...and in the Gulf Coast Forum. Since this forum was started primarily to deal with issues surrounding the Hurricane Katrina/Hurricane Rita events, it has remained rather dormant lately--except for the posts revolving around last November's NAR Conference held in New Orleans. When it was started, it did serve a good purpose--providing a place for posters to express their sorrow (and hope) surrounding these two awful storms. Frankly, I certainly wasn't emotionally prepared for the devestation these two back-to-back hurricanes brought to my neighbors...few were, in fact.

Just wanted to put a little life back into our forum by reminding everyone that spring is just around the corner, and we know what that will be followed by...hurricane season. So let's get a jump start now on scanning those precious family photos and storing them on the internet, as well as any photos we will need for insurance purposes should anything happen. We have plenty of time to buy hurricane supplies, but it takes a lot of time to organize your photos. If you lose everything in a storm some day, you will one day need those photos to remember your kid's birthday parties, your favorite pot plant, your husband's baseball trophy, or your wife's first Thanksgiving dinner...and if you have stored them safely, you will have them to show any future family members...where you lived and what your life was like before the storm. I know most of us won't have that awful experience, but we will all sleep better if we know our photos are safe...from fire, flood, theft...as well as hurricanes.

There are a lot of professionally prepared hurricane preparation lists out there...grocery stores, insurance offices, television stations. Most of us have several stuck in file drawers around the house. If you don't, pick up one early in the season and go over everything with your family. I hope it will be years before we have another serious post on this forum, but this post is just a reminder to us all that it could happen...in fact, it did happen. Also, it's a reminder that I have not deserted the forum.

If anyone thinks it would be a good idea to talk on here about Gulf Coast real estate issues not related to hurricanes, that's fine, too. Just start posting. Most, however, seem to prefer the larger forums which gives us an opportunity to learn from a larger group of people.

That's all for now.

Darlene

Darlene I've still dealing with my wind storm carrier related to Rita. In 2004 the last tenant fell asleep with a cigarette. Once the place was rehabbed with a new roof Rita came along an really ruined my day.

Having to fight with the insurance company after a major loss is just adding insult to injury, I guess. It has to be especially distressing to have something happen AFTER a rehab.

Darlene you can't imagine the half of it. Being an absentee owner, having a decade old relationship with a property manager and finding out when I'm on the ground that the work isn't the way it was represented. I flew in with one home sold based on pictures emailed to me only to find things like the exterior of some doors were painted but the interiors were not painted. The central a/c was repaired but not cosmetically appealing even though I paid well above market for quick work.

No fun firing someone when you don't have a ready replacement and your plan was to salsa with Consquayla and her seester not talk to lying contractors with no insurance or bonds. Can't tell you how many times I went out to my rental car because if I staying in the home I would have done bad things to the contractor giving me a bid. When they knew I was from California and had a plane to catch most of those guys couldn't spend my money fast enough. They truly didn't understand I grew up in Texas and would have paid someone to clean up what I fixed up on them before I let them steal my hard earned money...

I paid $39K just to get things going only to have morons try to take advantage of the fact that I wasn't local. Don't get me started about the insurance companies. The problem is that most of those guys shoot quail together, golf together so you have to way out to find competent legal representation. Its a friggin nightmare.

Darlene B,

This is storm-related but not Gulf Coast-related. May I chime in anyway? I'm wondering how it is for y'all down there...

Here on the NC oceanfront the hurricane seasons have been relatively quiet lately (except for Isabel) but historically it's the off-season storms that sneak up on us (strangely--often on holidays) that can really chew up our coastline, dump torrents of rain, cause storm surge from ocean and soundside, and cause damage.

The winter and spring nor-easters can be almost worse that the hurricanes because we can plan for the hurricanes (evacuation is mandatory for vacationers, etc.) but we never know when an "unnamed hurricane" is bearing down on us until it hits.

One happened about three springs ago that brought 110mph winds and significant soundside flooding on Ocracoke Island--it was during a big fishing tournament so tons of non-locals were in town and about 200 vehicles were ruined. It was bad!

How's Gulf Coast weather in the winter and spring?

I was just reading BayAreaTexan's storm--with his proprty management situation. It is so hard to find someone you trust these days. I know a lady who does property management and trust me, she could not care less. It's just getting worse, it seems. BayAreaTexas, you need someone who will quake in their boots when they see your name on caller I.D. Those people are usually conscientious. They don't like disappointing their boss. An individual may be more loyal than a property management company, but how do you even know. Craigslist, I guess, should be your next stop. You have my sympathy. It is rough out there...real estate is hot right now, but still...no excuse to not do what you promised someone. This is just another reason why I say that real estate is not for the faint hearted. I hope people appreciate what risks some people take in this business. It is just not something most could handle. I am waaaaay past having the nerve for some of this stuff, that's for sure. It takes a lot of focus. If you want me to find a few property managers for you to check out, let me know. I don't know any, but I could pass on their emails and/or phone numbers to you after I chat with them a few minutes to see if they claim to meet your requirements.
Trush, I spent three vacations in New Bern, where I had friends who lived in a small trailer near the Trent & Brice Rivers (that's correct, right???) All I remember is the fun we had, crabbing and watching the kids jump off the small pier. Every time you folks have a storm up there, I hate to watch it on TV. I always thought North Carolina was the most beautiful state I had ever been in. Sorry, my fellow Texans...but if you haven't been, you can't argue with me. It's really God's Country. And unless things have changed in the last 20 years, the people there are very warm and friendly. A great place to visit or live, in my opinion.

Trush, nice web site. I clicked on a few things and saw that NO TITLE COMPANIES ARE IN YOUR AREA--YOU USE ATTORNEYS. We would be like fish out of water if we switched jobs. Ha, ha.

I forgot to answer your question. Gulf Coast in the winter is slightly cooler than the spring. And it rains sometimes. And it's warm in the daytime and cool in the evenings, so we always take a light jacket. Sometimes it gets cold. In short, nothing much going on in the weather area except the anxiety of knowing hurricane season is around the corner.

Hey Darlene B--thanks for the kind words. We're about 3 hours northeast of New Bern, driving around by inland or by ferries.

The site is bigtoe's realm, I just work the leads and do the selling.

At least y'all get a break of sorts during the winter. I hope you have a happy remainder of winter and spring, and a completely uneventful hurricane season '08!

I couldn't ask for a better wish, that's for sure. Right back at you on the good weather thoughts. Tonight it's 33 & windy here, and we are going to be gripping about it thru spring. Ha, ha.