What's Happening in our Little Town?

As everyone knows, this past year has brought with it many changes. The volatile financial environment included skyrocketing gas prices that have now dropped back to affordability. Real estate values have dropped significantly, interest rates have dropped, and the stock market has spiraled downward. Many investors are pulling money out of the stock market and investing in good real estate deals. While stocks can drop to zero, land will always be there and have value. The real estate market is cyclical, and though values have dropped, they will go up again.

Perry has seen the effects of these changes. Some small businesses have closed, but others have opened. One coffee shop closed; another opened. Two gift shops closed; another two opened. Some real estate companies closed, but most are still open, though several agents left the business to find other stable employment. A local hometown restaurant that has been in business for as long as I can remember recently closed its doors. On the brighter side, both a Holiday Inn Express and a Walgreen's are now under construction along the US-19 corridor.

The City has passed a resolution requiring property owners to clean up, repair or demolish those older dilapidated buildings along US-19 to give that stretch of the City a new life and more respectable appearance. While the property owners can't be entirely blamed for letting the properties go into disrepair when I-10 diverted traffic away from US-19 years ago, causing many businesses to close, it was time for action to be taken by the City to correct the problems and are commended for doing so.

Perry is still a small, quiet, historic town, only 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and Keaton Beach. If you are looking for a rural community with lots of potential for growth and prosperity in the coming years, be sure to check it out.

You can visit Perry's Chamber of Commerce website at www.taylorcountychamber.com; or for available properties for sale, visit our website at www.gulfbreezerealestate.net.