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Highlands Today

Coastal Advertising Campaign May Be Reconsidered

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: December 2, 2008

SEBRING - Back in late May and early June, Highlands County government officials, home builders and real estate agents talked about the possibility of an advertising campaign targeting coastal areas to promote home buying in Highlands County.

The campaign would have touted the area's comfortable lifestyle, much lower home prices, and the economic advantage of transferring a homeowner's Save Our Homes tax credit to a lower-cost county.

The idea died because there were no funding sources, but Mike Secor, president of the Highlands County Builders Association, said he hopes the idea will be discussed again in the new year.

Highlands County Administrator Michael Wright said he'd be glad to explore the idea.

"I'd be receptive to talks with them (home builders and real estate agents), because I've had some experience with this," Wright said.
Secor said the portability of Save Our Homes exemptions can become a major economic draw for homes in Highlands County, particularly for people in higher priced coastal ares.

"I think there is some potential for it to have some impact in the future, but to my knowledge it hasn't so far, because of the market," he said.

"What happens is that they're getting the portability dollars (tax credit) based on the pricing level of, say, Broward County, and coming up here and spending in Highlands County, and getting a whole lot more for their money," he said.

A total of 457 homeowners transferred their Save Our Homes tax credits to new homes in 2007 in this county, according to the Highlands County Property Appraiser's office. Of those, 149 homeowners moved here from another county, and 308 transferred the credit to another home within the county.

Save Our Homes credit transfers for this year won't be known until March 31, when exemptions are filed for 2008

Wright said he knows firsthand that an advertising or recruitment campaign can succeed, based on his experiences as a city manager in Hot Springs, Ark., in the mid-1980s. He worked on a recruitment campaign there aimed at attracting retired people which drew nationwide attention and a Page 1 story in the Wall Street Journal.

"We did it as an economic development tool, and the retirement marketing program that we developed there, a couple of states picked it up and later modified it as their own economic development tool," he said.

"It was very successful, and it was done during some recessionary times like this," he added.

"People are still moving to Florida at about 500 to 600 per day," Wright said. "The question is, where are they going?"

Wright said he doesn't know if an advertising campaign can be funded, but the idea is worth exploring.
Secor said that while an advertising or recruitment campaign is not likely in the near future, discussions should begin.

"I wouldn't see it being implemented any time soon," he said. But, he said, "I think we probably need to start talking about it in the near future, because it would take a while to put it together."

County Commissioner Guy Maxcy, who attended all of the meetings on the proposed ad campaign in the spring, said he's willing to discuss the idea again.

"I thought it was a good idea before," he added. "And I still think it is a good idea, if we can find the funding. That is going to be the problem, finding the funding to do it."

Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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