ARCHITECTS DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE
The Nation Discussion Group of Sarasota and the local AIA chapter will host an event titled “Architecture and Global Warming” at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 in the Herald-Tribune’s ground-floor Community Room, 1741 Main St.
The free public forum is sponsored by the Gulf Coast Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Nation Discussion Group of Sarasota.
The schedule:
• 9:30 a.m.: registration, coffee, bagels.
• 10 a.m.: Welcome by Joe Newman, chairman of NDG, and Jedd Heap, president of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the AIA.
• 10:10-10:30: Joel Fedder, Sierra Club: “The Global Warming Crisis.”
10:30-10:50: John Lambie, Florida House: “Future by Design.”
• 10:50-11:30: Tony Stefan, AIA: “How Architects Can Reduce Global Warming.”
• 11:30-noon: Questions, comments.
COLDWELL BANKER PRESENTS ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL
Coldwell Banker is presenting the real estate industry’s first Online International Real Estate Film Festival.
The giant property brokerage designed the film festival with a 10-day showcase of videos from around the world about the value of “home.”
They were submitted by filmmakers from India, Brazil, Mexico, China and the United States.
A sneak peek is online at Coldwell Banker’s Blue Matter website, blog.coldwellbanker.com.
The featured videos:
• “Ghar” (India).
• “Watson” (Los Angeles, USA).
• “I’m Home” (Mexico).
• “Where You’re Best Memories Live” (Brazil).
HOMEAWAY REPORTS HIGHER DEMAND FOR VACATION RENTALS
HomeAway.com’s “Vacation Rental Report: Owner Edition” reports that demand for vacation homes in Sarasota has had a year-over-year growth of 54 percent.
“The influx of travel to the region allows the owners of local vacation homes to help offset their mortgage and other costs with rental revenue,” said HomeAway’s Adam Annen.
Key findings of the report:
• 51 percent of owners who have a mortgage on their vacation rental home are able to cover at least three quarters of their mortgage payment.
• 86 percent of owners say their summer business was about the same or better than last summer.
• Vacation rental occupancy rates (77 percent) outpaced hotels (70 percent) for summer season.
• Owners report an average weekly rental rate of $1,778, or $254 per night, this summer, which is a 19 percent increase over last summer.
