“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!”

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.

Panama City Beach is often considered a part of Panama City but is actually a distinct municipality from the older and larger inland city. PCB maintains 37 parks that offer swimming, fishing and boating, nature trails for hiking and biking, picnicking, golf and tennis. The largest of the parks is St. Andrews State Recreation Area, which opened in 1951 and covers more than 1,200 acres. It is best known for its white sand beaches, natural dunes and crystal-clear water. During World War II, it was part of the St. Andrews Sound Military Reservation, and you can still see the cannon platforms in place near the jetties today.

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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.

St. Andrews Bay attracted little attention in the early years of the United States. Its small community was established during the Civil War in an area now known as Old Town St. Andrews, but all 32 cottages and homes were destroyed by a federal attack from The Restless.

In the 1880s, the St. Andrews Bay Railroad Land and Mining Company sold 25 x 82-foot lots for $1.25, which thousands of investors scarfed up sight unseen. One proud new owner called his property Floriopolis, and another referred to his land as Park Resort. In 1889, these names were changed to Harrison, in honor of Benjamin Harrison, then the 23rd president of the United States. Seventeen years later, in 1906, the name changed once again to Panama City, referencing the Panama Canal, which was then under construction.

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Florida Homes, Condos and Townhomes

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.

From day-to-day living to broader issues such as insurance, associations work to make your home a better, more pleasant place to live.

Tom Skiba, Chief executive officer of CAI agrees, describing the series of hurricanes Florida recently experienced as “the perfect storm for insurance challenges and issues.”

Florida has more than 18 million residents and 80 percent of them live or conduct business along or near the coastline, making the countdown to November 30, the end of hurricane season, a truly worrisome time with good reason (www.MyFlorida.com). The state represents 41 percent of total flood insurance policies nationwide proving Floridians take storm preparation seriously.

While insurance is foremost in everyone’s mind throughout the state, CAI also works diligently to educate its many chapters, members and non-members. “An informed consumer is a successful consumer,” states Skiba, referring to those who are in the market for a residence within an associated community. “Understand the rules. Not every community is right for everybody.” He suggests that interested consumers make it a point to do their homework. “Start by looking at the real estate market in the area and research it carefully and read the documents. It could be as simple as talking to your neighbors, real estate agents or insurance agents,” to find out if the community is right for you.

“Community living isn’t the easiest for some people. It’s hard for some to assimilate to the rules, which is where we come in. We try to solve problems before they become legal issues,” says Podvin. Most conflicts are easily resolved and, according to a study performed by Zogby International in 2005, a national study revealed that 71 percent of owners rated their community association experience as positive, and 88 percent who had direct interaction with their community managers had positive experiences as well. In 1970, there were approximately 10,000 communities, and by 2006, a whopping 286,000 (www.CAIOnline.org).

Condominium associations perform many tasks on behalf of the owners they represent and having a guardian is integral to the success of everyone. From day-to-day living to broader issues such as insurance, associations work to make your home a better, more pleasant place to live.

By Stacy E. Domingo