Nationally syndicated writer Scott Burns writes in the Austin Statesman about his newly found love – Cape Coral Florida’s real estate opportunity in his article “Cape Coral and the Recovery of Dreams.”

Today, after an improbable development, Cape Coral is every person’s dream of Florida, retirement and the good life — sunshine, water, fishing, 400 miles of canals and more sunshine. Not to mention golf.

And much of it is at a price people who actually work for a living can afford. …with the notable exception of cities like Detroit, you could sell your home almost anywhere in the country, move to Cape Coral and pocket some money.

His article also highlights the popularity of Cape Coral for international real estate buyers:

According to the Lee County Visitors Bureau, nearly half a million international visitors came to the area in 2010, with more expected when the count is done for 2011. Many come from such places as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

They come to vacation — and they come to buy with ready cash.

… more than 80 percent of foreign investors paid cash for their Cape Coral property. It isn’t difficult to understand. If you’ve ever been to Hamburg or Berlin during the winter, you know why the grass is so much greener in Florida that they will come here and pay cash.

We agree with just about everything in Mr. Burns’ article but we take a bit of an exception to the “sacrifices” he notes. We respond:

• Upscale shopping is just a 15 minute drive – a small price to pay for owning a home in waterfront paradise.
• Not enough Mercedes? Hmmm. We judge “season” not by the change in weather, but by the number of Benz’, Ferrarris, and Porches we see at any given stoplight on any given day (and a few gleaming Rolls here and there too).
• No anchovy sandwiches? We’re not 100% sure that’s true (and not terribly interested in fact-checking that one), but that’s okay, we can live with that.

This is just one of many articles recent extolling the recovery of Cape Coral’s real estate market and the Southwest Florida market and lifestyle. See related news: TripAdvisor, Frommers,  Yahoo Real Estate, Bankrate, and CNN Money (to name just a few).

Want to learn more about Cape Coral real estate? Visit these links for in-depth information:

• About Cape Coral Florida
• Where exactly is Cape Coral (Southwest Florida)?
• Cape Coral Waterfront Homes – Southwest Region
• Cape Coral Waterfront Condos – Southwest Region
• Cape Coral Waterfront Homes – Southeast Region
• Cape Coral Waterfront Condos – Southeast Region

And check out these waterfront resort communities with condos and single family homes for sale in the Southwest Cape Coral area.

• Cape Harbour real estate
• Tarpon Point real estate

Yahoo Real Estate posted the top five cities with rising prices today. “Sales in this appealing area, with its 400 miles of waterways and access to the Gulf of Mexico beaches, islands and fishing grounds, are steady (and traditionally rise with the arrival of winter snowbirds).”

Learn about Cape Coral and view Cape Coral Real Estate Listings here.

View the entire Yahoo / Kiplinger article here.

Sandoval was the first master-planned, gated community in Cape Coral and has remained one of the top-selling communities in Southwest Florida since its introduction, with ­120 new home sales in 2011 alone. There are 577 homesites remaining, or about a third of the overall total for the 524-acre community.

Resales of Sandoval existing homes and townhomes are also brisk. View MLS details on current Sandoval Listings here.

Steve Kempton, president of Taylor Morrison West Florida, said the homebuilder expects the brisk sales pace at Sandoval to continue. “Sandoval consistently accounts for about 50 percent of all building permits in the city of Cape Coral,” Kempton said. “Even as other areas slowed, Sandoval continued offering a price point and value that are enhanced by the amenities in the community. Families can’t find this package anywhere else.”

Our local paper has the headline today “Move Over Paris, Sanibel is Top Spot” according to the dean of travel writers, Arthur Frommer. We’re not surprised and it’s a long overdue accolade for Southwest Florida’s pristine beaches and casually elegant lifestyle. This designation follows TripAdvisor ranking Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach one of the top “up and coming” vacation destinations and ranking Captiva one of the top 25 beaches in the world.

Learn more about Southwest Florida with these links:

• Sanibel and Captiva Islands
• Fort Myers Beach – old and new Florida converge
• Cape Coral – the “little Venice”

Read the full News-Press article here.

Tarpon Point Resort Offers Discounts To Tournament Goers

Chix-N-Stix Ladies Fishing Tournament has turned into a series due to the high demand from lady anglers for more fun throughout the year and is holding another tournament this spring at Tarpon Point in Cape Coral. This is the only ladies fishing tournament of its caliber in Southwest Florida.

This popular ladies-only fishing tournament is fun-filled and more about female camaraderie than it is about competition — The Resort at MarinaVillage adds all the style, comfort, and service these lady anglers need.

On Saturday, the ladies gather their teams, board their boats (some cast their reels off docks or piers) and troll for Lady Fish (of course) to fill up their buckets. Proceeds from sales of the catch benefit Oasis Charter Fishing School.

Read more about the March 23 – 24, 2012 tournament here and here.

Visit the Official festival web site here.

View the TripAdvisor blog here.

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With plenty of inquiries on Cape Coral waterfront property prices recently—from both buyers and sellers—here is a quick update.

This update is for currently listed waterfront deep water residential lots with these attributes:

• Direct “Sailboat” Access building sites
• No bridges or locks
• Standard lot size (80 x 120)
• Seawall (bulkhead) in place
• Average canal width (80 – 120)

The MLS statistics show the median listed vacant lot asking price of 250K in the SE Cape and 400K in the SW Cape. Prices start at about 100K up river and max out at $1,000,000 in the Exclusive Gated communities of Tarpon Point and Cape Harbour. Bear in mind, these are the higher-end unrestricted waterfront properties in the Cape. Those that are Gulf Access (bridges) or on freshwater canals are lower priced (watch for an update on these). There are some very well priced “sailboat access” lots in the NW Cape that while unrestricted as to height are more suitable for smaller fishing boats due to canal depths and water depths in the Matlacha Pass. A good lot in the NW can be purchased in the 50k to 100k range.

Some waterfront properties to consider as a “vacant lots” have an existing structure on the site and are “listed at lot price.” Often these tear downs are very liveable and many can be found in the $150K to $200K range.

Overall, we believe the average waterfront vacant lot selling price (not the asking price as above) in this higher-end category in established, high demand areas is trending up and we do not expect  much decline beyond this price point.

The sale included the commercial properties including the Nauti Mermaid Grill and Bar, the Marker 92 gourmet restaurant, the shops along the marina, and the marina itself.

Cape Coral and Fort Myers were highlighted in two national studies – one from Realtor.com and one from Trulia – both suggest that our marked is in rebound if not already past that point.

Realtor.com’s placed Cape Coral and Fort Myers third in their list, citing:.

Fort Myers – Cape Coral: Median prices in Fort Myers-Cape Coral have increased year-over-year, foreclosures are down, inventory is lower and foreign buyers are attracted to the area’s real estate prices.

Trulia placed Cape Coral real estate and Fort Myers real estate as fifth in its list of the most searched listings.

From Florida Association of Realtors, Realtor.com, and Trulia.com.

Daily Real Estate News |

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Which cities are seeing median list prices increase the most? Nationally, median list prices have risen 1.60 percent to $190,000, according to year-over-year listing data from September 2011 by Realtor.com, based on 146 markets.

Yet, in some cities, median list prices in that time frame have risen more than 20 percent. Florida cities, in particular, are continuing to see some of the largest rebounds in list prices.

Here are the 10 cities that have seen the largest percentage increases in median list prices based on year-over-year data from September:

1. Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Fla.

Year-over-year median list price increase: 34.46%

Median list price: $215,000

2. Miami, Fla.

Year-over-year median list price increase: 25.63%

Median list price: $250,000

3. Naples, Fla.

Year-over-year median list price increase: 23.41%

Median list price: $369,000

4. Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.

Year-over-year median list price increase: 16.53%

Median list price: $233,000

5. Punta Gorda, Fla.

Year-over-year median list price increase: 14.07%

Median list%2

via 10 Cities Where List Prices Are Rising the Most | Realtor Magazine.

Move in Ready, Minutes to the Big Water

This beautifully updated pool home, with Southern Rear Exposure is ready to move in and enjoy this season’s winter in your new home in paradise.

This delightful 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car gar home is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood with curb appeal galore. You are welcomed with an inviting trellised entryway and then will find…

(1) real hardwood floors in the main areas
(2) new carpet in the bedrooms
(3) Gorgeous landscaping and curbing
(4) Barrel Tile Roof
(5) Dock with 8500 lb lift and Canopy
(6) new A/C and storm shutters, updated plumbing, water heater, and pool pump
(7) great appliances
(8) and may extras such as an Outdoor shower with Hot Water, NEW Fence, and Central Vacuum
(9) only 1 bridge to big water down the San Carlos canal
(10) a Peaceful view with an extra wide 100′ canal.

Make this YOUR special hideaway waterfront home!

Visit this link for full details on this Cape Coral pool home.

Home prices spiked up 17 percent in Lee County in September compared to a year earlier, even as the flood of distressed sales ebbed.

The median price of an existing single-family home sold in Lee County in September jumped to $110,600, according to statistics released Thursday by Florida Realtors.

There were 1,127 single-family homes sold in September, up 2 percent from 1,102 a year earlier, said the group’s report, which counts sales completed with the assistance of a Realtor.

The Naples Area Board of Realtors provides its data to the Florida Realtors, but doesn’t allow them to be publicly available. A separate release issued by the board said the median price in September was $169,000, up from $161,000 a year earlier. There were 491 sales in September, compared to 513 in September 2010.

In another report also released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors, the number of Americans who bought previously occupied homes fell in September. Home sales are on pace to match last year’s dismal figures — the worst in 13 years.

Traditional sales “are picking up the slack,” he said. “Our market has almost flip-flopped” since 2008 when 70 percent of sales were distressed. Now only 20 percent are — 13 percent short sales and 7 percent sales by banks that took a property back in foreclosure.

The inventory of unsold homes has also contributed to a stronger market, Grimes said: only 800 houses are available for sale now, down from 4,200 three years ago.

Real estate agent Cheryl Turner of John R. Wood Realtors in Naples said the stronger prices there are due to an increased confidence by would-be retirees that the worst is over for the national economy and the local real estate market.

“What I’m seeing is people in their 50s, but thinking when they’re ready to retire the markets going to have recovered,” she said. “They’re still in a position to pay for it while the market is down. They can get a foot in the door before the market recovers.”

The national association said that home sales fell 3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.91 million homes. That’s below the 6 million that economists say is consistent with a healthy housing market.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A $1 billion gaming resort with 1,500 hotel rooms is being proposed by a business group for The Forum at Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 in Fort Myers.

Let’s do it!

View the article at the News-Press.

Florida cities have had the largest year-over-year increases in average list prices, according to the latest real estate data from Realtor.com. Based on August data of 2.2 million listings in 146 markets, Florida cities make up nine of the top 10 places for highest year-over-year list price spikes.

Nationwide, the average list price is $320,325, up 2.36 percent year-over-year.

Here are the top 15 cities boasting the highest percentage of year-over-year increases in average list prices.

1. Miami
Average list price: $640,332
Year-over-year increase: 27.4%

2. Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Fla.
Average list price: $443,570
Year-over-year increase: 26.27%

3. Central-Fla. rural service area
Average list price: $405,809
Year-over-year increase: 19.41%

4. Punta Gorda, Fla.
Average list price: $267,066
Year-over-year increase: 16.37%

5. Macon, Ga.
Average list price: $193,520
Year-over-year increase: 15.98%

6. Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
Average list price: $466,785
Year-over-year increase: 15.86%

7. Naples, Fla.
Average list price: $713,087
Year-over-year increase: 15.13%

8. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
Average list price: $591,895
Year-over-year increase: 14.68%

9. Ocala, Fla.
Average list price: $193,360
Year-over-year increase: 12.07%

10. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
Average list price: $181,409
Year-over-year increase: 11.48%

11. Orlando, Fla.
Average list price: $319,419
Year-over-year increase: 10.56%

12. Portland-Vancouver, Ore.-Wash.
Average list price: $314,537
Year-over-year increase: 10.52%

13. Boise City, Idaho
Average list price: $212,588
Year-over-year increase: 10.43%

14. Springfield, Illinois
Average list price: $174,537
Year-over-year increase: 9.12%

15. Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
Average list price: $211,414
Year-over-year increase: 8.34%

Source: Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Realtor® Magazine Daily News

Michael Timmerman has been making prescient calls on the residential real estate market in Southwest Florida for 17 years.

As senior associate in the Naples office of economic consulting firm Fishkind & Associates, Timmerman accurately forecast the real estate downturn in late 2006. For example, he warned shopping-center developers early that speculative new homes built during the boom didn’t necessarily translate to new residents. Now they’re asking his firm to develop economic models to measure population growth and retail demand.

At an Urban Land Institute of Southwest Florida presentation recently, Timmerman said the housing market could be on track to deliver 5% to 6% annual price increases if current demand continues.

Timmerman says he’s encouraged by the fact that inventory has been slashed in half to about nine months. “That’s why our prices have been stabilizing,” he says.

Search the MLS for Southwest Florida  homes and condos for sale here.

via Home Inventory Shrinks || Gulf Coast Business Review | Tampa Bay, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples.

View Bankrate article here.

View Cape Coral homes for sale here.
View Fort Myers homes for sale here.
View Fort Myers Beach homes for sale here.

Search all Southwest FL homes and condos for sale.

Cape Coral, Fla. is paradise for water lovers. Photo at right is taken from the condos at Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral.

Population: 154,300
% over 50: 38%
Top state income tax: None
Cost of living index: 96

Lots of Florida towns have seen dramatic price drops, of course, but Cape Coral has something else going for it: It’s paradise for water lovers. The town is sliced with 400 miles of canals, half of which have access to the Gulf of Mexico, about 20 minutes away by boat.

Home prices here, for example, have fallen more than 60% since the 2006 peak. For homebuyers, that means a lot of bang for the buck: A newly renovated three-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot house with a pool was recently bought here for $145,000.

View Cape Coral waterfront homes for sale now
or
Search MLS for Cape Coral homes and condos for sale.

Learn more about Cape Coral Florida
and
Learn about Cape Coral’s waterfront paradise and find out about Cape Coral’s saltwater canals, freshwater canals, and other great information for boaters.

via 25 Best Places to Retire – Cape Coral, Fla. (2) – CNNMoney.

Lee County’s hiring outlook is among the strongest in the nation through the end of the year, according to a national survey conducted by global staffing firm Manpower Inc.

About 22 percent of employers surveyed said they expect to hire additional employees from October to January, while 6 percent expect to cut staff and 69 percent expect to hold steady, About 3 percent were undecided.

The 16-percentage-point difference between positive and negative views was second behind only San Antonio at 17 percentage points.”The amount of employment activity we are seeing certainly supports that,” said Barbara Hartman, spokeswomanfor Southwest Florida Works.

“I think it is indicative of the mood of businesses. They have been sitting on the sidelines with the revenue to hire, but waiting for signs the economy is improving.”Nationally, the outlook is not as strong, with 16 percent of employers expecting to add workers and 11 percent expecting to cut workers. About 18,000 businesses were surveyed.

via Lee No. 2 in upbeat employers | The News-Press | news-press.com.

601 Islamorada Blvd #26A: Price Reduced!

Upgrades and Gorgeous describe this 1st Floor end unit at Spinnaker Club Condo. Newer impact glass sliders and windows, granite counters, upgraded appliances, pantry, breakfast bar, diagonial tiles, upgraded baths, dual sinks in extended master bath.

Newer AC. Great garden and pool view. Walkout to common green space, grill area and community pool. Furnishings negotiable. Not a short sale or foreclosure.

2000 Marianne Key Rd #13A: Price Reduced!

Beautiful 1st floor unit. Large look, and feel with high ceilings throughout the lovely 2 story townhome. Screened lanai, walks out to greenspace and walking distance to community pool. Large kitchen, loft master bedroom. 2.5 baths!!

Tile throughout. Hurricane Impact Windows. Wood burning fireplace. Dual sinks, walk in closets in master. Move in condition.

Furnishings negotiable. Not a short sale or foreclosure.

View more condos and homes for sale at SageRealtor.com.

Congratulations to Mike and Kim on their purchase of this waterfront condo in Cape Coral FL

After a long search for just the perfect spot, Mike and Kim of Boston, MA have found their dream home in Tarpon Landings, a premier resort community in Cape Coral, FL. And their timing was excellent to leverage the market and acquire a 2900+ sqft waterfront condo at a bargain price.

Tarpon Landings is a waterfront community along the Caloosahatchee River in Cape Coral FL The resort offers 4 star dining, spa, boutique shopping, a marina, fitness and many more amenities. Once these Tarpon condominiums were released for sale, they began selling fast, at  a clip of nearly 5 per week. Fortunately there are many good units still available! All units have a view over the big water extending out to Sanibel and Fort Myers. All units also have at least two lanais – one in front and one for the guest quarters at the other end.

Newly built, the Tarpon Condos have open floor plans and wonderful appointed features.

“Oh, the smell of sawdust,” said Randy Thibaut, president and CEO of Land Solutions – a real estate company that specializes in handling sales of large amounts of undeveloped land.

After a tumultuous decade, the residential market is getting back to something approaching normalcy, he told the crowd of about 220 at Hodges University in Fort Myers.

Thibaut noted that in 2000, there were about 10,000 permits for single-family homes in Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties. That number quadrupled to 40,000 by 2005 at the height of the real estate boom. In 2011, the area’s on track for 3,000 to 3,500 permits.

He drew his most enthusiastic applause when he pointed to BB&T bank senior vice president and area executive Bob Bassett and said, “He’s here to loan money today.”

Bassett said things are looking up in Southwest Florida but that events on the national stage have given pause to some potential borrowers.

He was referring to the fractious debate in Congress over the national debt ceiling, followed by a see-sawing stock market and the Federal Reserve’s uncharacteristically direct assurance that interest rates will stay low for another two years.

“If I go back prior to two weeks ago we had a modest uptick in our demand for loans, our pipeline, and it was the cautious optimism out there,” Bassett said. “But the events of the past week – I think that creates a little uncertainty and some people who were ready to do projects may wait on the sidelines for a bit longer.”

But in the longer term, the signs are there that a recovery is under way in the local industry, said Fort Myers-based Darin McMurray, regional vice president of Lennar Homes, a large national home builder.

via Lee real estate experts say industry makes comeback | The News-Press | news-press.com.

• Learn about Cape Coral, Fort Myers, And Fort Myers Beach
• View existing Cape Coral homes for sale here.
• View existing Fort Myers homes for sale here.
• View existing Fort Myers Beach homes for sale here.

Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts :: Performance Details.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Within the next decade, 16 million new housing units will be needed to meet population growth and shifting demands, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies in its latest annual “State of the Nation’s Housing” report.

That means household growth, which has dropped drastically in recent years, will need to greatly reverse its trend to meet the forecasted spike in demand. From 2007-2010, household growth averaged about 500,000 per year – less than half the 1.2 million annual pace averaged prior from 2000-2007.

To absorb the current rate of foreclosed and distressed homes plaguing most markets, a more normal rate of household formation is critical, according to the report. However, household growth partially has stalled as young adults have delayed homeownership and immigration has slowed.

As such, in recent years, builders have drastically cut production of new homes.

“With inventories of new homes at historic lows, a turnaround in demand could quickly result in tighter markets,” the report notes. “Over the longer term, the number of younger households is set to rise sharply, supporting growth in the population that fuels growth in both new renters and first-time buyers. The path%2

via Housing shortage likely coming, report says.

Though that is actually a slight decrease from the original forecast of 2 percent, it is one of the most promising signs yet that Florida’s ailing and hard-hit housing market is on the mend after four years of plunging values.

Florida’s housing market was one of the hardest hit in the nation, the victim of an overwrought housing bubble, loose mortgage standards and a tourism-based economy.

The state’s housing woes have become fodder for national newspaper and magazine articles spotlighting the housing glut, examining over-developed South Florida subdivisions with plummeting home values.

But now Realtors, economists and property appraisers say they see signs of a housing market recovery.

“We turned the corner,” said state economist Amy Baker, though she cautioned the economic recovery is still fragile. Her forecast was part of a discussion Wednesday of adjusting estimated property tax revenue this year.

via State forecasts property value increases.

• Learn about Cape Coral, Fort Myers, And Fort Myers Beach
• View existing Cape Coral homes for sale here.
• View existing Fort Myers homes for sale here.
• View existing Fort Myers Beach homes for sale here.

All condos in Tarpon Landings are over 2800 square feet and have balconies front and back. The front lanai has expansive views of the Tarpon Marina, Sanibel, Fort Myers, the Gulf of Mexico and Caloosahatchee River. The higher floor units as expected offer the best views. There is also a sales incentive for those that purchase one of the units priced $450K or above – get a free pool side cabana (valued at $40,000).

Most of the condos for sale are not listed in the MLS, although a few are. Contact us to request a price list, floor plans, and find out which units are still available. Click “More” to view photos.

Tarpon Point – Davenport Floor Plan