Morrison Springs FYI

[ScubaKris]

Tax value means nothing, properties will go on the market for what they have been selling for in the area. Can be more or less then the tax value, most often, far more. tax appriasers don't even go inside the house, they take measurements and use factors like how far you are from schools, fire departments etc

 

[mike_s]

I know a while back Doc bid 2 mil on the Grotto and was turned down, the owner wanted 3 mil. Maybe they came to a deal and Doc wants to move.

The 3 mil for BG was to try to "squeeze" someone who wanted it to produce bottled spring water. But the problem was he couldn't get the property commerically zoned to construct water truck transfer stations.

The auctioneer was reporting before the sale in the paper he expected it to go for as high as $5 to $15 million. Of course that I'm sure was just hype to get media attention. see http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/18/Business/Up_for_bid__Drinking_.shtml


If I recall correctly, they tried to come to a "private deal" after it didn't sell at auction with a high bid of over $1.5million. Reports of the 'private deal' offering were at $2million.


For some reason people in the scuba industy think their "holes in the ground" are worth lots of money. Some quarries for sale for example any other commerical group would consider them a liability on the property.

Blue Grotto's property only was assessed for tax purposes at $335k and he paid $324,00 for it in 1998. All the sudden he wants $3 million for it? get real!

There are two scuba quarry parks for sale right now in the $1 million each range. Athens Quarry in Texas for $1mil and Dive Land in Alabama for $910,000. Sounds high to me.... but just my opinion. (but they wonder why they haven't sold huh?)

Madison Quarry was appraised recently as part of the land swap. I read what it was appraised for but can't recall exactly. i think I saw two different numbers, but each included a different amount of land surround the property (or multiple parcels). I think it's value (land only) was $79k or $89k for the lowest I read and $129k for the highest, with more land. Go figure...

 

[ScubaKris]

Just like around here in Holmes County, everywhere you look, there is a for sale sign. One guy got a sucker investor to pay $10,000 an acre, now everyone thinks they can sell their swamp for that. None are selling, click on the bottom of the tax appraisers page. It will give you a list of recently sold properties, you'll find only a couple have sold this year.

 

[ScubaKris]

kchFL glade to see a lawyer with a sense of humor, normally they don't like. What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? How do you stop a lawyer from droaning? Judges are the worst,...all I said was what do you call a failed lawyer?,........your honor. Then 10 days later when I got home........

 

[ScubaKris]

Anyone know anything about the sink on the Walton/Holmes county line off hwy 90 that the FBI is currently diving for a body?
http://www.wtvynews4.com/news/headlines/3431931.html

 

[ScubaKris]

Why aould they sell after making this press release? http://www.wtvynews4.com/home/headlines/3275976.html

A couple of years ago, on a Sunday I was diving Vortex. It was crowded, even charter buses.. I asked how many divers came through there in a day The answer was 500 yesterday. I thought that was a lot, then I looked around at all of the groups of 15 - 20 and the tour bus. Then I thought it may be more today. Then there are the swimmers and others. all buying passes, air fills, rentals, lodging, camp grounds, that's a bunch of money. Why would someone sell,...even for millions?


p.s. the search was called off noon today, the sink is off 10a

 

[mike_s]

Why aould they sell after making this press release? http://www.wtvynews4.com/home/headlines/3275976.html

Leave it to the TV news media to publish a story about Vortex and put a picture of the beach up.

When the oriskany was sunk, one of the news media outlets put up a story about the ship sinking and a pic of a diver with a clown fish in front of him.... since when did clown fish live in the Gulf of Mexico where they sunk the Oriskany? jeez.

A couple of years ago, on a Sunday I was diving Vortex. It was crowded, even charter buses.. I asked how many divers came through there in a day The answer was 500 yesterday. I thought that was a lot, then I looked around at all of the groups of 15 - 20 and the tour bus. Then I thought it may be more today. Then there are the swimmers and others. all buying passes, air fills, rentals, lodging, camp grounds, that's a bunch of money. Why would someone sell,...even for millions?

I've been at Vortex before where it was so crowded it was hard to park. There had to have been 400 people there that day.

For the day you were there... 500 people x $32 per person = $16k and lets say that each person averages 1 extra air fill (500 x 5 = $2,500). that's $18,600 per saturday alone. Not including swimmers, rooms, campers, food/beer, equipment rental, etc. That alone is easily $20k for a Saturday. And most of it at little overhead.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Any info on the sink itself? Curious to how divable it is, I understand its on private property, but still...

I know the ground out there is honeycombed with limestone and springs, sinks, ect. I'd like to see what else the immediate area has to offer to divers aside from Vortex, Morrison, Cypress, and Becton.

 

[mike_s]

Any info on the sink itself? Curious to how divable it is, I understand its on private property, but still...

I know the ground out there is honeycombed with limestone and springs, sinks, ect. I'd like to see what else the immediate area has to offer to divers aside from Vortex, Morrison, Cypress, and Becton.

what's up with the Ponce de Leon spring?

I think it's just below I-10 off Hwy 81. Is it just a shallow spring that's not diveable or what?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Its in a park, I've past by, its shallow, but would be diveable to an extent. It used to have a small land bridge that you coudl swim under, but I hear the sands have covered it. No diving in the park at this point. No point though, I hear you can snorkel it with as much fullfillment.