Southern Business: Marina space dwindling in U.S. hot spots
For eight years, Rob Quinlivan has lived in his version of paradise – a 40-foot power boat docked in a public marina.
It’s a life that’s given him adventure, freedom and a way to experience the best of South Florida without the soaring prices of its red-hot real estate market.
But Quinlivan’s slip fees have jumped $200 a month over the past two years, and he and other boaters are finding out the hard way that the real estate boom isn’t limited to dry land. Public places to dock are getting harder to come by as developers buy up marinas to convert them into private slips for luxury condominiums in popular areas such as Florida and California.