According to recent census numbers, many of our Southwest Florida homeowners are having a hard time making their mortgage payments.  This, obviously, is not good news.  A very high percentage of mortgage-holders in this area are now spending more than 35% of their income on home/mortgage-related payments.  This includes not only the mortgage payment itself [...]

Last night as I was out for my typical walk of a few miles around the neighborhood after dinner, I happened to come upon some kids on their bikes speaking with a boy in a golf cart who was out taking a spin around the block.  What I knew, because I was involved in the [...]

  Forbes magazine recently named Sarasota-Bradenton and Punta Gorda on its list of “America’s Recession-Resistant Cities For Real Estate” but, perhaps this is because they were looking at the present conditions as opposed to the past.  What they are likely recognizing, which is a good thing, is that it appears prices have been stabilizing in [...]

Since the beginning of the Great Recession one thing seemed to keep the Southwest Florida market hobbling along.  That was the sale of the distressed properties for under $100,000.  Since the beginning of 2011 the percentage of homes in that price range that have sold has been shrinking and, because of that, the average sales [...]

  The Case-Shiller Index is the “Bible” of tracking instruments when it comes to measuring what is happening in the housing market.  According to this index, the prices for homes purchased are up for the third straight month in most major US cities.  In fact, in 19 out of 20 cities tracked, the numbers are [...]

When it comes to buying property in Southwest Florida, you had better get out your wallet and turn over the cash in order to be competitive.  The reality is that as a part of the post-boom ramifications, buyers are paying for their home or condo in cold, green cash about 60% of the time.  Gone [...]

When it comes to buying property in Southwest Florida, you had better get out your wallet and turn over the cash in order to be competitive.  The reality is that as a part of the post-boom ramifications, buyers are paying for their home or condo in cold, green cash about 60% of the time.  Gone [...]

This may be a tough real estate market for many areas and in many price points but it would appear that someone forgot to tell the residents of the lovely little island of Boca Grande this information.  At the beginning of 2011 there were 25 homes at the high-end of the market for sale and [...]