Why would anyone want to invest in a Hurricane prone area?

So you may have investors coming to you asking you where can I put my money today, stocks? bonds? Real Estate? Resort properties? Pre-construction? Ok let me start with the last three..........

Real Estate today is slow, we all have seen the headlines, read the blurbs, forecasting gloom and doom, where can a real estate professional make a decent pay today with all the bad news about the housing market, I have a suggestion: Pre-construction resort properties in a growing market (yes there are some). Statistics prove that over 50% of the population will move to the southern United States by the year 2020. Ok, we all know about us babyboomers too, lots of flex cash, kids are in college or perhaps living on their own. Babyboomers are looking for their retirement homes, 2nd homes or tax incentives or just move to somewhere and live in a community that offers the simple life without paying an arm and a leg for it. Maybe its not the right time for some of your clients, they have some money now, want to invest, and are looking to you, their real estate professional to tell them where to go, perhaps buy into a resort and sell in a few years, and 1031 the equitiy and buy up into another market. Tax credits like the GO ZONE Opportunity Act was created for some states to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina& Rita. Biloxi is one of those places. What makes Biloxi special is that it is located right on the edge of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Thats right Mississippi.

The Gulf Coast is the only area left to develop beachside condos. Its just a natural progression. Florida and Alabama have all overbuilt their beachfronts, building on every available piece of sand. Mississippi has 26 miles of man-made beach that cannot be built on unless there was a structure there before the storm, only about 5 miles. The prettiest ride is along Highway 90 looking at the sound, and barrier Islands. Katrina essessionally wiped all the homes and honky-tonk motels off the beachfront. It was devastating, true. But it created opportunities. Buzz words like growth, re-birth and rebuilding are happening here now. New homes, jobs, retail & commerical real estate and condominiums. What is spurring all this commerce? Gaming.........Casinos .............Hotels.............Golf Courses........Celebrity restaurants...............its a machine, and its gaining momentum. In the past two years, major coporations, brand names have re-invested or choose to invest millions and millions of dollars in Biloxi. Names like Harrah's MGM, Pinnacle, all have gaming properties here with hotels and gaming facilities, over 13 casinos, 23 golf courses, airport expansions, convention districts. Whats missing.............? Rooms, places for people, families to stay and enjoy what the growing Gulf Coast has to offer.

Pre-construction opportunites are here. It takes approximately 22 months to build, but if you can get in on a ground floor opportunity of condos being built here, you will have a chance to see your nest egg grow. Before Katrina, there was about 2-5 projects slated to be completed at an average of $300-$400 a square foot. With labor and material, and all that new waterfront for sale, prices have gone up considerably. Now it ranges about $400-$500 a square or higher, and thats for the average room with 2 heads in a bed unit. Resorts with amenities and location that will appease families are few and far between now. It took Destin, FL over 20 years to get where they are now, before it was a sleepy little fishing town. It didn't and still doesn't have gaming. What it does have is pretty blue water and all the water sports you can find. But get in line, you will wait in traffic, restaurants, and it is 1 1/2 hour to the beach from Interstate 10. Biloxi is 5 minutes and isn't called the shrimp capital for nothing. Our water is teaming with life. Our barrier Islands are 12 miles away. Unobstructed views are the norm. It is truly a unique way of life and the secret is out, its a virtual dream for investors. Opportunity is knocking, are you going to help your investors open the door? Let me show you the way............