This week of February 21, 2009 begins the celebration of 450 years since the Spanish arrival in Northwest Florida. The King and Queen of Spain have been in Pensacola and will be going to Miami for ongoing celebrations and economic talks that will benefit Florida and Spain. Since Pensacola is known as the City of Five Flags the area has significant Spanish architectural influence. Our Governor, Charlie Christ has been quoted as stating “Spain is a world leader in the development of renewable technologies and committed to addressing climate change. This new opportunity for partnership between our two people will drive success between us for future centuries.”

In our own country we have a company just as devoted to climate change – Global Fuel Technologies. I will be writing an article on GFT in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Mardi Gras parades and parties will be coming to a close with Fat Tuesday. Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans and other cities along the coast have major celebrations every year.

Up and coming next will be St. Patrick’s Day. If you will be in Pensacola be sure McGuire’s Pub is on your list for places to go, eat and be merry.

On the Pensacola Real Estate side, sales in Escambia County since January 1, 2009 to February 23, 2009 total 240 which includes all types of property as opposed to 33 for the same time frame in 2008. This information was retrieved from the Pensacola Association of Realtors Multiple Listing.  The following graph with data compilation from 1999 to present was provided by Bill Gibbons:

Each and every sale is different. Some Pensacola properties sell for full price and others well below the list. Buyers from out of the Pensacola area are still interested in purchasing vacation real estate with a focus on waterfront. Short sales ( a new phrase for nightmare) and foreclosures are on the rise. Pensacola properties for sale not in a short sale situation have the benefit of a buyer choosing to buy that home over the short sale. Lenders are not extremely cooperative nor do they give a quick answer to any offer submitted although some are better than others. Negotiating a contract without having to deal with a 3rd party lender is a much easier situation for buyers, sellers, Realtors and title companies alike. Many styles of homes and varied price ranges are for sale. VA and FHA home loans are the most popular at this time.

If you would like referrals to Loan Originators in order to pre-qualify for a loan, appraisers for a certified value of your Pensacola property or home inspectors, feel free to contact me.

When European explorers first set foot on the shores of Perdido Key in 1693, they were undoubtedly dreaming of discovering vast quantities of material wealth–namely, gold and silver.

Instead, they soon realized that our beautiful Island was the real treasure: a natural paradise lined with miles of unspoiled beaches; bays; estuaries; wetlands; and abundant native sea life and wildlife. The area was, until then, the secret of gulf coast Native Americans–Perdido Key’s first inhabitants.