Who Pays if a Neighbor’s Tree Falls on Your Property and Causes Damage
Thu Dec 29 2022, 1:40 pm
Who Pays if a Neighbor’s Tree Falls on Your Property and Causes Damage? There’s an old philosophical question that has been debated for millennia: If a tree falls in the forest but no one hears it, does it make a sound? While I’m not, ahem, going to attempt to solve th...
Florida Property Insurance Changes
Thu Dec 29 2022, 1:35 pm
Florida Property Insurance Changes Lawmakers of both political parties agreed that the homeowners’ insurance market is in a crisis that has been escalating for years. Six Florida insurance companies have gone out of business in 2022 alone. Why? While Florida, in 2019, accounted...
Sonoma Oaks
Thu Dec 29 2022, 1:33 pm
Sonoma Oaks Townhouse homes at Sonoma Oaks, a new condominium community located off Collier Boulevard near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Naples, will begin to become available in March 2023. This gated community features a large swimming pool with cabanas, a lake and attached two-story homes. Th...
Holiday Events in SWFL
Tue Dec 13 2022, 3:12 pm
Holiday Events in SWFL With the holiday season swiftly approaching we can't help but feel the spirit of the season all around us. For some, Florida has been home forever. For others experiencing the holidays wearing flip flops and sunglasses can be a completely foreign feeling. So, whethe...
The U.S. Government will Be Guaranteeing Loans for Multifamily Landlords
Tue Nov 29 2022, 8:14 pm
The U.S. Government will Be Guaranteeing Loans for Multifamily Landlords Contrary to popular opinion Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not actually issue any mortgages. Rather, they guarantee mortgages that banks issue, providing that the borrower meets certain criteria. So, if a borrower d...
Home Sellers are in Short Supply!
Thu Dec 8 2022, 12:15 pm
Home Sellers are in Short Supply! The main reason home sellers are in very short supply can be answered in two words: mortgage rates. Folks who are happily ensconced in their homes and are paying a mortgage rate of about three percent (perhaps a bit more or a bit less), are all asking t...
National Housing Market Update
Tue Nov 29 2022, 7:50 pm
National Housing Market Update According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) existing home sales, nationally, fell 5.9% in October, and 24.8% year over year. These are indeed steep drops. Further, October represents the ninth straight month of falling home sales. All four majo...
How Will the Hurricane Affect Prices and Demand in Southwest Florida?
Mon Oct 31 2022, 4:10 pm
How Will the Hurricane Affect Prices and Demand in Southwest Florida? According to a study by Florida Atlantic University, Southwest Florida had the most overvalued residential real estate in the country. While many would expect real estate prices to take a severe hit shortly after Ian,...
Mortgage Rates Surpass Seven Percent
Mon Oct 31 2022, 4:06 pm
Mortgage Rates Surpass Seven Percent As of Friday, October 30th, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has soared to a more than a two decade high of 7.32%. The Federal Reserve (the FED), in an effort to bring down inflation has been raising the federal funds rate. (This is the rate that comm...
Smaller Homes Are Back in Fashion
Mon Oct 31 2022, 4:00 pm
Smaller Homes Are Back in Fashion Redfin, a national residential real estate firm, conducted a study which concluded that the recent rapidly rising mortgage rates are leading to a strong trend of homebuyers opting for smaller homes. “Rising rates, combined with home prices that ar...
What are the odds of your home value raising or falling over the next year?
Sun Oct 2 2022, 2:12 pm
What are the odds of your home value raising or falling over the next year? CoreLogic, is a highly respected California based corporation, providing financial, property, and consumer information, analytics, and business intelligence. The company analyzes information assets and data to p...
Mortgage Rates Rise Above Six Percent
Sun Oct 2 2022, 2:06 pm
Mortgage Rates Rise Above Six Percent For the first time since the Great Recession of 2007/2008, mortgage rates have risen above 6%. And last week the Federal Reserve (the Fed) raised interest rates again to the tune of a very aggressive 3/4 of a point for the third consecutive time. (W...
Florida Fights Back
Sun Oct 2 2022, 2:36 pm
Florida Fights Back “We’ll get through this,” said Vice Mayor Richard Johnson of Sanibel Florida. “And we’ll come out on the other side better than we were going in.” “Our entire staff is safe and although the restaurant sustained incredible...
The Pros and Cons of Going Solar
Sat Aug 27 2022, 3:39 pm
The Pros and Cons of Going Solar Get ready for another article with some level of complexity in terms of whether it’s a good idea, from a financial standpoint, to install solar panels in your home. As the cost of energy keeps rising, it would seem installing solar panels should...
Stability is Coming Back to the Market
Sat Aug 27 2022, 3:34 pm
Stability is Coming Back to the Market In all markets, whether we’re considering equities, fixed income, or real estate, reasonable availability leads to price moderation and stability. And all markets function in a healthier way during stable, more predictable time frames. All...
The Isles of Collier Preserve
Sat Aug 27 2022, 3:29 pm
The Isles of Collier Preserve Pre-sales at the Isles of Collier Preserve’s coastal collection began with four new model homes on June 25th. The community, located in Naples, is just a four-mile drive to the famed 5th Ave with its fine dining, cafes, premier boutiques, art gallerie...
Fort Myers and Naples Rank as Some of the Safest Cities to Live in
Thu Jul 28 2022, 4:01 pm
Fort Myers and Naples Rank as Some of the Safest Cities to Live in According to U.S. News and World Report, there is extremely welcoming news, in general, for residents of the Sunshine State. But there is even better news for residents of southwest Florida. US News and Wor...
Foreclosure Rates are Slowing Across the U.S.
Thu Jul 28 2022, 3:59 pm
Foreclosure Rates are Slowing Across the U.S. According to the June 14th issue of Forbes Magazine, foreclosures in the U.S. are showing surefire signs of slowing. One of those important signs is that in May (the latest month for which there are definitive data), foreclosures, nationally...
Covid Lapse in Employment no Longer an Issue for Financing
Thu Jul 28 2022, 3:55 pm
Covid Lapse in Employment no Longer an Issue for Financing By September 5th, The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has ordered lending institutions to update guidelines to make it easier and less complicated for both salaried workers and the self-employed to qualify for loans if they...
SkySail
Wed Jun 29 2022, 10:52 am
SkySail This Gated community in East Naples, on Oil Well Road, sits on 246 acres of manicured gardens featuring verdant, lush landscaping. Multiple lakes dot the property. All the homes are single family (one or two stories) and can best be described as Bahamian in style. SkySail will be read...
Is a Soft-Landing Still Possible?
Wed Jun 29 2022, 11:04 am
Is a Soft-Landing Still Possible? Everyone knows, at this point, the economy is in tatters. With inflation at a forty-year high (8.6%), gas prices at their highest point in history, hovering around five dollars a gallon (in some states six dollars a gallon), and mortgage rates rising fa...
Beware of Summer Rental Scams
Wed Jun 29 2022, 10:33 am
Beware of Summer Rental Scams Apartment and home sales scams are not the only type of cons aimed at the retail real estate market. Crooks who engage in this con have figured out that summer home renters are far less likely to be suspicious. After all, these folks are in a good frame of...
New Jobs Outpace New Homes
Mon May 30 2022, 1:08 pm
New Jobs Outpace New Homes Due to favorable economic conditions during the past decade, there has been strong job growth (except during the worst months of the pandemic) which continues until the present. However, homebuilding has not kept pace in many of the nation’s big metropol...
Pets are Affecting Buyer Preference
Mon May 30 2022, 1:04 pm
Pets are Affecting Buyer and Tenant Preferences During the pandemic, when homebuyers were seeking more space in a home, usually in the suburbs and exurbs, they didn’t forget about Rover. Many buyers (and renters) sought space with a backyard and durable flooring. Not only did more...
Real Estate Fraud Via the Internet
Mon May 30 2022, 1:00 pm
Real Estate Fraud Via the Internet With every technological advance, new dangers arise for the consumer. And the internet is no exception. Unscrupulous actors create new methods to scam the innocent. Home buying offers just such an opportunity for these cyberage thieves. Since real e...
Rising Gas Prices are Discouraging People from Commuting
Tue Apr 26 2022, 5:48 pm
Rising Gas Prices are Discouraging People from Commuting With gas prices soaring, Americans are reporting they’re planning to drive less. Further, these rising oil prices also profoundly impact home heating bills. Since it is less feasible to turn down the thermostat in cold weath...
Lee County is Now the Second Fasted Growing County in the State of Florida
Tue Apr 26 2022, 5:45 pm
Lee County is Now the Second Fasted Growing County in the State of Florida The state of Florida, in general, has seen a major increase in population in recent years, and southwest Florida was no exception. This trend has continued through 2021. In fact, Lee County, the home of Fort Myer...
Are Rising Mortgage Rates Affecting the Housing Market?
Tue Apr 26 2022, 5:43 pm
Are Rising Mortgage Rates Affecting the Housing Market? As U.S. Home sales continue to heat up this spring, the highest mortgage rates in over a decade may act as a counterweight to the buying frenzy that has gripped the market. Home sales surged in 2021 to a fifteen-year high (the h...
The Tides at Bayfront
Mon Mar 28 2022, 9:34 am
The Tides at Bayfront The Tides at Bayfront is a new addition to the original Bayfront condo community, completed in 2000. The Tides will be ready for move-ins in the second half of 2023. This upscale development features colorful European architecture with intricate designs, reminis...
One Naples
Mon Mar 28 2022, 9:32 am
One Naples One Naples is the epitome of luxury and elegance. If you’re seeking a Naples residence of extraordinary features, space, and top of the line amenities and you have the budget for it, One Naples may be the place for you. This one-of-a- kind resort lifestyle-style comm...
How to Win a Bidding War
Mon Mar 28 2022, 9:30 am
How to Win a Bidding War In a hot housing market, you’ll likely face stiff competition from other buyers. To improve your odds of coming out on top, you’ll need a plan of action. Here are some pointers to increase your odds of winning the battle for the home you covet:...
Tamarindo naples
Sun Feb 27 2022, 11:21 am
Tamarindo Tamarindo is a new community located in Naples on Sabal Road, just east of Collier Boulevard between U.S. 41 and I-75. Naples’ beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, with its ten miles of pristine white sands, voted the best beaches in the country by The Travel Channel, is just...
The Island at the West Bay Club
Sun Feb 27 2022, 11:14 am
The Island at the West Bay Club If elegance and ultimate luxury are your desires in a new home and you have the wallet to match, The Island may just be the place for you. The Island will be a hi-rise condominium building which will have 86 units and stand 23 stories high. The community,...
How Much Will the Federal Reserve Boost Interest Rates?
Sun Feb 27 2022, 11:11 am
How Much Will the Federal Reserve Boost Interest Rates? With inflation rising 7.5% compared to a year ago, the largest increase in forty years, the Federal Reserve is set to raise the federal funds interest rate. (This is the rate that banks are permitted to charge when they lend money...
The Tsunami of Foreclosures That Never Came
Wed Jan 26 2022, 5:15 pm
The Tsunami of Foreclosures That Never Came ATTOM is one of the premiere data gathering real estate online marketplaces that covers industry-specific information including valuations, borrower and seller details, sales trends, and tax values. But their foreclosure and distressed propert...
Mortgage Rates are Expected to Rise in 2022
Wed Jan 26 2022, 5:13 pm
Mortgage Rates are Expected to Rise in 2022 The Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome Powell, announced last week that the Fed will be raising the effective funds interest rate (the rate banks charge other banks when they lend to one another) at least three times in 2022. Historically, these...
Buyers Regret Waiting for Lower Prices
Wed Jan 26 2022, 5:08 pm
Buyers Regret Waiting for Lower Prices A common human behavior is to seek the most optimal conditions before making a decision to act. A classic example is seen in the stock market, where many folks who want to invest in a particular stock decide to wait and try to purchase the shares w...
Getting Your Home Ready to Sell
Mon Dec 27 2021, 7:14 am
Getting Your Home Ready to Sell If you’re planning to sell your home, there are certain steps you should take to sell it quickly, and sell it for a price that you are seeking. Here are some key tips to increase your chances of achieving both. Understand the true value of...
The Challenges of Buying a Fixer-Upper
Mon Dec 27 2021, 7:12 am
The Challenges of Buying a Fixer-Upper Once upon a time, when a homeowner wanted to renovate there was a simple system in place. Choose the materials to suit your taste, hire a contactor (or if your skilled in this craft, do it yourself), and then start the work. But now, things have ch...
Cryptocurrency Makes an Impact on Real Estate
Mon Dec 27 2021, 7:09 am
Cryptocurrency Makes an Impact on Real Estate Nowadays, people would be wise to familiarize themselves with cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, and other digital currencies. These new instruments of doing business may become the wave of the future. Try not to be intimidated by it, but instead take...
Home Seller Scam Hits Florida
Mon Nov 29 2021, 9:20 am
Beware: Home Seller Scam Hits Florida Con artists are forever seeking novel opportunities to swindle people out of their hard-earned money. They are on the lookout for new circumstances to develop new scams. They understand that when a new situation arises, people are far less likely to...
The Zillow Fiasco
Mon Nov 29 2021, 9:16 am
The Zillow Fiasco Zillow is an online real estate media company that generates revenue by selling advertising on its website. In 2011, Zillow and Yahoo Real Estate launched a partnership which created the largest real estate advertising network on the web. But in an effort to expand...
Labor Shortage Affecting Homebuilders
Sun Nov 28 2021, 12:57 pm
Labor Shortage Affecting Homebuilders According to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) latest survey, single-family builders and remodelers are facing a severe labor shortage, unmatched in the history of the yearly survey. This simple fact is heavily responsible for skyrocke...
Where are Home Prices Headed in 2022?
Sat Oct 30 2021, 5:22 pm
Where are Home Prices Headed in 2022? The online real estate marketplace, Zillow, released an important article concerning where real estate prices are heading in 2022. The article had a major impact in that Yahoo Finance, Fortune Magazine and others have written entire articles devoted...
Corkscrew Estates
Sat Oct 30 2021, 5:19 pm
New Community: Corkscrew Estates Corkscrew Estates is a new, private, gated community featuring 59 homesites. Each single-family one and two-story homesites sit on an almost one-acre lot, a very large lot size by any measure. Because the community does not offer outdoor sporting activit...
Institutional Investors are Entering the Rental Market
Sat Oct 30 2021, 5:17 pm
Institutional Investors are Entering the Rental Market Savvy investors are continually seeking both new avenues to improve their rate of return on investments and to diversify their portfolios against risk. Now, with the residential real estate market soaring, these money managers, hedg...
Verdana Village
Mon Sep 27 2021, 4:51 pm
Verdana Village Steeped within preserves, Verdana Village combines the best of life’s necessities with the pleasures of high-end recreational facilities. The community boasts residential retreats, commercial conveniences (restaurant and bar), ample amenities, and environmental enh...
Ventana Pointe
Mon Sep 27 2021, 4:49 pm
New Construction: Ventana Pointe Ventana Pointe, located on Cormorant Drive in North Naples is now pre-selling, and ready for move-in, in 8 to 11 months. The community will consist of 77 one and two-story single-family homes. There will be no CDD fees. The location of the community i...
Homebuyer Sentiment Rising
Mon Sep 27 2021, 4:45 pm
Homebuyer Sentiment Rising The latest monthly forecast (August 2021) by Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey (August 2021), found that the net share of Americans who think it’s a good time to buy a home rose in August for the first time since March. When one considers concer...
What is the Future of the Exurbs?
Wed Sep 1 2021, 9:01 am
What is the Future of the Exurbs? During the 1950s, vast numbers of American families entering the middle-class fled from city centers and moved to the suburbs. Today, a similar movement is taking place to the exurbs. If the term is not familiar, that’s because the word is of rece...