Desperate times apparently call for strange methods. A Florida condominium project is trying a new angle to sell condos- a "clothes-optional" pool: [Hat tip M!]
TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida housing complex has hit on a new idea for selling units in a slumping market, a clothing-optional pool.
One pool at the Arbors at Branch Creek is being set aside for nude swimmers, sunbathers and hot-tub users, said a spokeswoman for the Tampa-area project.
They came up with the strategy for the 390-unit complex to set it apart from other condos, said sales director Christine Pirkle.
A good friend of mine is an emergency room nurse. She always said that she’s of the opinion that most people look better with their clothes on. I have to agree.
A pool view from the condo might not be a real selling point!
twist -
This post was very intriguing with password protection, but I don’t think it was intended
John-
Thanks for rescuing the post. The box for the password protection is right next to the “slug” box on the editor, and I make that mistake now and again. I usually manage to catch it before it goes live though!
Doomers will never know how often you come to my rescue! : )
I’m there! Where do I sign up?
brucewho,
beware of what you ask for. At least a Sea Lion has form
The headline is right next to an add for John McCain. Kinda gives you an idea why nude pools in Florida is a bad idea.
Maybe they should try “Principal Payment Optional.” Whoops, sorry, that’s already been tried. My bad.
Have you ever been to South Beach???? The whole nudity thing always sounds better than it looks. It is funny though. I’ve seen the ads here in phoenix with the hot women at the pool. Some of the places will even hire attractive people to hang out at the pool during grand openings. I have yet to see a complex go “Vegas Party” and HELP the property value??????
NVAttorney- [#5]
Exactly. A distant cousin of mine ran a “family” nudist magazine years ago. He said that the point was to promote family nudity, not to be smutty.
He showed me a copy. He was right, the family portrait with the grandparents on the cover wasn’t smutty, but I’ll tell ya, it didn’t get me excited about family nudity either!
On a different note, the house across from me finally sold (after being vacant for a year and a half). I was thrilled since I’ve been taking care of the yard forever. However, can someone fill me in on what i must be missing? Sold for 200K. He put down 50K and financed the rest. Our taxes are about $1500. It had no flooring and needed paint (before the bank took it, the previous owner had started a remodel). I saw the painters and flooring guys last weekend so i know he put some $ into it (i’d guess not more than 5K). The homes in my neighborhhod rent for between $900-$1050. By my estimate you’d have to rent it out for AT LEAST $1300 just to break even???? Is this guy stupid or am I missing something???????
Oh Yeah…the comps are only 5-10K more than he paid.
Could you say the reporter ‘cracked’ that story? Full Moon every night in Tampa.
I don’t care how much chlorine they use, I ain’t swimmin’ in that pool.
AZSaluki-
Haven’t you heard? Since there are so many of us sideliners/renters, rents are supposed to go through the roof, so investors are jumping in.
Of course, with more investors jumping in, I don’t see rents going up in the near future. I guess that’s why I don’t try and make a living running RE investment seminars.
“and Pirkle has fielded a call from an interested buyer in Arizona.
‘There’s a buzz about it,’ she said.”
Alright, who is yanking Pirkle’s chain? What a name.
Weren’t these places being repartmented? Are they really still preceding with these ludicrous conversions of average (at best) apartments into that rare jewel, Florida condominiums? This is so 2005, except no one is gullible enough to sign up.
This is simply an application of Warren Buffett’s statement:
You don’t know who’s swimming naked until the tide goes out.
Remember when I said, a long time ago, that housing would decline 60-80%? I was laughed at–yes, LAUGHED at. Can you believe it? MOI!?!?!
And yet that’s exactly what will happen. Reality has abandoned American homeowners. Reality has left the suburban building, arm in arm with Elvis. Suburbia still doesn’t realize it’s dead–it’s having some sort of Bruce Willis dream. Indeed, I think that film was a metaphor for American suburbia, don’t know, cher lecteur?
In any event, people still don’t believe that the recession started in June-July 2006, but one day, when there is an uncorrupt analysis and we take out all the corruption built into economic thinking by the American suburban/organized crime consensus, then I will also be right on that count too.
So why haven’t you taken my advice yet and stopped housing evictions? And here I plug my masterpiece again:
John Ryskamp, The Eminent Domain Revolt, New York: Algora, 2006.
But you, hypocrite lecteur, mon semblable, mon frere! will get there yet: you will soon start demanding an individually enforceable right to liberty, housing, medical care, education and maintenance. I KNOW you still have your thumb-sucking “moral hazard” psychoses, I KNOW you’re afraid to cut your own umbilical chord to the Great Mommydaddy, the Federal Government. Aren’t those two contradictory? My oh my, ever more ideological HURTFULNESS!
But you really ARE big boys and girls: you can handle the power. So go for it!!!!
And by the way, Obama is the Manchurian candidate: he’s in the Syrian mafia. DON’T let him get to the White House.
Speaking of clothes-optional business practice, here’s a comical contribution picked up by CRisk under his post “Night Music: Wall Street Meltdown”.
jryskmpr -
You talk about removing corruption, then say we shouldn’t evict people. To me, it doesn’t get any more corrupt than the government stepping in and basically wiping out any mortgage debt they have – anyone with a brain would instantly stop making any mortgage payments. Such an action would surely collapse many banks, and the goverment would need to step in to save them.. where do you think the money would come from? Those of us who were smart and decided not to buy.
Yes.. privatize reward/socialize risk. That is surely the way to a healthy economy.
I’ve said it before – Rentals are housing, too. Foreclose and rent something for much less than you were making in mortgage payments. It’s not the end of the world, and many people will be better off in the long run. The idea that people are entitled to own a home is ludicrous.