As we celebrate the holidays and the start of the New Year, like most, I look back over this past year and feel I just got off a roller coaster ride. For some, it has been exhilarating, for others, the ride couldn’t have ended soon enough. I’m not sure I’ve seen a year like this where there were such polarizing views, and not just in politics. Many landmark businesses went out while others flourished. Depending which side of the political aisle you stand, it was either a year of great accomplishment or one of unprecedented strife, discourse and divide. Friendships suffered while some were forged. Many became depressed and prayed for this year to end while others enjoyed the unexpected gift they received in taking a step back to savor the quality of family time that was lost during the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The pandemic provided somewhat of an awakening to those living in big cities and commuting via mass transit. It also created a paradigm shift for employers who only thought working under management’s watchful eye in a corporate setting resulted in the greatest level of productivity. Both soon found out there wasn’t a drop off in productivity and in some cases it increased which has fostered a reevaluation in business strategies and the attainment of a better quality of life.
There is the old adage, “Man makes plans and God laughs,” and just when we thought we had it figured out that we work thirty or forty years, retire and move to Florida, many found out there is now a way to do both.
In writing these newsletters my wife frequently asks, “Why do you refer to your childhood so often,” and my answer is, “because that was a time when life seemed more innocent and enjoyment of those simple pleasures left an indelible mark on me.” We weren’t preoccupied with the pressures of everyday life and the constant need to chase something to satisfy our innate desire for peace and pleasure. Of course Gail was quick to remind me as a teenager my biggest concerns would have been passing my high school and college tests or which team I was going to get picked to play on with my friends. I have to admit she was right, but I still think that was a very special time in life for most of us that we are trying to recapture.
In our business we constantly hear from those looking to make the move to Florida, “I’ve had the big home, the fancy cars and membership to the country club, but I want to simplify things and enjoy then next chapter of my life. Isn’t it ironic how life goes full circle? We marvel at the inquisitiveness of a child, but in our later years we find enjoyment in many of the same things we did as children. However, while this year has been one full of challenges of one kind or another I recall something very profound a dear friend of mine shared with me about how adults and children perceive many of the same scenarios differently. His name is Bob DeStefano and he was at one time the longest tenured golf professional in the country and was recognized by the PGA for his contribution to junior golf and for the junior golf program he created at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club located on Shelter Island, New York. Bob said, “You know the difference between children and adults? Adults will come into the pro shop and talk about all the bad shots during their round, but children will always talk about the one good one they had.” I’ve often thought about Bob’s analogy and wondered how some children have coped with the events from this past year and what their thoughts were for the New Year. I thought who better than to reach out to a couple of families we know who have had to adjust to the changes brought on by the pandemic with young children.Hailey, Lily, Avra and Olivia are four young ladies aged 5 through 8 who are wise beyond their years. Hailey and Lily just moved to Florida while Avra and Oliva moved from Florida out of state. Both families have had to adjust work schedules to accommodate on line learning or home schooling as part of their daily routine. For most kids my age, if you got a day off from school you were thrilled, but to think ten months of not having to go to school would have been a dream come true! The difference for these girls was the social interaction and school environment that was sorely missed. Eight year old Olivia summed it up best when she said, “I like being at school but we don’t get to go to the gym or cafeteria with all the other kids, we pretty much see just the kids in my class.”. Five year old Hailey said she didn’t like learning at home and loves going to school. In fact all four girls missed the interaction with their classmates and the biggest negative during this time was wearing masks and not going out to eat very often.
When asked if they like to give gifts or receive them, while they all loved the surprise of receiving them, giving gifts and making them whenever possible brought all of them great joy. Avra shared a story of making a gift for a boy in her class who had autism. Olivia shared a story of their neighborhood sponsoring a family and how she was in the process of helping get warm clothes for a 10 year old boy.
While this was a year of change for all of us I was amazed at not only how well these girls were coping but the appreciation they had for what was going on in the world around them; which is quite a testimony to the parents they have. All four girls hoped everyone would be healthy and safe for the new year but were very aware of others not having the same good fortune. I was also surprised by the balance they wanted both inside and out of the home. Equally amazing to me was their responses were all inclusive of others, and not focused on the things they missed during this time. I honestly felt, this is a life lesson we could all learn.
Of course no interview with young children could end without asking if they had an opportunity to meet Santa. I had remarked a couple of times to Gail how sad I felt seeing Santa sitting by himself at a mall without the excitement of children all around. Olivia replied by saying she and Avra did get to meet Santa but unlike past years where they were able to sit on his lap, this year they were sitting behind plexiglass, but she added, “We still did get to tell him what we wanted.” Hailey, whose personality is bigger than her, said she and Lily haven’t had an opportunity to meet Santa yet, but I’m sure when she gets finished with him, he’ll be ready for a long winter’s nap!
The lessons I learned from these girls was that they seemed to take their challenges more in stride but had a greater compassion for others who weren’t coping quite as well. While they enjoyed getting out and seeing their classmates they were apart from for so long, they savored their life at home, and the loving environment their parents created. It was their hope for the New Year that others could enjoy the same where everyone could be happy and healthy. And that is our wish for you.May the holidays and New Year bring you much joy and happiness.
-Gary and Gail Cardillo
No longer are people looking just to escape the harsh winter weather in the north, we are seeing people moving south as a quality of life change. Most of the people moving in are from high-taxed areas like New York, Boston, California, and Chicago, according to the New York Times. What makes Florida so appealing is residents pay no state income or estate tax and receive a homestead exemption of up to $50,000 on a primary resident and a 3% annual cap on home assessments.
During this time many discovered they could work remotely and with management seeing no drop off in productivity, employees as well as entrepreneurs started to relocate south to areas such as Florida and Texas. New contracts for single-family homes in Charlotte County were up 41% in August compared to this time last year. Single family homes are the “crème de la crème” vs condos and townhomes because most feel it is not only easier to social distance in a house, but weren’t quite ready to give up homeownership and downsize into a condominium.
Also, a booming housing market means more new homeowners – and a higher demand for new appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers. With more people staying at home and cooking, appliances are getting much more use requiring replacement, thus adding to manufacturers being backlogged to the end of the year. This pandemic has created a perfect storm for those looking to escape the high cost of urban living and unwittingly finding there are tax advantages and low mortgage rates to be enjoyed in areas with more desirable climates. According to the latest trends, many of Florida’s gulf coast towns and cities top the list as the choice of many seeking a better quality of life.
With inventory levels so low, if there was ever a time in which to sell your home, this would be it! As of July, the median is 49 days on the market, a trend that is 9 days less from last year, and I see it moving lower in the next few months. Looking at sales of homes over the last year, the market in our area is highly active. In July of 2019, there were 345 homes sold in our area where for July 2020 we had 488 sales. Recently Punta Gorda was in the top 3 cities for people who are relocating to Florida. A lot of interest in our housing market is coming from people relocating from the north looking to escape the harsh winter weather and high taxes, but with concerns from this pandemic are looking to move to areas with less congestion where they can work remotely and avoid mass transit. With the influx of those moving to the area competition is fierce which has resulted in the median price of homes rising to $237,450. So not only are our sales looking good, but the price of our homes are attractive as well. Homes valued in the $250,000-$350,000 range are the most popular among buyers right now.
An article I read recently, “More Buyers Nix Inspections as Bidding Wars Heat Up”, a Redfin agent study found that almost one in five offers (19.9%) waived the inspection contingency to make their offers more attractive. This study was done with agents in select major US markets. The previous year it was 13.2%. Although, I understand why some are doing this I do feel this is a major part of home buying not to skimp on.
Our local newspaper mentioned how single family home permits in Charlotte County were on the rise with 216 permits were issued for the month of July which is up over 189 from the same time period a year ago. The value of the permits were $58.5M which is a $9M jump over the previous two July’s. This also represents a 14.3% jump year to year which runs from October to September. 1,791 single family home permits have been issued representing a 22.7% increase over 2019 year to date, and we still have 2 months to go. Total permits account for $487.9M, more than 2019 with 2 months to go and Charlotte County has outpaced the rest of the state which had a 17.1% increase over 2019.
We have a good education system, good government and we offer a vibrant waterfront town with many medical options nearby and our crime is low. It is just a great place to live and why we love to call it home!
Closer to home in the smaller cities like Venice and Punta Gorda you are seeing the embrace of a community and a quiet enthusiasm that is translating into new developments and business. Once seen only as places to escape the cold weather up north, we are now seeing somewhat of an exodus from those looking to escape the high taxes and congestion for a better way of life.
H e said while it was important to make sure the airline remained on solid ground during this time, which led them to delaying the development of Sunseeker , the 18 month delay was seen as a conservative estimate and that they hope to resume the project prior to then . He said as a company they are cautiously optimistic, but optimistic nevertheless!
And most recently, Punta Gorda was named #2 in USA Today’s Readers Choice Awards for “Best Small Town Food Scene.” 
During these past few months, I’ve seen couples taking walks hand in hand, families bicycling and kayaking together, neighbors celebrating cocktail hour on the quiet streets in which they live, and with joyful amazement, I watched a group of couples from the condos across the water from our home dancing on the lawn and docks to songs from years gone by. 
While most people would like to talk about themselves, Gary and Gail have always put their clients first, and their diverse backgrounds have provided their clients an unparalleled level of service and knowledge throughout the past years.