The lemony scent of a magnolia blossom and the sweet sound of native songbirds signal the arrival of springtime on the Emerald Coast. Southern hospitality is alive and well, but with the joy of entertaining comes the responsibility of getting the house in order. This year is the perfect time to put a little twist on spring cleaning and “go green.”

Combing through the many eco-friendly articles on the Internet, I was surprised by the sheer simplicity of green cleaning. It is nothing more than reverting back to yesteryear, the simple life and using the products, tools and methods from our grandparents’ generation to tidy our homes. In fact, it’s so straightforward that you will find yourself saying, “I knew that.”

Green cleaning is the first step in the right direction for green living. Being eco-friendly is not following a laundry list of things to do; it’s a shift in your mindset, emphasizing taking small steps to create a healthier hearth for your family, improve air quality, conserve electricity and, when possible, use all-natural products.

The harshest chemicals found in our homes are under our kitchen sinks or in our cleaning caddies. What’s ironic is that the natural alternatives are only a few feet away in the pantry. Save yourself a trip to the store and a few dollars in your household budget – shop at home. You’ll rediscover the products used by your grandmother: baking soda, tea tree oil, lemon juice, salt, cream of tartar, vinegar and olive oil.

Of course, the most powerful, all-natural cleaning agent is available in every home without exception. It will get out the most difficult stain, has been around since the beginning of time, and is absolutely free. Have a guess? Elbow grease! No commercial cleaner or eco-friendly alternative will ever be a substitute for hard work; a little concentrated effort works wonders.

A fringe benefit of green cleaning is getting fit. All the scrubbing and sweeping will firm your biceps and increase your stamina. Turn your cleaning up a notch and trade in that gym membership.

You can save time when going green. However, you may not be able to see the hours saved by watching the clock. Green methods keep you healthier – you’ll have more time spent well than sick. You’ll feel energized and invigorated, wanting to spend quality time with the ones you love the most.

I told you this was simple – it’s common sense. Here are a few guidelines to get you started:

• » Create a plan. Tour your home and lawn to compile a thorough list of chores you want to complete.
• » Schedule a spring cleaning time, preferably a weekend. Clear the calendar of other appointments.
• » Involve the whole family: As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work.”
• » Gather all your cleaning supplies and tools ahead of time.
• » Celebrate small successes with scheduled breaks. This is a great opportunity to regroup and reprioritize.
• » Play your favorite music to liven up the atmosphere and keep the energy high.
• » Designate a corner of the garage for giveaway and consignment items.
• » Know your limitations. Get estimates on jobs that are best left to professionals, such as roof repairs, outside painting and tree trimming.

Below are a few green cleaning suggestions and recipes.

Front Door
I can hear my grandmother’s voice: “Wipe your feet.” Taking your shoes off at the front door was a common practice that has been abandoned. The most harmful toxic substances found in the environment are carried into our homes via our feet and shoes.

The best way to keep your floors a healthy place for the little ones crawling about is to put preventive measures in place: Position floor mats at every entrance, both inside and out. Near your busiest door, create a washing station, stocking it with a water hose and towels. On the coast, the washing station also serves as a great place to wash off the sand that continually makes its way into every corner of our homes.

Flooring
Deodorize your carpets or rugs by sprinkling a little baking soda. Get out that broom that has been banished to the closet and get in the habit of using it again. A simple damp mopping with a half cup of vinegar to a gallon of water keeps your tile and vinyl floors clean.

Oven
Without a doubt, the most caustic chore is cleaning the oven. Rather than sucking in those harmful vapors, try this alternative. Mist the oven with water until damp. Sprinkle with baking soda, being careful to avoid the heating element, and let it stand overnight. The next morning, you should be able to wipe it clean. A steel wool pad will take care of any tough, baked-on spots.

Counters/Sink
What the kitchen counters need most is very eco-friendly – decluttering. Once you have all the canisters and “stuff” removed, mix a little baking soda and water, rub, rinse and the kitchen counters glisten. Use the same paste on the kitchen sink with a scouring pad.

Shower
In our humid coastal environment, it’s likely that at one time or another you will have mildew in the shower. Rather than using bleach, try spraying on this mixture: 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil and 2 cups of water.

Windows/Glass
When washing the windows, we are reminded of why we are going green: They are Mother Nature’s digital frames. You have probably used this tried and proven glass cleaner: 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 2 quarts of water, then wipe with newspaper.

Keeping the windows open is paramount to improving air quality. Turn on the ceiling fans and keep the air conditioner off as long as possible. You enjoy breathing the fresh air; let your house breathe as well.

Air Fresheners
Honeysuckle, gardenia, the crisp Gulf breeze … with the abundant supply of fresh coastal scents to enliven our homes, why do we even bother with aerosol sprays? Of course, nothing compares to the savory aroma of a home-cooked meal, like Grandma used to make.

Furniture
Over time, wood becomes dull. Restore the original luster to your grandfather’s dresser with this homemade polish: 1 cup of olive oil and ½ half cup of lemon juice.
 
Recycle
Did you wear your big sister’s or brother’s clothes? I did. Hand-me-downs are now appropriately termed “recycled clothes.” When clearing out the closets and chest of drawers, give to family members or a charity.

Being charitable avoids filling our landfills with perfectly good clothing that is simply a size too small.

Green Cleaners
If these kitchen substitutes just don’t “cut the mustard” when it comes to your cleaning standards, there is an ever-growing supply of green commercial cleaners available. Resist the temptation to order online and shop your local Emerald Coast merchants.

Organizational Tips
Even if we spot-shine our homes from top to bottom, it quickly collects dust and appears messy if overcrowded with things. Rearrange furniture, giving all your rooms a new decorative touch without spending a dime. And remember the decorator’s rule of thumb when it comes to accessorizing: Group in clusters of three. Put that unwanted furniture and knick-knacks in a consignment shop, earning some extra cash.

Outside the House
Raking the yard removes the dead grass and breaks up the hard ground, encouraging new grass growth. To keep your lawn and landscaping lush and green, consult your local conservation office for suggestions on natural fertilizers and other alternatives to pesticides. Water plants and the lawn during the early morning or evening hours to maximize water usage.

Now that your home is as good as new, reward your hard work and invite some friends over to enjoy it with you. Make a memory filled with the sights and sounds that are unique to an Emerald Coast springtime.

In the Battle Against Household Grime, Chemical Warfare Has Some Competition

Green cleaning – the hip new term for cleaning without chemicals – has been highly touted as safer for our health and our environment, which is without a doubt appealing. But what we want to know is if cleaning with products stripped of chemical agents really can get the job done.
One Emerald Coast News tester, a self-professed bleachaholic, took three natural cleaners to task, choosing a product from three of the most popular brands.

All of the products tested promised that no animal testing was used to develop their products. They also touted similar benefits, including natural ingredients and pleasant scents. And when you think about it, a light scent is a plus, as our concept of clean actually has been a stinky chemical smell since the middle of the 20th century, when toxic substances became increasingly present in household products.

So, armed with Ecover’s All Purpose Cleaner, Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear All Purpose Cleaner and Method’s All Purpose Surface Cleaner, our tester rolled up her sleeves and went to work.

A sticky barbecue-sauce spill on a kitchen countertop became the playing field. Each cleaner was sprayed on a separate section of the offending mess, and the competition began. The performance results of each product offered little noticeable difference, which is not surprising since each of the three is made from similar natural ingredients. What was surprising is that each product cleaned as well as the popular chemical-laden brand our tester has been loyal to for years.

For the most part, the real difference came down to packaging and scent. Ecover, which has a light lemon smell, came with a cap top. While not ideal for quick countertop cleanups, the cap was marked for measuring, which is handy for bigger cleaning jobs.

Seventh Generation offered a standard spray top, but its strongest feature was the lack of scent. The Free & Clear line offers a good cleaning product with no fumes, dyes or fragrances.

The final contender, Method, edged ahead of the rest with a reliable spray nozzle – no squeezing six times to get a few foamy drops – and a unique and light pink grapefruit scent. Method’s slogan, “People against dirty,” is fairly clever too.

While there wasn’t a clean-sweep winner in this test, it’s good to know that these green products and others like them can clean just as well as the old chemical standbys without wiping out our future.

Make your home remodeling project pay for itself – and then some.

Home makeovers look so easy on TV. Designers sketch a few ideas on paper, bring in a crew in matching T-shirts, and presto: The house is ready for Architectural Digest.

In reality, remodeling projects are a lot more daunting to the average homeowner. Whether you’re remodeling your primary residence or an investment home, you’re likely to be overwhelmed by decisions:

Where do you begin? How do you decide how much to spend? Do you make décor choices based on what you like or what you think buyers will like? And how do you know what they will like?

“Home remodeling is the best way to protect what is for many their largest investment,” said Vince Butler, chairman of the National Association of Home  Builders’ Remodelors Council.

Home remodeling and improvements totaled a record $275 billion in 2008 – up by almost 15 percent from the previous year.

Fact is, most homes need a little touch-up before going on the market. Your home might just need cosmetic changes – new paint or carpet – or it might need an additional bedroom to compare favorably with the other properties in your neighborhood.

Picking a Project

How do you decide where to begin? The Remodelors Council suggests that you “keep up with the Joneses.” When searching for project ideas, it recommends looking at amenities of other homes in the neighborhood. Building an addition may not be a sound investment if yours is the first on the block, but it would be good idea to add more space to your house if yours is the smallest in the area.

On the other hand, while you may want to have the best house on the block, the return on your investment diminishes if your home becomes the most expensive in the neighborhood. For instance, if all the homes on your block have a carport, you might not recoup the cost of adding a garage.

Kitchens and bathrooms consistently are rated the best places to spend your remodeling dollars. In the trade magazine Remodeling’s survey of 2008 remodeling jobs, the average mid-range kitchen remodel cost approximately $44,000 and delivered a 91-percent return on investment at resale. The average mid-range bathroom remodel cost approximately $10,000 and delivered a 102-percent return on investment at sale time. The more you spend, the less return you’ll see. For instance, an “upscale” kitchen remodel – costing approximately $84,000 – will only reap 84 percent of its cost at resale.

Donald Baranowski(850-685-6048) of  Coastal Builders of NW Florida Inc., based in the Destin area, said that while kitchens and baths also are the most popular remodeling jobs for the Emerald Coast region, his company is seeing a lot more additions being built.

“It’s probably because people aren’t selling, so they’re building on to their homes,” he said. “That makes a lot of sense when it’s not worth it to move.”

You also want to take a long, hard look at your home and decide which areas are most likely to cost you money in the eyes of a potential buyer. Those areas need to take top priority. For instance, have a termite wood-rot inspection performed and prioritize any required repairs.

Floors are a good investment – and bad floors tend to drop the value of a home quickly. If your carpets are worn, consider wood or tile floors. At the very least, install new, neutral carpet in a current style.

If you’re planning to resell your house, avoid too much customization of any individual space. Potential buyers need to be able to envision the home as they intend to live in it. A well-designed fourth bedroom could be an office, workout room or home theater, depending upon who’s looking at the space.

Also think carefully before deciding to add a swimming pool to your home. A pool attracts some potential buyers, but turns away others who do not want the liability or maintenance responsibility.

DIY or Hire a Pro?

As easy as they make it look on TV, the decision to do it yourself is a big one. The enthusiasm that propels you through the early stages of the project is likely to desert you if you aren’t comfortable tackling some of the more frustrating aspects of home remodeling.

Of course, this decision depends on your experience, the type of project you’re planning, and your time and tolerance for living with construction. If you’re just planning to repaint and replace some doors and fixtures, it may well be an ideal project for your free time. However, if you’re planning major electrical or plumbing work or adding a room, you’ll want to make sure your expertise matches the job. The National Association of Home Builders has a great checklist on its Web site — nahb.org/remodel — to help you determine whether your are destined to do it yourself.

It doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” scenario. You might find that there are some parts of the project that you feel comfortable doing yourself – such as building shelves or replacing the hardware on cabinetry – and you just want to bring in a pro for the trickier aspects of the job requiring more-specialized expertise, such as foundation work or installing sheetrock.

If you hire a contractor to oversee your remodeling project, the National Association of Home Builders’ Remodelors Council advises you to look for one with the Certified Graduate Remodelor (CGR) designation. This designation indicates that the contractor is well trained on the particular challenges that regularly occur on these kinds of jobs and has the expertise to deal with them.

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI, nari.org) also has a searchable database of certified local contractors. Ask friends, neighbors and your local hardware store for recommendations, and speak to other people who have done work on your home, such as plumbers and gardeners.

Ready, Set, Renovate

Now that you’ve chosen your project and have a pretty good idea about who will be doing the work, it’s time to dig in and get started. There are a few steps you should take to ensure that your project flows smoothly.

Make sure you look into zoning regulations before you start a remodeling project. The local planning office and/or your housing association will be able to tell you which renovations are permissible, as well as which permits you will need.

Once you know which projects will offer the greatest return on investment, you can make a more informed decision about how much you are willing to invest in your investment. Most people finance their remodeling projects by borrowing against the equity in their older home – an attractive option because the interest on these loans can be tax-deductible.

Make sure your budget is detailed, including all the materials, labor costs, permitting fees, etc., that you anticipate. If you have hired an expert to manage or complete the job, make sure that he or she provides you with this kind of detailed budget, and go over each line item to ensure that you understand how your money is being spent. The NARI suggest that you set aside about 10 percent to 20 percent of your total budget for unexpected costs and miscalculations.

“Pick out everything ahead of time,” recommended Don Baranowski. “As you get to the end of the project, you’ll just be ready to get your house back. If you then have to go and order your faucets and fixtures, it can hold everything up.”

At Coastal Builders of NW Florida, clients are provided with a selection sheet to help guide them through the process of picking out everything needed for the project.

As you go through your line-item budget, one way to stretch your finances, suggested by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, is to consider how labor-intensive some design features might be. For instance, laying a ceramic tile mosaic backsplash would be costly compared to a backsplash laid with conventional-sized tiles.

Develop a schedule for your project – but leave room for flexibility. Weather problems and other delays can throw off your timing, so try not to schedule your finish date too close to the holidays or other major events.

Maximizing Your Resale Value

Ultimately, you want your renovations to reap big rewards in the resale. Even if you have done the majority of the remodeling yourself, you should bring in a professional real estate agent to prepare your home for potential buyers. He or she will know how to present each room in the best light, and can make additional suggestions about small “fixes” that will improve your home’s chances of a successful sale.

Sometimes your home or condo just needs a facelift instead of a major remodel. And even if you completely remodel your kitchen, there may be other rooms in your house that just need a little TLC. A few small, inexpensive touches can make a big difference in a buyer’s overall perception of your home.

For instance, if you aren’t prepared to remodel your bathroom, at least replace the old shower curtain with something new and bright. One of the least expensive, yet most effective, ways to prepare your house for the market is to repaint it  – inside and out.

Paint or replace a room’s trim or add crown molding, suggested  Destin Real Estate agent Agata Grudzinski(850-659-3027), if the design and style of the house accommodates it. Remember: When choosing paint and design styles and colors, neutral is best.

Agata also recommends replacing electrical switch plates in a home.

“Over the years, they get grungy or painted over,” she said.

And speaking of brightening a room, check all your light bulbs, she said, and replace any that are burned out.

Your front door makes the first impression on potential buyers. Replace any doors that have been damaged over the years, said Agata, and/or install new door handles for an updated look.

Don’t forget the front yard. Be sure that siding, paint, landscaping and other outside areas are acceptable. Plant a few flowers. If the trim around the windows and doors is peeling, paint it. Repair cracks to the sidewalk and/or driveway.

Odor is a major issue with buyers.

“If you smoke or allow others to smoke, the home will be much harder to sell,” Agata Grudzinski said.

If there’s a smoker in your house, consider professional cleaning, including carpets, to get rid of all smoke odors.

“And if you smoke, smoke outside while the house is on the market,” Agata added.

Do you have pets inside? Pet owners often are unaware of the fact that people who don’t have pets  – or worse, have allergies  – are far more sensitive to pet odors. And the odor issue extends to “perfumes” as well. Just because you like the overwhelming scent of cinnamon potpourri, that doesn’t mean your potential buyer will. Go for a neutral scent indoors.

While nobody is perfectly neat all the time, you must be mindful to keep your house clean and ready to be shown at any moment.

“There’s nothing more off-putting than sinks or tubs that are grungy,” Destin Real Estate Agent said.

Keep granite countertops and bathrooms clean and shiny, and clean all your windows to maximize the light in your home.

Eliminate most of your family’s personal items from a home you plan to sell, because you want the buyers to be able to picture themselves there. Clean off countertops to give the illusion of more space.

Finally, celebrate your successful remodel and polish with a day out of the house – and plan your celebration for the day that your real estate agent schedules your first open house. Give your buyers a chance to imagine themselves relaxing in your living room, cooking in your newly remodeled kitchen or barbecuing in the back yard.

Meanwhile, you can be out hunting for your next dream house.

MAKE SURE THE CONTRACT with your professional remodeler includes:

• Contractor name, address, telephone and license numbers • A list of what the contractor will and will not do – for example, the tasks you have chosen to do, such as painting or demolition

• A dated copy of all drawings and diagrams. If changes need to be made during the project, record them in these documents and have both parties initial and date them.

• Start and finish dates

• The times work will start and finish and the days that workers will be at your home

• How change orders will be handled

• A warranty for one year

• A statement of how the contract can be canceled

• Any agreements that were made orally should appear in the contract

Time to Telecommute?

As gas prices and stress soar, more Emerald coast residents consider working from home

Most folks would agree: The morning commute to work in rush-hour traffic produces a pain specific to the posterior region. Now, with the price of gasoline continuing to climb, workers are feeling it in the pocketbook, too.

And the anguish is spreading.

“People concerned with the effects of gas prices were significantly less attentive on the job, less excited about going to work, less passionate and conscientious and more tense,” according to Florida State University College of Business Professor Wayne Hochwarter, who surveyed more than 800 full-time employees this spring when gas prices hovered at about $3.50 per gallon. “These people also reported more ‘blues’ on the job. Employees were simply unable to detach themselves from the stress caused by escalating gas prices as they walked through the doors at work.”

Looking for some relief? Maybe it’s time to leave the bumper-to-bumper traffic behind and steer your career along the Information Superhighway. If you’re tired of congested roadways, concerned about air quality and fed up with high prices at the pump, telecommuting could be your answer.

The Value of Virtual Venues
Even before fuel costs began to spike, workers and employers around the globe began embracing the telecommuting or “telework” phenomenon. “Telecommuting is second only to ‘casual days’ as the fastest-growing shift in traditional working patterns,” reports the American Telecommuting Association, which defines the practice broadly as “any method for working productively while away from the traditional office.”

In the three decades since the term “telecommute” was first coined, academia, state and federal governmental agencies and countless individuals have sampled and studied the work-at-home option for a broad spectrum of jobs and industries. “One of the most pleasant surprises about telecommuting is that it’s a win-win-win situation for the individual telecommuter, the employer, and society as a whole,” according to the ATA.

Notorious for its red tape and bureaucracy, the U.S. government reportedly has outpaced private employers for years in adopting telecommuting – by as much as a 3-to-1 margin in 2007.

On the state level, fully a decade ago, after conducting two three-year studies, Florida embraced telecommuting as an official option for its employees.

Working from home is a voluntary option for state employees with amenable jobs, says Anna B. Gray, manager of work-force development and benefits in the Florida Department of Management Services’ Division of Resource Management, which oversees the state personnel system. By law, “All agencies have to identify and maintain a list of positions appropriate for telecommuting,” Gray says.

“Initially the focus of the program was in terms of work-and-life-balance issues, and initially it was designed to be a recruitment or retention benefit,” Gray says.

“(Telecommuting) was an alternative work arrangement primarily to meet the needs of employees and to show some flexibility.”

During the most recent legislative session, the state’s program was on the agenda once again, and its mandates were tweaked.

“In today’s world the emphasis, of course, is now on energy savings and gas emissions and energy conservation,” Gray says.

In the earliest days of the state program, the logistics commanded much attention.

“At the very beginning, personal computer technology was still very new,” Gray says, “so there was a lot of emphasis devoted to how to set up a home office, what sort of technology and what type of dial-up technology and additional equipment was needed.”

“Nowadays, it’s so fluid because a good percentage of employees already own personal computers or have wi-fi access,” she says.

Couching a Career
Some of the nation’s most prominent employers have embraced telecommuting – and continue to expand their initiatives. For Elizabeth Beazley Corriveau of Santa Rosa Beach, the office is wherever she boots up her computer.

“I’m a little bit nomadic,” says the Walt Disney Co. scheduling manager, whose home office is 412 miles away from the Magic Kingdom. “I can work in Panera. I can work on my porch … when I look at telecommuting, the technology has advanced so far that your options are truly vast, with broadband connections, wireless cards, cell phones. I think that’s the amazing thing.”

Corriveau loves telecommuting.

“I absolutely do,” she says. “I love the fact that I have a very flexible work schedule. I usually work five hours in the daytime and then a few hours in the evening. I have a lot of reports I do, so that I can do at any time.”

There are challenges, of course.

“You have to be somebody who is extremely well disciplined to work from home, because you don’t have somebody standing over your shoulder,” she says.

“I think, one of the great things about my situation is that is has allowed me to continue to stay with the company even though I don’t specifically live in Orlando,” says Corriveau, who supervises a team of 40 exclusive telecommuters scattered across the country, all of whom apparently wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Life changes, and you may move to a different place, and a lot of the folks who work on my team have had children and have decided to opt out of the full-time work force. My entire team works part time. I actually have zero full-time people,” Corriveau says.

And, she has very little attrition, too.

“The only attrition I have is (when) I promote people … My team is actually one of the largest (at Disney) that is strictly telecommuting,” she says.

Corriveau didn’t start out as a telecommuter. About nine years into her tenure with Disney, she had mainly worked in marketing and public relations in Orlando for Disney Vacation Club and Disney Cruise Lines and a couple years as a recruiter for the Disney College Program.

“We were moving out of state to Washington, D.C., so I left the company,” she says.

Later, Corriveau found out through close business contacts that in its recruitment efforts, Disney was going to start experimenting with interviewing college students by telephone. In September 2005, she rejoined the company and started doing this new work as an Interview Partner.

“That’s when I started telecommuting,” she says. “We actually have all of the candidates’ application on file electronically. I started out doing telephone interviews” and working with scheduling the interviews,” she says.

“We actually just do phone interviews, so we call the candidate and do the interview on the phone with them. For a large percent of our candidates, they don’t interview in person,” Corriveau explains.

Last October, Corriveau was promoted to manager of her Interview Partners team, who she says live as far north as Boston, as far south as Orlando and as far west as Boise, Idaho. After the team conducts phone interviews, they transfer the data directly to Disney’s employment database.

Work Without the Watercooler
Now that she’s a veteran telecommuter, Corriveau has found the transition to telework requires more than a mere change of venue.

“There’s a different type of communication you develop remotely,” she says, noting that her team communicates heavily through e-mail, conference calls and instant messaging.

“There’s a different way of developing relationships because you don’t have that face-to-face interaction, and you’re not able to go down the hall and ask a question,” she says. For instance, facial expressions are “something you forgo and something that you learn to find a way around. Sometimes it is much easier for some people to relate in person than just over the phone or via e-mail.”

The reliance on technology makes effective communication skills all the more important, Corriveau contends.

“You have to be very honest. It’s almost better to over-communicate than under-communicate.”

For all the benefits of telecommuting, there is a downside with computer-based work, Corriveau admits.

“You’ve got to have a really good Internet connection,” she says. “If you don’t, that really puts a crimp in your day.”

Potential Benefits of Telecommuting

• Icreased performance
• Increased productivity (25 percent or more)
• Increased job satisfaction
• Reduced absenteeism
• Lower employee turnover rates (by up to 25 percent)
• Reduced energy consumption
• Reduced demand on our transportation system
• Helps with compliance for the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Empowers employees to operate at their full potential
• Employees have more control of their work environment
• Encourages flexible working hours, and potential savings in time and money
• Reduces the frequency and distance of commuting to work
• Potential savings in utilities, office rental and parking
• Reduces pollution
• Saves energy resources
• In an emergency when employees may not be able to get to the office, work can continue.

Source: “Telecommuting: A Guide for Managers and Employees Considering Telecommuting,” Florida Department of Management Services

At the Crossroads of the Future
As development and population density expand in southern Okaloosa and Walton counties, Freeport and DeFuniak Springs prepare to relieve the pressure. Are these two historic cities ready? 

These are precipitous days for the crossroads towns of Freeport and DeFuniak Springs. Five years ago, they were rural, relatively unremarkable communities, similar to dozens of others in Northwest Florida. But now, a combination of easy Gulf access and cheap, available land has made them attractive to developers, leaving both towns poised for tremendous growth.
As the real-estate saying goes, it’s a matter of location, location, location. Freeport and DeFuniak Springs are situated on U.S. Highway 331 in a corridor that runs from north to south from Interstate 10 to the beaches of Walton County. To one side is sprawling Eglin Air Force Base. To the other, well, nothing – including major roads. When the beach communities to the south begin to bulge northward, they have only one way to go: Freeport first, DeFuniak soon after.
Because of this, builders are buying up land in a real-estate gold rush, and they’re planning massive developments that could quadruple the area’s population over the next several years. Meanwhile, friendly municipal permitting, new industrial parks and enterprise-zone tax breaks are luring in new businesses.
The business outlook for the corridor appears cheery, with high expectations for new home sales and an increase in jobs in an area that already has one of the state’s lowest unemployment rates. Still, the growth won’t come without serious challenges.
Roads will be a major problem. Construction traffic already is choking an overwhelmed 331, and that’s likely to last until funding can be found to widen the highway. Infrastructure also could be an issue – not as much in Freeport, where city officials have been expanding water and sewer lines for years, but in DeFuniak Springs, which is struggling to get ahead of developers’ plans. And the quest for attainable housing – a major concern in resort-rich Walton County – will continue as city officials and developers both look to each other for solutions.
The Freeport/DeFuniak Springs corridor is at the edge of a new future.
“It’s changing every day before our eyes,” said Scott Brannon, the Walton County commissioner who represents the district that includes the corridor.
Northwest Florida on the Move

Of the two towns, Freeport came first.
Settlers chose the area in the early 1830s because it made for a good boat landing at the mouth of the Choctawhatchee River. By mid-century, it had grown into a stop for steamboats and mail carriers heading to and from Pensacola and was a shipping point for cargo going upriver into Alabama.
It was called Four Mile Landing then, but the name changed to Freeport during the Civil War because there was no charge to dock at the landing, according to Beckie Buxton, the city’s unofficial historian.
After the war, Freeport continued to grow as lumber companies moved in to take advantage of the local network of rivers where logs could be transported easily. The work generated by the lumber mills attracted more settlers and helped to carry the local economy into the next century, even as steamboats slowly were being phased out.
Meanwhile, the railroad came to North Florida. In the early 1880s, a surveying party scouting a train route happened on a beautiful, round lake several miles north of Freeport. The surveyors decided to establish a station there, naming it for Fred DeFuniak, a railroad executive. The town of DeFuniak Springs was born.
DeFuniak Springs, with its railroad stop, claimed a good chunk of Freeport’s cargo traffic, and also gained fame as a cultural center after the Florida Chautauqua Association – an organization of educators and thinkers – convened there in 1885.
The town incorporated in 1901 and became the county seat.
The Freeport/DeFuniak Springs corridor stayed relatively quiet until World War II, when the military effort created a minor boom in jobs at what was then Eglin Field, as well as at Wainwright Shipyard in nearby Panama City.
Pre- and post-war growth led to construction of new ways in and out of the two communities. That included a bridge across the Choctawhatchee Bay, linking Freeport to the south part of the county, as well as the two-lane U.S. Highway 331 and Interstate 10, which connected Jacksonville to Pensacola around 1961. DeFuniak Springs even wound up with a small airport.
Freeport finally incorporated in 1963 so city leaders could get a grant for a fire truck and an ambulance.
Over the following years, Eglin Field grew into a major air base and Army training facility, and the white-sand beaches along the coast began to fill up with resort communities. Both towns became “enterprise zones” – special state designations that allow tax incentives and refunds for companies willing to locate there – and new businesses began filtering in. In 2001, Freeport built an industrial park. Two years later, the Walton Economic Development Council opened another one in the city.
The new jobs, and the arrival of retirees seeking balmy weather, meant thousands of new residents. The population of Walton County increased by 46 percent between 1990 and 2000.
Going into the new millennium, about 5,500 people lived in DeFuniak Springs, and another 1,500 in Freeport. Mainly, they were under 65 years of age, worked for the government or in the hospitality industry in southern Walton County, and earned a median household income of $35,000.
But that’s all prelude.
Building up and out
The real growth explosion in the corridor has taken place over the last two to three years. The land started running out. There is only so much of it in Walton County – roughly 1,000 square miles, including the bay.
Of that, Eglin covers more than 150,000 acres, conservation areas account for nearly 300,000 more, and the Nokuse Plantation wildlife refuge now takes up another 53,000. And along the coast, what little hadn’t been developed just cost too much.
Walton’s new arrivals needed homes. And word came that the military planned to expand Eglin by as many as 2,800 more service members.
Developers turned north to Freeport. The land still was relatively cheap. City officials were open to growth. They already had seen what was coming and had been expanding water and sewer infrastructure, and even hired their first city planner. The area was ripe for development.
“People are looking for ways to maintain ties with the beach without actually having to live at the beach,” said new city planner Latilda Henninger. “You really have the best of both worlds in this little community.”
Three construction companies bought a total of nearly 9,000 acres, and landowners began selling for major profits. Taxable property values in Freeport jumped 26 percent from 2003 to 2004 and another 34 percent the next year. The projected increase this year is a whopping 68 percent.
The buyers have wasted no time putting their new land to use.
Several major construction projects already are under way along 331 north of Freeport. They include three large residential developments – Hammock Bay, Owl’s Head and Freeport Plantation – and Bay Grove, a 24-unit office park targeted to law firms, accountants and other professional services.
Bay Grove developer Michael Jenkins said Freeport just seemed a natural location.
“It can draw people from the south end who don’t want to drive all the way to DeFuniak, and people from DeFuniak who don’t want to drive all the way to the beaches,” he said. “I think 331 is going to be one of the major business corridors in Walton County.”
All together, developers have planned 5,000 new residential units and 300,000 square feet of commercial space for Freeport as of now, according to Henninger.
But “they’re not going to happen tomorrow,” she said. Expected completion times for the largest projects range from 10 to 20 years.
Henninger says developers aren’t just building new subdivisions but also are working with the city to expand public facilities. For example, Hammock Bay owner Jay Odom included 60 acres for a city park, with soccer and baseball fields, a skateboard area and a community theater. And both Hammock Bay and Owl’s Head have set aside land for schools, as well as providing assistance with construction of Habitat for Humanity homes.
“They’ve made themselves active partners in the community,” Henninger said.
Along with all the construction, the city is recruiting new businesses to serve the growing community and bring even more jobs. Henninger said that grocery, building supply and retail stores all have invested in land around Freeport.
“A lot of people are interested,” she said. “But they’re waiting to see some rooftops.”
Meanwhile, up the road in DeFuniak Springs, the pace of growth is slower, but picking up.
A half-dozen new businesses have opened recently, and construction has begun on both a shopping center, featuring a Beef ‘O’ Brady’s restaurant, and a new Walgreens. The airport has been expanded with new hangars and a runway extension. And commercial and residential development is taking off, with several major projects planned.
The two largest developments are the tentatively named Bay Springs – which includes 200,000 square feet of commercial space, 180 townhomes, 218 single-family lots and 312 apartments – and Hunter’s Ridge, another Jenkins project that is expected to add more than 200 new residential lots.
Still, even with DeFuniak Springs’ progress, the balance has clearly tipped in the corridor.
“Freeport is the shining star right now,” said Bob Smith, president of the Walton County Economic Development Council. “It’s what everyone’s talking about.”
The Challenges of Change
Growth hardly ever comes easily, and this is no exception. The corridor’s transition already is under way; its future is going to be about accommodating the changes generated by the influx of people and the urbanization of a rural area.
Some challenges will be a matter of retaining identity, as city planners for Freeport and DeFuniak both agree.
“This is a very strong community that wants to be progressive yet hold on to those things that are important,” Henninger said. “We know we’re growing, but we’re going to do it at our own pace.”
Greg Scoville, planner for DeFuniak Springs, echoed those sentiments.
“It is important to maintain the small-town character of the town center and preserve the historical district . . . Change is inevitable, but that change doesn’t have to be at the cost of our community values,” he wrote in an e-mail.
Other challenges will be more concrete. No. 1 among them: traffic.
U.S. Highway 331 already is growing crowded with the trucks rumbling to and from various construction sites. Added to that is the increased commuter traffic coming from the southern part of the county, and the fact that the two-lane highway is Walton’s main hurricane evacuation route.
“It’s a big limitation,” said Sean Garretson, a consultant with Texas-based TIP Strategies, hired to help Okaloosa and Walton counties capitalize on growth.
The highway will need to be widened to four lanes to carry the increased traffic in the stretch between Freeport and Interstate 10.
“We all agree that is the most important need for this area,” Henninger said.
But it likely won’t happen any time soon.
The Florida Department of Transportation state is spending its near-future construction budget on the south end of 331 – about $35 million for a bypass that will connect the north and south legs of 331 at Freeport, and another $19 million for construction in 2008 to widen the highway from U.S. Highway 98 to the south end of the Choctawhatchee Bay bridge, according to Tommie Speights, a DOT spokesman.
So, while there’s $39 million to acquire right of way for the widening of 331 between Freeport and DeFuniak Springs, there is no money for the actual construction.
That doesn’t mean the money can’t be found.
Henninger said that Freeport Mayor Mickey Marse is lobbying Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., for highway construction funds. And the state Legislature recently passed a bill that allows communities strained by development to collect money from developers to help mitigate the effects.
The trick is going to be getting enough funding from public and private sources to start widening 331 before the traffic situation becomes untenable.
At the same time, both cities will need to continue boosting water and sewer infrastructure. Freeport already has expanded its sewage treatment capacity at one plant and is building another. DeFuniak Springs is looking for ways to meet coming demands from at least three planned projects south of I-10.
“These developments alone will place significant pressure on the city to expand its water and sewer capacity,” Scoville wrote.
One partial solution: The city is considering whether rate increases for gas, water and sewer are necessary. If so, and if the fees are implemented, then “hopefully, we can keep pace with the demand on these services,” he wrote.
Equally critical to successful growth is the issue of homes for the people who work and live in Walton County – homes they can afford, that is.
“That’s a critical issue in this area,” Henninger said.
Homes and rents in the beach communities are too high for most of the people who work at the resorts there. High land values are prompting landlords to sell rental properties. And, in a county where the average wage is about $10 an hour, even many of the homes in the new planned developments will be out of reach.
“What we are seeing right now might better be defined as ‘attainable’ or possibly ‘work-force attainable,’” Scoville wrote, “but even then, it would take two wage earners with a combined income of at least $75,000 to $80,000 a year to ‘attain’ a $200,000 townhome. And if they have children, they will be even harder pressed to do so.”
Garretson, the consultant, said that developers seem to be looking to public officials for a solution while the officials are looking back to the developers. In the meantime, not much is getting done.
He isn’t the only one who sees it that way.
“If we keep going the ways it’s always been, affordable housing is not going to solve itself,” Brannon, the Walton County commissioner, said.
County and city leaders will have to be realistic about the profit needs of developers, while at the same time figuring out ways to increase lower-cost housing. One idea is to offer incentives to developers, possibly by cutting their costs to tap water and sewer lines, or by streamlining the permitting process to make it faster and easier.

So, assuming that all of the challenges are overcome, and that growth continues successfully, what will the northern Walton County of the future look like?
“I think you’ll see the same mix that you would in any cosmopolitan area,” said developer Jenkins. “It’s going to be a beautiful area to live in.”
 

A vital and growing economy flows through the Emerald Coast by way of U.S. Highway 98, which serves in part as a continual yet centralized business district, tying together the area’s many communities. But on the east end of Walton County, Highway 30A loops on and off 98 to the south, harboring a community and culture which has created a business corridor that stands apart.

Over the past three decades, County Highway 30A has evolved into a brand with a certain equity in a regional and, in some cases, national sense. The name has established an identity synonymous with growth, as 30A is the birthplace of the New Urbanism development movement, as well as an upscale residential and commercial area – all located on some of the nation’s most beautiful beaches and high-ticket real estate.

Traveling down the 19-mile meandering highway, it is apparent that tourism has long been the economic driver for the area. But the development of tourism sprung from the abundant natural resources already found there. The white-sand beaches, crystal-clear water, dune lakes and Florida climate bring in the visitors, who in turn attract the developers that build the businesses and multi-million-dollar, mixed-use resorts that have created a strong and viable economy. It is a cause-and-affect relationship that can be envied by nearly any county in the United States.

The 30A Business Corridor is a microcosm of the Emerald Coast, a world within a world that bustles with an economic strength of its own while greatly benefiting the surrounding region. But 30A wasn’t always changing and growing at its present accelerated speed. Like most of Walton and Okaloosa counties, the location was a prime place for remote vacation cottages and rustic seaside camping not so long ago.

In 1913, the Butler family opened the area’s first motel and general store in the town of Grayton Beach, taking advantage of the incredible natural resources. As a result, the tourism and resort industry was born on 30A. Grayton Beach served as the anchor for the area, and growth began to creep beyond its borders.

With a lack of much needed infrastructure, the area grew at a moderate pace, often being referred to as one of Florida’s best-kept secrets. But in the mid-1970s, Miami developer Robert Davis envisioned something different for 30A.

Development by Design

Davis, who inherited an 80-acre track of land in the area, sought to create a master-planned community that would incorporate the beauty of the area with the tradition of Northwest Florida’s architecture in an upscale development. Employing many notable architects, Davis and his wife, Daryl, made plans to create Seaside, a community that would offer residential housing and vacation accommodations mixed with retail, food and beverage outlets in a pedestrian-oriented setting.

“When we started Seaside 25 years ago, we did not know it would become the birthplace of the New Urbanism . . . but 30A was an ideal place to challenge the prevailing conventions of planning, since Walton County had no zoning code or bureaucracy in 1981,” Davis said.

Today, Seaside continues to set the pace for the mixed-use concept of town development and even redevelopment. The community, which many consider the epicenter of the 30A Business Corridor, is currently preparing to complete its final phase of construction.

“Seaside’s downtown will continue to evolve,” Davis said. He listed new retail outlets, residential options, a redeveloped amphitheater, and a new theater and concert hall as part of the plan.

“Seaside’s role as 30A’s center for life and culture will be strengthened,” Davis said.

Following in Seaside’s pioneering steps, many other developments have risen from the rural land to create a metropolitan mix of communities within the corridor. One of Florida’s leading development companies, St. Joe, built WaterColor and, more recently, WaterSound, expansive projects that have further changed the complexion and economy of 30A. Other luxury developments, including Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach, also have added to the cache of 30A.

Paradise — For a Price

These upscale resorts communities, coupled with the increasing demand for the limited availability of waterfront property in the country, have resulted in sticker shock for some property buyers, but are an economic cornerstone for the area’s economy as well.

Blake Morar, owner of Destin Real Estate Company, located in Santa Rosa Beach on 30A, said that real estate in a high-profile area abundant in natural resources is an example of the classic supply-and-demand principle.

“Highway 30A offers a winning combination of low density, driven by the 50-foot height restriction, and beautiful terrain – so the pricing is substantiated,” he said.

Morar, who has been in the real estate business for 10 years and estimates that he has seen prices in the area escalate approximately 400 percent, said that historically, lulls in the Emerald Coast real estate market, such as the one the area currently is experiencing, are temporary.

“The real key to long-term success on 30A is preserving the natural resources we have, because with the airport coming on line in neighboring Bay County, our area is going to grow – but with people comes pollution,” he said. “If we can preserve what we have here, then we will be beautifully positioned for the next wave of real estate market growth.”

A Designated Destination

Morar’s belief in maintaining 30A’s natural environment is shared by many other local businesses owners and residents through various special interest groups. Leading the way is the Corridor Advocacy Group, which is focused on receiving the “Scenic Corridor” designation given by Florida’s Department of Transportation.

Claire Bannerman, who is spearheading the project as the coordinator for the group, calls the nearly nine-year process a “community project.”

The Walton County Commission signed a letter of intent to seek the designation in 2000. Bannerman, who has been involved in the effort for a year, said that “we are in the eligibility phase, and we are preparing a more-than-50-page application. We hope to get (the designation) by next year.”

Bannerman added that 30A, with its combination of resources – including the rare dune lakes and the manmade features, such as the unique and varied architecture – deserves to hold the highly sought recognition. Because of this mix, she said, “the Florida Department of Transportation considers 30A the highest candidate for ‘Scenic’ designation.”

The Scenic Corridor Designation will bring the opportunity for federal funding, which will improve certain safety and aesthetic aspects such as lighting, signage, bike trails and beautification measures.

In the Shadow of Growth

While beautification is important to the area’s success as a destination resort, maintaining a viable climate for the small-business owner is deemed a paramount concern by many.

“I have a concern about tax increases driving the small business owners out,” said Walton County Commissioner Cindy Meadows, whose Fifth District covers the 30A Business Corridor from its western end to its intersection on County Road 395. “If your taxes triple or double, then it becomes difficult to make a profit.”

Meadows also said that small-business operators facing rising tax costs are selling their property to developers, which could result in a small-town business district that becomes out of balance with chain operators and large-scale projects.

“The unique character of the area is really a result of the small businesses, which a lot of people have put their blood, sweat and tears into,” she said.

Since the highly publicized 2005 hurricane season, the news media have been full of reports of the “bubble bursting” in the real-estate market. Don’t believe everything you read, say local experts, because it may not tell the whole story.

Certainly, bad weather has had an effect on the market. The University of West Florida’s Haas Center released a report in April of 2006 with the following statistics:

• Home resales were down in all five counties in Northwest Florida in the fourth quarter of 2005 over the year before.

• Walton County experienced the largest drop in the region at over 60 percent.

However, new home sales generally were up across the region, according to the report:

• Okaloosa County saw an increase of more than  57 percent in new-home sales.

• Walton County had an increase of more than 10 percent in the same period.

“We saw an anomaly, from October 2003 to about October 2004 – right up until Ivan hit,” said Richard Eimers of the real-estate firm The Eimers Group. “We had unbelievable growth.”

However, Eimers added, that growth was caused in large part by the “discovery” of the Emerald Coast market.

“It was an undervalued market,” he said. “It was artificially low.”

Many home buyers experienced 40-percent to 60-percent appreciation in their homes at that time, Eimers said. However, soon “we’ll be back on a more reliable appreciation,” he predicted. “It’s going to fall back down to 12 percent, rather than 40 percent.” Nevertheless, that’s still a very good investment, he pointed out.

Based on the Haas Center’s late-April economic projections, we can expect the market to heat up along with the temperatures throughout 2006, with an expected seasonal slowdown in the winter months.

“There’s a lot of substance in this market,” said Eimers.

Oil spill cleanup is under way

Oil spill cleanup is under way at many beaches along the Gulf Coast, and beach-bound travelers are keeping a close eye on coastal conditions.

Here are some of the latest updates from destinations affected by the oil disaster:

Florida’s Emerald Coast

Oil cleanup Coast, beach-bound conditions.

Here disaster:

Florida’s Coast

Small weekend, bureau. ” removed, spotted,” bureau’s website.

The area, Destin, Island, visit.

” white-sand emerald-green clear. addition, strong, water,” said.

Destin ” Sam” few, unusual.

” balls, we’ll few. That’s Mexico, said.

Beachgoers usual, said.

Pensacola Key, Florida

The fishing, Bureau.

The afternoon. Florida-Alabama Key, said. advised.

Mike McHugh, contributor, video Beach. ” Johnson’s in. 4:30 p.m., gone. balls, [they] find,” wrote.

James Amerson, iReporter, tracking oil Pensacola. Beach, inches, said.

” stuff, old, [on] sands,” iReport.com.

The precautions. ” [the Administration], person, up," said.

Gulf Seashore, Florida

All open, website. Tuesday, Florida, Key. areas.

Health spill.

Gulf Beach, Alabama

In Alabama, Shores, Morgan. open. sightseeing, Bureau.

The fishing.

Grand Isle, Louisiana

Oil coast, emergency website.

Grand beach, website.

Natasha Combs, iReporter, observe efforts.

" military. [hazmat] suits. beach, pools," said.