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Hobe Sound named the best

Guess what?  Hobe Sound has been named “the best beach-town housing market in the U.S.” by Reality Trac, a real estate data company.  Hobe Sound’s Number 1 ranking was based on its warm weather, low crime rate and affordable housing.  All of the top-20 locations are in Florida, California or Hawaii.  Hobe Sound had the lowest average housing price -- just $191,000.  I wonder if the analysis included Jupiter Island.  That’s where Tiger Woods and other wealthy people own multi-million dollar estates.   Actually, Hobe Sound is not a “town” with legal boundaries.  It is an unincorporated part of south Martin County.  But there is no doubt it is nicely situated between the Jonathan Dickinson State Park and the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge.  It has a beautiful beach and is on the Intracoastal Waterway.  In the 1920s it was to be a movie-making center, but that dream went poof.  The name Hobe Sound is derived from “Jobe” (ho-bay)-- J-O-B-E.  That is what the Spanish called what was then an Indian settlement .  Shipwreck survivor Jonathan Dickinson, for whom the park is named, stayed in Jobe for several days in 1696.  You could say that Jonathan Dickinson slept here.  For 88.9 FM, this is Paul Janensch.