Southwest Florida Blog

The January thru June Bonita Springs real estate market statistics for both homes and condominiums are listed below. Bonita Springs, known as the “Gateway to the Gulf”, is one of Southwest Florida’s fastest growing coastal cities. Lifestyle options are endless and its central location between Ft. Myers and Naples make it a most desirable destination. While its growth has been prolific, the city still has that small town charm with an exceptional quality of life.

Bonita Springs Real Estate Sales Data

Bonita Springs Homes Sales January-June 2009*:

• 434 Closed Sales
• Average Sales Price - $348,404
• Median Sales Price - $260,000
• Average Days on Market - 146
• Average Sales Price/Square Ft. - $143.44

Tags: real estate, sales, SW Florida

The Lee County Florida commissioners voted earlier this week to leave the maximum county-wide property tax rate unchanged for next year. They could also vote to lower it at their budget hearings in September but cannot legally raise it under any circumstances. The rate for a typical resident of unincorporated Lee County will remain at about $5.34 for every $1,000 in taxable value.

It’s great news for many Lee County homeowners - especially those who don’t live in one of the dozens of special taxing districts. Those folks will still probably see some increase in their property taxes as many of their rates are headed up because of the property values drop (22.7%) this year. It also does not affect residents living in one of the many cities throughout the county. They will have to wait and see what those entities will do with their own tax rates.

Tags: SW Florida, taxes

According to a report from the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), Florida is both a great place to live and work. Naturally, those of us who reside in the Sunshine State already know this to be true. But for many of the folks outside of our wonderful state who might be unaware, here are some interesting things to consider.

Business Climate:

• Florida is the fourth most populous state in the United States, with a large and diverse population.
• The state’s Legislature has made it a priority to not only encourage new businesses and industries to come to Florida, but to provide the kind of supportive climate that entrepreneurs and businesses need to succeed and prosper. Florida Among Top 5 States for Best Business Climate

Tags: Florida, living

I just wanted to apologize to everyone (especially to my clients and friends) for having been away for such a very long period of time. What started out as well deserved break (in my opinion) from 18 straight months of creating my blogs and working on the website (right before last Christmas), turned unexpectedly into a lengthy and unwanted hiatus.

Tags: living, SW Florida

For the second month in a row, Florida existing home and condominium sales rose on a year over year basis in October. Thirteen of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased sales of existing homes; nine also showed gains in condo sales, marking the fourth month in a row that a large number of markets have noted higher sales activity. Pending sales were also up again in many markets indicating stabilization continues to take hold in many areas.

Statewide, sales of existing single-family homes totaled 10,443, up 15% year over year. Existing condominium sales in October totaled 2,956 statewide and were up 5% from a year ago. Falling property prices continue to be the impetus for the increase in sales. The median home price fell 24% to $169,700 and the median condo price fell 23% to $147,600. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.

Tags: Florida, real estate, sales

The January thru September Bonita Bay real estate market statistics for both homes and condominium sales are listed below. Bonita Bay is Bonita Springs premier gated community and is a highly sought after place to live. Encompassing 2,400 acres, Bonita Bay is also the flagship community of the Bonita Bay Group here in Southwest Florida. More than half the community is devoted to open space, including three Arthur Hills-designed golf courses and 12 miles of biking and walking paths.

Bonita Bay Sales Data

Bonita Bay Home Sales January-September 2008*:

• 50 Closed Sales
• Average Sales Price - $1,255,190
• Median Sales Price - $940,000
• Average Days on Market - 208
• Average Sales Price Price/Square Foot - $336.34

Tags: real estate, sales

Well it looks like the Feds have finally made a move that is actually going to have an immediate impact on the economy, especially the housing market.

The Federal Reserve announced yesterday that it would purchase Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginny Mae for up to $500 billion. The purchases will begin next week when the Fed will buy $100 Billion worth of the securities from primary dealers through a series of competitive auctions. Shortly thereafter, they plan to have selected asset managers begin conducting additional MBS purchases up to the $500 Billion total over the next few quarters.

Tags: FHA, Florida, Interest Rates, mortgages