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Tag: Anna Maria Island

Castles in the Sand

Fraud by any other name is still fraud

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

For many of us who hold Florida real estate licenses in the state, you will be renewing this year. Renewal is pretty easy, it’s a 14-hour open book test and a state fee. Every renewal period addresses different aspects of real estate and this year one of the modules, as they’re called, addresses fraud in real estate transactions, specifically in real estate financing. So, I’m sharing some of what I’ve learned with you.

Mortgage fraud manifests in many ways, so many that it’s impossible to review every law-breaking scheme creative fraudsters come up with, however, mortgage fraud is at the top of the list. Any misstatement, misrepresentation or omission of information that lenders relied upon to fund the purchase of a property is considered fraud.

An outright lie by a homeowner or their broker relative to a structural defect for example, is fraud. Likewise, fraud can also be the omission of a material fact that involves the structure of a property, like not disclosing that you have a leak in the bedroom from the roof and simply painted over the stain. This all goes back to the seller’s disclosure obligation as we discussed several weeks ago.

An anxious seller may also commit fraud by improving the financial position of a marginal buyer by offering them cash, enhancing their ability to qualify for a mortgage. Any money exchanged between a buyer and seller without the knowledge of a mortgage lender that affects the value of the property could be viewed as fraud. This isn’t to say that a buyer can’t offer their furniture for sale to a seller for a dollar amount separate from the purchase price.

Anyone who has applied for a mortgage since 2010 wonders why their lender is putting them through financial hoops and asking all kinds of questions, requiring a variety of documents to prove who you are and a signature on multiple disclosure forms. The answer is that in the wake of the financial crisis, The Dodd-Frank Act was enacted in 2010 and added a whole new level of regulations affecting the financial industry. Nevertheless, there is still room for fraud.

Probably the most frequent fraud by buyers is not being truthful about their income and/or their other financial obligations. Income that cannot be verified because of self-employment or being paid off the books is a red flag for lender underwriters. Likewise, not disclosing what your actual monthly debt obligation is and getting away with it is fraud and punishable by the law. Fortunately, lenders will pull a credit report and, most of the time, will know if you have more than one mortgage on your current property, a car loan or credit cards you have not disclosed.

Also, lender applications will ask what the intended use of a property is. If the buyer is intending to set up the property as an income rental but does not disclose this to the lender, this too is fraud. Buyers who are intending fraud may also misrepresent the value of the property in order to qualify for a larger mortgage. This is where property appraisers come in. The majority are honest, but when a dishonest appraiser works with a dishonest buyer they can produce a fraudulent appraisal. This particular fraud was not uncommon in the run up of the financial crisis where loans were placed on properties because of fraudulent appraisals and/or misrepresentations of buyer qualifications.

Where there’s money there’s fraud and I’m saving a few other frauds for another week. Be careful out there. There’s always someone out to get your money. You need to outsmart them.

Reel Time: Tarpon tactics

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Tarpon season is one of the most anticipated times of the year for local anglers. While it’s possible to encounter tarpon occasionally most every month of the year, May through July is the time savvy anglers turn their attention to pursuing them along area beaches. Their arrival in numbers is generally dependent on water temperature and the length of days. The magic number is debatable, but when water temperatures reach into the 70s ardent anglers take notice. When that number reaches the high 70s to low 80s, they mobilize.

For most anglers this isn’t a numbers game, it’s the pursuit, the surroundings and the spectacular fight that keeps them pinned to the bow. Tackle should always match the size of the quarry and it’s particularly important when fishing for Tarpon. Most anglers opt for a 20- to 30-pound spin and/or 11-12 weight fly outfits. A heavy bite tippet is required because the tarpons rasp-like mouth. Fly anglers generally use 60- to 80-pound tippet while spin anglers choose 70 to 100-pound test. While it might seem like a difficult task to land a tarpon on the fly, or any tackle for that matter, anglers who know the limits of their gear can land a tarpon in a surprisingly short period of time. The key is to apply maximum pressure from the hookup and never let up. Too many anglers “baby” their fish in a misguided attempt to land them. The truth is that the longer the fight, the better chance you have of losing.

Reel Time: Tarpon tactics
Captain Justin Moore prepares to release a tarpon landed recently off Longboat Key by angler Brian Neslund of Lakeland. – Submitted | Drew Russell

A properly (IGFA approved) tied tarpon leader used by fly fishers is tied and tapered to accurately deliver the fly. The leader includes a class tippet (the weakest link) from 16-20 pounds that is doubled at both ends to soften the (shock) impact to the class tippet and bite tippet. Key to the whole equation is to have a very sharp hook as tarpon have extremely tough mouths. Conventional leaders vary from angler to angler, but a doubled standing line tied to a leader and then to the bite tippet with a blood knot or Albright Special is common.

Flies vary from the classic splayed feather Key’s style to more complex designs like the Toad, various baitfish imitations and Paolo worm flies. Some fly anglers are not concerned with landing a tarpon, preferring to just enjoy the hunt, the hookup and the jumps that usually follow the hook set. They use light bite tippets which allows the tarpon to work through the leader with their abrasive mouths. The key to landing tarpon on the fly is accuracy. The fly must be placed perfectly, moved in a precise direction relative to the fish and be at the tarpon’s depth, preferably right on their nose. Even when all these factors come together, there’s still about a 50% chance that the tarpon will reject the fly.

A key point is to be aware of your surroundings and courteous when tarpon fishing. Don’t try to run down a school of tarpon. If another boat is working a school, find another or hopscotch wide around for a shot. Tarpon fishing is all catch and release unless you’ve purchased a special tarpon tag. It is also illegal to take tarpon over 40 inches out of the water. Try tarpon fishing on your own or, better yet, hire one of the many excellent local guides. That will be money well spent.

Proposed vacation rental legislation fails

Proposed vacation rental legislation fails

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Legislature has failed in its efforts to preempt the regulation of short-term vacation rentals to the state.

During the 60-day legislative session that concluded on May 5, the Florida Senate and House of Representatives both proposed preempting the regulation of short-term vacation rentals (also known as transient public lodging establishments) to the Florida Department of Professional and Business Regulation (DBPR).

Doing so would have severely limited city and county governments’ ability to regulate and inspect short-term vacation rentals at the local level. The proposed legislation would have prohibited city and county governments from imposing and enforcing occupancy limits and would have also ended their ability to regulate and enforce short-term vacation rental advertising by online platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo.

Florida law defines a transient public lodging establishment as any unit, group of units, dwelling, building or group of buildings rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less; or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.

On April 27, the Senate adopted SB 714 on third and final reading by a 28-10 margin. Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) voted in favor of the proposed legislation.

On May 3, the House voted 73-39 in favor of adopting on third reading an amended version of House Bill 833. Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) voted in favor of the proposed legislation.

According to Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, a last-minute amendment made to the House bill would have prohibited local governments from suspending for any reason a locally issued vacation rental registration or license.

Proposed vacation rental legislation fails
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy led the city’s opposition efforts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

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The House amendment resulted in HB 833 no longer being an identical companion bill to SB 714, which in turn resulted in the non-matching House and Senate vacation rental bills both dying. If matching House and Senate bills had passed through their respective governing bodies, the legislation would have been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for him to veto or sign into new state law.

Using the city’s contracted lobbyist and the city-owned Home Rule Florida website, Murphy, the Anna Maria City Commission and City Clerk LeAnne Addy led the statewide opposition to the proposed vacation rental legislation. According to Addy, the Home Rule Florida website generated and resulted in approximately 40,000 opposition emails being sent to state legislators during the past two months.

Proposed vacation rental legislation fails
City Clerk LeAnne Addy manages the city’s Home Rule Florida website. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When contacted Friday, Murphy shared his thoughts on the failed legislation.

“We are pleased that the vacation rental legislation died a natural death. It was poorly thought out and would have been unenforceable by the state,” he said.

“At the same time, we realize this issue will come back again even stronger next year. So, we’re preparing for that fight now. HomeRuleFl.com served a vital role in getting the word out, not just locally, but across the state as well. We plan to expand our coverage over the next few months so as to have greater coverage and an even more diverse universe of users interacting with our website,” Murphy said.

Concert for Peace returns in June

Concert for Peace returns in June

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Entertainment, Music.

CORTEZ – Cortez restauranteur Bob Slicker, owner of Slicker’s Eatery, is once again gathering members of the Anna Maria Island Rotary Club and the community to raise money with a Concert for Peace. The second annual event is being held to help the people of Ukraine whose lives have been upended by the ongoing war with Russia.

Slicker, who became passionate about helping the people of Ukraine after watching the war begin to unfold in 2022, vowed to do whatever he could to help get supplies to the people who needed them desperately. His first Concert for Peace, held in June of 2022, raised more than $50,000, 100% of which went to supplies such as medical needs and refrigerators.

The second annual Concert for Peace will take place Saturday, June 10 at The Center of Anna Maria Island. The concert will be free and open to the public and feature musical acts the Eric Von Band and Trevor Bystrom, with money being raised through sales of food, drinks, raffle items, t-shirts and sponsorships. The AMI Rotary Club will take the proceeds and work with their Rotary partner in Poland to purchase supplies and get them into the areas of Ukraine where they are most needed.

“I went over there and saw first-hand how difficult these people have it due to the war,” Slicker said. These are just normal people who get up and go to work just like you and I, then one day their lives are upended. I went to apartment buildings where not only are multiple people sharing community refrigerators, but often multiple families have to share one shelf of a fridge.”

“The Rotary can be trusted to get the job done,” AMI Rotary President Jim McDaniel said. “There are only two seats in the United Nations that don’t belong to individual countries. One is the Red Cross and the other is Rotary.”

Sponsors are still signing on, so there is no complete list yet, but in addition to Slicker’s and the Rotary, Painting with a Twist will hold another “Painting with a Purpose” event at Slickers on June 4. More fundraising events are anticipated to be announced on Facebook in the coming weeks.

For information on becoming a sponsor, making a financial donation or the Concert for Peace, visit the Campaign for Ukraine Facebook page or email campaignforukraineami@gmail.com.

Cheesecake Cutie remains undefeated in Center youth soccer

Cheesecake Cutie remains undefeated in Center youth soccer

Written by Monica Simpson on . Posted in Soccer, Sports.

ANNA MARIA – Week six of youth recreational soccer ended the regular season Monday and Tuesday night, with the fifth-week play helping to set the stage for the playoffs.

Cheesecake Cuties finished the fifth week undefeated in the 8- to 10-year-old league with a one-goal win against Sato Real Estate. The two goals by Gunnar Maize helped the Cuties stay on top, along with the five saves by goalkeeper Sawyer Leibfried.

For Sato Real Estate, currently ranked just under Cheesecake Cuties, Vincent Gollamudi made four nice stops, but his saves and the single goal by Brandon Sato just was not enough for the talented team in purple.

Team Solid Rock Construction, with the same record as the Sato team going into the final week before playoffs, won their game against Island Real Estate with a final score of 4-1. Matthew Darak made all four goals for the Solid Rock team with assists by Luke Willing and Obi Roadman.

Isaac Roadman made two big stops in goal, while Island Real Estate’s Owen Mahoney and Miles Moss had two and six saves respectively. Preston LaPensee scored the single goal for his team.

Cheesecake Cutie remains undefeated in Center youth soccer
Nolyn Fetzer, for team AMI Coconuts, fights for possession on the pitch against Westfall Lawn Care & Pest Control’s Maggie Niedzwick last Tuesday night at The Center. – Monica Simpson | Sun

Island Real Estate finished week five under Westfall Lawn Care & Pest Control. The Westfall squad played hard against the AMI Coconuts team, only to finish the game in a 2-2 tie. Wesley Bekkerus scored an early goal for Westfall with a second goal scored by Callin Westfall.

Westfall is also credited with an assist in the first game last Tuesday night. Goalies Kason Price and Jordan Steele made saves that gave their team points for the tie.

On the other side of the soccer ball, TJ Hagey scored team AMI Coconuts both of its points. The Westfall shooters kept Andre Harwood busy protecting his goal, making 15 stops.

In the 11- to 13-year-old league, two games were played with HSH Designs easily defeating Shady Lady Horticultural Services by four goals. Sterling Holiday crashed the Shady Lady defense to score five goals in the game.

Teammate Chase Castagna made seven nice saves against shots by the Shady Lady team. Aubrielle Clarke managed to get one by Castagna for her team’s only goal. Jack Zaccagnino kept his composure despite the arsenal of shots by the HSH offense, keeping four out of the goal.

Number one ranked Gulf Drive Café took their first loss of the season last week against Moss Builders, currently ranked second. Moss Builders goal scorers Colin Bankert, Mason Moss and Callin Westfall helped make the win possible, along with 20 saves by Austin Guess.

Guess’ work came from the Gulf Drive offense shooting every chance the team got. Luke Dellenger is the only Gulf Drive shooter who was able to get one past Guess. In the net for Gulf Drive Café, Cyrus Ryan was put to work by the Moss Builders’ offense, saving 10 shots.

The final adult soccer regular season games were played last Thursday night. Going into the first week of playoffs, Duncan Real Estate finished on top and is slated to play against eighth-ranked Moss Builders on Thursday at 6 p.m.

In the last game to be played at 9 p.m., Sato Real Estate, finishing the regular season play in second position, will face off against seventh-seed Vintage Beach. Ending the regular season in third, the Sandbar team matches up against Solid Rock Construction, sixth seed, at 8 p.m.

The 7 p.m. game has fourth place Gulfview Windows & Doors looking for the win against the fifth-ranked Pool America in order to advance to the semifinals, to be played on May 18.

 

 

 

Sun Scoreboard

May 2

8- to 10-year-old League
Week 5

 

AMI Coconuts (0-3-1) 2

Westfall Lawn Care & Pest Control (1-2-1) 2

 

 

Cheesecake Cutie (5-0-0) 2

Sato Real Estate (3-2-0) 1

 

Solid Rock Construction (3-2-0) 4

Island Real Estate (1-4-0) 1

11- to 13-year-old League
Week 5

 

HSH Designs (2-2-1) 5

Shady Lady Horticultural Services (0-5-0) 1

 

 

Moss Builders (3-1-1) 3

Gulf Drive Café (4-1-0) 2

May 4

Adult Co-Ed Soccer
Week 7

 

#4 Gulfview Windows & Doors (3-3-1) 2

#5 Pool America (3-4-0) 1

 

 

#7 Vintage Beach (2-4-1) 3

#6 Solid Rock Construction (3-4-0) 2

 

 

#1 Duncan Real Estate (5-1-1) 7

#3 Sandbar Seafood & Spirits (4-3-0) 3

 

 

#2 Sato Real Estate (4-2-1) 6

#8 Moss Builders (2-5-0) 4

Castles in the Sand

Packing up the wealth

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

Pity the poor governors of some of the large metropolitan areas in the Northeast, West and Mid-west. Specifically, New York and Illinois, where their mostly wealthy and upper-middle-class residents are packing their bags and their money and heading to other states where they think they will be more appreciated.

The IRS’s adjusted gross income statistics show a startling pattern of migration within the United States; two of the most astounding states are Illinois and New York. The IRS data shows a net 105,000 people left Illinois in 2021, costing the state approximately $10.9 billion in adjusted gross income. That’s up from $8.5 billion in 2020 and $6 billion in 2019. New York’s income loss increased to $24.5 billion in 2021 from $19.5 billion in 2020, and $9 billion in 2019. In addition, California lost $29.1 billion in 2021, more than triple what it did in 2019.

By comparison, the lowest tax states kept adding income even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida, a state with zero income tax, gained $39.2 billion, up from $23.7 billion in 2020, and $17.1 billion in 2019. The states that contributed the most to Florida’s billion-dollar bonuses were New York, Illinois, New Jersey and California. Florida certainly isn’t alone – many other low-tax states like Texas, Arizona and Nevada have also benefited from this wealth migration. In addition, Florida and other low-tax states led the country in job growth. Florida’s employment grew 4.5% over the past year and Illinois’ gain was 2.2%.

As great as Florida’s wealth gain is, we have dropped out of the Emerging Housing Markets Index compiled by Realtor.com. Although Florida regions have typically been in the top 10, in some of our smaller and growing areas they are not within the top 10 on this most recent index. This is the good and the bad of being a very popular state. Everything becomes more expensive and housing costs, as we all know, are not nearly as affordable in Florida as they once were.

The first quarter index indicates that buyers demand affordable homes and most of these are in the small Midwest cities. The top-ranking area is Lafayette, Indiana and the 10th ranking is the Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire region. The index ranks the 300 biggest metro areas in the United States. In addition to housing market indicators, the index incorporates economic and lifestyle data. Real estate taxes, unemployment, wages, commute time and small business loans are all factored in.

Finally, I would be remiss not to point out that as of May 1, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the quasi-government agency that controls and insures most of the residential mortgage financing in the country, has changed some of the agency’s mortgage pricing.

The new rules add fees for many borrowers with high credit ratings and large down payments and use them to reduce the cost of borrowing for those with lesser credit ratings and smaller down payments. There is a formula that factors in the borrower’s credit rating and the down payment, but the spirit of the change is to support lower-income homebuyers who, in the opinion of the Federal Housing Finance Agency that regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have the “financial capacity to sustain a mortgage.” Congress is naturally taking a look at this new fee schedule and comparing it to the subprime debacle prior to the 2006-07 financial meltdown.

Next time one of the high-tax states evacuees move in next door, greet them and their bags of money. Florida has indisputably changed from when my parents moved here in the 70s and I’m pretty sure they would think it’s a good thing. My father always said Florida has the best roads in the country. He should see the traffic now.

Letter to the Editor: Perseverance comes with a price

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

The treehouse saga has gone on for 10 years. The Trans certainly are deserving of a perseverance award for what many consider their insane struggle against the government. Personally, I thought the treehouse added to the Holmes Beach landscape and Old Florida charm that used to exist on Anna Maria Island, and why my wife and I moved here in 1991.

While I’m on the topic of perseverance, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a personal award. That would have to go to Kim Rash and his dedicated group who have fought a tireless fight to improve Holmes Beach residents’ quality of life. It was a continuous struggle, but they persevered, with Kim ultimately getting elected to the Holmes Beach commission in landslide elections. Along the way they were constantly subjected to deep undeserved (I might add) antagonism, scorn and even ridicule. Yet, they persevered at great expense to their family life and well-being. Keep up the good fight, Kim.

 

Bob McCaffrey

Bradenton

BACVB first in Florida to partner with Leave No Trace

BACVB first in Florida to partner with Leave No Trace

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

SARASOTA – The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (BACVB) Love it Like a Local campaign, launched in 2022, has helped visitors to Anna Maria Island and other area destinations understand the importance of protecting nature, waterways, wildlife, local businesses and beaches so future generations can enjoy unspoiled beauty for years to come. The latest evolution to this effort is a recently formed partnership with Leave No Trace, making Manatee County and the BACVB the first in Florida to partner with this organization.

According to the BACVB, Leave No Trace is an international non-profit organization that uses the powers of science, education and stewardship to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet.

“With our Love it Like a Local campaign, we set out to educate visitors to the Bradenton area of simple actions they can take to leave less of a footprint. Through partnering with Leave No Trace, it gives us the opportunity to take our commitment to sustainable travel from a campaign to an integral part of who we are as a travel destination,” said Elliott Falcione, the executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “I urge our community to join us in working together to showcase this incredibly important message that will ultimately enhance the quality of life for our residents.”

On May 4, the BACVB invited local business owners and managers, conservationists, media and the public to join community leaders at a luncheon at the historic Powel Crosley estate in Sarasota in celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week. At this luncheon, the BACVB introduced a promotional five-minute video showcasing the Leave No Trace approach to sustainability and conservation. The video features commercial fishermen, business owners, members of the BACVB and others sharing a message about not only the history of the Manatee County coastal community but ways to ensure its future.

The video is available on the BACVB’s YouTube page or by searching “Leave No Trace guide to the Bradenton area” on YouTube. To learn more about the Love it Like a Local campaign.

Turtle Watch commemorates Suzi Fox Day

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As turtle nesting season begins, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring (AMITW) declared May 1 as Suzi Fox Day to honor the legacy of its former executive director.

May 1 is the official start of sea turtle nesting season on Anna Maria Island, although the first turtle nest was laid in April this year. The season ends on Oct. 31.

“Suzi’s passion for protecting sea turtles enriched the community conservation efforts of AMITW for over 30 years and we dedicate this sea turtle nesting season to her,” Turtle Watch Director Kristen Mazzarella said.

“As part of our efforts to honor Suzi, we are renaming our Adopt-a-Nest Program in her memory,” Mazzarella said.

The “Suzi L. Fox Adopt-a-Nest” program allows donors to symbolically adopt a sea turtle nest laid on Island beaches. Proceeds from the program help Turtle Watch protect sea turtles and provide education and outreach.

Turtle Watch commemorates Suzi Fox Day
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring dedicated this plaque in memory of late executive director Suzi Fox. – Submitted | Turtle Watch

A plaque intended to be placed on a nest laid on May 1 says in part, “In Loving Memory of Suzi L. Fox. Her legacy continues as the Sea Turtles and Shorebirds return to AMI.”

“Only the turtles know which nest it will be,” Mazzarella said.

For the safety of the nest and hatchlings, AMITW does not disclose the nesting dates or locations of nests, Mazzarella said.

May 1 was also proclaimed “Suzi Fox Day” in the city of Bradenton Beach.

The Bradenton Beach City Commission issued the proclamation in January to honor Fox, who served as Turtle Watch director until her death on Sept. 30, 2022.

Under Fox’s directorship, the organization grew.

“In three decades, we monitored 7,339 turtle activities, protected 4,454 nests, 301,694 turtle eggs, and watched 271,680 hatchlings depart to become a future generation of loggerheads that will return to the region as they reach maturity,” according to the Turtle Watch website.

Sea turtles on the Island broke both nesting and hatchling records in 2022.

Vacation rental bills reach final votes

Vacation rental bills reach final votes

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

ANNA MARIA – Local governments, including those on Anna Maria Island, are in danger of losing their ability to regulate short-term vacation rentals at the local level.

Using a contracted lobbyist and the city-owned Home Rule Florida website, the city of Anna Maria is at the forefront of the statewide opposition to the Florida Legislature’s efforts to preempt short-term vacation rental regulations to the state; and specifically, to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) that already requires short-term vacation rentals to be registered with the state.

On April 27, the Florida Senate adopted by a 28-10 margin the final amended version of Senate Bill 714. Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) supported SB 714.

The matching and accompanying House bill, HB 833, is scheduled for a final vote of the House members this week. During a previous committee stop, State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) supported the bill.

If the House joins the Senate in adopting the proposed legislation, the matching bills will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto the legislation or sign it into new state law that would take effect July 1.

The state preemption of vacation rental regulation would apply to short-term vacation rentals, also known as transient public lodging establishments, rented for less than 30 days more than three times a year, or advertised as such.

Commission concerns

During the Anna Maria Commission’s April 27 meeting, Mayor Dan Murphy referenced a late amendment made to SB 714 before the Senate adopted it.

The amended Senate bill would allow a local government to suspend, terminate or refuse to issue or renew a locally-issued vacation rental registration if the vacation rental premises, owner or operator has been found by a local code enforcement board to have violated a registration requirement.

The registration could also be suspended if two more violations of a local law or regulation that does not apply solely to vacation rentals occur within a 90-day period. This would include noise ordinance violations. The local government would be required to first issue a written warning or notice and provide the rental owner or management company the opportunity to cure the violations before suspending or terminating the rental registration.

Vacation rental bills reach final votes
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy has been at the forefront of the city’s vacation rental-related legislative battles this year and in years past. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“It’s a glimmer of hope. You could suspend a vacation rental registration for two violations of noise, two violations of our code over a 90-day period,” Murphy said.

A vacation rental registration could also be revoked if a city or county lien has been placed on a vacation rental property and the lien remains unpaid and unaddressed.

Murphy planned to meet with City Attorney Becky Vose the following day to get a better understanding of how these amendments would impact the city’s vacation rental enforcement efforts if the legislation is enacted as state law.

With the Senate bill already adopted, and the House bill scheduled for a final vote, Murphy said the city’s best hope may lie with DeSantis vetoing the legislation.

Commissioner Charlie Salem, a former congressional aide, suggested asking the city’s lobbyist to provide the city with a list of DeSantis’ top supporters so the city and its supporters can ask them to encourage the governor to veto the legislation.

Vacation rental bills reach final votes
Anna Maria Commissioner Charlie Salem suggested appealing to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top supporters. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“I think the only way we get this vetoed is if the top supporters of his go to him physically and tell him this is a terrible idea,” Salem said.

Potential impacts

The legislation proposed by SB 714 and HB 833 would eliminate or reduce a city’s ability to regulate short-term vacation rental occupancy limits. It would also eliminate or reduce a city’s ability to monitor, enforce and eliminate fraudulent online advertising by advertising platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo and the city’s ability to annually inspect short-term vacation rentals.

The proposed legislation would also cap the annual registration fee imposed by local governments.

According to SB 714, “Local governments may charge a fee of no more than $150 for processing an individual registration application or $200 for processing a collective registration application for up to a total of 25 individual vacation rentals.”

The city of Anna Maria currently imposes occupancy-based registration fees that range from $336 per year for a vacation rental that allows four occupants, $1,010 for vacation rental that allows 12 occupants and $2,440 for a vacation rental that allows 29 occupants.

During the current fiscal year, Anna Maria’s registration fees are expected to produce approximately $415,000 in annual revenues for the city. Registration revenues are only supposed to be used to enforce the city’s vacation rental ordinance. Those revenues fund code enforcement officers and vehicles, annual inspections, monitoring of online advertising platforms and the administrative and legal costs associated with enforcing the city’s vacation rental ordinance.

Opposition efforts

On Saturday and Sunday, the Home Rule Florida website issued email calls to action to its subscribers. The emails and the website note HB 833 is headed to the House of Representatives for a final vote.

“Nobody wants to live next door to a ‘Party House’ and this bill allows Airbnb, Vrbo and any other vacation rental marketing platform to cram as many people into a house as they see fit! The bill waters down, and in many cases, strips away your local government’s ability to register, inspect, control occupancy or regulate false advertising in the burgeoning vacation rental industry. Please let the House of Representatives know how you feel by sending an email to them. Join your neighbors in opposing this bill,” the email says.

The email letter template posted at the Home Rule Florida website for immediate distribution to the House members echoes those sentiments.

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to end on Friday, May 5.

City seeks Seaside Gardens residents’ input

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are considering a proposal to allow property owners in Seaside Garden to raise their homes above the FEMA base flood elevation height to help save the homes from rising sea levels, and they want input from the neighborhood’s residents.

City Planner Chad Minor presented the proposition to commissioners during an April 25 work session. He said one property owner had approached the city about raising the level of one unit of a three-unit structure in Seaside Gardens. Minor said that raising the neighborhood’s 110 units above the base flood elevation would bring the structures into compliance with FEMA standards without needing to rezone all of the properties from their current R-4 zoning.

To raise the buildings, Minor said the bottom floors would have to become non-habitable areas, such as a parking garage, and the upstairs would have to be built within the current building footprint. No additional bedrooms would be able to be added and the construction would not be allowed to affect neighboring units.

“I like the idea,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said. “People can improve the condition of or rebuild their homes without abandoning the neighborhood.” She said that further discussion on how to limit the impacts to neighbors was needed along with input from neighborhood residents.

Building Official Neal Schwartz said that a firewall will need to be maintained between adjoined units and that the new units constructed above the base flood elevation level wouldn’t be subject to FEMA’s 50% rule. The rule allows for a ground-level property to be renovated only up to 50% of the value of the property.

Commissioner Pat Morton, who lives in a triplex in the neighborhood, said he’s concerned about the impact to neighbors with all of the units attached.

“To me, this is a disaster for the area,” Morton said, adding that he doesn’t believe neighborhood residents would be in favor of allowing property owners to move their units up.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said the real issues for the neighborhood are king tides and saltwater intrusion.

“It’s good to get people off the ground because the ground’s getting soggy,” she said.

The issue is not yet scheduled for a hearing.

Letter to the Editor: Island Shopping Center needs sprucing

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

The appearance and condition of the Island Shopping Center in Holmes Beach does a disservice to the entire AMI community. The cement sidewalks in front of the stores and restaurants are a disgrace. The signage on the businesses is boring, providing minimal value to the attractiveness of the center. The parking areas, particularly adjacent to the cement sidewalks, are full of sand and dirt. I recently witnessed a worker blowing sand, attempting to clean the parking area with an electric blower. How ludicrous is that? It’s like trimming your large shrubs with a pair of scissors.

In contrast, the condition of the shopping plaza on East Bay Boulevard is a testament to cleanliness. The plaza also has landscaping that is meticulously maintained. The cement sidewalk is power washed frequently (I believe weekly) by a professional service. The signage adds a spark to the overall appearance.

Holmes Beach and Manatee County have spent millions upgrading our city center with sidewalks, pavers, palm trees, flowers and lighting. The people responsible for the appearance of the Island Shopping Center should step up to the plate and demonstrate they care about our city.

 

Pat Annese

Holmes Beach

Castles in the Sand

One country, two housing markets

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

The trend has been obvious for a while, east coast versus west coast with COVID-19 accelerating the movement. In fact, the March sales statistics are still showing that home prices are declining the most in the western part of the country.

Since the 1990s, the western part of the country, particularly California and Washington, enjoyed a steady run up of growth because of the technology industry. Now the areas most closely associated with the tech industry have the fastest falling home prices.

The eastern part of the country is still attracting companies, adding jobs and keeping the real estate market thriving. Florida in general, including Orlando, Miami, Tampa and other southern markets, is in the lead. However, even northern east coast areas like Connecticut are attracting families who have decided cities may not be the place to raise a family.

According to Black Knight, a research strategy company, this geographical diversity is very unusual and possibly unprecedented. Housing analysts say they have never seen anything quite like this where the division between east and west is so stark.

The National Association of Realtors reports that home sales fell across the country in March. Existing home sales decreased 2.4% in March from the prior month and 22% from a year earlier. Manatee County’s single-family properties had a 4.4% increase in sales in March compared to the previous year, the first year-over-year increase in sales since February of last year.

The market’s slowdown is starting to affect prices, which have fallen on an annual basis for two consecutive months for the first time in 11 years nationally. The national median existing home price in March was down 0.9% to $375,700. Manatee County’s median single-family home prices were also down by 6.3% to $491,988.

There is no doubt that Manatee County as a whole may be more valuable than the national market, but we are also experiencing longer times to sell and a downturn in values. However, the number of pending properties has gone up in Manatee by 7.9% compared to our surrounding areas. And the month’s supply of inventory continues to increase for both condos and single-family homes by triple digits.

The national housing market is still battling the increase in rising mortgage rates, high home prices and low inventory. In addition, a cooling economy with high inflation and the prospect of recession in the next year is keeping some buyers on the sidelines. Home prices are rising or at least stabilizing in regions where jobs are being added and housing is relatively affordable with the more expensive areas of the country adjusting to lower prices.

I recently read a United States Census Bureau report on Manatee County that will make everyone understand all the traffic we’ve all been complaining about and all the irritating construction. Manatee County has increased its population by 29,420 during the past three years, not including 2023. Since 2010, the population has increased by 106,292 and, as of the end of 2022, is 429,125, over 100,000 people in 12 years. Why do I think this is just the beginning?

Is it possible that we’ve hit the bottom and the only way now is up? Maybe, we can certainly strive for that. It is certain that the market is not as competitive as it was last year and even though inventory is still historically low, it is steadily increasing.

Tourism numbers in for February

Tourism numbers in for February

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

BRADENTON – Research Data Services’ (RDS) Ann Wittine presented an optimistic state of tourism update to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) on April 24.

According to the latest available tourism statistics from February, total visitors and economic impact were up over February 2022, with 88,900 visitors (up 1.6%). Room nights were slightly down, with 218,900 room nights (down 1.1%) and $214,439,600 in economic impact was up 5.4%.

“Some of these numbers don’t seem that impressive on the surface, but this is February, so we were pretty near capacity,” Wittine said. “There just isn’t room for those big growth numbers we’ve been seeing. This is also during a month when some property owners told us they were impacted by red tide.”

Room occupancy for February was down slightly (-3.5%) after being up less than 1% in the December 2022 report from RDS. The average daily room rate, however, is up more than 10%, at $265.02 per day in February 2023 compared to $240.51 in February 2022.

RDS also keeps track of where visitors are coming from. The biggest increase in visitor origin domestically is the Northeast, which is up 10% over the same time period in 2022. Wittine attributes this growth to additional non-stop flights being added from that region. Globally, travel from Europe is up 73.2% and Canada is up 153.7% over February 2022. The largest decrease was from the Midwest, which was down 9.5%, followed by the Southeast, down 3.5% and Florida, down 2.2%.

“We had a slight increase in number of visitors, which is why room nights are slightly down,” Wittine said. “At the same time, we have a slight increase in length of stay. We are at 7.7 nights average this year compared to 7.6 last year, but more importantly, we are up from 7.2 in 2019 pre-COVID, which is a huge increase.”

RDS’s fiscal year to date (October through February) numbers are up significantly, echoing the double digit increase in February economic impact. At 437,900, total visitors are up 6.4% and at $743,677,600, economic impact is up 11.8% from the same period a year ago. Wittine has said many times that a great deal of the large increases in visitors and economic impact since pre-COVID 2019 are directly related to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) adding dozens of new direct flights from all regions of the country. Keeping with the constant growth reported, SRQ is once again up 16.3% from March of 2022 with 1.29 million people traveling through the airport in just the first three months of 2023, which is more than the entire year of 2020 and only slightly less than the entire pre-COVID year of 2019.

Wittine says she forecasts a summer where the numbers go down slightly. RDS does extensive surveys with people who have shown interest in visiting Manatee County, many of whom will be coming to Anna Maria Island, and the consulting company is beginning to see a trend of people concerned about rising prices for travel to the area.

Wittine says there’s no way to exactly predict what the coming months will bring, but she shared some comments from the vendors surveyed, which point to good things to come: “Bookings are up;” “A lot more last-minute, shorter reservations than normal;” “Looking good for summer;” “March was beautiful, more than expected;” and “April reservations are strong.”

Island Players prepare final play of season

Island Players prepare final play of season

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Entertainment, Theater.

ANNA MARIA – The Island Players, Manatee County’s oldest community theater, plans to go out with a bang this season.

After directing “The Psychic,” the final play of the 2021-22 season, James Thaggard returns to close out another season with a show he says will bring plenty of laughs involving a unique stage design essential to the plot.

“Our set is two living rooms on one stage simultaneously, with dialogue happening in both, and not always at the same time during the play,” Thaggard said. “At one point we have the characters in both living rooms, but it’s Thursday in one room and Friday in another.”

The story of “How the Other Half Loves” is that of an upper-class couple in an upper-class house and a middle-class couple who live more modestly. Because of an affair, three couples wind up involved in a situation that Thaggard says will leave the audience in stitches. The play was written in 1970 by the prolific Alan Ayckbourn, and while Thaggard stuck to the script, he says sound was very important in this production. No spoilers, but he says audiences may catch some “audio Easter eggs” he personally added due to his fondness for that time in history.

“How the Other Half Loves” runs from Thursday, May 4 through Sunday, May 14, with daily performances at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. There are no performances on Mondays. Tickets are $25 at the box office and $27 online. The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 941-778-5755 or visit theislandplayers.org.