Big Gas Prices Lure Buyers to Small Cars

Americans are buying small cars at a rate not seen since the energy crisis of the 1970s brought the Pinto and the Gremlin.

Industry analysts point to soaring gas prices as the reason for the trend.

Nothing is going right for consumers in particular. We're losing jobs, the stock market is down. House prices are falling. Gas and food prices are rising. It's all very debilitating, so the higher gas prices hurt more in that kind of context. read more ...

no comment i just need a job

 read more ...

See the Fox Video Story at
http://alicedonahue.com/PalisadePalms read more ...

Sky-high gas prices. Airline misery. A weak dollar. Fears of a recession. For many Americans, it all adds up to downsized travel plans this season.

As families across the country plan their vacations, many are downsizing out of concern over the economy, spooked by talk of a recession, the weak value of the dollar overseas and home foreclosures. Add to that air-travel delays and the rising cost of gas, and some travelers are holding off planning, in hopes of nabbing cheap deals at the last minute.

Some resorts and tour operators are responding with discounts and other incentives to try to fill rooms. Close-to-home destinations like suburban water parks and regional resort towns say they're bracing for a spike in business as Americans look for fun things to do that don't require much travel.

This summer, resorts selling well are generally all-inclusives that emphasize competitive pricing and value, or those at the top end of the market that cater to the wealthiest travelers, says Donna Michaels, senior director of product development for World Travel Holdings, a distributor of cruise and vacation packages.

Some summer rentals areas are becoming more competitive. Celia Chen, director of housing economics for Moody's Economy.com, an economic consulting firm, says markets that are a close drive to major cities are expected to see a strong summer rental business this year. read more ...

Developer plans third tower at Palisades Palms

Development firm Falcon Group says it plans to add a 300-unit tower to the Each Beach residential high-rise Palisades Palms.
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Centex sells resort and second home projects to Macfarlan Capital Partners of Dallas

The acquisition includes Centex's Pointe West development in Galveston read more ...

Isnt most of that sold property the High Island salt dome oil field? read more ...

Fantastic Comment and thank you for sharing that, we need to hear such information.

Indeed, tighter credit issues may just now be affecting second home loans.

My fear is that it could be bad news for second home sales, especially those under $300,000 - why that number - because anyone who can afford more than that for a second home will likely not need credit.  read more ...

your comment that banks are welcoming back buyers with excellent credit, increased down payments and higher incomes is not 100% accurate. I have stellar credit (745 score), have put down 40% on an offer and I do make good money as my salary is based upon my company in New York and is above the salaries paid here in Texas. The bank turned me down flat! I have owned a total of 7 houses since 1998 and have paid every mortgage off. I am on my 8th home with a mortgage that is 39.4% of it's appraised value. The banks just don't want to take on any risk at all, even with someone like me! IF it were my primary residence it would be no problem, but they feel a second home is easier to walk away from should I become financially strapped.
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These "fortresses in the sky" are in one of the few new developments that still has steady sales.

A testimony to their remarkable value. read more ...

After some delay, the high-rise tower Emerald by the Sea, a forerunner in the skyline-altering island condominium boom, is scheduled for completion by month’s end.

Sunhill International Inc., developer of the 15-story project, said crews were making final touches to the white tower with green-tinted windows at 500 Seawall Blvd. on the East End.

The Emerald, which developers began building in March 2005, comes on line while demand for condominiums along the Texas coast remains strong, even as other housing sectors, including high-rise projects across the nation, languish.

The Emerald is among the most visible monuments to the island’s entry a few years ago into the luxury resort market. But more have followed and still more are certain to, said Jim Gaines, research economist for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

Condominium development on the island and elsewhere along the Texas coast may experience fits and starts, he said. But the high-rise market here has nowhere to go but up as baby boomers and second-home buyers gravitate to where luxury condominiums are still affordable and values are likely to increase.

‘One of a kind’

“It’s inevitable,” Gaines said. “You can see it coming.”

Houston real estate investor Barbara Quackenbush, who in May 2005 signed a contract for a 1,419-square-foot unit on the Emerald’s seventh floor, said she can see the market’s potential. Although Quackenbush was frustrated by delays in closing on the purchase, the final product was worth the wait, she said. The Quackenbush family and friends already have made use of the condominium, she said. She had considered other high-rise properties on the island, but settled on Emerald for its design, she said.

Quackenbush said she particularly liked the sweeping views of the island and the harbor.

“It’s one of a kind,” she said. “Seeing the cruise ships coming in on the weekends is just breathtaking.”

Quackenbush, a real estate attorney for ExxonMobil Corp., paid $445,000 for the unit, which she plans to eventually lease, and invested another $30,000 for custom shutters, furnishings, art and electronics, ceiling fans and closets, among other things.

“I wouldn’t sell the unit now for less than $650,000,” she said.

In November, Quackenbush became the third buyer to close on the purchase of an Emerald unit.

Cheryl Price, a Realtor with Personette & Associates, said all the Emerald’s units are spoken for and are in the title process.

As of last week, seven deeds were on file, according to records at the Galveston County Clerk’s office.

On Wednesday, Andy Hadley, a selling agent for the property who also is buying a unit on the 12th floor, said he had sold 82 of 108 units that are under contract.

The city of Galveston has issued certificates of occupancy for floors seven through 10. Floors one through five are for parking and storage. The sixth floor contains such common areas as an infinity pool, spa, theater room, wine room and other amenities.

High expectations

Late last year, construction stalled as the developer and contractor G.T. Leach Builders sorted out disputes. International Bank of Commerce, construction lender for Emerald by the Sea, agreed to inject more funding into the project to resolve contractor liens and get construction back under way.

Delays in such large projects are inevitable, said Quackenbush, who owns seven investment properties.

Quackenbush had wanted to close on the unit in May last year, she said. But the developer wanted to wait until the sixth-floor common areas were complete.

Emerald prices range from $375,000 to $1.5 million. Units range in size from 1,014 square feet to 1,776 square feet. Penthouse units range in size from 2,383 square feet to 2,751 square feet.

Emerald by the Sea arose on the old Jack Tar Hotel site, a tract of land upon which developers through the years planned and promised projects that never materialized. Expectations for the project were high.

Randall Davis touch

In the summer of 2004, when Houston developer Randall Davis announced he was involved, interest and confidence in the project surged.

Davis’ luxury projects in Houston and Las Vegas earned him a solid reputation in the luxury loft business. His developments include a 65-unit Art Deco loft building on the famed Las Vegas strip. He’s credited with reviving Houston’s downtown by transforming historical buildings into urban lofts.

In July, Davis said he no longer was involved in the project. He had been a fee developer, meaning Sunhill International called upon his expertise while maintaining ownership and control of the project.

Davis, who is developing a luxury condominium project on the island’s West End, said disagreements about compensation were settled through arbitration.

Some prospective Emerald by the Sea buyers have sought return of their deposits because of construction delays and after learning that Davis was no longer involved in the project.

David Hass and F.L. Riederer assert in a Feb. 8 lawsuit filed in Galveston’s 212th District Court that they were told by the sellers the condominium would be complete in March 2007. Hass and Riederer are seeking return of $27,500 in earnest money on what would have been a $555,000 purchase.

But in a Feb. 25 correspondence — obtained by The Daily News — with another prospective buyer seeking the return of earnest money, legal counsel representing the condominium development said that Randall Davis helped design Emerald by the Sea and there had been no deviations from design plans. Contractor G.T. Leach builds other Randall Davis properties, according to the correspondence.

“The quality of the property therefore did not change as a result of Randall Davis Co.’s involvement or lack thereof,” according to the correspondence.

Mary Jo Naschke, a spokeswoman for the project, said it wasn’t unusual for some early investors, who were hoping to resell quickly for a profit, to change their minds.

Market shakeout

“People invest thinking they’ll make a quick sale and return for their money and they really have no intention in living in the place,” Naschke said. “If time is not on their side and they can’t hold out, they tend to get angry because they panic.”

Tightening credit markets are shaking out some types of investors, those who buy during construction with intention of flipping the property for a profit. Flippers represented about 10 percent of the market, Gaines said. Nervous lenders aren’t so quick to finance such deals lately, he said.

Early on, some developers who declared their projects to be almost “sold out” before construction, were basing the claims on deals with buyers who were in it for a quick buck, Gaines said.

“You flat-out just lost some buyers,” he said. “Some who were looking to flip have canceled out or can’t get their financing.”

The island market isn’t immune to the mortgage market meltdown, which began with high default rates on subprime and other adjustable-rate mortgages made to borrowers with splotchy credit histories, but it is buffered, Gaines said.

Exotic mortgages and aggressive loan incentives inspired borrowers to buy what they couldn’t afford, with hopes of refinancing later at better rates. But when housing prices began to dip in late 2006, refinancing became tough. Defaults rose and the situation morphed into a global financial crisis.

Galveston buffered

Galveston condo buyers are more likely to be affluent and therefore less discouraged by trouble in the credit markets, Gaines said.

“I think Galveston will do reasonably well,” Gaines said. “I don’t think it’s immune from everything going on in the housing market, and it’s not immune from tightening credit,” he said.

“People who are looking to buy condos are going to have to understand that the free and easy money of the last three and four years is not free and easy any more.”

But Galveston has an advantage over other Texas coastal markets, because it’s close to the vast Houston metroplex, he said. And there’s a strong demand for second homes among baby boomers and retirees, he said.

Bargain prices

Also, Texas prices still are dirt cheap compared with Florida and California condominium markets, Gaines said.

Luxury condominium units still can be had for about $400,000 along the Texas coast, he said. But that’s soon to change, he said.

As the market evolves in 10 years to 15 years, those same units could be selling from $500,000 to $1 million, he said.

Not a week goes by that Gaines isn’t getting calls about the Texas coastal condominium market, either from news organizations or groups representing retirees, he said.

Sales of condos for the period Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 rose 31 percent — from 39 units to 51 units — compared with the same period a year before, according to the Galveston Association of Realtors. The average price of a condo in that period rose 8.1 percent to $205,500.

A good year

David Bloom, CEO of Galveston Real Estate Resource and operator of www.CondosofGalveston.com, predicts the island condo market is poised for a strong year.

Proximity to Houston, affordable prices and wide range of product — especially compared with markets such as those in California or Florida — bolster the island market, Bloom said.

“The unique attraction of the island condo market is the diverse selection of properties to choose from, as well as pricing that fits most budgets,” he said. “Currently, there are a number of condos on the market priced in the ($60,000s), which are very attractive to first-time buyers, most of whom live within a relatively short driving distance of Galveston.”

A booming energy market also is fueling Galveston condominium sales, he said.

“The strength of the Houston economy has created a new and very well qualified pool of prospective buyers and, at the same time, gas pump prices will play a much larger role in the public’s summer vacation plans,” he said. “Both aspects should bode well for the island’s overall economy this summer, especially our real estate market.”  read more ...

What’s to become of Pointe West Development?

Real estate sources said Dallas-based Centex Destination Corp.’s sale of its Pointe West development on 1,000 acres of the island’s westernmost tip is a done deal.

But officials with Centex Corp., the parent company of the resort property division, said there’s nothing new to report.

Centex last week confirmed it was in negotiations to sell some properties in its resort division, including Pointe West, a development that was supposed to eventually include a little more than 2,300 houses and condos. Some condos and homes are built at the resort, including a clubhouse.

Centex declined to name the suitor, but sources say Macfarlan Capital Partners, a Dallas-based real estate investment management firm, is the buyer.

It’s unclear whether new owners will retain the project’s original scope or sell off real estate holdings.

Centex has not answered queries about how many units already are built at the development. City officials could say only that Centex has permits to build 1,056 residential units and 20,000 square feet of commercial, office and retail space on 230 acres south of FM 3005.

It also has permits to build 1,258 units and 208,000 square feet of commercial, office and retail space on 777 acres north of FM 3005. read more ...

Spring is in the air at the 20th Annual Galveston Home & Garden, March 8 -9, at the beautiful Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort.

Loaded with new products and ideas, the show will feature an idea home built by David Weekley Homes Build on Your Own Lot, right in show central, complete with white picket fence and landscaping. Walk through the home for fresh ideas and shop exhibitors for resources on how to beautify your home.

The Galveston Home & Garden Show is the annual fundraiser for the Galveston Island Humane Society.

Proceeds from the event go toward the general operations of the animal shelter read more ...

Is this a pre-construction condo? Are you gonna offer BBQ grills? read more ...

Environmental Permitting Issues has delayed the project and now it appears to have made the completion of the project as it is currently designed not possible.

So the project's property looks to change ownership soon and a new use for the property will be developed. Perhaps multi-family, on the portion of the land that is not impacted by the wetland restrictions. read more ...

The Wall Street Journal Reports - affluent retirees are transforming rural communities.

Affluent retirees are descending on remote areas and creating demand for amenities like interior-design stores, spas, and organic markets. For many of the communities, this is the biggest change since the interstate highway system was built in the 1960s.

What’s driving the transformation is a shift in the nature of the economy – thanks to the computer, many good jobs can be done anywhere, says Peter Nelson, an associate professor of geography at Middlebury College and an expert on rural migration.

The impact of rural gentrification drives up the price of property and the influx of money creates new jobs in lodging, restaurants, and other service industries. "What we’re seeing is a class colonization," says Nelson.

One indicator of rural gentrification is an increase in residents’ total dividend, interest and rent income. That measurement, tracked by the Commerce Department, is a sign that new residents – usually retirees – are living off their investments rather than salaries.

For instance, in Teton County, Wyo., home of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, total dividend, interest, and rental income has risen 177 percent between 1996 and 2005, one of the largest increases in rural America.

Locally, the rural Bolivar Peninsula coastal area has seen vacation home rental incomes rise dramatically over the past several years.

"We now have many homes with rental incomes that exceed 50,000 a year" - says Anne Willis of Swedes Real Estate - who manages over 300 properties on the Peninsula.
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Pointe West owner negotiates sale of properties
GALVESTON — Dallas-based Centex Corp. confirmed Monday it’s in negotiations with a buyer for certain properties within its resort division, which includes the nearly 1,000-acre Pointe West development on the island’s westernmost tip.
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The Galveston Bolivar Ferry is a 24-hour marine transportation system operated by the Texas Department of Transportation. Both Vehicles and Walk-on passengers are welcome.

The address of the Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry System is PO Box 381 Galveston Texas 77553.

The number to find out the current ferry situation or wait times is 409-795-2230. read more ...

Galveston's beach restoration bogs down
By HARVEY RICE Houston Chronicle

A project scheduled for this fall to restore the remaining slivers of Galveston Island's ravaged beaches to 200-foot expanses of sand will be delayed, a Galveston councilwoman said Saturday.

The completion date is being pushed back because the Texas General Land Office decided to use hopper dredges rather than pipelines to dump millions of cubic yards of sand along the island's Gulf Coast, Councilwoman Dianna Puccetti said.

Using hopper dredges — ships that suck sand into holds that open at the bottom to deposit their load — will require additional time to obtain a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, Puccetti said.

The council wasn't told how long the delay would be, but that the Land Office hoped to get the project under way before turtle nesting season begins in March or April 2009, she said.

Jerry Mohn, chairman of the Galveston Park Board Beach Maintenance Advisory Committee, said he was told that the delay could be as long as six months.

City officials want to expand a $13.5 million Land Office project to renourish three miles of beach west of the seawall to include the entire Gulf Coast of the island. Officials envision the complete rebuilding of the beaches rather than a veneer of sand, Puccetti said.

Puccetti and Mohn said the delay would allow more time to find money for the expanded project.

Officials are still trying to determine how much the expanded project would cost. read more ...

Crystal Beach has to be the number one performing market in the country:

The Crystal Beach area was the only real estate market on the Texas coast which experienced significant sales growth in 2007 and a median price increase.

Total Sales increased 47% and Median Price increased 12%

*compare that to the national market where total sales dropped -12.8% and median price decreased -1.8% read more ...

The Houston economy is probably on track to add 100,000 new jobs in 2007, once all the revisions are complete. The local economy continues to click along.

Oil prices above $90 per barrel continue to work their magic for the city, despite slower growth at the national level.

Strong job growth is keeping real estate markets healthy.

Energy continues to drive demand for office space, and construction is a couple of years behind the curve. read more ...

Sempra Energy proposed the construction of a marine petroleum terminal and storage facility that would serve the Gulf Coast region.

The initial phase of the proposed terminal, which would be located in Port Arthur, Texas, would provide storage and transportation assistance in the import and export of crude oil, liquid petroleum gas and related products.

The San Diego energy company said it is soliciting potential customers interested in purchasing terminal capacity. read more ...

This is a World Class Facility

• Attention to detail at every corner – no corners were cut
• Every Feature Built to a Grand Scale
• All The Amenities
• Self-contained resort – yet only minutes away from All of Galveston ‘s many attractions and Houston’s Top city attractions
• Relatively affordable compared to similar products in California or Florida
• An international get-away, easily accessible from anywhere in the world read more ...

Spurned by voters on a $9 million bond proposal, Galveston city officials are scrambling to find money for its share of a beach reconstruction project the state already has said it will support.

Under a proposal that would pay for Galveston's share of a beach reconstruction project, any beaches widened during the work will be eligible for a 50-year federal maintenance program.

Two months ago, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson committed to a $13.5 million plan to widen a portion of the Gulf Coast island's beaches by 200 feet.

Mr. Patterson asked the city to contribute funds to expand the project eastward to 61st Street. He encouraged Galveston voters to approve a sales-tax extension proposition in November that would have helped pay for the sand.

But voters rejected the initiative, and local leaders thought they'd missed what they described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Council member Dianna Puccetti says Mr. Patterson is going to give the city another chance to raise the funds and even has sweetened the pot – any beaches widened during the project will be eligible for a 50-year federal maintenance program.

"This is not a nourishment project like we've ever seen," Ms. Puccetti recently told fellow council members. "It's the most massive project we've ever seen on the island. This is an opportunity that only comes along once."

The most expensive part of the project is setting up the operation to dredge sand from the ocean floor and deposit it on the beach.

Texas has promised $5 million for the first part of the project and is counting on an additional $6 million in state Coastal Impact Assistance 2008 program funds.

Eddie Fisher, director of coastal protection for the Texas General Land Office, said his staff planned to meet with project engineers in January and would have a better idea of the final cost then.

The council budgeted only $50,000 for beach projects during the 2007-08 fiscal year.

City Manager Steve LeBlanc said the city could ask voters next year to dedicate half the revenue from an economic development sales tax to the effort.

The November election would coincide with the dredging and would happen around the time the state would need a commitment from the city for its portion of the work. read more ...

Prudential takes Piazza Blanca for $12M

The Piazza Blanca retail center with its white walls and blue domes reminiscent of Mediterranean palaces was a glimmering $20 million icon of the island’s most golden contemporary development era.

On Jan 1st 2008 - Piazza Blanca was among the $40,000 Texas City lots and $400,000 Friendswood homes up for grabs during a foreclosure auction in the Galveston County Courthouse.

The 65,000-square-foot shopping center and some related parcels at 500 Seawall Blvd., became the property of Prudential Mortgage Capital.

Prudential Mortgage Capital foreclosed on the property after Piazza Blanca owner 500 Seawall I Ltd. defaulted on a $13.8 million loan, marking one of the largest local foreclosures in recent memory.

Prudential Mortgage Capital set the opening bid at $12 million. While the auction drew about 20 people, including some curious about Piazza, no one made a counteroffer.

Piazza Blanca and the 113-unit Emerald by the Sea condominium tower next to it, are the product of Sunhill International Corp., of which Faidi also is a principal. But Emerald by the Sea was not part of the foreclosure sale. Piazza Blanca and Emerald by the Sea are owned by separate Texas partnerships.

Although some tenants, including the 15,000-square foot Chico’s Paradise restaurant, have struggled and closed in the prominent shopping center, others are thriving, a leasing agent has said.

Industry observers have said tenants at the center would see more business when Emerald by the Sea is complete and condo owners begin moving in, which is expected to be within the next two months.

Piazza Blanca tenants include Subway Sandwiches and New York Pizzeria.

Chili’s Grill & Bar has a pad site at the center. A national Mexican restaurant chain has expressed interest in opening in Piazza Blanca, those in charge of leasing have said. read more ...

Galveston opposition really need to get on board with creative destruction. This island is a hog pog littered with crumbling houses and horrific infrastructure. The economic interests will ultimately decide the fate of this island with or without the support of the NIMBY group opposition. So either get on board and make the best of this situation or fight for a unrealistic cause and see any of your hopes for "preservation" flushed at the mercy of the almight dollar.

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Despite opposition, Isle's West End development Ok'd

Company denies project will harm the area's wetlands

One of the last remaining undeveloped areas on this storm-battered barrier island will sprout thousands of new homes following the approval Wednesday of a controversial zoning agreement.

Officials of Marquette Cos., a Chicago-based firm that wants to develop the 1,058-acre Preserve at West Beach — the largest development ever proposed for Galveston — said the project would be a plus for the island.

But West End residents streamed to the microphone for several hours to express their opposition to an agreement they say will erase wetlands and lock the city into a bad contract.

The unusual agreement would rezone a large section of the development to recreational, a category that allows bars and other uses not normally compatible with residential areas.

But the agreement approved by the City Council restricts development to what is proposed in Marquette's plan.

Allison Brown, a 20-year resident, said the development would destroy the island's sense of place.

"Marquette would damage it ... natural serenity, sense of place with our beaches and our bays."

But John Lester, a property owner and real estate developer, told the council the development would give the city a say on how the land is used.

"If you don't approve this, you'll have people developing two acres here, five acres there and you don't know what you'll get. This is a wonderful opportunity for the city to grow and prosper."

Council's approval of the revised development agreement placed the development on better footing.

"We've done everything that we can do," said Darren Sloniger, managing director of Marquette Land Investments LLC., said during a break in the meeting that drew over 150 people to City Hall.

"We've cooperated with the city 100 percent, and we can sleep at night because we believe we have done the right thing," he said. "We've preserved the environment, we've considered the neighbors and we're proud of the development."

The proposed development would include two 15-story hotels, a marina, homes and possibly a golf course.

Sloniger said the Chicago-based company has worked hard to preserve ecologically sensitive areas of the massive project, setting aside 361 acres as a nature preserve. Opponents said it would obliterate 60 acres of saltwater wetlands and that the plan did not address vanishing freshwater wetlands.

Meanwhile, an environmental group and a homeowners' association filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in an effort to halt the development by forcing the Corps of Engineers to conduct an environmental impact statement.

If it is successful, the lawsuit would effectively halt all development until the study is completed, which could take years.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Galveston Beach to Bay Preserve, a newly formed environmental group; the Spanish Grant Civic Association, and Lafitte's Cove at Pirates' Beach Nature Society.

The Beach to Bay Preserve led opposition to the zoning agreement, arguing that the development would gobble up wetlands and wildlife habitat in an area that is subject to rapid beach erosion and with little protection from devastating tidal surges spawned by hurricanes.

They also argue that the development would lead to traffic gridlock and make rapid evacuation difficult or impossible from an oncoming hurricane.

At stake, an environmentalist said, is "the loss of the `gateway of the West End.'

"It's (proposed development) over 1,000 acres with native prairie and grasses, from the beach to the bay, and it's been that way for over 100 years," Dr. Alice Ann O'Donell, president of the Beach to Bay Preserve, said before the meeting.

Her concerns were echoed by some residents who spoke out against the project, while others said the development would be good for the island.

Sloniger said Marquette had made substantial changes to the development agreement to accommodate community concerns.

The changes include reducing the number of lots along a proposed canal, opting instead for 1-acre estate lots; changing the entrance to a proposed marina and increasing the setback of tall buildings based on a geohazard map showing hazardous building areas.

The developers said they would donate 2.6 acres along FM 3005 for municipal use and also create an in-city municipal utility district to fund improvements such as water, sewage and drainage issues.

Chronicle reporter Harvey Rice contributed to this report. read more ...

This is a complete outrage, how could this happen? I grew up on that refuge and a housing developement would totally wreck the preserve. This person above me obviously has never been there because if he had than he would know that a development would wreck the overall feal of this place and the habitat that all of those birds depend on. greedy developers! read more ...

Regulators have approved an 8.2 percent increase in premiums for residential policyholders along the coast insured by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.

Commercial property owners will see a 5.4 percent increase under the changes approved Thursday by Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin.

The windstorm association is a pool of all property insurers that serves as the insurer of last resort for coastal customers who can't find wind coverage in the marketplace.

The new rates take effect Feb. 1. For residential policyholders in Texas' 14 coastal counties, rates will go up about $84 on an average windstorm policy of $1,023, Insurance Commission spokesman Jerry Hagins said.

The windstorm association had asked for 10 percent increases for both residential and business policyholders. It said the increases were warranted because of a Gulf Coast building boom and a lack of private insurers offering wind coverage.

"Coastal TWIA customers must understand that the cost of rebuilding homes and business has increased dramatically, partially fueled by the enormous amount of residential and commercial construction along the Gulf Coast," said Jerry Johns, a spokesman for the association.

Reliance on the insurance association has jumped dramatically over the past two years, since hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast. The association now covers more than 213,000 structures, including more than 69,000 structures added this year.

"TWIA has become the market of first choice rather than the market of last resort," Johns said.

A committee of Galveston property owners opposed the increase, as did the Office of Public Insurance Counsel.

"The 8.2 percent is going to lead to excessive rates," said Rod Bordelon, executive director of the insurance counsel's office.

Geeslin ordered that 25 percent of premiums be placed in a catastrophe fund to cover claims in the event of a major hurricane.

The association generally keeps $80 million to $100 million available to pay claims, officials said, but if it runs out of money, the association can charge the state's private insurance companies.

In turn, the private companies can seek tax credits from the state.

The Texas Legislature has looked at ways to rework the windstorm insurance fund to brace for catastrophic losses but hasn't reached a solution.

Private companies still sell other types of property insurance along the coast. read more ...

Laguna Harbor Yacht Club

Laguna Harbor is announcing a country club style yacht club with a fleet of pleasure yachts and water limousine service to and from Galveston!

The water limousine service will use a beautiful Grande Craft commuter yacht and club membership is available for the residents at Laguna Harbor.

The Yacht Club is the perfect compliment to the new and modern resorts being developed and planned on the Bolivar Peninsula, and elevates the social status of Laguna Harbor to a level on par with any resort nationwide. read more ...

A beautiful site with tremendous choice. A boater's delight!

Homes and lots are visually and price appealing.

Great location. The potential is obvious!

 read more ...

I had researched this property months before and have now gone in to find their website. It seems this project has been cancelled. Their website is down and the developers (Drake Development) don't mention it on their site.

 read more ...

I own community websites in Houston, Galveston, Dallas, Beaumont, and other cities across the USA. Please feel free to list your properties on our websites. It's Free!

Thanks,
Rick Bridgers read more ...

The Houston Audubon Society is running a anti-development campaign against the permit, but they already have over a 1000 acres right there and what better than a 20 acre housing development could you want next to it?

If they are able to stop this housing permit, they may not be able to stop the next company that wants to put in a refinery or other industrial operation at that spot. read more ...

is this project still on? Is there a website? read more ...

Shell plans major expansion of Texas Gulf Coast refinery

Royal Dutch Shell PLC plans to nearly double the size of an oil refinery it operates with a Saudi partner in Port Arthur on the Texas Gulf Coast, making it the biggest in the nation and one of the largest in the world.

More energy plant capital and people will be coming to the Bolivar Peninsula area. Energy Mecca’s Port Arthur and Beaumont are booming with over 20 billion dollars in new energy plants and expansions.

Shell, one of the world's largest oil companies, said Friday its decision to expand the refinery will increase U.S. supplies of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Shell plans to boost the Port Arthur refinery's capacity to 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day by 2010 from the current 275,000 barrels per day.Shell estimated that the expansion, the biggest in more than 30 years, would cost about $7 billion.

The Anglo-Dutch company operates the refinery with Saudi Refining Inc., a subsidiary of Saudi national oil company Saudi Aramco, in a venture called Motiva Enterprises LLC.

Major oil companies have canceled plans to build new refineries or greatly expand current ones for many years because of environmental opposition and because the profit margins on refining crude oil were too thin.

The Shell-Saudi expansion will occur at an existing plant, however, making it easier to obtain the necessary permits. Workers have already begun sinking pilings into the soil where major units will be built. -- Associated Press read more ...

Provident, PNL Shaping Major Gulf Plan
By Globe Street Connie Gore

BOLIVAR PENINSULA, TX-Dallas-based investment partners Provident Realty Advisors and PNL Cos. have started entitlement work on one of the largest undeveloped tracts on the Texas coast. The partners control 2,700 acres with three miles of Gulf of Mexico beach frontage and one mile of intracoastal canal.

Jay Hawes, partner for Provident Realty, predicts the entitlement process will take two years to complete. He tells GlobeSt.com that infrastructure work on the Galveston County land, of which roughly 600 acres are developable, most likely won't get under way until 2010. The balance of the land will remain wetlands for the 20-mile island.

Bolivar Peninsula, connected by a state-run ferry to Galveston, is predominately single-family properties and wide open space controlled by the Houston Audubon Society, intermingled with scattered neighborhood retail. "There are no condos, hotels or resorts right now," Hawes says. "We will get the entitlements in place and determine what the market wants."

The development partners' affiliate, GM-I Ltd., bought the former Cade Ranch in late August in an off-market transaction with Crown Team Texas, a local partnership that had acquired it several years ago from heirs of the C.T. Cade family. The ranch is situated northwest of Texas 24 and 87 near High Island.

"With just over 6% of Texas coastal property remaining for development, we saw the Cade Ranch as a very compelling story," says Leon Backes, founder of Provident Realty Advisors and general partner of GM-I Ltd. "As the pricing on the East and West coasts continue to escalate, the demand for the Texas coast will too and we see the Bolivar Peninsula as a direct beneficiary."

Hawes says the partners acquired the land on a per-acre basis, cash on the barrelhead. Prices on the barrier island are widespread. Real estate agencies are hawking home sites from $70,000 to upward of $300,000.

"It varies in value. We feel like we made a good buy," Hawes says. "The island has not been developed in a dense manner historically. We don't see our development changing that." But, the build-out plan is sure to include the missing links of condos, hotels and resorts in some fashion, with the developer promising to take full advantage of the ocean exposure and nearby wetlands. "And, we will probably have enough retail to serve the demand that we create," he adds.

Provident historically has developed mixed-use projects and master-planned single-family communities, but it's making inroads into the second-home market to place a bet on Baby Boomers from inside and outside the state. It recently acquired 130 acres on Lake Texoma, the state's largest man-made lake situated 70 miles north of Dallas. "We will continue to evaluate opportunities. As with all our endeavors, if the fundamentals are in place, we’ll be active participants," Backes says. read more ...

Power restored on Sunday night Sep 16 2007! read more ...

Two Port Arthur, Texas, refineries were restarting on Friday and a third refiner had some electricity restored after Hurricane Humberto battered the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Total Petrochemicals USA said they were restarting their Port Arthur refineries on Friday.

Shell Oil Co said some power was restored at the 285,000 barrel per day joint venture Motiva Enterprises refinery in Port Arthur.

Valero said its 325,000 bpd refinery was expected to be back at full production by late next week.

The last of three Gulf Coast ship channels along which tankers carry crude oil to refineries in Texas and Louisiana reopened early on Friday morning after being shut due to rough seas caused by Humberto, ship pilots said.

A backlog of ships waiting to transit the Houston Ship Channel, the busiest U.S. petrochemical port, was rapidly being reduced, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

U.S. crude oil futures fell in early trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday, with October crude dropping below record highs hit on Thursday when Humberto knocked the Port Arthur refineries offline. read more ...

Census Bureau Says 4.5 Million People Impacted By Surprise Hurricane Humberto

As Hurricane Humberto came ashore in Galveston County early this morning, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that about 4.5 million people experienced the storm’s effects as it made landfall along the Texas coast.

According to most recent population estimates, nearly 284, 000 people live in Galveston County. Additionally, the Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey shows the median housing value in Galveston County was $134,000. More than half the homes were moved into since 2000. The median household income was about $53,000, while14 percent of the population was living below the poverty level. read more ...

Cool site read more ...

If you find any interesting Google Street View sightings in Galveston, add the link to: http://streetviewgallery.corank.com There are over 700 "interesting" Google Street View Sightings listed. read more ...

Real estate that was $35k seven years ago is now worth $400k?!? Wow! Thats a pretty good rate of appreciation. Thats around 50% increase per year. Thats incredible. read more ...

Any Mold Protection? read more ...

I hope they resolve the problem, but I have some concerns about losing the 10 acres of wetlands. Wetlands serve a very important function and their removal not only displaces the wildlife that lives there, but it can have an unforeseen impact on us as well later on down the road. read more ...

Beach properties that went for $35K seven years ago now worth $400K

By: CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE, The Enterprise

BOLIVAR PENINSULA - Howard and Carolyn Smith, who had lived in California and still have a home in the Florida Keys, headed down Bolivar Peninsula during one of their RV trips and fell in love.

They promptly bought a beach house in the new Audubon Village.

"It's wonderful," Carolyn said. "The beaches are gorgeous."

"We come here to cool off," Howard said. Florida, he added, is hotter.

Their home, which sits 20 feet above sea level, is in a row of 10 built in the 130-lot development.

Audubon Village is among several developments contributing to Bolivar Peninsulas's residential boom - Seagrass, Laguna Harbor, Biscayne, Rancho Carribe, Surfside, Egret Bay and Avocet, to name a few.
Some have beachfront property, while others are on the bay with canals backing up to the water. Some are gated, others are open.

Vacant lots in other subdivisions also are becoming scarce as more people build beach houses.

"In the last two to three years, people have built like crazy," Tim Byrom, owner of Brint Construction, said in a phone interview. His company is hard at work in Gilchrist on Bolivar and Surfside, west of Galveston in Brazoria County.

For some, the answer is simple.

"I still think Bolivar is the best price around for beach properties," said Anne Willis with Swede's Real Estate. "Our market is better than Galveston."

Even though it might be less costly than other areas for beach lots, prices are rising.

Four years ago, lots close to the highway went for $3,500, Willis said. Now, they are going for $25,000 to $30,000.

Front-row lots going for $35,000 about seven years ago had jumped to $200,000 by 2004.

This year, they're double that, Byrom said, adding they would cost at least $1 million elsewhere along the Gulf of Mexico.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the market slowed but since has bounced back, Byrom said.

The Surfside development originally was intended to be a recreational vehicle park, Byrom said.

Permits were secured and construction was about to start, but property values started rising. Byrom re-thought his plan, and this week he will start on five speculative homes in the 22-home subdivision featuring half-acre lots.

However, Byrom is cautious, too.

He's keeping an eye on the market and watching which homes are selling.

"There's a lot of stuff for sale," he added.

About 60 of the 87 lots at Laguna Harbor have sold, said Jim Hayes, a principal with Crown Team Texas. Lots in Seagrass and Audubon Villages also are selling well.

"Every day people are stopping by," said Alice Donahue, Seagrass marketing manager.

That's what the Smiths did several months ago. Now, they split their time between Bolivar and Florida, using their 38-foot RV to run back and forth.

Speaking of running back and forth, Howard Smith has discovered another unexpected benefit of the Bolivar house.

"It makes me a young man," he said about climbing the 32 stairs up to the house. read more ...

Beach properties that went for $35K seven years ago now worth $400K

By: CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE, The Enterprise

BOLIVAR PENINSULA - Howard and Carolyn Smith, who had lived in California and still have a home in the Florida Keys, headed down Bolivar Peninsula during one of their RV trips and fell in love.

They promptly bought a beach house in the new Audubon Village.

"It's wonderful," Carolyn said. "The beaches are gorgeous."

"We come here to cool off," Howard said. Florida, he added, is hotter.

Their home, which sits 20 feet above sea level, is in a row of 10 built in the 130-lot development.

Audubon Village is among several developments contributing to Bolivar Peninsulas's residential boom - Seagrass, Laguna Harbor, Biscayne, Rancho Carribe, Surfside, Egret Bay and Avocet, to name a few.
Some have beachfront property, while others are on the bay with canals backing up to the water. Some are gated, others are open.

Vacant lots in other subdivisions also are becoming scarce as more people build beach houses.

"In the last two to three years, people have built like crazy," Tim Byrom, owner of Brint Construction, said in a phone interview. His company is hard at work in Gilchrist on Bolivar and Surfside, west of Galveston in Brazoria County.

For some, the answer is simple.

"I still think Bolivar is the best price around for beach properties," said Anne Willis with Swede's Real Estate. "Our market is better than Galveston."

Even though it might be less costly than other areas for beach lots, prices are rising.

Four years ago, lots close to the highway went for $3,500, Willis said. Now, they are going for $25,000 to $30,000.

Front-row lots going for $35,000 about seven years ago had jumped to $200,000 by 2004.

This year, they're double that, Byrom said, adding they would cost at least $1 million elsewhere along the Gulf of Mexico.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the market slowed but since has bounced back, Byrom said.

The Surfside development originally was intended to be a recreational vehicle park, Byrom said.

Permits were secured and construction was about to start, but property values started rising. Byrom re-thought his plan, and this week he will start on five speculative homes in the 22-home subdivision featuring half-acre lots.

However, Byrom is cautious, too.

He's keeping an eye on the market and watching which homes are selling.

"There's a lot of stuff for sale," he added.

About 60 of the 87 lots at Laguna Harbor have sold, said Jim Hayes, a principal with Crown Team Texas. Lots in Seagrass and Audubon Villages also are selling well.

"Every day people are stopping by," said Alice Donahue, Seagrass marketing manager.

That's what the Smiths did several months ago. Now, they split their time between Bolivar and Florida, using their 38-foot RV to run back and forth.

Speaking of running back and forth, Howard Smith has discovered another unexpected benefit of the Bolivar house.

"It makes me a young man," he said about climbing the 32 stairs up to the house. read more ...

HIGH ISLAND

A Dallas real-estate firm has purchased almost 2,800 acres of raw ranch land on Bolivar Peninsula, snapping up one of the largest remaining beachfront properties on Texas’ coast.

Provident Realty Advisors, in partnership with The PLN Cos., purchased the land, where cows still graze on a site known as the Cade Ranch.

The seller was Crown Team Texas, a development firm that has, through affiliate companies, invested about $30 million in the past four years acquiring and developing peninsula land and infrastructure.

Neither Provident, nor Crown Team Texas, would divulge the purchase price of the tract, which includes 13,000 feet of waterfront.

The acquisition marks Provident’s first foray into barrier island real estate, said Jay Hawes, development partner for the firm. Provident has no immediate plans for the land, he said.

But the booming Bolivar Peninsula, averaging about 90 building permits a year, is an attractive investment at a time when large tracts of beachfront property are disappearing, Hawes said.

Only about 6.5 percent of Texas’ coastal property remains, said John Endendyk, who with Bruce Endendyk of CB Richard Ellis’ Land Services Group represented Crown Team Texas in the sale.

Most of the coastal land is being developed or reserved as federal and state parks.

The Cade Ranch is northwest of the intersection of state Highways 24 and 87 near High Island. In 1879, C. T. Cade made headlines for moving the largest herd on record — 23,000 head — across the Neches River. Cade, according to online reports citing The Daily News, was known for his yearly cattle drives from High Island to his ranch in Iberville Parish, La.

Jim Hayes, a principal in Crown Team Texas, purchased the ranch several years ago from the Cade family.

Until the sale to Provident, Hayes and partners owned almost 8,000 acres. Hayes is behind several luxury residential projects on the peninsula. Allco, an affiliate of Crown Team Texas, has spent $3 million so far to develop a sewer treatment plant to accommodate residential development. Peninsula residents rely on septic tanks.

Provident’s acquisition marks the second time in as many years that an investment group has purchased such a sizable chunk of ranch land in Galveston County.

Last year, Chicago real estate firm Marquette Land Investments paid almost $33 million for 1,050 acres that was long a part of Chapoton Ranch on the island’s West End.

Cows also graze on the Chapoton property, where development of a large resort-style project is generating controversy among environmentalists who fear the scope of the project would hurt a sensitive ecosystem. Some locals also say it would generate too much traffic.

Baby boomers and retirees are fueling beach front development, Endendyk said.

Texas land prices still are cheap enough to keep the costs of condominiums and homes reasonable, he said.

“Prices are achievable to the average consumer,” Endendyk said.

By Laura Elder
The Daily News read more ...

The Dallas-based buyers do not expect to develop the land for at least two years. read more ...

Priority Boarding Pass Program Canceled?

I called the Houston office about the Priority Boarding Pass Program at (713) 802-5109 and they reported that the program has been canceled as of last week due to a lack of applications.

I think we should still gather up our applications and make our case for the program with a large showing of community support.

"It's worth a try", according to the spokesman at the Houston office. read more ...

$10 Billion Investments for New Industry

Beaumont, the place where oil became a viable source of energy in the beginning of the 20th-century, has realized those energy boomtown days again – 21st-century style. Steve Buser, Partnership of Southeast Texas, says the greater Beaumont area has $10 billion in projects emerging. “Three companies are putting in liquid natural gas terminals – Golden Pass, Sempra and Cheniere, each will cost about $1 billion,” Buser says.

Golden Pass Vice President Tom Burger says his company chose this area for four reasons, “One, the deep-water access; and two, the pipeline grid infrastructure that exists in the area for transporting. Three is the market for natural gas with all the industry, petrochemical and power generation. And, four is the highly qualified work force contractors, suppliers and vendors.”

The expansion plans at Motiva Enterprises will double the size of its refinery and will be the largest refinery expansion in the United States in 30 years. The 290,000 barrels per day refinery will expand to 600,000 barrels per day, with 4,000 additional employees needed for five years.

“The State of Texas does about $5 billion a year in major announced investments,” Buser explains. “The Motiva Refinery represents about a year’s worth of the state’s investments. Total Petrochemicals plans about a $1 billion Coker Unit,” he says. Valero, which recently acquired Premcor’s Refinery, plans to expand its capacity to 3.3 million barrels per day in its 18 refineries at a cost of $5 billion, which includes improvements already underway. ExxonMobil, a major participant in the Golden Pass LNG project, also has commissioned a $350 million cogeneration and power network addition to the Beaumont refinery.

The fact these petroleum industry expansions and more petroleum-maritime expansions are happening in the same area where the first great oil well in the world, the Anthony F. Lucas Gusher, blew in at Spindletop – seems strange but fitting.

The entrepreneurial spirit that drove wildcatter Anthony Lucas spurred other far-sighted men to start the great oil companies of our nation. What began at Spindletop is still present in the Beaumont area today. A century later the goals of new small business owners may be in other types of companies, but the ability to recognize and grasp opportunities still thrives here.

Beaumont is home to companies such as Conn’s (major appliances), Coburn Supply (plumbing fixtures), Jason’s Deli (restaurants), Shepherd’s Uniform & Linen (uniform supply services), Texas Coffee Co. (coffee and tea), and Zummo Meat Co. (meat wholesaler).

Lamar University, through its College of Business and Engineer Research Centers, is one of Texas’ vanguards for industries and small business. Russ Waddill, director of entrepreneurship at Lamar University, says people are more inclined today than in the past to want to pursue their own interest in business. The Internet has helped level the playing field for them and they have better access to capital.

A recent economic development study showed the Beaumont area to be a hot location for companies –

* Related to the energy industry;
* Using advanced materials, composite plastics or other new products being researched at Lamar University;
* Related to the highly developed health care industry. The greater Beaumont area is the major regional medical center east of Houston and west of New Orleans; and
* Looking for a lower cost of living and a competitive labor force. High quality back-office consolidated call centers appreciate these area attributes.

Waddill says, “Many of our successful entrepreneurs play in these fields because these are our particular strengths.”

With the amount of expansions and new businesses already scheduled in the greater Beaumont area, thousands of job opportunities are expected to available now and in the future. read more ...

Why you should always have a buyers agent represent your interests in buying new property

I recently received an email about a special on the new development:

*********************
For over four years, our team has created second home resorts on the Texas Coast and in the Hill Country for enthusiasts like you. There are over 500 purchasers and owners that were inspired by a great vision that is now reality at Pointe West. At some point, you have expressed interest in ownership here. As we near the end of summer, the ownership opportunities are the best we have offered since breaking ground on the coast... true waterfront luxury Villas in an amenity-rich coastal resort community from the $250s. What are you waiting for?

*********************

At the bottom of the email was the following in tiny print that was also very light that was not readable.

We expanded that below so you can read it:


*********************
Property boundaries shown on this map are approximations only. Therefore, the amenities, facilities and features depicted on this map may change or be eliminated as the development of Pointe West evolves and no guarantee is made as to the amenities, facilities, or features that will be included in the community. Actual development may not be as currently proposed.

Development of the proposed marina is also dependent upon receipt of various permits and approvals that have not been obtained, and that may not be obtained, in which case the marina may not be developed. If developed, the marina may also be developed differently than described. Centex Destination Properties® does not own or control the land outside the boundaries of Pointe West and does not guarantee the current or future use thereof.

Access to the Beach Club and other amenities is subject to a mandatory club membership that is required with the purchase of your lot or unit, and the payment of additional fees and other requirements.

These materials shall not constitute an offer or solicitation in any state where prior registration is required.

WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING.

*********************

This is just one example why you need a professional on your side who understands the ramifications of such a statement and knows how you should prepare your offer in response to it.

Remember this: Having a buyers agent represent your interests does not add to the cost of your purchase. The buyers agent is paid by the developer.  read more ...

Report from America: Beaumont, Texas

Thanks to some great leadership by a good Mayor, Guy Goodson, and a very supportive Chamber of Commerce and Regional Planning Commission, they have not only come back up off the mat after the hurricane but have attracted an astounding $10 billion of investment and expansions.

Many a state would covet Beaumont's record on this front. They did it by cooperating among various agencies and the private sector and by creating a climate for business.

Beaumont serves as a model for us all that when it comes to powering the economy, manufacturing leads the way. read more ...

More Investment Coming to Bolivar Resort Area

Add the $3.5 billion expansion of the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur to Bolivar’s oceanfront resort fortunes.

When construction crews complete a proposed $3.5 billion expansion of the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur in 2010, it would be the largest oil refinery in the country.

That makes Motiva's expansion and the estimated $17 billion it is expected to generate for Jefferson County critical.

"The proposed project is expected to require more than 3,500 construction jobs and generate about 300 new permanent jobs upon completion," said Stan Mays, spokesman for Motiva Enterprises LLC, a U.S.-based refining and marketing joint venture of Saudi Refining Inc. and Shell Oil Company.

Motiva is working with the Texas Workforce Commission, Lamar State College, the Southeast Texas Workforce Development Board, local school systems and other organizations to recruit and train a qualified work force for the project.

Accommodating the facility will bring big changes to Port Arthur, a city of 56,000 that lies 90 miles east of Houston in Jefferson County.

The city is already growing, thanks to the Motiva expansion and other area industrial projects, said Verna Rutherford, president of the Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce. "Our residents are definitely noticing increased activity in the area," she said. "Hotels, apartments and RV parks have been filled to capacity, and many developments are underway for a large number of new homes, apartments, hotels and RV parks."

The Bolivar Resort area is already starting to get interest from new employees getting ready to relocate to the Port Arthur area and from support firms doing the development of the expansion and new facilities. read more ...

The House is set to vote on their energy bill in the next couple of days. We need your help to make sure that a strong, nationwide renewable electricity standard (RES) is added to the bill. An RES will boost our use of clean and renewable sources of energy.

Audubon is committed to advancing these approaches in ways that safeguard birds, other wildlife, and their habitat. Establishing a nationwide renewable electricity standard is one of the biggest steps we can take to reduce global warming pollution. We have the technology to do this right now, but we need Congress to lead the way.

Please write to your U.S. Representative and tell him or her to end our dependence on old, dirty energy sources like coal and lead the way to clean, renewable sources by supporting a strong, nationwide renewable electricity standard.

or use this link:
http://audubonaction.org/campaign/udall_platts

Global warming is the greatest threat to birds and other wildlife in human history. The rate of global warming is already impacting birds, their prey, and their habitat. Those impacts will become more severe over the coming decades, leading to the loss of one-quarter to one-third of all species on earth, including many bird species. Although some amount of change is inevitable, we can still take steps to prevent the most dangerous impacts of global warming and begin to stabilize the climate again. This loss will impact agriculture, forestry, public health, recreation, and hunting. The financial impact will be many billions of dollars annually.

Why Does Global Warming Matter for Birds?
Global warming impacts birds and wildlife in many ways. Birds and other wildlife will face habitat loss due to sea level rise, more frequent and severe wildfires, flooding and droughts, invasive species, changes in vegetation and precipitation, and loss of snow and ice, among others. Birds, like most species, are highly adapted to particular vegetation and habitat types. To compensate for the warmer temperatures, the ranges of these habitats may move closer to the poles or higher elevations. Habitat types that cannot colonize new areas may rapidly decline or cease to exist. New pests, invasive species, and diseases will create additional risks. The timing of birds' migration, reproduction, breeding, nesting, and hatching are all highly adapted to match specific local conditions, such as the availability of suitable habitat and adequate food sources. Since climate change will affect different species differently, bird behavior may no longer be in sync with their food sources and other habitat needs. read more ...

Eastman Chairman and CEO Brian Ferguson said the company will be the developer, operator, co-investor and customer of a new $1.6 billion project slated for Texas. As a participant in the recently announced Faustina Hydrogen Products LLC project in St. James Parish, LA, Eastman will be the operator, a co-investor and customer. Both projects would use petroleum coke primarily instead of natural gas to produce industrial chemicals used in a variety of consumer end products.

"Our gasification technology is good for Eastman because it's an important part of our efforts to achieve a low cost position and add to the company's earnings growth," Ferguson said. "It's good for the environment because the technology can minimize our carbon footprint when compared to traditional manufacturing processes. And, it's good for the U.S. because we can use readily available domestic feed materials such as coal and petroleum coke, which are less expensive and more stable when compared to oil or natural gas."

"Gasification is an environmentally responsible choice," Ferguson said. "We expect to sell nearly all of the carbon dioxide produced into the enhanced oil recovery market in the Gulf Coast. Additionally, this advanced process is essentially free of sulfur, mercury and arsenic emissions."

"As the first company to use gasification to produce commercial quantity chemical products from coal, we've developed a strong track record in our 24 years of experience," Ferguson said.

Texas Project
Based on incentives on the order of about $100 million that have been preliminarily approved by local officials in Beaumont, Texas, Eastman intends to locate its gasification project there, Ferguson said. That plant, which is expected to be online in 2011, will produce low-cost intermediate chemicals, such as methanol, hydrogen and ammonia.

Ferguson said Eastman anticipates a 50 percent equity position in the project and expects to announce a financial equity investor soon.

The company has acquired options on several pieces of industrial property in Beaumont, including assets currently owned by Terra Industries that include methanol and ammonia production facilities.

"We expect the Terra assets will fit in well with this project, and the result will be reduced capital costs, compared to building new methanol and ammonia facilities," Ferguson said.

Eastman has identified several key participants for the Beaumont project, including
· Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., which has signed a letter of intent to purchase hydrogen produced by the project on a long-term basis. Air Products will also construct and operate new world class air separation units to produce over 7,000 tons per day (TPD) of oxygen, essential to the gasifier operation;
· Fluor Corporation, which will support the front end engineering design effort; and
· GE Energy, which has licensed its gasification technology for the project.

Eastman expects the regulatory permit application process to begin later this year, and construction is expected to be under way by early 2009. Construction employment is expected to peak at 1300-1500 workers, with permanent employment expected to be approximately 250. read more ...

Eastman Chemical has awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract to Fluor for a $1.6bn gasification project along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Valued at $12m, the initial FEED contract was booked during the second quarter of 2007.

Fluor Corporation is one of the world's largest, publicly owned engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance services companies. Over the past century, Fluor, through its operating subsidiaries, has become a trusted global business leader by providing exceptional expertise and technical knowledge across every phase of a project. Clients rely on Fluor to deliver world-class solutions that optimize their assets, improve their competitive position, and increase their long-term business success.

The plant, based in Beaumont, Texas, is expected to begin operating in 2011.  read more ...

Air Products to Participate with Eastman Chemical in Gulf Coast Gasification Project

Air Products today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent with Eastman Chemical, Inc. to be a significant participant in a petroleum coke fed gasification project planned by Eastman in the Gulf Coast. In the project, which will be one of the first major solid-fuel gasification facilities in the Gulf Coast, Air Products will market hydrogen produced by the operation to its industry leading Gulf Coast hydrogen supply pipeline network, and construct and operate new world-class air separation units to produce over 7,000 tons per day (TPD) of oxygen, essential to the gasifier operation.

Eastman intends to locate the $1.6 billion plant in Beaumont, Texas, where the company will make low-cost intermediate chemicals such as methanol, hydrogen and ammonia. Eastman expects the regulatory permit application process to begin later this year, and construction is expected to be under way by early 2009. Construction employment is expected to peak at 1,300-1,500 workers, with permanent employment expected to be approximately 250. Eastman expects to have an equity position of as much as 50 percent and to announce a co-investor in the near future.

"We are excited to be working with Eastman on this gasification project. The scope of this project integrates our two companies' core strengths and businesses. The combination of Eastman's gasification and chemical industry experience and Air Products' industrial gas and large project experience help to make the project attractive and viable," said Alex Masetti, vice president, Tonnage Gases North America for Air Products. "The gasification project and our involvement represent a unique opportunity for Air Products to provide our world-class ASU technology, key to the operation of the gasifier, and to supply our West Gulf Coast pipeline system with hydrogen generated from petroleum coke fuel. This source of hydrogen diversifies our feed for our pipeline network and, in combination with our multi-plant system, will continue to provide refiners with a very highly reliable supply of hydrogen to make environmentally beneficial cleaner burning transportation fuels."

"We have a long association with Air Products and look forward to continuing our successful relationship in this exciting new project," said David Gallaspy, director of Project Development for Eastman's gasification services.

Air Products' Gulf Coast pipeline network extends from the Houston Ship Channel in Texas to Lake Charles, La. The company's Mississippi River corridor pipeline reaches from Baton Rouge to Norco, La., and east of New Orleans. These pipeline networks provide very highly-reliable hydrogen supply to approximately 50 refinery and process industry customers. Air Products is committed to increasing the pipeline network size in a manner that is consistent with the needs of key refining and petrochemical customers.

About Air Products

Air Products serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and over 20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

About Eastman Chemical

Eastman manufactures and markets chemicals, fibers and plastics worldwide. It provides key differentiated coatings, adhesives and specialty plastics products; is the world's largest producer of PET polymers for packaging; and is a major supplier of cellulose acetate fibers. As a Responsible Care(R) company, Eastman is committed to achieving the highest standards of health, safety, environmental and security performance. Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Kingsport, Tenn., U.S.A.,

Eastman is a FORTUNE 500 company with 2006 sales of $7.5 billion and approximately 11,000 employees. For more information about Eastman and its products, visit www.eastman.com. read more ...

Breathtaking beyond beautiful Bolivar Bayfront Property!

The best sunsets in the world are available from the decks of the homes in Laguna Harbor.

Crown Team has a manufacturing facility up the road in Gilchrist, where they can make the homes in sections, that are built stronger and certified hurricane resistant.

Laguna Harbor provides easy acess to Galveston Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico.

Laguna Harbor can accomodate boats and yachts larger than any other development on the Texas Gulf Coast. read more ...

The Texas Department of Transportation is expected to add a sixth vessel to the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry fleet.

Officials hope the addition will improve efficiency and reduce wait times.

A department consultant studying the possibility of replacing the ferry with a bridge has reported that summer wait times can exceed two hours.

Wayne Welsh, assistant ferry operations manager, says manpower is the biggest issue the ferry faces. The ferry sometimes doesn't have enough crew to staff all of its boats.

The ferry is the only way motorists can cross the waterway between Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island. The free service links two segments of State Highway 87.

Department spokesman Norm Wigington says wait times will shorten once repair work is complete on two new docks at Galveston and one at Port Bolivar. read more ...

The Texas Department of Transportation is expected to add a sixth vessel to the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry fleet.

Officials hope the addition will improve efficiency and reduce wait times.

A department consultant studying the possibility of replacing the ferry with a bridge has reported that summer wait times can exceed two hours.

Wayne Welsh, assistant ferry operations manager, says manpower is the biggest issue the ferry faces. The ferry sometimes doesn't have enough crew to staff all of its boats.

The ferry is the only way motorists can cross the waterway between Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island. The free service links two segments of State Highway 87.

Department spokesman Norm Wigington says wait times will shorten once repair work is complete on two new docks at Galveston and one at Port Bolivar. read more ...

Audubon Village homes are selling steadily right now and appeciating in value. Already in last year values are up by about 30%.

They have a special right now that includes a free golf cart and golf cart garage.

This property is especially valuable with the beach dunes protected by a corp of engineer's geo-tube and the bay protected by a nature preserve. These features will make these properties extremely valuable in the future - more so than other properties in the area.

And, with neighborhood features like the pool, shopping, lake, bird watching tower, ocean/bay views and elevated concrete/steel construction - this is an incredible development.

In my opinion, these are a great investment. read more ...

I found your website that captures my interest while searching the internet for particular keywords related to real estates. This is a very informative blog of yours. Keep up the good work. You may also check Real Estate Investments and TIC Investments if it interest you for additional information's. http://www.hihcorp.com/ read more ...

I think everyone in Galveston County should take Mr. Jim Haye's generous offer!

Why pass up an opportunity like this one? It's good for both the Galveston Island and Bolivar residents and if the numbers are big enough, we'll put a dent in Jim's bank roll. read more ...

All the homes will have views to the gulf and the bay from the 25ft high living areas and the 17ft high decks. I'm living in one right now and can see them clearly. This is a far better product than the pictures describe. read more ...

we don't want your fancy hotels! We want a nice place to go and get away from the busy city life of Houston. Leave the marshes! read more ...

Seagrass is featured in the renowned Stewart Title homes book read more ...

price range for west coast areas in Galveston,Texas read more ...

Priority Boarding Stickers Form Galveston Ferry System

A $50 per vehicle deposit and this completed form are required to apply for a priority boarding sticker. At least 500 priority boarding deposit applications must be received before construction of priority boarding lanes will begin. When construction is complete, priority boarding stickers will be offered for sale. The $50 dollars is only a deposit and the balance of the priority boarding fee will become due when stickers are issued. Priority boarding stickers will be valid for 12 months, counting the month the sticker is issued as a full month. If 500 applications with deposits are received and the customer fails to pay the balance due for the priority boarding sticker the deposit will not be returned. If 500 applications with deposits are not obtained, deposits will be returned by mail.

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/maintenance/ferries/rules.htm
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We couldn't find any information about the prices? Please advise. Thank You. read more ...

Endeavour Marina on Clear Lake is a $20-million, 97,873-square-foot, six-acre mixed-use development in Seabrook, Texas. It features a full-service indoor marina with dry-stack storage for 400 powerboats up to 38 feet long, two banquet rooms (each with 300-person capacity), 25,000 square feet of office/retail space and additional wet slips. It is also home port to the Spirit of Texas Paddle Wheeler. The development was announced in May 2006. read more ...

As Endeavor Holdings’ 30-story Endeavor Clear Lake nears completion, the firm plans to redevelop 15.5 acres along NASA Parkway.
Plans for Endeavour Marina on Clear Lake include another residential tower, a 250-room high-rise hotel with condos, up to 300,000 square feet of office space, shops and as many as 500 wet slips.
Seabrook is supporting the project by offering its first-ever tax abatement to portions of the development.
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Medical passes for ferry start May 1

Priority-boarding passes for those with medical conditions will soon be a reality for Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry passengers because of a federal lawsuit filed against the Texas Department of Transportation in December, officials confirmed Friday.

The lawsuit, tentatively settled a few weeks ago, was filed by three Port Bolivar residents with disabilities who claimed their medical passes were rejected and that they had unlawfully been denied access to the ferry, officials said.

Jim Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, which represented the plaintiffs, said the settlement was reached pending approval from the office of Texas Gov. Rick Perry. State department of transportation officials are going to go ahead and start issuing the passes starting May 1, he said.

“They agreed to the boarding pass, plus court and attorneys fees,” Harrington said. “They (the residents) weren’t in this for the money.”

The residents could not be reached to comment Friday afternoon, but in a previous interview Cliff Winters, 75, husband of Beverly Joan Winters, 74, said the last passes were taken away as his wife started to suffer from dementia.

“People with disabilities need to have that service,” he said. “They need it 24-7.”

The lawsuit was filed amid demands for a priority-boarding system for peninsula residents following years of discontent about long lines at the ferry landing during the summer.

The ferry connects Galveston Island with the Bolivar Peninsula. The transportation department operates the free ferry service connecting the two sections of state Highway 87.

The pass will focus on ferry passengers with a doctor-confirmed medical condition, said Norm Wigington, public information officer for the transportation department.

Wigington said at least 50 people are expected to apply.

“I think people are comfortable having the pass, although you can still drive right up front if you have a medical emergency, pass or not,” he said.

The new pass program won’t affect anyone needing immediate assistance, such as law enforcement vehicles, ambulances, firefighters and privately owned vehicles with people inside in need of attention, according to officials.

The pass must be placed on the dashboard and can be used for a year before a renewal is necessary.

By Ben Tinsley The Daily News
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New Web Giant Launches Portal Site – Plans on Dominating Web-based Real Estate Sector

04/12/2007
Chicago, IL based Profertee Realty Group, inc launches its much anticipated real estate portal site (www.profertee.com) Monday morning. Partnering with Melville, NY based American Home Mortgage(NYSE: AHM) and Home Buyers Marketing inc, Profertee’s site is boasting access to over 3.6 million real estate listings nation wide, as well as various premium new construction developments located in Orlando, Las Vegas, and Chicago, just to name a few. Profertee’s mission is to offer a free, user-friendly real estate shopping experience, while also providing additional value-added features such as investment groups, home-valuation tools through Zillow integration, useful real estate investing strategies, and free mortgage quotes through American Home’s retail channels. “We are truly a one-stop-shop”, says Profertee CEO Rhoniel Daguro. “The site has everything a user could want, but we really wanted to feature the premier new construction developments. That is something that no one is really organizing online, and we’ve taken things one step further by forming buyers into investment groups, giving them access to considerable savings at the various developments.”

Profertee also provides local one-on-one services through the thousands of realtors approved with Home Buyers Marketing, inc. Users can create an account on www.profertee.com to search over 3.6 million listings for a home anywhere in the US and still deal with a local partner agent once they are closer to buying. It is in this way that Profertee is providing the best of both worlds: the power of the internet + traditional local realtor partners. Navigate to www.profertee.com today and test drive their site. Also stay tuned for our follow up segment on Profertee in June.

Profertee – Prosperity in Property: Exclusive New Developer Condos http://www.profertee.com


 read more ...

Unmatched hurricane protection! read more ...

Unmatched hurricane protection! read more ...

What hurricane protection is incorporated? read more ...

What about hurricane protection? read more ...

that was such an up lifting story in the above post!! really touched me!!! sounds like a great city as well!!
'-) read more ...

a little too tall for my liking but it is beautiful and I love the pool layout that looks amazing!!!! '-) read more ...

Tiki Island has always been of an interst to me and when I saw the Sunday ad for pre-construciton pricing, I went on line to see what was being offered. I found this site and the one listed in the paper. However, neither provid a starting value to see if I am still interested. read more ...

That's really neat! It's amazing how imperative computers have become in our daily lives. With the rise of technology comes Virtual Home Tours, wireless handheld devices for immediate communication, and home listings galore available with just the touch of a button.  read more ...

More than half of the nearly 3,000 voters who cast ballots for Tuesday’s rollback election voted to defeat the measure, which would have lowered the city’s property tax rate by about 3 cents.

A total of 1,656 voters, or 57.16 percent, voted against the rollback, while 1,241 residents, or 42.84 percent, voted in favor. A total of 2,897 of the city’s 27,000 registered voters cast ballots. Early voting attracted 1,940 of these voters.

Texas City Mayor Matt Doyle said there are no winners or losers, and that he hoped to accommodate both sides in this year’s budget talks. “This election was not just about a rollover, but also was about the city’s confidence in its elected leaders,” he said.

The rollback would have lowered Texas City’s tax rate from 45.624 to 42.397 cents per $100 of property value. There would also have been a rebate to customers who have already paid their 2006-07 taxes.

Some voters, like Florence Bowers, 62, voted in favor of the rollback, but wished the rollback and the rebate could have been split into two separate issues.

“I’m really torn about it,” she said as she walked to her car after voting at a fire department station in the 1100 block of North Amburn. “A refund check of $20 is not going to do me any real good. But I do think there should be a rollback.”

Galveston County Republican Party Chairman Kerry Neves, whose group supported the rollback election, praised the mayor for making it clear that his office doors remain open to any resident — regardless of which side they voted for.

“I think it’s really admirable, and I hope he really means it, because he has thousands of people who had the gumption to get out and fight city hall,” he said. “I was impressed with them because they were supporting the principles we stand by — accountability and being good stewards of money.”

More than 2,000 registered voters signed the rollback petitions that initiated the rollback election. Galveston County Democratic Chairman Lloyd Criss said his group had no position on the race — that the issue was up to the voters.

The voters who turned out felt very passionate about the issue. Karl Stager, 44, said he voted against the rollback because of the money problems he knew it could cause for the city down the line.

Stager is the comptroller for Alvin Community College, according to the college’s Web site.

“This was important for all the city employees out there relying on their jobs,” he said.

Some of the people who voted early turned out at city hall Tuesday night to monitor the results of the election. Polly Mora, 33, a third-grade teacher who voted against the rollback, was one of them.

“I was a little concerned because all I could see out there were signs for the rollback,” she said. “I think what was driving this issue was a misunderstanding about all the things the city provides.”

She was talking about existing city services, such as police cars on the street, regular trash pickups and available water.

Ann King, chairwoman of the Citizens for Texas City Property Tax Relief, couldn’t be reached to comment Tuesday night, but said in an earlier interview that there were no outside influences, other than a couple of contributions. This election was solely up to the people of Texas City, she said.

Both the mayor and Criss have said they thought the issue didn’t become divisive until outsiders started to intrude.

The mayor, for instance, blames Paul Bettencourt, Harris county tax assessor-collector, and the national group Americans for Prosperity. Criss blames Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector Cheryl Johnson, who came under fire after changing her original estimated cost of $557,000 to process and mail refund checks in the event the rollback passed to $57,194 — a $500,000 difference.

Johnson insists she isn’t for or against the issue and her sole interest is as the head of Galveston County’s tax office. But Criss doesn’t believe her.

“The city shouldn’t have to pay the cost of the election. I think the tax assessor should pay because she’s the one who stirre