Join The Boca Raton Executive Club On February 6, 2013 For An Open Discussion With Boca Mayor, Susan Whelchel; Kelly Smallridge From The Business Development Board & Herbert Tabin!

Job creation and taxes are two of the hottest topics in the news media.

Boca Raton Executive Club members are guests are invited to attend an open discussion where the Business Development Board and Boca Mayor will present Florida’s stable and highly favorable tax climate which provides advantages that make a Florida headquarters or an executive office profitable for every type of business.

As significant stakeholders, we invite you to take part in a leadership discussion. We feel compelled to focus attention on growing the area’s business climate and prosperity by taking advantage of the many benefits that exist here versus states with less attractive business environments. Palm Beach County has 46 national and international corporate headquarters, 22 of which are located inside Boca Raton. Join us for pertinent information on what you can expect to see in 2013 from the state, county and city that will impact the growth of business.

RSVP Today for the February 6th, meeting in the Grande Ballroom at Woodfield Country Club!

To find out more about the upcoming meeting & to reserve a spot, contact Michelle Clubb. Click the links below to find out more about the February Keynote Speakers.

Mayor Susan Whelchel

Mayor Susan Whelchel was first elected to the Boca Raton City Council in March 1995. She was re-elected in 1997 and again in 1999. During her first tenure in office, Mayor Whelchel served as Deputy Mayor from 1999-2000.

After leaving office due to term limits, Susan was appointed by then Governor Jeb Bush to a two- year term on the Palm Beach County School Board. In March 2003, she was again elected to the Boca Raton City Council. She successfully ran again in 2005 and served once more as Deputy Mayor in 2003, 2005 and 2006. In 2008 Susan ran unopposed for Mayor. She successfully ran again in 2011 and is now serving her final term as Mayor. Find out more…

Kelly Smallridge

Kelly L. Smallridge is President and CEO of Palm Beach County’s public/private economic development agency, the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB) where she has worked for 24 years. She serves as one of the longest tenured economic development Presidents in the State of Florida and has a solid track record in facilitating some of the largest job creation projects for Palm Beach County. Find out more…

Herbert Tabin

Herbert Tabin is merchant banker and merger and acquisition expert at H. Tabin Financial. Over the last 23 years, Mr. Tabin has been involved 91 mergers, reverse mergers and other various going public transactions. Additionally, he is an author and CBS Television News tech contributor for WPEC, CBS12 evening news. His books include “Socially Elected: How to Win Elections Using Social Media, and “Do It Yourself Online Reputation Management” A Step By Step Guide to Building or Fixing Your Reputation Online” which are available on Amazon.com at Barnes and Noble. Find out more…

Koolik Group Realty's Tips & Links for Going Green in Your Home - Part 1

If you have not already ‘gone green’ in your household, than this may be your year to do so. It has nearly become a moral obligation to recycle and buy products with green packaging. Just about every industry in America has been affected by this movement; Koolik Group Realty has seen that the housing industry is no exception. The rise and popularity of green homes has changed the way that people think about buying or renovating a home. Thanks to the recent boom in green living, it’s easier than ever to buy or maintain an environmentally responsible home.

The easiest way to make an impact on the environment is to recycle. Hundreds of items can be recycled on a daily basis instead of being sent to a nearby landfill. The Solid Waste Authority (SWA) in Palm Beach County, Florida offers plenty of assistance by providing recycling bins to individual homes, multifamily units and businesses. To order bins for the home or office, visit http://www.swa.org/ or call 1-866-NEW-BINS.

Inside the home, one can begin with small changes, such as using compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and turning off the water when it is not needed. It is also important to check the insulation in your home to make sure there are not any openings or cracks around windows and doors as this can increase your energy consumption. One can take it a step further by investing in tank less water heaters, energy efficient windows, and even solar panels to convert the year-round South Floridian sunshine into functional energy. These are just a few measures that one could take to make an existing home more environmentally friendly.

Boca Raton Real Estate Agent Optimistic About Homes For Sale in Palm Beach County, Florida

Elliot Koolik, leading real estate agent of Koolik Group Realty announced today that he is confident that the local housing market is picking back up. Koolik specializes in gated country club communities and luxury condominiums in the greater Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach areas.

Since the beginning of June 2010, recent home sales for the Boca Raton real estate agent have increased. Koolik has sold twelve properties representing the selling side, while he represented the buyer for an additional three properties, totaling fifteen properties sold since early June of this year. Most buyers have been interested in Palm Beach County, Florida homes for sale.

In October, Koolik had two transactions pending on homes for sale in Palm Beach County, Florida; one of those properties is located in Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton and was only on the market for nineteen days before the seller's accepted an offer. The other is located in nearby Woodfield Hunt Club and went under contract in just six days of being on the market.

The seller was in the process of relocating and therefore was pleasantly surprised when receiving the offer. "We knew that in today's market, it would take a bit of sacrificing to sell our home quickly; however, when we received an offer within 12% of the asking price, we could not have been happier." added the seller, Lewis Fogel.

"People are realizing that now is the time to buy; this market is extremely value driven as consumers want to know that they are getting the biggest bang for their buck and when they feel confident, they are not afraid to make an offer" added Koolik.

Palm Beach County Residents have until September 16th, 2010 to Challenge the Proposed Tax Assessment

How do you know if you should challenge your assessment?

Look up your property’s proposed value & tax at: http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/papa/aspx/GeneralSearch/GeneralSearch.aspx

As you scroll to the bottom of your detailed property page, you will see that Palm Beach County has listed your property's proposed 2010 Appraised Value & Taxes.

If you feel that the value is not reflective of what your home value was around January 1st, 2010, then you may want to challenge the assessment.

To challenge the assessment:

1. Fill out for DR-486 by visiting: http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/papa/Forms/dr486fillable.pdf or you can fill out an online from at*: https://myvab.mypalmbeachclerk.com/2010/ .

2. Mail the form with a $15 non-refundable filing fee per parcel to: County Governmental Center Value Adjustment Board / 301 N Olive, Room 203 / West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

If you want to file in person, you can deliver your form & check to room 104 on the first floor. If you have questions, please call the VAB at (561)-355-6289.

*PLEASE NOTE: If you fill out the form online – the $15 payment must still be mailed. If payment does not reach the VAB by September 16th, your application will be considered null & void. (Koolik Group Realty is not offering legal advice.)