Tuesday, January 19, 2010

There was a property crash? In Naples? When?

January 19th, 2010

10985045

Duke Warnier of Westbury Properties is going to talk us through how the economic upheaval of the past couple of years is affecting the local property market. Duke has been in the industry for many years, and his company, Westbury Properties manages a portfolio of some of the area’s premier real estate.

“The real estate market as a whole has been an interesting space to inhabit over the past two years. The heights of 2006 when property prices were higher than most other places in the country to now and a 32% drop in property value.”

We have gone from one of the most valued property markets in the country to one of the most undervalued. Demand is still high, but credit is hard to get. The deposit requirement is now higher than ever, as is the qualification criteria. So there are some great bargains to be had, but the net doesn’t spread as wide as it once did.

Some analysts say we’re headed for a ‘double-dip’ where the economy contracts, then recovers and contracts again. This belief is given credence by the dearth of credit available right now. I’m not sure I subscribe to that. The quantitative easing measures put forth by the government have made great steps in speeding up our recovery, but now it seems government debt is the new sub-prime.

Both businesses and consumers are tightening belts and eliminating waste which bodes well for the future. I think the worst is over and we will slowly continue the recovery through 2010 and into 2011. The US economy is subdued but strong. Many business have battened down the hatches and are sitting tight until things improve. They have worked hard over the past couple of years to survive, and when things recover they will be in a great position to take advantage of new opportunity.

While most of the recovery so far has been generated by government demand, such as the ‘Cash for clunkers‘ scheme and other public spending initiatives, the private sector has also started reacting to the more optimistic climate. This is essential because without private sector input, the government alone won’t be able to sustain the recovery.

That said, the market is still active and has bucked the trend, thanks to the climate, the area and some great inventory. Naples is still a beautiful place to live, recession or no recession. People still want a slice of paradise.

Despite the slow recovery, the lack of credit and other factors, there are plenty of bargains to be had, and still plenty of money floating around to take advantage of it. This has meant the market, and Westbury in particular has weathered the storm quite well. We still have inventory to move, and clients to satisfy, and that’s all that matters really, and I know other agents are in the same position, which is a good place to be for the market as a whole.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Mo. town’s top police officer who also was Scout leader accused of having sex with boys

Ken Tomlinson

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. (AP) — The top police officer in a remote Missouri town, a giant of a man who was also a Boy Scout leader, has been accused of sexually assaulting two boys, videotaping the acts and then destroying the recordings.

Kenneth Tomlinson II, 42, was arrested Tuesday and charged with 16 counts of sodomy. Authorities say he admitted having sex with the two boys, who are now 12 and 14. Tomlinson was jailed in Cape Girardeau County on $100,000 cash-only bond. Court records indicated he did not yet have an attorney.

Tomlinson joined the police department in Fredericktown — a community of 4,100 about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis — as a patrolman in 1997. He was promoted to captain, the top job, in April.

Mayor Danny Kemp, who said he was “floored” by the news of the captain’s arrest, said the progress Tomlinson made while supervising six full-time officers was impressive.

“He turned the department around,” Kemp said, inside his office just off the town square. “He was a great leader.”

But Vicky Manche, who owns an A&M Restaurant downtown, said teens derisively referred to Tomlinson — described by one city worker as 6-foot-2 and about 450 pounds — as “Baby Huey.”

“They ought to string him up,” Manche said. “It’s really pitiful when you put your trust in somebody and this happens. My grandsons are Boy Scouts so this hits close to home.”

Manche’s grandsons were not part of Tomlinson’s troops, and it was not known if the alleged victims were either.

The two boys told authorities that the sexual abuse began last spring. One boy is 12, but was 11 when it began, he said. The other is 14.

A probable cause statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tomlinson admitted to having sex with the boys and videotaping some of the acts. The statement said Tomlinson and the boys viewed the video on the camera screen, then he destroyed the recordings.

Joe Mueller of the Boy Scouts of America’s Greater St. Louis Council said he didn’t know if the victims were members of Tomlinson’s Boy Scout or Cub Scout troops. He said Tomlinson had led the troops in Fredericktown since 1998. His association with scouting has been revoked, Mueller said.

“Our heart goes out to the families of the children involved in the allegations,” Mueller said. “We have made it a fundamental part of our organization to protect youth members and adult leaders as well.”

Kemp said Tomlinson had no previous criminal record. He has been placed on unpaid leave from the department until the case is adjudicated. Sgt. Jason Gordon has taken over as interim leader of the department.

At the Mills Barbershop across from City Hall, owner Jane Mills said some of those getting haircuts found the allegations too difficult to talk about. Those who discussed it were mostly in shock, she said.

“It’s very concerning because he’s a policeman and a scout leader,” she said. “It’s very sad, and it’s an embarrassment that something like this could happen.”