According to the newly released 2010 report compiled by IHS Global Insight and PNC Financial Services, here are the top ten most undervalued cities for home prices within the state of Florida.

The rankings were derived from comparisons of median home prices, population densities and income, and historical premiums or discounts that the areas have exhibited in the past. In their January 2006 report, Naples was deemed most overvalued, with 84% of homes valued over the fair market price. Today, Naples real estate sells at a 29% discount and the median home price is just $165,500, down from more than $390,000 four years ago.

Florida’s Most Undervalued Cities

Continue Reading Top 10 Most Undervalued Cities in Florida

Tags: buyers, Florida, markets, real estate

Since almost everyone is feeling the pinch under the current economic climate, here are a few tips for buyers of Florida real estate to save on their homeowner’s insurance premium costs.

By taking these few simple steps, you might just wind up saving yourself more premium dollars than you might think.

• Shop around and get a few quotes. On any given day, some insurers are aggressively pursuing new customers while others are not. By shopping around, you can sometimes find a much better deal on your premium costs.
• For older homes (pre-2006), get a Wind Mitigation Inspection report done. Depending upon what measures are in place in the home, you can typically lower your wind insurance costs substantially.

Continue Reading Some Tips for Keeping Homeowners Insurance Costs Down

Tags: buyers, Florida, homeowner insurance, real estate

There is not a day that goes by while I am out showing clients properties when the question arises about alligators in the various waterways. Naturally, I give them all the same stern warning about what to expect and remind them they must be sure to keep children and small pets away from the waters unattended. Having been here for 14 years now and being an avid outdoorsman (fishing, camping and trekking), I’ve seen my fair share of both alligators and crocodiles in the wild. And, unfortunately, we’ve had more than a few fatalities and mutilations over the years.

Continue Reading One Great Big Catch!

Tags: Florida, living, parks

The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that monitors government fiscal policy, once again has Florida ranked as the nation’s fifth best tax climate for business going into 2011. While some states move up and others down, Florida has remained very steady for six years in a row.

A key factor in Florida’s ranking is the lack of a state personal income tax. In addition, Florida also ranks 15th in corporate taxes, 30th in sales taxes, 3rd in unemployment compensation taxes and 28th in real estate taxes.

Not too bad when you consider everything else the State of Florida has to offer.

Gulf Coast Associates, Realtors
Specializing in Luxury Florida Real Estate for Sale
Bonita Springs Real Estate | Naples Real Estate
Contact us today at 888-617-3674

Continue Reading Florida Remains Great Place for Business

Tags: Florida, growth, living, taxes

The Tax Foundation has created a state by state comparison of property taxes using 2009 U.S. Census data. The review utilized three criteria: median property tax paid, property tax as percentage of a home’s worth, and property tax as a percentage of median income. In all three comparisons, Florida ranked right in the middle. New Jersey came in at No. 1 and Louisiana finished at No. 50.

Based on the three criteria, the study found the following results:

• The median property tax paid on a home in Florida was $1,773.00, ranking it at No. 23. New Jersey homeowners paid $6,579.00; in Louisiana, the median homeowner paid only $243.00. The median property tax paid nationwide was $1,917.00.

Continue Reading State Real Estate Taxes: Florida in Middle of the Pack

Tags: Florida, real estate, taxes