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With the explosive growth in the South Fort Myers area in recent years, its not surprising to see a new restaurant being built or moving into a new shopping center space. And while there are dozens of worthy entries to consider, locals have their own favorites, and for good reason. Let’s take a look at five of the most intriguing, unique, and tasty restaurants, starting at Page Field Commons at the corner of U.S. Highway 41, also called Cleveland Avenue, and Fowler Street and head south. We’ll look at different styles of cuisine, offering a little something for everyone, depending on what you’re craving. The Standard at Page Field Commons The tradition set by their first location in downtown Fort Myers continues at this innovative restaurant’s new location in South Fort Myers. The atmosphere here is part hip and trendy and part down-home. All of the food is fresh [...]

Today, it doesn’t take an internet genius to set up many automated systems in your home for smart connectivity. Anyone can do it whether you’re building a new home or improving an existing home. Many people think that a smart home is equipped to do things like turn the air conditioning on and off and regulate the temperature, but the current smart home tech can automate many other functions of your home, saving you money while eliminating manual house tasks. About half of U.S. households have at least one smart home device in a market that generates more than $123 Billion dollars this year. Although major players include Amazon® and Google®, there are many more providers that offer connectivity products and services to wirelessly operate almost everything in your home via the internet, and some that even work without any internet connection. A reliable WiFi connection is an important [...]

The city of Cape Coral was officially born in 1957, and what has happened there over the last sixty-five years regarding the housing market has seen many ups and downs. The market is often ranked in connection with the Fort Myers Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area market, (SMSA), but that does not always tell the true story of what is happening on the Cape. The booming city, the largest between Tampa and Miami, is quickly realizing its own prominence. Over the last 2 years, specifically, the real estate market here has seen a robust increase in sales and a big jump in the average home sale price, much like other areas around the U.S. But the question is, will that continue, or is it cooling along with other markets, and at what pace? In real estate, longevity is the name of the game. If you invest in real property, whether [...]

Unless you’ve purchased a Florida condominium or lived in one as a tenant, you’ve likely never had to deal with the condominium association and their board of directors. It can be a bit of an eye-opener for people who have lived in a single-family home, specifically one that is not governed by a Homeowners Association, commonly called the HOA. Don't Learn About Florida Condo Boards the Hard Way Many people who are relocation to Florida – particularly those of retirement age – will find out what a Condominium Association and their Board of Directors is the hard way, and that means by not following one or more of the many rules and regulations that govern the condo buildings and community. It may even start before you move in, if the Board of Directors does not approve you for membership, especially if you are planning on renting one of the [...]

In mid-June of 2022, the Lee County Commission voted to sign a settlement that ultimately approved a 6,600-plus acre site off Corkscrew Road in southeast Lee County which is planned for 10,000 homes, hotel, and other commercial space. The agreement followed a lawsuit against the county filed by Corkscrew Grove Limited Partnership in 2011 for denying the company the ability to mine for lime rock on the property. That lawsuit would have cost the county $63 million dollars. A hearing examiner recommended approving the development to avoid facing the lawsuit. The property is along south Corkscrew Road in Estero and the developers, the Cameratta Companies, is promising a new connecting road to SR 82. Cameratta has a long history of residential and commercial development in Lee and Collier counties and has promised to dispel any concerns about development of this land, used previously for agricultural uses. Two Sides of [...]

Anyone buying or selling a real estate property likely knows about the role a property appraisal plays in almost all transactions. The appraisal of a property can help indicate its actual value and play a major role in the pending sales transaction. Typically, the bank, mortgage company or other funding source will require and order a property appraisal. As you may expect, the party that has the most on the line – the lender – wants to know they’ve made a good mortgage loan and the appraised value is within their guidelines. The lender will have a list of their approved appraisers and schedule one of them to go to the property for an evaluation. The buyer applying for the mortgage is charged for the cost of the appraisal, typically between $250.00 to $500.00, depending on details like the square footage of the home, the age, whether it’s a [...]

Naples, Florida has long been known as an upscale home and seasonal retreat for the world’s wealthy seeking the finer things in life. In the Downtown Naples area, the glittering good life is epitomized along the chic 5th Avenue South, stretching from U.S. Highway 41, (also called Tamiami Trail), to the sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico in south Naples. Naples is ranked among the leading cities in the country for per capita income and home to – at least part of the time – the second highest number of millionaires per capita. Naples enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the most desirable locations for high-income people looking for the ideal life in paradise. And when the urge hits for an exquisite dining experience, upscale “retail therapy” or selecting the perfect piece of fine art or collectible for your home, 5th Avenue South is second to none [...]

If you’re in the market to buy a home now, you will be facing more costs when it comes to financing your mortgage. Current mortgage loan rates are the highest they’ve been in more than 22 years, and the Federal Reserve has indicated they may raise them more. The percentage rate for a fixed 30-year mortgage in Florida as of mid-June was 5.99% APR. At this time last year, the rate was 2.96%. The government raises the Federal interest rate in their attempt to battle inflation, which many experts feel only helps send the country into a recession. During the recent 2-year buying frenzy for homes across the country and particularly in Southwest Florida, many people were shut out by other buyers offering more for a prospective home, often in all-cash deals, beating them out of the property. Some were waiting to buy until the interest rates went down, [...]

Within the last 2 years, even with the COVID19 worldwide pandemic taking the country to its economic knees, the construction of new homes in Southwest Florida has seen an impressive surge in activity. You can hardly drive down any residential street or within any gated community without seeing multiple job sites teaming with activity. While the sale of existing real estate inventory has been reported as extremely active with homes selling in just days in some instances, those looking for a brand new home to be built for them need to follow a different path. Selecting the homebuilder for you, whether within a private development offering inventory models by the builder who is developing it, or for a homesite you may already own, takes a little research and getting answers to a lot of questions. A Look at the Numbers In Southwest Florida, new-home, gated residential communities are developing [...]

It's no secret that the real estate market, specifically in Florida, is still experiencing a strong seller’s market, with some residential properties often selling for above the asking price and in just a few days. If you are thinking of cashing out, you may ask yourself how much should you spend in repairs when selling your home. Some real estate authorities point out that there are currently more homes coming onto the market than in the last two years, and that may begin to reduce the average price point. Still others feel that more inventory will not necessarily cause prices to fall. In either case, if you’re making the decision to sell your home in today’s market, there are things you’ll need to consider before signing a listing agreement with a REALTOR®. Some of the most critical questions you’ll need to answer relate to how much “home improvement” you [...]