 5:38am. 124 Views, 0 Comments.
Last year ended with a small boom in home building, as Palm Beach County experienced a 27 percent spike that marked the busiest construction pace since 2008.
During the fourth quarter of 2011, construction began on 406 new Palm Beach County homes, up from 318 in the previous quarter, according to the Royal Palm Beach-based housing research firm MetroStudy.
At the same time, total new home inventory in Palm Beach County fell to 1,037, a 20 percent decline from the peak inventory year of 2007.
"We are strengthening, but there are still challenges," said Brad Hunter, chief economist at MetroStudy. "Consumers are still not buying homes in as large a number as you might expect, given how low prices and interest rates are."
The rate on…
South Cove Natural Area project
Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at 9:08am. 177 Views, 0 Comments.
The South Cove Natural Area is designated as a high-priority restoration project in the Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan. This project will create critical shallow-water habitat important to local fisheries, wading and shorebirds, manatees and sea turtles. It will improve water quality and water clarity by capping muck sediments. It creates 2 acres of mangrove and spartina habitat, 3.5 acres of potential seagrass habitat, and 0.9 acres of rock revetment/oyster reef. These habitats provides filtration capabilities and improve water quality. Plans also call for an elevated boardwalk, observation deck and educational kiosk for public use.
A rendering shows how the South Cove Natural Area project will look once it is completed in April.
Royal Park Bridge (middle bridge) was turned pink Friday Night as a kick off for Susan G. Komen for the Cure: the Perfect Pink Party and the Race for the Cure
Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at 11:41am. 153 Views, 0 Comments.
It's the first time the bridge has been lit up any color and fitting that it is fabulous pink, all for the great cause of Susan G Komen for the Cure. Following the Friday night lighting ceremony there will be second annual Susan G. Komen Perfect Pink Party at The Mar-a-Lago Club on Saturday night. Last year they were able to raise $850,000.
Pressing the big button to illuminate the bridge Friday night were: Nancy G. Brinker, right, Komen’s founder and CEO, Mayor Gail Coniglio, center, and West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, who gathered onstage at the Chapel by the Lake in West Palm Beach just after sunset. Hundreds of pink lights were added to the bridge to reflect the signature color of the fight against breast cancer. The Race…
Weather really does matter
Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at 11:23am. 107 Views, 0 Comments.
For those of you here and not really enjoying the gray skies and chilly temperatures, relief is on its way. Sunday should bring back temps above 70 and by mid-week we should see a high of 78 degrees and bright sunny skies.
The Bull's Case for Home Builders in 2012
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 10:21am. 148 Views, 0 Comments.
For about 5 years now economists and business reporters have been saying that home builders' fortunes were about turn. And for about 5 years now they have been wrong..., but it is beginning to look like this is the year that the home building bulls will be right. That is with the caveat that as always in real estate, location matters.
In 2011 only about 300,000 newly built homes were sold. That is down from a peak of 1.3 million in 2005, and the lowest since records began in 1963. Now we may be seeing some progress. With US household formation picking up amid an improved economy, and with about 300,000 houses falling to disaster and demolition each year, the housing glut that has been weighing on the new-home market is slowly…
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