Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right, but Five Do?: 9-12-26 Podcast

Real Estate Matters has been Palm Coast and Flagler County, Florida’s real estate voice for more than 12 years.

The sudden Westward Expansion pullout, the $17M property settlement of a Town Center lawsuit, the impact fee lawsuit loss, the Cascades Bert Harris lawsuit, and the data center moratorium response to the cable landing station.

0 for 5: All bungled, all expensive, and all avoidable.

So much money and effort that could have gone to fixing our crumbling infrastructure and funding a serious economic development effort.

Watch the Podcast and read the Show Notes below for more details.

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Be sure to check out the continually updated interactive Flagler County Map of Developments and Subdivisions.

Raw Show Notes

Our behind-the-scenes guide to the show’s flow, including topics we didn’t have time to get to on the show. This is raw and likely contains typos. Data reflects the show’s recording date.

Show Notes for 9-12-2026

Recorded 9-10-2026

Welcome to the tranquil side of Florida. This is Real Estate Matters, the voice of real estate in Flagler County and Palm Coast for more than 12 years.

I’m Toby Tobin, publisher of the real estate news website GoToby.com, and a Florida-licensed Realtor with Grand Living Realty. I’m joined by Co-host Annamaria Long from the Flagler Homebuilders Association, one of our sponsors.

Thanks to Our Sponsors:

Flagler County Home Builders Association

Hammock Community Church

Guests: None

State of the Market

Overall weakness disguised by marketing tactics and the laws of numbers

The “K” shaped recovery

The broad middle market is off by 10 – 20 percent

Both ends of the market are strong because they are less affected by mortgage interest rates

City Council Scorecard – Recap of Recent Events and Possible Outcomes

Radiant walks away from The Western Expansion. The city was in the driver’s seat and they blew it. Radient has three options that will minimize city control over the expansion.

1, Continue to grow trees and come back in 25 years with a development plan

2. Develop the two existing DRIs and work with the county to plan the unincorporated land

3. If the county is uncooperative (Imagine Pontieri on the County Commission) invoke the Agricultural Enclave Act.

HBA wins impact fee lawsuit – update

Town Center lawsuit settlement – what happens next – Relate to Lucas v SC and Ryan’s Landing

Byrndog Bert Harrie lawsuit

Cable landing station fumble. Where was social media when wind and solar farms were multiplying? And how have they worked out?

What we should be focusing on

We need good jobs and an increased commercial tax base. But we are spending more time, energy, public meeting time, social media posting, and tax dollars fighting residential growth than we are attracting clean, well-paying industries. Can you list any recent Palm Coast economic development accomplishments? DC BLOX was a huge win but the city’s response was a moronic moratorium on data centers, a response unlikely to attract many site-selectors.

Can you describe any incentive programs in place to attract target industries?

Does Palm Coast have a Director of Community Development today?

How does our Economic Development Department budget compare to our total legal expenses defending lawsuits spawned by our no residential growth policies? What about resignations and firings?

Over the past 20 years, we have lost a boat manufacturing plant that once had 500 well paid workers and Palm Coast Data with its 1,000 workers.

To Google Gemini: What economic benefits have accrued to Myrtle Beach, S.C., attributable to its cable landing station?

• Direct Capital Investment & Tax Revenue
• Hyperscale Tech Partnerships & Big-Tech Presence
• Regional Infrastructure & Fiber Expansion
• Economic Diversification & Job Creation

We need a comprehensive and well-funded economic initiative, and we need a stable government.

Wrap-up:

Video podcasts of Real Estate Matters are available on GoToby.com. Click on Podcasts on the top navigation bar. Show notes are included so you can see what we didn’t get to on the show. Also, the Flagler County Interactive map of residential developments and subdivisions on GoToby.com is updated regularly. Currently viewed over 11,600 times.

If you are thinking about buying or selling property in Flagler County, call me first. Based on your goals, I’ll connect you with an appropriately qualified Realtor or builder and serve as your consultant throughout the transaction, at no additional cost to you. Call me at 386-931-7124 or email me at Toby@GoToby.com.