Fort Lauderdale just operates in a alternate universe. (Miami, West Palm Beach: for sale, real estate market)

[macguy]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,4089940.story

[compelled to reply]

What's so bad about a hotel boom? This is actually good,it means our economy is diversifying away from real estate and wealthy people actually want to come and dump their money in Fort Lauderdale. It's not like there is no demand for the hotel boom, think about it, what was the nicest hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale 5 years ago, aside from the Riverside?The city is actually thriving,commerce is starting to grow in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the area is attracting a sophisticated tourist, don't see whats so horrible. You can't have real business move in without having a place for people to stay. Yes, Fort Lauderdale is getting overbuilt and overcrowded,and think I might see your point, which is why I wouldn't live in the city limits. Fort Lauderdale is growing from a sleepy beach town into a major U.S city. I don't see the problem, unless your a resident in Fort Lauderdale itself (and, you are, aren't you?In which I understand). The real estate market is crashing, but the local economy is actually diversifying, unlike much of the state. There is real appeal here, and between the hotels that may be erected and the lowering real estate prices, we have an increasing capacity to build a real central business district, something that is lacking in nearby Miami or West Palm Beach. Miami already blew its chance to build a real business district, and WPB lacks the centralized location and has a prohibitively high violent crime rate (yes, Fort Lauderdale is not as bad is some other cities believe it or not).

[macguy]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

What's so bad about a hotel boom? This is actually good,it means our economy is diversifying away from real estate and wealthy people actually want to come and dump their money in Fort Lauderdale. It's not like there is no demand for the hotel boom, think about it, what was the nicest hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale 5 years ago, aside from the Riverside?The city is actually thriving,commerce is starting to grow in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the area is attracting a sophisticated tourist, don't see whats so horrible. You can't have real business move in without having a place for people to stay. Yes, Fort Lauderdale is getting overbuilt and overcrowded,and think I might see your point, which is why I wouldn't live in the city limits. Fort Lauderdale is growing from a sleepy beach town into a major U.S city. I don't see the problem, unless your a resident in Fort Lauderdale itself (and, you are, aren't you?In which I understand). The real estate market is crashing, but the local economy is actually diversifying, unlike much of the state. There is real appeal here, and between the hotels that may be erected and the lowering real estate prices, we have an increasing capacity to build a real central business district, something that is lacking in nearby Miami or West Palm Beach. Miami already blew its chance to build a real business district, and WPB lacks the centralized location and has a prohibitively high violent crime rate (yes, Fort Lauderdale is not as bad is some other cities believe it or not).

I agree, What my comment "alternate universe" referred to was, as bad as things seem to be and the bleak future so many places are predicting, here they just plunge right ahead. I have an offer now for a piece of property I have near the downtown. If I take it, it will be the second one I have sold without even putting it up for sale. Developers seem to be fearless here for some reason and aren't afraid to spend money. The sad part is when you pass the jobs all you see are what look like Mexican workers. It would be nice if all this building benefited local workers.

I was just watching them doing a roof replacement across the street and there are like a dozen foreign workers up there, none who look like they have any idea what they are doing. They haven't gotten the roof stripped since yesterday and the paper they have put down is a mess. I have gotten a little off the subject but you know what I mean. It's a good thing, not for me and not the future I am interested in, but nothing is forever and the city will evolve as it should.

I have thought for a long time the city didn't know what it wanted to be when it grows up. For a while they wanted to be family oriented city. That was a mistake, this is a resort and the only thing it has going for it is tourism. We should be a 24 hour city like Vegas, not roll up the sidewalks at night. You can't really have it both ways and being a resort is what this city is and should be. So I agree with the hotels being built as long as they go all the way and make this city and state the place it should be. They can start with legalized gambling.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by macguy

I agree, What my comment "alternate universe" referred to was, as bad as things seem to be and the bleak future so many places are predicting, here they just plunge right ahead. I have an offer now for a piece of property I have near the downtown. If I take it, it will be the second one I have sold without even putting it up for sale. Developers seem to be fearless here for some reason and aren't afraid to spend money. The sad part is when you pass the jobs all you see are what look like Mexican workers. It would be nice if all this building benefited local workers.

I was just watching them doing a roof replacement across the street and there are like a dozen foreign workers up there, none who look like they have any idea what they are doing. They haven't gotten the roof stripped since yesterday and the paper they have put down is a mess. I have gotten a little off the subject but you know what I mean. It's a good thing, not for me and not the future I am interested in, but nothing is forever and the city will evolve as it should.

I have thought for a long time the city didn't know what it wanted to be when it grows up. For a while they wanted to be family oriented city. That was a mistake, this is a resort and the only thing it has going for it is tourism. We should be a 24 hour city like Vegas, not roll up the sidewalks at night. You can't really have it both ways and being a resort is what this city is and should be. So I agree with the hotels being built as long as they go all the way and make this city and state the place it should be. They can start with legalized gambling.

Ok, now I see what you are saying exactly. The funny thing is our whole country is kind of "plunging ahead" so to speak. We are building ourselves a disposable society all over the place and it will take 10 years for the average person to finally realize it.