Scouting Report – June 23 2009 June 24, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Buying Real Estate, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Community Spotlights, cape coral homes.add a comment
Cape Coral – Fort Myers Homes and Condos
A new feature for our blog will be Scouting Reports - notes and notables on properties that caught our eye while showing, previewing, or researching homes and condos. Click here to view listing details on the properties in this Cape Coral area scouting report. Here is a summary:
1 – Southwest Cape Coral Sailboat Access Waterfront Home – Unit 64 – Priced to Sell
With the recent price decrease on this nicely updated home, it’s now priced to move at the new asking price of $239,900. Move in ready, so there’s no work needed here. At some point, add a pool (25K- 35K) and a dock with lift (10K-20K) and you have a lovely waterfront home in one of the most prized areas of Cape Coral for about $290K.
2 – Southwest Cape Coral Sailboat Access Home
You can’t get much closer to the river than this home at this price of $359,000. Wonderfully updated and clean as a whistle. Dock plans have been drawn up for a 31′ boat. We thought the MLS photos did not do the home justice and we were pleasantly surprised when we walked in the door.
3 – Golf Course Pool Home
This is a well-priced pool home for the gated Cape Royal Country Club community. Golf membership is not required (you can pay as you play) and Homeowner’s Association dues are under $700 per year. (So you are not a fan of pink? We can hook you up with some local painters to take care of that.) UPDATE 6/24: Can we scout em or what? This home went pending shortly after we hit the press with our scouting report.
4 - Sailboat Access – Like New Pool Home
Curb appeal is just one of the things that caught our eye on this waterfront pool home in SW Cape Coral. Great floorplan and wonderful outdoor living space add to the appeal.
5 -Marina View Condo at Cape Harbour – Foreclosed
This new on the market bank owned REO property is a steal at $285,000. All other units in this premier building are far above that price. (Note that the photos in the MLS listing do not show the correct building in the Cape Harbour community – this unit is located on the Marina side.)
6 -Another Great Sailboat Acces Home Opportunity – Cape Coral’s Unit 3, Tarpon Point Neighborhood
If you are looking for a great home in a great location and you are looking for a project, this one fits the bill. The home has great bones and a nice open floorplan, and with a facelift it will be a beauty. We figure interior upgrades and adding a dock with lift will take about 75K.
How Can We Help You?
See something you like here or would you like us to do some scouting for you? Call 800-789-6618 or write anytime and we’ll get to work for you. Or contact your SageRealtor Group agent directly:
Rosa Deliso: email Rosa
Paul Dennis: email Paul
Beth Chatland: email Beth
Dave Sage: email Dave
Greg Roche’: email Greg
Brenda Boss email Brenda
Visit our web site www.SageRealtor.com for detailed area information, quick links to real estate listings in Southwest Florida, and a full-featured search engine for all MLS Listings in Southwest Florida.
Wondering About Chinese Drywall? June 24, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Buying Real Estate, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Fort Myers FL Real Estate, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate, cape coral homes, fort myers homes.Tags: chinese drywall
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About Chinese Drywall
Dyrwall imported from China when Florida was having building material shortages (the years 2004 to 2007 for the most part) may be defective and may pose health risks or cause property damage. The defective drywall reportedly emits levels of sulfur, methane, or other organic compounds that cause corrosion of copper wiring, electrical wiring, computer wiring or other household items as well as emit noxious odors.
In the Southwest Florida area (Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita, and surrounding communities), it appears the imported drywall was used primarily in large, planned developments where builders bought the drywall in bulk during the boom building years. And in such developments, not necessarily all of the homes have the defective drywall (and perhaps only a few do), so it’s important to consider the issue on a case-by-case basis. There are some instances of single family homes outside of planned developments that have signs of the defective drywall.
If you suspect Chinese Drywall may be in your home, contact a local inspector to get a professional and safe inspection. For those shopping for a home, the chinese drywall inspection should be part of the professional inspection you hire to review all aspects of the home prior to closing (inspecting for Chinese drywall should not be an added fee but rather just part of the inspection process and report).
For a list of local inspectors that our clients have hired and been happy with, email us and we’ll get you their contact information.
Photos courtesy of Comprehensive Building Consultants.
Southwest Florida Real Estate Market – April 2009 Stats May 16, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Fort Myers FL Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate.add a comment
From the Great Fort Myers Area Association or Realtors, May 11, 2009 (Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs)
Fort Myers, FL – April homes sales were up 105.5% year to year with 1,406 existing single-family homes sold, compared to 684 in April ’08. Pending sales improved 60.2% year to year, with 2,368 single-family homes pending versus 1,478 a year ago.
Of significance is the drop in the number of single family homes listed on the MLS (at the end of April, there were 8,665 active listings of existing single-family residential properties compared to 12,324 a year ago, a decline of 29.7%). The supply of single-family homes shrunk to 3.7 months, which is less than half of what it was a year ago, when the supply was 8.3 months.
REOs represented 65.9% of all single-family homes sold in Lee County. Interesting is that the many of these properties are selling for more than the list price. There appears to be two prevailing reasons for this: one, many of today’s buyers are qualifying for FHA and VA loans, allowing for closing cost assistance; and two, there is more competition for these homes as multiple offers are being submitted on these bank owned properties. As of the end of April, we have already exceeded sales for all of 2007.
“This is causing buyers to make their highest and best offer when they find the home they want” said Suzanne Sherer, Association President. “As listings shrink and sales prices move above the listing price, this indicates that our market is starting its recovery. This should be very welcome news to sellers out there. Priced right homes are selling quickly”.
Cape Coral Second Safest City in 2008 May 6, 2009
Posted by Brenda in SW Florida Lifestyle, cape coral homes.Tags: cape coral crime rate, florida crime, fort myers crime rate, safest cities
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From the News-Press, May 6 2009
Cape Coral residents were generally safer in 2008 than in 2007, according to state statistics.
Major crimes – murder, rape, robbery, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft – declined by 9 percent in Cape Coral, according to statistics compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Cape was second safest among Florida cities with a population of over 150,000, behind only Port St. Lucie. The city’s population was 164,523 in 2007 and 165,774 in 2008, according to FDLE.
These statistics reflect a similar drop in major crime countywide that has already been reported. Major crime in unincorporated Lee County dropped 7 percent and 3 percent in Fort Myers in 2008, according to FDLE statistics.
Cape Coral Police Chief Robert Petrovich said he was pleased with the statistics released Tuesday by his agency.
“Being able to effect a decrease in overall crime this past year is positive news for our residents and demonstrates our commitment to working together as a community,” Petrovich said.
The chief attributed the decrease to more proactive policing.
“We’ve studied statistics to determine crime trends and where crimes are occurring,” Petrovich said.
Then special patrols are often assigned to those neighborhoods, he said.
Waterfront Condo in SW Cape Coral May 4, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate, cape coral homes.Tags: boating community, cape coral condo, cape coral gulf access, cape coral waterfront, Cape Harbour
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Beatuiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo in the heart of cape coral on a saltwater canal with quick access to open water and the Gulf of Mexico.
Plenty of spaces to dock your boat. One of Cape Corals most sought after locations, nestled perfectly between Cape Harbour and Tarpon Point Marina: enjoy all the dining, shopping, entertainment and more but without the heafty dues! Enjoy an evening refreshment on your lanai while watching a beautiful sunset over a magnificent water view. Over-sized master suite with access to the lanai looking over the water. What a splendid way to wake up each day! Enjoy the lovely pool surrounded with lush tropical foliage. You’ll feel you’re on vacation everyday in this tropical paradise.
For details contact Beth Chatland on the SageRealtor team, or View Details for 4634 SW 12th Pl #219 here.
Estero FL, 2878 SQFT – $199,000 May 4, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Buying Real Estate, Fort Myers FL Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Community Spotlights.Tags: Bonita area homes for sale, estero florida condo, estero florida homes for sale, the meadows of Estero
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Absolutely beautiful condo for just under $70 a square foot in Estero Florida.
Built in 2006, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage condo is a champagne condo on a beer budget.
This condo is in the wonderful Meadows of Estero, a gated community in the heart of Estero. Better than new condition. Many Luxury Features: (1) Granite Countertops (2) Maple Cabinets (3) 18 Tile (4) New Carpet in LR and BR’s (5) Huge Screened Lanai overlooking nature preserve (6) Streetside Railed Balcony with French Doors (7) Tile Roof (8) Paver Driveway and Walkway (9) 2 Car Garage with storage (10) Separate Laundry Room with cabinets and utility sink (11) Tray Ceilings. Must see incredible Master Suite. Resort Style Pool, Fitness Center, Billiards Room. Perfect Central Location. Bonita Beach, Coconut Point Mall, Gulf Coast Mall, FCGU, and the Airport all just a few miles away.
For details in this listing, contact Paul Dennis on the SageRealtor team. View Details on this listing at 21546 Baccarat Ln #202 here.
Checking Out Cape Coral? May 1, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle, cape coral homes.Tags: cape coral parks, cape coral things to do, Cape Harbour, jaycee park, rotary park, sunsplash park
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For those visiting Cape Coral Florida for the first time, here are a few of our favorite places to check out while you are touring the area.
Cape Harbour – Dining, Shopping, Marina.
View Cape Harbour information and location now.
Rotary Park – Nature Center, Trails, and Dog Park
Get Rotary Park Map Location
Yacht Club – Beach, Pavillion, Marina
Get Yacht Club Map Location
Jaycee Park, along the Caloosahatchee River
Get Jaycee Park map location.
Sunsplash Waterpark - Family Fun
Lee County Florida – A Great Place for Small Business March 31, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Florida, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: cape coral real estate, cape coral small business, fort myers real estate, fort myers small business, lee county real estate, lee county small business
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Bizjournals.com has ranked the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area No. 20 in its list of best places in the United States to launch a small business.
Bizjournals used a six-part formula to analyze the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, noting population growth between 2002 and 2007, employment growth from 2003 to 2008, small-business growth from 2005 to 2006 and small-business population. Bizjournals defines a small business as any private-sector employer with 99 or fewer employees.
Compared to other Florida metropolitan areas Cape Coral-Fort Myers scored behind No. 7 Orlando and No. 12 Miami-Fort Lauderdale, but ahead of No. 25 Jacksonville, No. 43 Palm Bay-Melbourne, No. 44 Bradenton-Sarasota, No. 51 Daytona Beach, No. 53 Tampa-St. Petersburg and No. 81 Lakeland.
The country’s top five rankings went to Raleigh, N.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Seattle, Wash.; Austin, Texas; and Boise, Idaho.
Cape Coral, the largest city in Southwest Florida, also was ranked No. 1 by INC Magazine in its list of best mid-sized cities for doing business. The Cape Coral Economic Development Office assists existing businesses and recruits new ones, administers incentive programs and conducts global marketing for the city. Visit www.bizcapecoral.com or call 239-574-0444 or toll-free 866-573-3089.
Lee County Homes Prices- February 2009 March 25, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Buying Real Estate, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate, cape coral homes, fort myers homes.Tags: cape coral real estate, cape coral real estate market, fort myers real estate, lee county real estate
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Prices for Lee County FL homes in February continued at below what they were a year ago, but the number sold was sharply higher, according to a report issued Monday by the Florida Association of Realtors.
In February there were approximately 97 percent more Lee County homes sold than a year earlier and Lee County sales are up 15 percent from January of 2009.
The median price of a single-family home sold with the assistance of a Realtor in February was $97,500, 54 percent less than the $211,600 it was a year earlier. But February’s price was 3 percent more than January’s $94,900.
While the inventory supply rose slightly to 6.0 months, it is still approximately half of what it was in February ‘08, when the supply of existing single family homes was 11.8 months.
A Word About Median Homes Prices: The Median is a mathematical result that indicates that one half of the group is higher and one half lower. Median price of 101 sold homes would be that price which is lower than 50 of the prices and also higher than 50 of them.
Consider the following example:
70
80
80
90
150
350
650
The median is 90. The average is 210. Additionally, statistics such as median and average do not account for location differences, such as offwater or waterfront, golf course location, beachfront views, or similar.
Cape Coral Canal Cruise February 12, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, SW Florida Lifestyle, cape coral homes.Tags: cape coral canal, cape coral canal homes, cape coral real estate, cape coral waterfront, Cape Harbour, direct access, gulf access, lee county, sailboat access, Southwest Florida Real Estate
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A few days before Christmas last year, Dave and I took our favorite canal cruise up to Longboards at Cape Harbour – a Cape Coral yachting community that also has restaurants and shops. It was a beautiful day with a temp of about 75 degrees.
Many people ask us what the waterfront living is like here, so on this trip I took photos along the way to create a “virtual tour” of our canal system in Southwest Cape Coral (also known as Unit 64). View this slide show to get a flavor of living the waterfront lifestyle in beautiful Cape Coral Florida.
Impressive Stats – Lee County Real Estate February 11, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Buying Real Estate, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Fort Myers FL Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate, cape coral homes, fort myers homes.Tags: cape coral homes, cape coral market, cape coral real estate, fort myers homes, fort myers market, fort myers real estate, lee county real estate
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Along with record-breaking sales in December (a 146% increase over December of 2007), there are some other statistics on Lee County home sales that are showing that Lee county real estate market (Cape Coral – Fort Myers) is a hot commodity and the pace is picking up dramatically. Three month and year to date home sales charts are below. Inventory, which was a 21 month supply a year ago is now just a 4.2 month supply.
Three Month Activity
The above chart shows that over a six month period (Nov 13 2008 – Feb 12 2009) most propeties are selling in less than 90 days:
- 75% of the homes and condos on the market during this period sold with in 90 days.
- Of those, 44.7% homes and condos sold within 30 days.
Also in the above chart, the final ratio of the selling price to the asking price is narrowing, with properties that are selling within 30 days going just a few percentage points under the asking price.
Year-to-Date Activity
Since January 1 of 2009, total sales volume of homes and condos in Lee County is just under three hundred and fifty million. The exact figure is $342,075,785.00, with $209,000,000 in pending transactions and $133,000,000 sold.
During this period, the average days-on-market is 70. And we see the same pattern of the selling/asking price ratio – homes selling within 30 days are going just a few points under list price. These are impressive figures given that we are only 43 days into the 09 calendar year.
Translation for Buyers?
The most important take away from these figures is that sellers – whether they be foreclosures or individual owners – are pricing to sell. When the price gets to the right amount for that category and location of home, the property sells quickly, and sellers are no longer willing to wait 6 months to get the price into that sweet spot that will get it sold.
This also is clear evidence that the much anticipated buyers coming back to the market after years of pent up demand is now reality.
Source: Greater Fort Myers and the Beach Multiple Listing Service.
Postscript: This message was sent to all Greater Fort Myers and the Beach Realtor Association Members on Feb 13, 2009:
“Yesterday, our January housing stats were released to the media which included the good news that our current inventory levels are 4.2 months, down from 21.5 months a year ago. Unfortunately, this message was lost as the media outlets used a statistic not released by the Association, but attributed to us, focusing on the decline in the median single family home price vs. the height of the market.”
Browse Current Listings by City:
Lee County Real Estate Market Update January 27, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Fort Myers FL Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate - International, Real Estate Industry, Southwest Florida Real Estate, cape coral homes, fort myers homes.Tags: cape coral real estate, fort myers real estate
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Lee County Florida is once again making headlines – and it’s good news on the real estate market. While local Real Estate Agents have known for some months that the market is turning and inventory is selling, it has taken the media a while to catch up.
“Home Sales Rises Dramatically,” was the headline in this morning’s New Press, the local daily paper for Lee County FL that reported Cape Coral-Fort Myers area home sales were up in December, 2008 a whopping 146% over the December, 2007.
And for the year end 2008, existing home sales were up 43% over 2007 year end.
Low prices are pulling buyers from across the United States, Canada, and Europe. It’s now possible to buy a condo on Fort Myers Beach for $250,000 for example. Cape Coral pool homes in the northern section of the city that have been foreclosed can be purchased for $100,000 or less.
Sailboat access homes in the SW Cape can be found for under $500,000 with some older homes in the $300,000 range.
And for the higher end buyers, as an example, a Rose Garden home on SW 11th Ave that were listed at $1,300,000 during the boom time is now listed at $749,000 – a drastic reduction from the asking price three years ago.
These are just a few examples of the excellent opportunities on the market right now. Below are links to homes for sale in the Lee County area – browse the listings to get an idea of what’s available for use the Property Organizer to search and save listings at www.SageRealtor.com.
Related post: Impressive Stats for Lee County Real Estate
Source for Statistics: Florida Association of Realtors and Fort Myers Association Multiple Listing Service.
Browse Homes for Sale at These Links (Categorized by City):
Fort Myers Beach Homes for Sale
Naples Boat Show 2009 January 18, 2009
Posted by Brenda in Real Estate Industry.add a comment
The 2009 Naples FL boat show is coming up this week – Thursday Jan 22 through Sunday Jan 30. View details at the Marine Industries Association of Collier County web site.
Cape Coral Holiday Boat-A-Long – 32nd Annual December 8, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Boating, Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: cape coral events, cape coral holiday boat parade, christmas boat parade
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Cape Coral Holiday Boat-A-Long
December 21, 2008
32nd Annual Cape Coral Holiday Boat-A-Long
Four Freedoms Park- 4818 Tarpon Court
4:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Boat Parade starts at 7:00 PM
One of our favorite things about the holidays in Florida is the annual Christmas Boat Parades. Creativity abounds as local boaters deck out their vessels with lights, costumes, music and holiday cheer.
At Four Freedoms Park in Cape Coral, landlubbers gather in the Bimini Basin before the boats begin meandering through the canals of south Cape Coral. Along with providing an ideal seat to watch the illuminated vessels, the park features live holiday music, decorated trees, Christmas crafts, food and beverages for sale.
Geo’s Italian Restaurant Now Open In Cape Coral November 5, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.2 comments
Geo’s Italian Restaurant brings a wealth of family owned and operated, community based, experience to Cape Coral. The owners, George and Lauren Lukas, Rear Admiral Richard (NOAA, ret.) and Alisa Behn, are all in the community as residents of Cape Coral.
The Lukas’ have previously been part of the highly successful chain of italian resteraunts which their success lead to George Lukas being selected as the Olney Business Person of the Year for 2006. Geo’s has a wealth of expertise when it comes to the many challenges of starting and running a successful business, like how to combine fresh ingredients- to create authentic Italian dishes that you’ll enjoy sharing with your family & friends.
Boomers Buying Southwest Florida Vacation Homes November 2, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Buying Real Estate, Cape Coral FL Real Estate, Real Estate - International, SW Florida Lifestyle, Southwest Florida Real Estate.Tags: cape coral real estate, cape coral vacation homes, fort myers real estate, fort myers vacation homes
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The News-Press reports today that boomers are buying up vacation homes in Southwest Florida. As the price of houses in Lee County goes down, baby boomers are also coming down — with retirement or vacation homes on their minds. The SageRealtor Group team can attest to that. Nearly 90% of our buyers are boomers from the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Michael Timmerman, a Naples-based senior associate with Fishkind & Associates, an Orlando-based economic consulting firm, said the uncertain future on Wall Street may be persuading some people to buy homes here.
“They say, ‘I can either keep my money in the stock market and watch it go down or I can buy real estate at the bottom and hopefully it’ll come back up,’” Timmerman said. The sales reflect the long-term trend.
In particular Cape Coral’s real estate market is climbing back on the backs of legitimate buyers. Investors with the means to hold property and families and retirees looking to settle in the Cape are starting to snatch up houses. According to figures from the Lee County Property Appraiser’s Office, the number of single-family homes sold this year is up an average of 50 percent this year from the last.
Read more about buying vacation homes in Southwest Florida in the Southwest Florida Real Estate newsletter.
Learn about different types of investment property in Southwest Florida.
View a List of Cape Coral Homes for Sale
Red Sox Spring Training to Stay in Fort Myers November 2, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.add a comment
From the News-Press, Nov 2, 2008
The Boston Red Sox signed a deal Saturday with Lee County that could keep the team in Lee County beyond the middle of this century. Commission chairman Ray Judah said the team would like a new stadium in south Lee County by 2012 but would be willing to wait until 2013 for the entire facility to be ready. The stadium, according to the agreement, will resemble Fenway Park, the team’s home in Boston.
Cape Coral Cocofest Nov 7-9 2008 November 1, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: cape coral cocofest, cape coral festivals, fort myers festivals, souwthest florida events
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This year’s Cape Coral Cocofest at SunSplash waterpark is jam-packed with family activities and evening concerts. The celebration is Nov 7-9th, 2008.
Evening concerts:
Friday Night – COCO Country – Craig Morgan
Saturday Night – COCO Rock Grammy winners – Survivor
20+ Captivating Carnival Rides! • Live Music with National Performing Artists! • Creative Coconut Contests and Crafts for the Kids! • Fabulous Fireworks Display! • Festive Food, Games and More for All Ages!
Fort Myers Beach Sand Sclupting Festival Nov 5-9 2008 November 1, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.Tags: fort myers sand sculpting festival, souwthwest florida festivals, things to do in florida
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22nd Annual Sand Sculpting Festival, Nov 5-9 2008
The American Sandsculpting Championship Festival is one of Fort Myers Beach’s most popular events every year. Masters of the craft and amateur sand sculptors join to create amazing works of art.
Visit the Festival’s web site for details. Get a calender of events, meet the sculptors, find out about transportation options and more.
City Calls for Research Park Bids October 27, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Southwest Florida Real Estate.add a comment
Representatives of fifteen construction, architectural and engineering firms are interested in Cape Coral’s planned research park in the northern part of the city. The research park has the potential of providing hundreds of construction jobs. So far, more than 50 requests for proposal forms have been pulled off the Web site for the research park. For a request for proposal form, go to www.capecoral.net.
Cape Coral Farmers Market is Back for Season October 25, 2008
Posted by Brenda in Factoids, Fun, and FAQs, Florida, SW Florida Lifestyle.add a comment
The Cape Coral Street Market is back for season. The event offers fresh, local produce, fruits, bakery items, fresh seafood, cut flowers, jewlery and much more.
The Cape Coral Farmers Market will be open October 25th, 2008 through May 9, 2009.
Location:
Club Square Parking Lot
SE 47th Terrace ad SE 10th Place
