'Mad Men' Writers Consider Show About 1960s Cocoa Beach

Writers from the TV series “Mad Men” are working on a potential TV series that would focus on the space program of the 1960s and the journalists who covered it, Local 6 confirmed.

"Those were great times. They really were.  Walter Cronkite-you name 'em. They were all there," said restaurant owner Rusty Fischer, who owned several restaurants, including Bernard's Surf, which was the happening nightspot during the era.

The working title of the program is “Cocoa Beach" and the series could debut as early as this fall. The show would follow the 60s and 70s when NASA began sending humans to moon and focus on broadcasters who covered the Apollo programs.

"At night it woke up, got exciting," said Fischer. "It was really a small little town that, all of a sudden, when all these people came to town, it got alive."

The Space Coast film commissioner said "Cocoa Beach" is one of a number of television and film projects she is trying to attract to the Space Coast. She is looking for a local building that could serve as a soundstage for this show, as well as for other television shows and movies.

King said the production team would need a 100,000-square-foot facility, ideally with a 50-foot-high ceiling, from July through March 2014. She said a 25- to 30-foot-high ceiling might work, though. The production team is applying for financial incentives from the state, which has programs to encourage film and television productions to choose Florida, she said.

Cocoa Beach Wants to Fine Tune Beach Regulations

COCOA BEACH — Locals may again get to grill burgers and brats on the beach beneath large canopies without risking a ticket.

Tonight, the Cocoa Beach City Commission will introduce a trio of changes to the March 2012 beach ranger ordinance.

If adopted next month, the changes would permit cooking grills; waive tent regulations across residential Cocoa Beach; and clarify the digging of sand holes that “endanger” beach-goers.

“These are some of the things the city realized could be finer-tuned,” City Manager Bob Majka said of the ordinance.

More details:

• Charcoal grills or grills that use 1-pound propane gas cylinders would be allowed on the sand.

• Restrictions on “tent cities” and side-by-side canopies would be reduced to the two-block, heavily trafficked zone between First Street North and First Street South. Today, canopies cannot exceed 10-by-10 feet in area — and 10-foot buffers are required between tents — across Cocoa Beach’s 6-mile oceanfront.

• Holes dug in sand or dunes would be limited to 18 inches deep, or no deeper than the knees of the group’s shortest person.

It would also become illegal to leave the area without completely re-filling the hole with sand.

Beach rangers give “reasonable commands” to beach-goers regarding a list of regulations. If violators still disobey, a police officer may be called to issue civil citations punishable by up to 60 days in jail and $500 in fines.

Back in 2010, Cocoa Beach police handled rowdy behavior by handing out 340 beach-related civil citations between First Street North and First Street South.

The beach ranger program debuted last year on a trial basis, and commissioners decided to continue the initiative. Since March, beach rangers have responded to 275 calls for service and issued 478 verbal warnings, Cocoa Beach Police Major Jay Harmon said.

The result? Citywide, Harmon said police officers handed out only 16 civil citations in March.

“Once the beach ranger count of verbal warnings went up, there was a sizable drop in civil citations. There’s a direct correlation there,” Harmon said.

Police records technicians do not track how many civil citations stem from beach ranger activities. Harmon said the vast majority of tickets are issued for open alcohol containers and glass bottles on the beach.

Other prohibitions from the beach ranger ordinance remain unchanged, including bans on drunken swimming, mobile DJ booths, campfires, high-volume drinking devices and leaping off the Cocoa Beach Pier.

What Low Inventory Means for Buyers and Sellers!

By Stacy Matlock, Realtor®  Top Producer

Paulsen Water Front Group

Coldwell Banker Cocoa Beach Realty

stacymatlock1@yahoo.com    

                                                     

www.http:www.stacymatlock.com

Real Estate is poised for an active season and both buyers and sellers need guidance.  What does all-time affordability mean in a low-inventory market?  How do you communicate either side of the business? 

The real estate market is alive and well! The multiple offers we are seeing on so many listings is proof of that. With resurgence in our market comes a rapid decline in inventory. Multiple offers are now as common as short sales used to be.

So what does this mean for buyers and sellers?  Should sellers line up to sell and take advantage of this?  Should buyers sit at home and wait until the crowds die down?  This entirely depends on the motivation of both the buyer and seller and their particular reason for buying or selling.

Typically, in a low inventory market, this means a seller will sell their home for more AND a buyer will pay more.  Does this mean a buyer shouldn't be buying right now? ABSOLUTELY NOT!  With interest rates hovering around an all-time low, it is absolutely a fantastic time to buy real estate.  And while most buyers might cringe at the price they may have to pay if competing in a multiple offer situation, they may possibly cringe more if they wait to buy and interest rates went up.

In today’s market, both buyers and sellers have to look closely at the pros and cons of being in the market now.  A seller might ask why they would want to list now if the inventory is so low.  Doesn't this mean house prices would go up because of the lack of inventory?  While this seems like a good assumption, there are many variables that make this kind of speculating just that … speculation.  Nobody knows for sure what the interest rates are going to do tomorrow, so sellers and buyers need to look at their particular situations very carefully.

If a seller needs to sell but they want to hold off in the event inventory gets any lower, they may also be holding off long enough to see an increase in interest rates which could cause the buyer pool to diminish. The question becomes whether or not the seller wants to speculate or if they want to be in the market as it is today. A "sure thing" today may not get sellers a speculated increase tomorrow.  Perhaps the stars will align tomorrow, but today's market, it is a sure thing. Sellers and buyers must look at an analysis of what it looks like to buy or sell today and what it could look like to buy or sell in the future – looking at how differing market conditions (such as changing interest rates and inventory) might affect the market for that property.

Buyers need to know we are still at an all-time high affordability rate and we have historically low interest rates.  While they may be paying higher than they wanted, if they have to compete in a multiple offer situation, what they save with interest rates will quickly make up for that over time.

Sellers need to know while the market seems to be in their favor right now, it does not mean this is going to last forever … or things could improve even more.  The decision to sell needs to be more than just speculation and playing the market.

Ultimately, both buyers and sellers are winning right now in what appears to be the perfect storm for both buyers and sellers. As an agent giving advice, present the facts about the market now and help paint a picture of a future with a number of scenarios so buyers and sellers can check their tolerance for risk and make a decision.  Call me today if you are interested in Selling or Buying, a Brevard Native that knows the Real Estate Market!

NRT's Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Florida Acquires Two Companies and Expands Into Brevard County

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC, the largest residential real estate brokerage in Florida, announced today that it has acquired the assets of two companies in Brevard County, Fla., a new market for the company. Pruitt Real Estate has two offices and approximately 70 sales associates, and Keldorff, Inc., which does business as ERA Showcase Properties & Investments, has seven offices and more than 100 sales associates. With the acquisitions of these two companies, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate has more than 80 offices and nearly 4,800 sales associates in Florida.

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of NRT LLC, the nation's largest residential real estate brokerage company. NRT operates the company-owned brokerage operations of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY).

"We are very pleased to welcome Pruitt Real Estate and ERA Showcase Properties & Investments to our operations," said Clark Toole, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Florida. "Their professionals bring an excellent reputation in the industry and local community, and we are especially excited that these acquisitions will expand our footprint into a new part of the state. This further strengthens our leadership throughout Florida and helps us better serve our relocation clients."

Under the leadership of Michael Pruitt and his father, James H. Pruitt before him, Pruitt Real Estate has provided professional real estate services to the local community since 1954. A prominent and respected business leader committed to fostering economic growth in Brevard County, Pruitt will become a managing broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate and manage its Brevard County offices. 

"Our firm has played an important role in Melbourne's real estate industry for almost 60 years, and we look forward to entering this new phase of our growth," said Michael Pruitt. "Being a part of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate will enable us to be part of a global network with incredible brand strength, online reach and marketing resources, which will benefit both our clients and our sales associates."

Barb Keller and Jean Burgdorff purchased ERA Showcase Properties & Investments in 1999, and have since built it into a highly successful company with a stellar reputation. Keller and Burgdorff will be involved with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate's business development efforts.

"We believe our firm's business philosophies and practices are a good match with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate and that our sales associates and customers will benefit from their global network, brand strength and online exposure," said Keller. "We will gain access to a vast array of innovative tools and technology to support our business and provide enhanced service levels to local, national and international customers."

These acquisitions follow on the heels of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate's March acquisition of the Luxury Team of Florida Real Estate Group based in Palm Coast, including nine sales centers, which gave the company its entrance into Flagler, Volusia and Osceola Counties.

About Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC - Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is a leading full-service residential real estate company with more than 80 offices and nearly 4,800 sales associates serving the communities of Central Florida, Palm Beach, Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida and Tampa Bay. Worldwide, the Coldwell Banker® network includes 3,100 offices with over 82,000 sales associates spanning more than 50 countries. Every day, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate properties are exposed to 15 million buyers on more than 550 high-traffic websites. For more information or to view local listings, visit FloridaMoves.com. Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is a subsidiary of NRT LLC, the nation's largest residential real estate brokerage company. NRT operates the company-owned brokerage operations of Realogy Holdings Corp.