Although land hasn't even been cleared yet for this city's new 8,000-square-foot social services building, the future structure has reached capacity.

Ten service agencies, including North Port's own social services department, will share office space in what will be this city's first building dedicated solely to social services.

Those 10 agencies also will be among the 50 at Tuesday's annual Family Services Expo from 4 to 7 p.m. at the George Mullen Center.

"It's going to be so nice to have everybody in one spot," said Zulma Solero, the city's social services manager, about the new building.

In a city of mostly working-class families, social service agencies here are busier than ever.

In just one day last week, the city received a $5,000 check from the Salvation Army in Sarasota for electric bill assistance. By the end of that day, the city had distributed all of the funds and was turning people away, Solero said.

"It's pretty crazy with the rents being so much higher, the electric being so much higher," Solero said. "Wages are not going up."

The new building, which depends for its construction on water management district permits, and then will go out for bid, will provide a one-stop shop for residents looking for services.

Located on Pan American Drive, the building's exterior will look similar to a ranch-style home with a wrap-around porch.

It will house agencies such as Coastal Behavioral Healthcare, Sarasota County Technical Institute, the Jewish Family & Children's Services, the Women's Resource Center of Sarasota County, Domestic Abuse Safe House and the Healthy Start Coalition.

Plans include two conference rooms.

Although no one has been turned away, there is no room for another agency, Solero said.

But it is likely the city will gain more space in the future, she said. The building is designed for a second floor in case it needs to expand.

The city is able to keep tenants' rents at about $10 per square foot, just enough for the electricity and maintenance. Agencies will have to pay for their own phone and Internet service.

"That's why this office is so critical," Solero said. "We're able to provide an office space at a reasonable price

Is owning getting too expensive for you because of the rising cost of insurance? Think you might avoid the problem by renting. Think again.

"You are forgetting about renters when you're talking about this insurance problem," said developer Steve Patterson at the International Builders Show this afternoon. When looking what troubles may lie ahead for the multifamily housing industry, insurance was mentioned as one problem, especially along the Gulf Coast.

Higher insurance costs are cutting into the profit margins of developers and builders who construct apartments and condominiums. And higher costs also mean higher rents and less affordability for buyers and renters.

But the rising cost of homeownership -- prices, taxes and insurance -- is helping the multifamily rental sector, which has rebounded as home values have soared and home sales have slumped.

"Apartments are absolutely back," said Patterson, CEO of ZOM USA in Orlando, which builds and manages apartments throughout the Southeast. "Demand is up and occupancies up."

He said the cost of renting compared to buying is lower than it has ever been.

"There have been rent increases in most markets, but we are only now seeing rent at pre-2001 levels, so it's all relative."

Construction and land costs are up, which is especially worrisome to builders of "affordable" multifamily units.

Marsha Wolak learned the value of auctions the hard way.

She got caught holding too many investment properties when the real estate boom faded in 2006.

“I felt pain and anquish, and I realized how important auctions are,” she said. “But you have to be motivated.”

Now she has started her own action business. Marsha Wolak Auctions will hold its first “mega-auction” at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Hyatt Sarasota.

More than 100 properties from Tampa to Naples will be auctioned, including several luxury homes. Many of the properties will be auctioned under the reserve system, which means the seller can refuse to sell if the bids don’t meet a minimum price.

But, she said, “I don’t take reserves that aren’t realistic."

Auctions give properites “immediate attention and a time deadline for a sale,” said Wolak, a top-selling Realtor in the 1990s before she “retired” to realty investing.

“People are tired of waiting on the market for months and not knowing when they are going to sell; carrying costs; and there’s also monetary value to what is called stress. That's worth something. It’s kind of a relief when you schedule an auction, and hopefully you will get a sale in 30 days."

The auction boom shows how the market has shifted from the days when selling was easy.

"These days, it doesn't take much to be upside down in their properties, with the 100 percent loans" that were made during the boom.

Money is not the only reason for using an auction to sell a home. People may need to move because of health reasons, to be closer to relatives, or because of other life events. "It's worth a lot, especially in a sluggish market," she said.

"We do everything. We have a $4.5 million Casey Key home, to a lot in North Port. We like to take all properties. You never know if something hits somebody as what they are looking for, so I like to work all properties because there are all different stages in life."

A sixth-generation builder is dotting the Port Charlotte-North Port area with more green and affordable houses.

Not only will the affordable houses be certified green by the Florida Green Building Council, but also they will withstand 160 mile-per-hour winds and will be Energy-Star compliant, says the builder. David Schroeders, president of Schroeders Homes, which builds some 150 houses a year, said that "going green" was more than just a reaction to what buyers are asking for.

"Anyone who goes skiing can see that global warming is a real thing; it's happening," he said. "It's not that much more expensive to do it. (The houses are) earth-friendly, easy and affordable to operate, and healthy."

A fee-simple, house-lot package has a base price of $179,900 in North Port and $189,900 in Rotonda Lakes, a deed-restricted community in which Schroeders builds. For those houses built on a homeowner's property, the base price is $149,900.

Within the nine models and 10 floor plans available through Schroeders Homes, all the houses have three or four bedrooms, two or two and a half bathrooms, and two-car garages.

Interior spaces range from 1,786 to 2,054-square feet, and have a master suite, family room, living room and kitchen pantry. Some are great-room plans with a breakfast nook, and some have a dedicated dining room.

Interior appointments include ceramic tile in the wet areas, tile tub surrounds, tray or vaulted ceilings, and crown molding in the main living areas.

Green amenities include double-paned, low-e, tinted windows; a radiant barrier to keep ductwork cool; Energy-Star appliances; non-toxic paints; R-38 roof insulation; a 13-SEER heat pump; an energy-efficient water heater; and fluorescent lighting. The architectural style is standard Mediterranean Revival.

Models are located throughout North Port, Port Charlotte and elsewhere in Southwest Florida. The company's Web site lists several addresses where models are built. Sales are open and occupancy is expected in six months.