“10 Best Things about Palm Beach”

1. The Beach…duh!
Phipps Ocean Park, located on Ocean Boulevard, stretches along the striking South Florida coast.  The beach is a hot spot for locals and tourists alike, and it is easy to see why. Phipps Ocean Park is more than the typical Florida beach. There are playgrounds, tikki huts, barbeque pits, picnic tables and more.  The shallow crystal blue shoreline makes for a beautiful Florida day for snorkeling, surf fishing and swimming.

2. Town of Palm Beach Golf Course
The Town of Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course is one of the most uniquely designed and prominent courses in Palm Beach, is open to the public and is set right in the intersection of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean — so close that if you swing too hard you might send your ball sailing off into the ocean.  The rolling green hills set the stage for the 18-hole course with sand dunes, palm trees, lagoons, and even wildlife as its natural obstacles.  Each and every hole captures the majestic beauty of the Palm Beach landscape.

3. The Flagler Museum
Built in the Gilded Age, the Flagler Museum, enriched with American history, is one of the most extraordinary displays of unending prosperity.  The classic white mansion located along the beautiful shorelines can only be compared to a historic monument in the ancient Roman Empire, and Henry Flagler and his partners, such as J.D. Rockefeller, who revolutionized economic progress in America, were the gladiators of their time. The inside of the mansion features colossal columns holding up soaring arched walkways and a sunroof that lets in the warm light of the Florida sun.  Tour the museum or join afternoon tea in the café and participate in the tradition of America’s wealthy society.

4. Breakers Hotel
Just one night in Palm Beach’s legendary hotel, The Breakers, is all it takes to experience the unparalleled luxury.  The hotel features two 18-hole golf courses, an ocean view fitness center, ½ mile of private beach, five swimming pools, 10 tennis courts and eight luxury restaurants.  Make sure to also visit the 20,000 square foot spa and book the Ocean Breeze treatment, a massage on a peaceful outdoor terrace with the sound of the waves to send you off into ultimate relaxation.  Whether it’s a week long vacation or just a day or night out, the 140 acre oceanfront resort has enough services and amenities to make you never want to hear the words “check out.”

5. Taverna Opa
The Taverna Opa in Palm Beach is the epicenter of the distinctive and exciting city nightlife.  The trendy restaurant and bar is alive with Greek lifestyle featuring authentic music, food, drink and culture.  In one sitting you will experience belly dancers dancing on tables and napkins tossed up into the air. This place is a nonstop celebration.  It is so much fun that before you know it, it could be you who ends up dancing on the table.

6. The Garden’s Mall
The Garden’s Mall, located in Palm Beach Gardens, is a heavenly haven for any type of shopper.  The upscale mall features an extensive collection, 160 to be exact, of fine specialty shops with a wide range of name brand retailers such as Chanel, Gucci, Ralph Lauren and high-end department stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s. This Palm Beach prize can keep you and your wallet busy all day long.
7. Palm Beach Cardinals
The Palm Beach Cardinals, a 1-A minor league affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals, provide outdoor fun during those hot summer nights.  Whether entertaining clients or just spending a night out with the family, the Palm Beach baseball games are exciting and affordable.  Who wouldn’t love great seats, cheap beer and some thrilling competitive baseball?

8. Palm Beach Confections
They might still have a perfect beach body but Palm Beach residents do indulge, and when they do, they go to the Palm Beach Confections to satisfy that aching sweet tooth.  Their handmade chocolates are a delight, and they feature one-of-a-kind specialties like the “Escargot” which is made of chewy butter caramel and vanilla dipped in milk or dark chocolate.  Escargot has never sounded so good!

9. Lake Worth Lagoon
Lake Worth Lagoon stretches all the way from Boyton up to North Palm Beach and is the best fishing spot in the area.  This lagoon is stocked with saltwater fish like snook, redfish, tarpon, jack crevalle, snapper and sea trout just to name a few.  Not all areas are fishing hot spots though. You might need to squeeze the secret out of the local anglers, if they’ll tell you.

10. Real Estate
Palm Beach Real Estate is a hot commodity attracting home buyers from all over the country and the world.  Palm Beach features thousands of beautiful luxury homes for any type of home buyer.  If you are interested in checking out available homes in the area, visit www.fiteshavell.com to get in touch with a local realtor today.

About Fite Shavell & Associates
Fite Shavell & Associates is a locally owned boutique real estate broker in Palm Beach, with national experience and a global approach to buying and selling residential real estate. Their unique approach combines the flexibility and traditional values of local leadership with decades of experience in a range of neighborhoods, property types and deal structures in some of the country’s most sought-after luxury real estate markets. Through a commitment to personalized service, expert guidance and absolute integrity in our professional actions, Fite Shavell & Associates places the customer’s needs first and creates a clear advantage for buyers and sellers within the markets they serve.

Media Contact:
Christina Berry
561.236.2431 Cell
561.655.6570 Office
561.655.6573 Fax

Buffington’s Guide to Living & Buying in Austin

Join local Austin homebuilder, Buffington Signature Homes, for a tour of the ins and outs of buying a new home in the capital city! Where to buy, what to look for, where it’s hot and where it’s cool!

There are lots of great places to live in Austin. Use these tips to find the perfect neighborhood and home for your lifestyle!

1. North, South, East & West—head any direction from downtown Austin and you’ll discover four distinctive areas of town, each with their own character and atmosphere.

• North: North Austin and Round Rock are home to many of the region’s biggest employers, with great shopping, accessibility and family-friendly living.
• South: The original home of “Keep Austin Weird”! South Austin offers a unique experience of the culture and style that made the city famous.
• East: Enjoying a resurgence in economic development and investment, East Austin is home to great historical neighborhoods, arts and eateries.
• West: As you head west, the city gives way to the Texas Hill Country. With grand hillside homes and nearby access to Lake Travis, life is good in the west.

2. Major Roads & Highways. Several major roads make getting around town a lot easier… unless you catch them at the wrong time.

• I-35: The main North/South thoroughfare, I-35 bisects the city just east of Downtown. Connected to just about everything, but beware of rush hour traffic and backups.
• Mopac / Loop 1: Also running North/South, Mopac loops west of downtown and can be faster and less congested than I-35.
• 183/183-A: Running southeast to northwest, 183 takes you from the airport, north of Downtown into North Austin. From there, the 183-A toll road offers easy access from Cedar Park and Leander.
• 290 / 71 / Ben White Blvd: Running East-West from the airport into the Hill Country, Ben White connect South Austin to I-35 and Mopac.

3. Schools. Austin area schools are consistently ranked among the best in the state and even the country. For the top rated public schools in the area, check out the Eanes School District in West Austin, and the Round Rock and Leander ISDs. There are also several highly-rated independent and church-affiliated private schools throughout the city.

4. Colleges & Universities. Austin is perhaps best known as the home of the University of Texas. UT sits right in the middle of the city, just north of the Capital, with nationally ranked undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs. Just south of the river, St. Edwards University is a private, Roman Catholic university known for quality liberal arts programs. Several Austin Community Collage campuses can be found throughout the city, offering quality undergraduate and adult programs, as well as Early College Start programs for high school students.

5. Live Music & Events. “The Live Music Capital of the World” is home to more than 200 live music venues and over 1,900 local musicians! On any given night, you can find incredible live music on the world-famous 6th Street or nearby in the Warehouse District, another growing entertainment area. Local favorites for live performances include Stubb’s BBQ, Auditorium Shores and the newly completed Austin Music Hall. You can also check out hundreds of local and national acts every spring at South by Southwest (SXSW) and at Austin City Limits Music Festival in late summer.

6. Parks & Lakes. The city’s parks, greenbelts and lakes offer endless possibilities for outdoor fun. Barton Springs is a popular attraction, at an average temperature of 68° year round! Lady Bird Lake and Lake Travis offer great places for boating and skiing, and miles of hike & bike trails throughout the city are perfect for exercise and leisure. The most popular outdoor destination is Zilker Park, located along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake. Zilker Park is home to a popular dog park, the famous Barton Springs Pool as well as one of the largest trailheads leading into the Barton Creek greenbelt.

7. Sports. Great sports action is never far away, with UT athletics throughout the school year, as well as the Austin Aztex USL soccer team and the Round Rock Express baseball team, affiliate of the Houston Astros! Coming in 2009 or 2010, the Texas Stars AHL hockey team will hit the ice in Cedar Park as the top affiliate of the Dallas Stars NHL franchise.

8. Temperature & Climate. Bring your sunscreen! Austin averages 300 days of sunshine per year, with hot summers and mild winters. The coldest month in Austin is typically January, with overnight lows averaging 40°. In the summers, late July and August are typically the hottest, with average daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 90s.

9. Shopping. Key shopping centers for the area include Southpark Meadows and Barton Creek Mall in South Austin, La Frontera and the Round Rock Premium Outlets in Round Rock, as well as Lakeline Mall and the new 1890 Ranch in Cedar Park. For great local boutiques and arts, check out the great clothing and vintage stores on South Congress, as well as “The Drag” on Guadalupe near the UT campus.

10. Dining. Whatever kind of food or atmosphere you’re in the mood for, there are great places to eat all over the city. Find your own favorite neighborhood eatery or look for local favorites scattered across town, like Chuy’s Tex-Mex, Gumbo’s Louisiana Style Cafe, Austin Java, Amy’s Ice Cream and Rudy’s Country Store & BBQ.

Buffington Signature Homes is locally owned and operated in Austin, proudly building new homes in the most sought-after communities in South Austin, Round Rock and Cedar Park. Dedicated to building homes that will last a lifetime, Buffington combines innovative floor plans, skilled craftsmanship and an exceptional buying experience to deliver homes that each and every customer is proud to live in.

http://www.buffingtonsignaturehomes.com

Reviatalizing Yesterday: Is Urban Renewal Important to Residential Real Estate?

This is Part Two in our discussion about 2007 Real Estate Trends.
Read Part One: The Next Big Thing: Green Building

Another big trend in 2007 was urban revitalization.  In an effort to attract more people to move to their towns, city planners are remaking their downtown residential and business districts into inviting, accessible areas.

This could be something as simple as redoing the landscape to a full-blown renovation project on the town square.  Planners are also taking care to build parking areas and plan traffic around what they hope will be new hot spots of activity. 

Developers have an opportunity to find those hidden gems around the nation and start planning a residential development nearby that will offer access to these revitalized areas.

It takes a lot of research and you will need a good business network, but if you can find that part of town that you know is going to be the next Greenwich Village, then you have the perfect opportunity to put your name on the map.

For more information about Urban Revitalization, we recommend that you visit the Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org).  They have some great resources including a one-day conference called the Urban Marketplace which gives you the opportunity to look at some investment opportunities and hear more about urban strategies in neighborhoods.

Where do you go from here?

Once you find that special place to build your new development, you have months and maybe even years of work ahead of you. It can be overwhelming to someone new to the game and even to a veteran. Don’t try to do everything on your own! Be willing to find help to take some things off your shoulders so you can concentrate of creating a great space in the newly revitalized urban area.

Understanding what the market will accept is fundamental to a good real estate marketing program. A consultative marketing plan in our process will assist in establishing a baseline for all discussions with the development team as it relates to programming, product mix, product size, development schedule, etc. Need more help? Talk to a luxury real estate expert and find out what your next step needs to be.

Reference

Maltz, John. “Real Estate Trends for 2007.” The Queens Gazette. 27 Dec. 2006. The Queens Gazette. 6 Nov. 2007 <http://www.qgazette.com/news/2006/1227/features/020.html>.