Oil and the Florida Keys
Guess what! We don't have oil! We never had oil! And we will never get oil! Yet the never-ending news commentary regarding the loop current, the eventual polluting of our precious coral reefs, along with the projection of tar balls along the eastern seaboard wrecked our summer season. Again, there is NO OIL! I even saw a news report recently saying they can't even find the oil now. Mother Nature is a wonderful thing and, as it looks, she has worked her magic on the dreaded oil.

Now that I have gotten that off my chest, the reality of the summer is that it could have been much worse. Our vacationers in the Keys are a resilient bunch and their love of our islands has kept them coming back. In actuality, they still visited, but just waited until the last moment to make sure all was clear, the mahi-mahi were still out there, and the reefs were not affected. And yes, the lobsters are in their coral caves just waiting for you. And by the way, the September 2nd oil rig fire created no oil!

Here was one of the latest loop current projections


A school of dolphin swimming alongside my boat in late August. It was a spectacular sight!

Market Appears to be Stabilizing
The following table shows comparisons of home selling prices from 2009 to 2010. I have focused on the periods of the first six months of each year and the second quarters of each year. The absorption rate seems to be creeping down to 20 months, but as the number of new listings rise, that could change. Looking at the figures, the market appears to be stabilizing.



Freewheeler Construction Corp: New construction & sewer laterals

Pictured above is a new Royal Concrete Concepts home being set by John El-Koury and crew. This modular construction is a new concept in pre-formed, wind-resistant construction. The same construction was used to re-build Cheeca Lodge after its New Years Eve fire of 2009. For more information about floor plans, details of the amazing structural dignity of the homes, and cost, contact John at 305-664-5213.

Sewer Laterals are still, and will be for several years to come, a staple for the Freewheeler guys. We take care of all of the intricacies of the sewer lateral connection process, including trenching, County/Village & DOH permitting, piping, hook-up, backfilling, abandonment of septic, and restoration of your property. We pride ourselves on keeping you informed and satisfied every step of the process. Pictured to the right is Chuck digging a lateral trench. Work with a local company.

Vacation Rental News
In the last newsletter we talked about Trip Advisor and its associated vacation rental site, Flip Key. Currently there are 145 Upper Keys vacation rental properties being advertised on Flip Key, and Freewheeler Vacations manages 100 of those properties! We've had great results so far. The extra exposure has provided us with a lot of inquiries and bookings. Browse our properties and check out our reviews at www.flipkey.com.

	Tourism has taken a hit in the last few months due to the perceived oil and the time! The weather, although hot, has been beautiful. But what the heck, it's been hot everywhere. At least we have the benefit of a nice breeze and beautiful scenery.
Look for great deals this fall, which is a special time in the Keys – fewer tourists, cooler weather, good diving, and great fishing. It's a wonderful time for the locals to have families visit.

Pictured above is Angler’s Reef, located at mile marker 85, ocean side.

Freewheeler Agent Walks for a Cause
One of our sales agents in our Key Largo office, Valeria Moran, has taken a leave of absence to help create national awareness of a growing problem in our military. Valeria is accompanying Ron Zaleski on a barefoot walk across the entire country in an attempt to gather support and signatures for a presidential petition asking for more mental health counseling for veterans, which is something that is greatly overlooked and severely needed. In fact, every day 18 veterans commit suicide, killing more of our military than both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined.
Check out their website, www.thelongwalkhome.org and learn more about this cause.

Quote of the Quarter
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." --- Maya Angelou, American writer


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