Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Please enjoy the latest issue of the Chamber Trends Magazine.
Citation preview
Trends The Official Publication of The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral November 2013
Chamber
To Promote and Serve Business and Community
Join Us For The General Membership Lunch, November 13th at Palmetto Pine Country
Club, Sponsored by Centurylink, LCEC and The News-Press
Leadership Graduation & 20th Anniversary Celebration
November 8th at The Cape Coral Yacht Club
Business After HoursNovember 21st at FOS Furniture
It’s Back!!!!Cape Coral Farmers’ Market Every Saturday Through May 10th at Club Square, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Surfside Sunset Market at the Shops at Surfside, every Tuesday, 3-8 p.m.
VOTE ON NOVEMBER 5TH
Get In & Get Busy in the Chamber Trends Magazine More than 11,000 monthly subscribers
Basic Advertising PricesFull Page $337.001/2 Page $227.001/4 Page $147.00
Business Card $117.00(All ads can be linked to your company’s website or a
30-second commercial promoting your business. Non-profit organizations receive
2 free 1/2 page ads per year upon request with their membership.)
Prime Advertising PricingFull Page $387.00
(includes banner ad on chamber website only 4 available per issue, full page only)1/2 Page $287.001/4 Page $207.00
Business Card $167.00(All ads can be linked to your company’s website or a 30-second commercial promoting your business
and a banner ad in the Chamber Trends Weekly E-Newsletter)
SpecialsSpotlight On Business Article - One per issue $347.00
Includes a hyperlink to your company’s website or a 30-second commercial promoting your business, a banner ad on the Chamber website and a banner ad in the Chamber Trends Weekly
E-Newsletter.
Please call Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 for more [email protected]
Publisher & EditorDonna Schuman-GermainCommunications Director
Contributing EditorsMike Quaintance
Chamber [email protected]
Stephanie RobersonTechnology Director
Claudia St. OngeBusiness Manager
Bill Johnson, Jr. Membership Sales Director
Melanie LempkeAdministrative Generalist
Bob KnickmanSpecial Events Director
Amanda BrunsonSpecial Events Coordinator
Chamber of Commerce of Cape CoralP.O. Box 100747, Cape Coral, FL 33910
2051 Cape Coral ParkwayCape Coral, FL 33904
Phone (239) 549-6900 Fax (239) 549-9609
NOVEMBER 2013NOVEMBER 5TH
Business Card ExchangeBattery Giant
2311 Santa Barbara Blvd, Suite 104 Cape Coral, FL 339917:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
NOVEMBER 8THLeadership Cape Coral 2013 Graduation
& 20th Anniversary CelebrationThe Cape Coral Yacht Club
5819 Driftwood Parkway, Cape Coral, FL 339046:30 p.m.
NOVEMBER 13THGeneral Membership Meeting
Palmetto Pine Country Club 1940 SW 9th Court, Cape Coral, FL 33991
$20.00 For Members w/reservationsCall 549-6900 ext 300 to RSVP
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
NOVEMBER 21STBusiness After Hours
FOS Furniture 790 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33909
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAYS THROUGH MAY 10THCape Coral Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday - Club SquareSE 47th Terrace - Downtown Cape Coral
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
To register for any of the above events online, or for more up-to-date information, please visit www.capecoralchamber.com
2013 Board of DirectorsJoe Mazurkiewicz, Chairman - BJM Consulting, Inc
Annette Carrasquillo, Chair-Elect - LAI Design Associates
Ed Ramos, Treasurer - Ramos Builders Donna Meola, Past Chair - Achieva Credit Union
Tony Constantino, Financial Advisor - Kevin M Burns & Assoc, CPA
Barb Adams - LeeSar Brett Bisbe - B2 Solutions, Inc
Beverly Black - Black Business Solutions Ed Bolter - Lamar Advertising
Dana Brunett - City of Cape Coral Joe Francioni - The Smart Companies
Cindy Gallagher - The News-Press Tom Giles - Avalon Engineering
Tom Hansen - Boat House of Cape Coral Tim Hauck - Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral
Services Colleen Humphries - LCEC
Wayne Kirkwood - Kirkwood Electric Cheryl Komnick - Caloosa Tent & Rental
Michelle Lewis - B2 Solutions, Inc Thomas Shipp - Tom Shipp at the Martin Law Firm
Stan Spicer - Platinum Service A/C Chris Spiro - Spiro & Associates
Elmer Tabor - Wonderland Realty
2013 Trustees Rhonda Chapman - First Citizens Bank
Matt Connar - Boost Creative Diane Everhart - Northwestern Mutual Financial
Sandra Greiner, SunSplash Family Waterpark Toni Rae Hurley - IBERIABANK
Trish Lassiter - Lee County Electric Coop Eric Malasky - Paradise Deli & Market
David Owen - BB&T-Oswald, Trippe & CoKatharin Owen, Warchol, Merchant & Rollings Wendy Piascik - Lee Memorial Health System
Zachary Zeis - Elysium Homes
Chamber StaffMike Quaintance, President
Donna S. Germain, Communications DirectorBob Knickman, Special Events Director
Bill Johnson, Jr., Membership Sales DirectorClaudia St. Onge, Business Manager
Stephanie Roberson, Technology DirectorMelanie Lempke, Administrative Generalist
Amanda Brunson, Special Events CoordinatorLinda Kirby, Membership Sales
A Different PerspectiveMike “Q” Quaintance, President
I have be the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral for 17 years and during every election cycle I write something about
voting and the election process.Hopefully, you are aware that on Tuesday, November
5, 2013, the City of Cape Coral is having an election for three city council seats and the mayor’s seat. As a registered voter, you can vote for one candidate in all four races. Cape Coral does not have single member districts. Let me repeat, you can vote in all four races, you are NOT limited to your district. If a race is printed on your ballot, PLEASE VOTE!
For many years now the voter turnout seems to be dwindling as it now hovers around 17 percent of the registered voters who participate. That means that roughly 17,000 people determine who the most qualified and like-minded candidates are.
Imagine if only 17 percent of our city’s population had jobs and the other 83 percent were unemployed, what would our city look like?
Imagine if only 17 percent of our residents paid property taxes, what would our city look like? Imagine
if only 17 percent of our residents spent money buying goods and services from the businesses in our community, what would our city look like?
Forget about the fact that men and women have given life and limb to make sure our election process and our democracy is preserved. Forget about our responsibility to leave our little corner of paradise a better place for the next generation. This logic does not motivate our community to participate in voting.
So, what’s in it for me? For those of you who were unhappy with the sign ordinance, public service tax or fire service tax, your lack of participation in the election process makes you culpable when it comes to these outcomes.
What do these outcomes mean to your business? Will they help or hurt your business? Will they hurt your ability to put food on the table and make payroll? What is the long-term impact of these decisions on your business?
Recently, one of our newer Chamber members, Dan Puleio from Cape Cleaners stepped up to the plate. He got involved with the sign ordinance process, was appointed to the new citizen’s advisory committee to the Community Redevelopment Agency and he created a web page for the business community to offer discounts to our residents who vote on election day.
Dan is a fine example of someone who is all in. While we cannot all be as engaged as Dan, we can certainly all participate in the election process. We can communicate with our employees the importance of the election process and we can make sure we allow our employees time to vote on November 5, 2013.
So for one last time, one last plea, one last favor, PLEASE get out and VOTE on November 5, 2013!
with a purpose....
Q’s WORLD
How to Plant Seeds and
Grow Your Business!
The Cape Coral Farmers’ Market has two sponsorships available for the upcoming season starting October 19, 2013 through May 10, 2014.*
Cultivate your business by getting in front of 3500-8000 potential customers every week for 30 weeks.
Music Sponsor-$4500.00Includes weekly 10x10 space-Value of $3000.00
Logo recognition in season long advertising-newspapers, posters, coupons ,etc.
Logo on Market and Chamber websites.
Event Sponsor- $ 6000.00Includes weekly 10x10 space-Value of $3000.00
Logo recognition in season long advertising-newspapers, posters, coupons, etc.
Logo on Promotional ItemsLogo on Market and Chamber websites.
For more Info contact Claudia St. Onge at 239-549-6900 x 101
* Non Real-Estate/Builder Businesses’ only
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!!Joe Mazurkiewicz, Ph. D. 2013 Chamber Chairman
An important message from your Chamber Chair and Board of Directors!
Vote! Vote! Vote!In the City’s 2013 General Election
You can cast your vote during early voting!You can request a ballot and vote by mail! You can go to the polls and vote on Election Day November 5th!
However, you chose to vote, please take the time to cast your vote in the following City Council races. Because all council members are elected at large, all Cape voters get to vote in all four of these races:
Mayor – Marni Sawicki or John SullivanCouncil District 1 – Jim Burch or David HeaddCouncil District 4 – Chris Chulakes-Leetz or Richard LeonCouncil District 6 – Kevin McGrail or Rick Williams
Your vote really does matter; with a low voter turnout expected, your vote means just that much more! We have had close races in the past in this city. One race even ended in a tie, leaving the outcome to be decided by cutting a deck of cards.
Let’s make sure the business community has an impact on who will lead this city for the next couple of years.
Remember it is a right, a privilege and a duty of every registered voter to cast a ballot in this election.
Thank you!
with a purpose....
CHAMBER TRENDS
NEW MEMBERSAbundant Life Chiropractic
Dr Eric Harter
Annie’s Collision Center Sean Snyder
Chapple Insurance Group Dionne Tucker
DeFinis Chiropractic Center, LLC Dr. Steven DeFinis
East West Veterinary Care Center Dr. Dixie Brown
Fish Tale Grill by Merrick Seafood Kerry Krieg
Floridian College Planning Resources Annmarie Campbell
Jimbo’s Paradise Creations Jim Kirby
Nolan-Zastrow, Inc. Veronica Flores-Machado
Power FX, Inc. - Michael Stischok Michael Stischok
PRO/MAX Realty Group David Brogdon
Quality Health & Life Clinic, LLC Bryon Blackwell
ResponseNow Kristi Hellyer
Schwartz Blind & Shutter Company Scott Schwartz
US Health Advisors Jeanette Tricoche
Venture Out Charters Bait & Tackle Stephanie Onstad
Water Medic of Cape Coral, Inc Richard Jackson
RENEWALSA-1 Shelters Inc
Member Since 1991
American Business Women’s Assoc.Member Since 1993
Cape Christian FellowshipMember Since 2006
Cataract & Refractive InstituteMember Since 1991
Century 21 Sunbelt Realty, Inc.Member Since 1992
Champion Self StorageMember Since 2007
Cheetah Printing & SignsMember Since 2012
Dorado’s Dockside RestaurantMember Since 2012
Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, PA
Member Since 2005
IBERIABANKMember Since 2005
Ida S. Baker High SchoolMember Since 2009
Jason’s DeliMember Since 2004
Kobayashi Dojo / Main CampusMember Since 1997
Parker House PropertiesMember Since 2011
Pavese Law Firm, LLPMember Since 1991
Red Salon & SpaMember Since 2007
South West Veterinary Care CenterMember Since 2012
Southwest Florida Copier ServiceMember Since 2012
Sunshine Jewelers & Gold ExchangeMember Since 2012
Sunstream Hotels and ResortsMember Since 2012
Trafalgar Middle SchoolMember Since 2007
Urgent Care Center of Southwest Florida
Member Since 2007
Wolf Business ConsultantsMember Since 2012
SEPTEMBER NEW MEMBERS & RENEWALS
LEADERSHIP CAPE CORAL 2013Donna Germain, Communications Director
October was another great month for the “Luck 13” (as they call themselves) Leadership Class of 2013.
They started the month out with Infrastructure Day where they visited the North Cape R.O. Plant, LCEC, WastePro, the Lee County Recycling Facility and the Lee County Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility. Day Chairs, Colleen Humphries ‘10, John Chin ‘11, Kelly Pilkington ‘12 and Kevin Hobstetter ‘12 all from LCEC did a fantastic job setting up the day. A special thank you to Keith Banasiak ‘13 from WastePro for assisting with the day as well.
The following week brought Sheriff’s Day chaired by Kim Maxwell ‘11, Zack Zeis ‘12 and Brian Hamman ‘12. The group hit the gun range, participated in a tazer demonstration, toured the forensics facility and also spent some time in the slammer while touring the Lee County Jail in downtown Fort Myers. Thank you to CenturyLink for sponsoring a very special lunch with Sheriff Mike Scott.
Week 11 brought a consistent class favorite, Coast Guard Day. For the third year in a row, Captain Pete Louzao ‘10 served as day chair along with Bill Jacob ‘12. The class toured the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Fort Myers Beach along with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Marlin. Following Lunch, sponsored by CenturyLink, the class went underway with some help from the Cape Coral PD Marine Unit and the Lee
County Sheriff’s Marine Unit to watch some rescue maneuvers.
Mosquito Control and Healthcare Day followed and the class got to tour the new Mosquito Control facility as well as the aircraft hangers which contain some Vietnam era Hueys and some B-52’s. They then traveled to Cape Coral Hospital and The Wellness Center where they enjoyed a delicious and healthy lunch provided by Cape Coral Hospital. The class performed orthoscopic surgery to remove some M&M’s and also participated in a hazmat demo. Thank you to our day chairs Tony “The Mosquito King” Constantino ‘11, Joseph Francioni ‘11 and Kim Mitchell ‘12 for an awesome day!
Last, but definitely not least was Arts & Entertainment Day chaired by Ed Ramos ‘11. The day started with a lesson in improvisation at Cultural Park Theatre lead by Bill Johnson, Jr. from the class of 2013. A very special BBQ was planned for lunch by Ramos Builders and the class was introduced to some Leadership Alumni like Don Schnell ‘98, Alumni Chairman, Gary Aubuchon ‘96, Bonnie Timberlake ‘03 and Nancy Ramos ‘03. Following lunch, the class enjoyed a scavenger hunt at the Cape Coral Historical Museum and some team building exercises at the Cape Coral Art League.
Join us for the Leadership Cape Coral 2013 Graduation & 20th Anniversary Celebration on November 8th at The Cape Coral Yacht Club. Call Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 for more info.
Is The Information Correct?Salvatore Lacagnina, D.O.Vice President of Health &
Wellness, Lee Memorial Health System
Recently I received an email from an organization that sends health tips to interested folks.
Information about staying healthy always catches my attention; and when I read the title was about the health benefits of milk, this made me even more interested to read on. It stated that
there was little evidence to associate dairy products with heart disease, cancers and osteoporosis. This is contradictory to many of the research reports I have read on this topic and I am concerned that we are not hearing the entire truth about the health effects of dairy. From my reading it appears that drinking milk is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (since the saturated fat in milk raises the level of LDL/bad cholesterol), obesity, prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. Before I explain more about these problems, let’s think about a few questions.
Why do humans continue to drink milk (especially from another animal) long after the infancy period? Did you know that once a calf is weaned from its mother’s milk, it never again drinks milk? This is the case for all other mammals. Why is it that after human babies no longer need (human) mothers’ milk do we feed them milk from another (non-human) mother? Advocates will say it is for the protein, calcium and the “healthy” calories. Cow’s milk does contain protein but three times the amount human milk contains. Do we really need all this extra protein? Probably not, since most Americans already take in too much protein and this places a burden on the kidney and other parts of the body.
Did you know that cow’s milk also contains antibiotics and Bovine growth hormone (BGH)? Antibiotics are given to the cows since they are raised in such unhealthy environments where they get many infections. The BGH is to fatten them
up quickly but BGH increases the levels of Insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) which is linked to several cancers including breast cancer.
Milk also contains potassium and calcium but there are healthier sources of these essential minerals (think vegetables and fruits). When it comes to calcium and bone health, it has been shown that the countries with the lowest rates of dairy consumption have the lowest rates of Osteoporosis (Africa and Asia). The bottom line is that calcium from dairy products does not decrease the risk of bone disease; it actually makes it worse.
Results from the 12 year long Harvard Nurses’ Health Study (77,761 women aged 34-59) found that those who drank the most milk had the highest rate of fracture. This is because milk makes the body more acidic (it lowers the pH) and thus the body needs to buffer this acid; and since calcium is a great buffer, calcium comes out of the bones to raise the pH and the overall effect is a weakening of the bones.
Also since weight problems in the USA have become epidemic we should be limiting the intake of calories. In one cup of 2% milk there is 138 calories. The USDA recommends drinking 3 cups of milk daily. This would add 366 calories to the American diet which in most cases already contains too many calories. Obesity has become one of the top reasons for the astronomical climb in health care expense and unless we do something soon, we will continue to place a severe medical and financial burden on our country. Allergies and lactose intolerance are other problems associated with dairy products.
So where is the benefit? I just do not see it. If I am missing something, please let me know. I am always open to other points of view but I would love to see the research and the true scientific data.
In summary, in order for us to become and stay healthy, we need information that is accurate and backed by scientific evidence. We need to be reading and listening to credible information that is not tainted by individuals or groups that have a financial interest in selling a product. Health care reform must be about health care and not just about financial reform. As a society, we must expect that our food sources are healthy and that we have access to all the products and services that improve the quality and length of our lives. In this way we become a stronger nation and continue to contribute to making the world a better place.
Stay healthy my friends and as always, please send comments and questions to [email protected]
HEALTHY TRENDS
Schedule Your Ribbon Cutting Today!Contact Donna Germain
at 549-6900 ext 107or [email protected]
Register Online at www.CapeCoralChamber.com. OR Complete the form below and submit with your payment. NAME: ____________________________________________
COMPANY: ____________________________________________
E-MAIL: ____________________________________________
PHONE: ____________________________________________
Please make your checks payable to: Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral PO Box 100747 Cape Coral, FL. 33910 FAX: (239) 549-9609 / PH: (239) 549-6900
Information Technology Solutions
NOV. 20 2013
$20 PER PERSON 7AM – 8AM Networking Breakfast 8AM -12 NOON Seminar BONEFISH GRILL 900 SW Pine Island Rd Cape Coral, FL.
ESTEEMED PANELIST
DR. KRAVER Cape Dental
GARY AUBUCHON Aubuchon TEAM of Companies SEAN O’KEEFE Bonefish Grill CHRIS RICHING Bill Smith Inc. TONI RAE HURLEY Iberia Bank KEITH BANASIAK WastePro
SESSION LEADERS
REGISTER TODAY ONLINE
www.CapeCoralChamber.com
OR MAIL FORM
Complete the form and submit
with your payment
TOPICS
Learn How to Make a Positive First Impression. Learn Customer Service Survival Skills
from Thriving Local Business Partners. Learn Good Customer Service from Your Stakeholders.
Heather Christie Action Coach
Gary Avin LCEC
Dr. Brian Moffitt Keiser University
PRESENTED BY
Chamber o f Commerce Of Cape Coral LCEC
Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes…Berge Aslanian (CDPE)
Realtor, RE/MAX Island Harbor(239) 989-3463
www.RECapeCoral.com.
In honor of the great Lou Reed, we are all “tryin’ to face the strain” as we go through a number of changes.
Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes, not so much…
But first, let’s look at the numbers for the three month period ending 10/29:
As a caveat to those who are not members of our local Multiple Listing Service and local real estate boards, we are in the process of changing from one database provider to a consolidated provider and the results are still in flux. Without a lengthy explanation, please understand that our numbers are not as pure as they might have been before or maybe they are more pure; no one seems to know yet.
But, for October we can clearly see an increase in the numbers of homes listed. October historically is usually our slowest month for sales and we have confirmation again with a 16% decrease in sales (-51 units) from the prior month. However, there was a $10,000 increase in the median price of single family homes sold.
Condos listings also increased this month while median price of listings remained the same. The big news is that condos sold were steady but median price of condos sold went down about 15% (-$15,000).
All of our prices are higher than they were several months ago and they are steadily climbing. As tourist season get closer, prices will rise and will continue rising through next spring. Continuing upward changes in prices tell us that buying now rather than later is a smart thing to do.
And now for something completely different. In the past four weeks, four different agents have presented challenging twists on conventional situations. Without going into great detail the simplest description is that one was creative but slimy and three
were just not the way honest folks do business. Some agents from lack of experience or knowledge or both may write a contract
on behalf of their buyer that is laughable. Sometimes what they write is clearly an attempt to mock the legal system simply for a commission. In questioning these agents about what they wrote they responded with “I didn’t know” or “What difference does it make” or “Why is that wrong”. What we have here is an incredible display of faulty values disconnected from common sense. For your amusement, these were the “mistakes”:
1. Applying for FHA financing and trying to assign the contract to an un-named third party.
2. Having the buyer sign a Power of Attorney naming the buyer’s agent on a short sale where agents are not allowed to be a party to the transaction.
3. Buyer’s agent started having his mail sent to seller’s address as soon as a contract was signed and decided not to comply with requests to stop.
4. Checking off the box on the contract that gives responsibility for selecting the title company and paying for title insurance to the seller but inserting buyer’s title company as the named entity.
5. Having an inspection period that extends up to the date for closing (This allows the buyer to walk away from the deal up to time of closing and he did).
6. “Forgetting” to identify an amount for deposit on the property.7. Attaching contract riders and addenda that are signed and initialed by the
buyer but not filled out.8. Sending the contract at 7:44 AM on a Saturday with a deadline for
acceptance of 5PM that same day.9. Putting the listing agent’s name on the contract under an agency he’s
never heard of. So looking at the changes we are experiencing starts with the challenge of new
MLS providers. Then we have agents who have taken some get-rich-in-real-estate seminars that teach them how to bend the rules for “huge” profits. Next we have new agents who see no reason to follow any rules. And last, we have some agents who simply make their own rules. Sometimes one or more of these categories get mixed together to make it even more challenging.
The solution? Try to find an agent to represent you who knows what he or she is doing. Ask them how long they have been actively licensed. Ask them to tell you about the different types of transactions they have successfully completed. Get a feel for their personality and ability by talking with them. If you feel comfortable with them, by all means proceed. If you have any doubts, just move on by.
Licensed and experienced realtors are one of the best resources you have for making a real estate transaction work for you. Finding someone who suits your personality shouldn’t be too hard. Ask your friends, neighbors and people at work for referrals. Successfully buying or selling a property should be easy if you have the right person in your corner. And please, please do not be afraid to ask questions. A good realtor always invites you to ask away. All of this information should provide you with a positive experience and Happy House Hunting! Or, Happy House Selling!
From Our Chairman2012
Donna Meola, Kirkwood Electric2012 Chamber Chairman
I can’t believe its December and I am writing my last article as Chairman of the
Board. 2012 has just flown by and there have been so many accomplishments I would like to share. (Please forgive me if I have forgotten any!!)
How fortunate we are to live in Paradise! Our economy is growing and the outlook for 2013 is for continued growth.
2012 was a great year!! Much was accomplished for you, including making Cape Coral a better place to do business. Here are a few of the highlights:
The Cape Coral Economic Development Office delivered on their promise to increase business, investment and employment in the area. The team closed 137 economic development projects, which represents 85 new businesses in the Cape and 52 expansions.
The EDO created a public/private strategic partnership with Lamar Advertising and HDPR Group and a new marketing campaign that says “Cape Coral is Open for Business.”
Cape Coral welcomed the opening of 1,156 businesses in 2012 including 301 place based businesses, 809 home-based businesses and 46 unspecified businesses. Commerce means shorter distances to travel for your goods and services. Commerce also means a diversified tax base and jobs!
The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral continues to grow as well; in December 2011 our membership was at an all time low of 583 members, today we stand at 744. This resulted in a 78 percent membership growth with a retention rate of 81 percent. This could not have been accomplished without the referrals from our members, a dynamic sales team and an awesome membership development committee.
Chamber Leadership programs continue to develop community leaders. In November, 20 men and women graduated Leadership Cape Coral. Twenty-four members of the 2012 Chamber board have graduated from the Leadership Program including the Chairman and
Chair-Elect. We currently have 27 high school juniors in our Junior Leadership Program.
The Chamber successfully presented (2) Disney Institute programs in 2012. The Chamber Special Events team (yes, I say teams because it takes a village!!) brought an astounding 250,000+ citizens and members together for Red White and Boom , Golf Tournament, Farmers Market, Business Expo , Family Bowling Day, a Casino Trip to The Price is Right, as well as our Holiday Festival of Lights on December 1st.
Our on-line business directory resulted in 1,300,829 web referrals in 2012 that equates to 3,544 on average over the year per member!! (Who says membership doesn’t pay?)
A new Chamber mobile app was introduced in 2012.It was also a very busy election year for our Public Affairs
Committee! This is a group of passionate people who make sure that the “voice” of business is heard, not only at the local level but also state and federal. The candidates’ forums were very well attended by members and citizens of Cape Coral.
Our education committee hosted the Excellence in Education Awards in April and awarded $4,500 in scholarships to deserving high school seniors!
It was also the first year of our “rotating” luncheons that are being very well received by our membership.
Serving as your Chairman of the Board has been an excellent experience and I feel blessed for having had the opportunity of meeting so many of you at meetings and events.
Thank you for honoring me with your trust and commitment! It has been my privilege to work with my fellow directors and amazing staff as well as the membership.
I look forward to seeing all of you at future events and I wish you good health and prosperity!
We deliver, every day.
Call Lynnie to advertise 910.4575
REAL ESTATE TRENDS
10-29-13Real Estate Trends
Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes…
In honor of the great Lou Reed, we are all “tryin’ to face the strain” as we go through a number of changes. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes, not so much…
But first, let’s look at the numbers for the three month period ending 10/29:
Aug ’13 Sept ’13 Oct ‘13 Homes Median $ Homes Median $ Homes Median $
For Sale 1178 $248,000 1295 $244,000 1748 $224,500 Sold 305 $175,000 316 $155,000 265 $165,000
Aug ’13 Sept ’13 Oct ‘13 Condos Median $ Condos Median $ Condos Median $
For Sale 251 $130,000 250 $135,000 288 $135,000 Sold 52 $115,000 40 $114,000 39 $99,000
As a caveat to those who are not members of our local Multiple Listing Service and local real estate boards, we are in the process of changing from one database provider to a consolidated provider and the results are still in flux. Without a lengthy explanation, please understand that our numbers are not as pure as they might have been before or maybe they are more pure; no one seems to know yet.
But, for October we can clearly see an increase in the numbers of homes listed. October historically is usually our slowest month for sales and we have confirmation again with a 16% decrease in sales (-51 units) from the prior month. However, there was a $10,000 increase in the median price of single family homes sold.
Condos listings also increased this month while median price of listings remained the same. The big news is that condos sold were steady but median price of condos sold went down about 15% (-$15,000).
All of our prices are higher than they were several months ago and they are steadily climbing. As tourist season get closer, prices will rise and will continue rising through next spring. Continuing upward changes in prices tell us that buying now rather than later is a smart thing to do.
And now for something completely different. In the past four weeks, four different agents have presented challenging twists on conventional situations. Without going into great detail the simplest description is that one was creative but slimey and three were just not the way honest folks do business.
Some agents from lack of experience or knowledge or both may write a contract on behalf of their buyer that is laughable. Sometimes what they write is clearly an attempt to mock the legal system simply for a commission. In questioning these agents about what they wrote they responded with “I didn’t know” or “What difference does it make” or
Lee Memorial Health SystemP.O. Box 2218
Fort Myers, FL 33902
CenturyLink Store2710 Del Prado Blvd. South
Cape Coral, FL 33904
RE/MAX Realty Team2326 Del Prado BlvdCape Coral, FL 33990
LCEC4980 Bayline Dr
North Fort Myers, FL 33917
All Power Electric2534 NE 9th Ave, Cape Coral, FL
Wades Heating and CoolingCCI
Competent Solutions1209 SE 9th Terrace, Cape Coral, FL
Gulf Coast Village Retirement Community 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. Cape Coral
Premier Oncology RadiationSpecialists In Urology
24 Del Prado Blvd N, Cape Coral
The News-Press - Fort Myers Office2442 Dr. MLK Blvd. Ft. Myers
413 NE Van Loon Lane, Cape Coral
DiamondMember
Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral
ExecutiveMember
Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral
$LCEC works hard to manage costs, maintain the electric system, improve processes and create efficiencies so that electric rates can remain competitive for customers. We do not plan to raise rates in 2013 and will continue to do everything possible to keep rates stable.
The increase on your upcoming electric bill is due to a tax imposed by the City of Cape Coral. LCEC customers in Cape Coral will notice a change in their electric bill beginning October 1, 2013. Cape Coral City officials recently levied a public service tax of 7 percent that will be added to monthly electric bills. The new tax will be displayed on your LCEC bill as a separate line item so it can be easily identified. LCEC is required by law to collect the tax from business and residential customers who purchase electricity in Cape Coral. LCEC will deliver funds to the City similar to how Cape Coral franchise fees are delivered, which are also collected through electric bills.This new tax will be used to fund the City’s general operations. To calculate the amount the monthly public service tax will add to your electric bill, visit www.capecoral.net and utilize the PST Calculator. Please refer any questions regarding the Cape Coral public service tax to the Cape Coral Citizens’ Action Center, 239-574-0425.
LCEC hasn’t raised electric rates in nearly 5 years!
www.lcec.net • 239-656-2300
The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral’s Education Committee hosted its Annual Principal’s Lunch as part of the General Membership Lunch in October.
This year, we were honored to not only have our area principal’s, but we also heard from a very special guest speaker who was also a graduate of Mariner High School; former Tampa Bay Buc, Earnest Graham (Left)
The Annual Principal’s Lunch is a fundraiser for the Education Committee. All of the money raised through our Principal Sponsorships goes towards scholarships for our local high school graduates which are presented at the Annual Excellence in Education Awards in April.
The Education Committee would like to thank everyone who sponsored a principal and everyone who attended the event.
In addition to recognizing our local principal’s, the chamber also recognized some very special sponsors from the 2013 RE/MAX Realty Team/City of Cape Coral Red, White and Boom. Yoselyn Hollow, owner/broker of RE/MAX Realty Team (bottom left) was recognized as the title sponsor by Logistics Chair Zack Zeis and Co-Chair Sally Dwyer. The Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral, Entech Computers, Caloosa Tent and Party Rental and FOS Furniture were also recognized for their sponsorship.
Get In & Get Busy Advertise In The Chamber Trends Magazine
Contact Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP LUNCH
One Click Cleaners 1110 NE Pine Island Road Unit 38
Cape Coral, FL 33909(239) 573-6060
www.oneclickcleaners.com
Bridgestone / Firestone2502 Skyline Boulevard
Cape Coral, FL 33914(239) 242-0691
www.firestonecompleteautocare.com
RIBBON CUTTINGS
Bookkeepers Plus 1222 SE 47th St
Cape Coral, FL 33904(888) 239-5855
www.bookkeepersplus.us
Paradise Cheer Booster Club 915 SE 14th Place Units 10-14
Cape Coral, FL 33990(239) 573-4247
www.paradisecheer.com
Call or visit one of our Cape Coral branches today!1715 Cape Coral Parkway West | (239) 541-5200812 Del Prado Boulevard South | (239) 985-8120
2546 Heydon Lane | (239) 433-6000
www.iberiabank.com |
Personal and BusinessSolutionsto meet your banking needs.We make banking easy and convenient for your business and personal banking needs, so that you have more time for the things in life that matter most.
Fort Myers: 9101 College Pointe Court | 2247 First Street | 6651 Orion Drive | 4670 Summerlin Road | 8341 Dani Drive | 8870 Daniels Parkway | 7580 Winkler Road | Estero: 23250 Via Villagio
at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall December 12, 2013
Reserved Seating OnlyFor tickets call 239-481-4849 or visit www.bbmannpah.com $10, $15, $20, and $25 Tickets
North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts
T h e N u t c r a c k e r
7:00pm
Network AdministrationMaintenance Agreements
Off-site Data StorageDell, Acer, Apple(239) 573-1000
www.entechcomputers.com
Get In Touch with New Residents, Prospects and Visitors with our
Relocation Leads Program!
Contact Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 or
Network AdministrationMaintenance Agreements
Off-site Data StorageDell, Acer, Apple(239) 573-1000
www.entechcomputers.com
The News-Press Media Group connects Cape Coral residents and visitors with news and information in Cape Life every Thursday, and in the Cape section on Sunday. Get the latest updates online and on your mobile device at news-press.com
We deliver Cape Coral news 24/7
Subscribe:1.800.468.0233
Cape Coral Editor: Casey Logan | [email protected] | 344.4721Advertise: Lynnie Guzman | [email protected] | 910.4575
Get In & Get Busy Advertise In
The Chamber Trends Magazine
Contact Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 or
The Crazy Olive hosted a great Business After Hours in October complete with live music and a tasting of their delicious food.
Top Right - Membership Director Bill Johnson, Jr. and Crazy Olive Manager Scott Sekerak pull the winning ticket for the 50/50 raffle at the October Business After Hours.
Mid Right - We had a great turnout for the event with quite a few new members like Chappell Insurance and Torchlight Productions making the rounds at their first after hours.
Bottom Right - The Chamber’s Melanie Lempke, waves as she gets ready to leave for her week long vacation for her special birthday celebration (we won’t give the year Mel).
Thank you to The Crazy Olive for putting on a great event and thank you to everyone who came out to support them.
Please join us this month at FOS Furniture Store for their very special Business After Hours where they honor our local Police, Sheriff and Fire professionals.
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
The Wellness Center of Cape Coral is designed with you in mind:• Degreed and certified staff,
with medical oversight by a physician
• The most Les Mills group exercise programs in the area
• Medical screening and fitness assessment
• Customized fitness plan for each member
• Fitlinxx, an integrated exercise tracking software that provides feedback on exercise plans
• Body age assessment, including strength, flexibility, cardio respiratory capacity and body composition
Wellness Center of Cape Coral609 SE 13th Court
Cape Coral, FL 33990239-573-4800
A healthy and productive workforce is essential to the success of any business.
Free PersonalTraining Session for all chamber members with a new one-year membership.
A BRIGHTER FUTURE
FOR CAPE CORAL
MARNI SAWICKI FOR MAYOR JIM BURCH DISTRICT 1Paid Political Advertisement paid for by Families for Cape Coral’s Future 4507 SE 16th Place, Cape Coral. FL 33904 independently of any candidate.
The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral does not endorse or support political candidates
with a purpose....
2051 Cape Coral Parkway ECape Coral, FL 33904
(239) 549-6900(800) 226-9609
www.capecoralchamber.com
