Travel is a priority for the Avelar family. Laura Avelar admits that she loves cruises adding that she has been on at least 15 during her life. Long vacations have been replaced by shorter jaunts, which are easier when you are raising a family, Avelar says. But she and her husband have instilled a love of travel and seeing new places in their nine-year-old daughter.

“She’s been on six cruises and to Disneyland,” Avelar laughs. “She loves to travel.”

Their most recent family trip for the Avelars, who live near Sacramento, California, was to San Francisco for some family fun before school started.

“We’ve been using CTA , Cruise, Travel and Attractions, for short vacations such as the one we just took to San Francisco,” Avelar said. “My husband, daughter and I stayed on Knob Hill, in the Marriott Renaissance and we saved about $60.”

“My in-laws love it,” Avelar said. “They have saved thousands and thousands on cruises. They took a cruise to the Panama Canal within the last six months and they’re getting ready to go to Hawaii in January. The savings are tremendous.”

CTA’s customer service is as tremendous as the savings, according to Avelar, who said that CTA Cruises, Travel and Attraction is even able to arrange accommodations during peak times. “I’ve had numerous contacts with CTA , especially with Jody and she’s been great,” Avelar said.

“I was a bit ‘gun-shy’ about it at first,” Avelar laughed, “but it has been worth it.” When asked if she would recommend CTA to other, she had just one word… “Absolutely!”

Once considered the “Redneck Riviera” of Florida’s Panhandle, Panama City Beach is now a popular real estate mecca where beachfront properties have quadrupled in value since 2000. The older hotels and homes of the past are being replaced by new high-rise hotels and condominiums.
Oceanfront property sold for more then $60,000 per front foot during the real estate boom. Prices stabilized in 2008 but are still considered undervalued compared to those in nearby cities on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

As the cityscape changes, the population is increasing and more people are settling in Panama City Beach, or PCB, as it is fondly known. This portion of Bay County is also considered to be the spring break capital of the world. In March and April, more than 500,000 high school and college students flock to its beaches and sample the night life.

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One of Panama City’s great draws is its location on St. Andrews Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Its beautiful beaches make it a popular tourist destination, but its small-town atmosphere is what encourages people to return and perhaps eventually to call it home.

Panama City, in the Florida Panhandle, celebrated its centennial throughout 2009, complete with an official song that harks back to its small-town roots. When the First Methodist Church, then located on the corner of 4th Street and Magnolia Avenue, hosted its first wedding on May 5, 1917, the event was also the city’s first wedding, the union of Susie Kelly and Thomas Percy Dean.
Susie Kelly Dean later wrote a waltz, with the music composed by C.J. Bryan, that is now the official song for Panama City’s 100th anniversary celebration.

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Whether you are a full-time or part-time owner, a condominium association can be an extremely valuable asset. Community association homes differ from traditional homes because everyone shares ownership of common land and has access to facilities. Associations oversee building maintenance, enforce rules and guidelines, and play a key role in legislation through paid lobbyists, and other policy-setting bodies on issues such as taxes, insurance, bankruptcy, reform and fair housing. By upholding these standards, condominium associations ensure that the community is well-maintained and property values remain profitable.

Associations can run small or large depending on community involvement. The South Gulf Coast Chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI), a national organization dedicated to educating community associations, covers Port Charlotte south to Marco Island, Florida. The South Gulf Coast Chapter has 400+ members and handles issues pertaining to the association daily. “The insurance situation in the State of Florida is a major concern for any association and one we monitor on behalf of our members,” said Robert Podvin, South Gulf Coast Chapter Executive Director.

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