The Bonita Springs City Council has agreed to keep its tax rate the same as last year. The 2009 tax rate will be 82.73 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. That’s great news for Bonita Springs homeowners, who will likely see a 17% decrease in their property taxes.

When you add in the fact that the Lee County Property Tax Rates are also going to remain unchanged, 2009 is going to bring a welcome relief to area residents stung by recent years rising real estate taxes.

In addition, both the City Council and the County Commissioners reduced spending accordingly in order to make up for the short fall in tax revenues. Fortunately, both groups were able to focus their cuts on areas that will not decrease services or have a major impact on residents in general.

Tags: living, real estate, taxes

After a sizzling first seven months of the year, real estate sales in Southwest Florida remained strong in August. In fact, more homes were sold in the first 8 months of this year (by 13.6%) than in 2005, the biggest sales year ever in Southwest Florida. August marked the fourteenth month in a row sales have climbed in Lee and Collier counties. The Cape Coral and Ft. Myers market area saw total sales rise over 80% on a year over year basis and the Bonita Springs and Naples market area wasn’t too shabby either, up 38%.

Tags: real estate, sales, SW Florida

According to the Editors at Money magazine, the Florida city of Port Charlotte is the best place to retire to in the country.

The ranking is not surprising when you consider Port Charlotte’s central location here in Southwest Florida. It is just adjacent to Punta Gorda, 50 miles south of Sarasota and 40 miles north of the Ft. Myers and Naples areas. In addition, the city is nestled right on Charlotte harbor, which offers hundreds of miles of cruising waters and protected shorelines for both boating and fishing enthusiasts alike. Knowing the area well, we’re surprised it didn’t make their list for the Best Places for a Long Life.

Tags: living, markets, real estate

International clientele are once again making up a significant number of the buyers for the Southwest Florida real estate market. In fact, in Naples, 25% of the population (double the national average of 12%) are foreigners.

According to a recent survey conducted for the Florida Association of Realtors, a majority (54%) of Florida agents worked with an international client within the past 12 months and over 10% of them worked with 11 or more international clients in the same time period. The top international buyers for Southwest Florida real estate included Canadian, British and German foreign nationals who happen to have an advantage at the moment as their exchange rate favors their currency and provides them with increased purchasing power.

Tags: living, markets, real estate

For the first time in 2009, new foreclosure filings fell in August for Lee and Collier Counties in Southwest Florida. It is quite a change from the last year or so as far as filings are concerned. And, while one month’s data does not make a trend, it is hopefully a good sign of things to come.

For Lee County, there were 1,625 new filings last month, down from 1,903 in July, a 15% drop. It was the lowest number of actions seen this year. In addition, there were also 1,848 foreclosure cases resolved by the Lee County courts, down from 2,133 handled in July. In Collier County, there were 811 new filings last month, down from 1,103 in July, a 27% drop. There were 374 foreclosure cases resolved by the Collier County courts.

Tags: foreclosures, markets, real estate

The January thru June 2009 Sanibel Island real estate market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Sanibel Island, known as the “Shelling Capital” of the world, is one of Southwest Florida’s true treasures. Only 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, Sanibel is a haven of natural beauty, very romantic, and a place of solitude. Imagine seventeen miles of pristine soft white sand beaches all surrounding waterways, mangroves and wetlands teeming with abundant wildlife. Throw in the island’s quaint shopping experiences, numerous dining and nightlife choices, and 300 plus days of sunshine and you have the perfect Southwest Florida living destination.

Sanibel Island Real Estate Sales Data

Sanibel Island Homes Sales January-June 2009*:

• 55 Closed Sales

Tags: real estate, sales, SW Florida

The January thru June 2009 The Brooks real estate market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Encompassing 2,532 acres of natural Florida surroundings, The Brooks is master planned gated community consisting of five major and distinct communities - Copperleaf, Lighthouse Bay, Rapallo, Shadowwood and Spring Run. Each community is gated and sports a different kind of lifestyle. All five communities pivot around The Town Center and The Commons Club at The Brooks which also provides numerous amenities. With its central location between Bonita Springs and Estero, The Brooks provides a variety of lifestyle choices and price ranges and is a highly sought after place to live.

The Brooks Real Estate Sales Data

The Brooks Homes Sales January-June 2009*:

• 36 Closed Sales

Tags: real estate, sales, SW Florida