Fla. Trailer Town May Agree to Disappear

Washington Post ^ | December 27, 2005 | Peter Whoriskey

[liberallarry]

BRINY BREEZES, Fla. -- The news traveled fast, as it usually does in this tiny trailer-park town.

A secret suitor was offering to buy the entire municipality for $500 million -- more than $1 million per mobile home. Over shuffleboard courts, pinochle tables and whittling benches, word of the fabulous price soon spread.

[liberallarry]

Anybody still dumb enough to believe Julian Simon's ridiculous argument that there's still plenty of land for development and expansion?

[Jeff Head]

Ever been out west?

[TexGuy]

$1 million for a little land and a mobile home? Well that would be an easy decision.

[liberallarry]

I live out West. I lived on the beach in the L.A. area for 40 years and worked as an ocean lifeguard for more than 30. What's your point?

[RichInOC]

Who knows? One good hurricane next year could have made it disappear whether they agreed to it or not. Why not leave on their own terms and get a good price?

[Rebelbase]

"It's a mobile home park, we're on the ocean, and there are hurricanes," said Jack Taylor, a retired manufacturer of fire alarms and safety devices. "It's time."

Jack is a very wise man.

[bikepacker67]

Wait.. how can this be...

I thought Eminent Domain helped keep costs down!

[devane617]

Have you ever driven north from St Petersberg, FL up U.S. 19 to Tallahassee? The old Dixie Trail Hwy, is nothing but open land. You can still buy beautiful half-acre lots for 5k.

Also, read a stat the other day that said you could put everyone that exists on planet earth in families(or groups) of four, in 1500 sqft houses, and they will alll fit in the state of Texas.

Not to worry.

[warrior9504]

I don't know why this developer is bothering to bid on this land. Why doesn't he just take the route the wonderful Supreme Court gave him and buy off a couple politicians and use emimnant domain...it would be cheaper!

[HostileTerritory]

This trailer park is the entire incorporated community. You can't get a politician to take eminent domain over an entire town, the decision would be reversed politically faster than you could say boo.

[Rebelbase]

There are very few vacant and developable(sp?) 42 acre Atlantic Ocean beach-front properties anymore.

[ContemptofCourt]

Ever driven through central or north florida? There is plenty of land....of course, it doesn't have an ocean view...which is all that this developer is paying for.

[Fawn]

And what about the people who are going to pay almost a million bucks to own a small condo on this very same land. .....are they smart too?
This little trailor park is soooo cute...they have a small state park next door too......which will now also be impossible to access. There is no parking for the beach anymore....I might as well move now too....NOrth Carolina seems cheap and nice..my home tripled in the last 4 years.....traffic is unbearable...florida is not paradise anymore....they built a parking lot.

[agrarianlady]

Google florida land bubble 1925

[liberallarry]

The old Dixie Trail Hwy, is nothing but open land. You can still buy beautiful half-acre lots for 5k

Do you think it will remain that way for the next 20 years? Look at the trends man! At the pace of change! Of course, that developer with all that money could be a real fool...and the trailerpark residents are wise men. What a story that would be.

[sittnick]

Anybody still dumb enough to believe Julian Simon's ridiculous argument that there's still plenty of land for development and expansion?

Anybody still dumb enough to confuse beach front land in a nice climate with "plkenty of land for development and expansion"?

The mere fact that Vegas and Phoenix were pretty much made ex nihilo tells me that at least here in the U.S. of A., we have nothing to worry about.

Anybody still dumb enough to believe Paul Ehrlich's ridiculous argument that India is headed for mass famine by 1975 if extreme measures are not taken to control the people?

[liberallarry]

Google florida land bubble 1925

I don't have to. I've seen land bubbles out West too. But the trends are undeniable and visible to all who aren't blinded by ideology and wishful thinking.

[festus]

$1 million for a little land and a mobile home? Well that would be an easy decision.

No kiddin. Heck I'd sell him my neighbors mobile home too for that price.

[Jeff Head]

Intermountain west...Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, etc. Lots of room left for expansion and development. That's all.

[TexGuy]

Google florida land bubble 1925

But that could NEVER happen again! ... *snicker*