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The following End of Year 2011 sales data covers some of the best locations for luxury properties in Florida. It includes the cities of Bonita Springs, Naples and Marco Island and will give you an idea of what the market is doing in the much sought after neighborhoods in places like Port Royal, Olde Naples, Pelican Bay, Barefoot Beach and Cape Marco. Luxury Florida Property Sales $1 Million - $2 Million Total Sales of 527 versus 463 in 2010 - up 14%. 315 Homes Sold versus 302 in 2010 - up 4%.... Read Full Post

Once again, Florida ranked in the Top 5 for best states for taxes on business according to the 2012 State Business Tax Climate Index report from The Tax Foundation. The index focuses on how a tax system enhances or harms a state's businesses by looking at dozens of state tax provisions to create the ranking – a single, easy-to-use score that measures each state's tax climate against every other state. While some states moved up and others down, Florida has remained very steady for eight yea... Read Full Post

The 2011 end of year Sanibel and Captiva real estate market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Captiva and Sanibel Islands are two of the most sought after destinations in all of Southwest Florida. Everything you could wish for from sunning, shelling, wave running, fishing, sailing, or just relaxing are available and most of it is just minutes away from anywhere you are located. Both markets offer many home choices that are just terrific; seaside condominiums, Gu... Read Full Post

The 2011 end of year Fort Myers Beach real estate market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Fort Myers Beach is the "happening" locale on Southwest Florida's Lee Island Coast. The Beach offers every amenity you can imagine-from seven miles of wide sandy beaches, golf, boating, fishing and more than anything else - relaxing. The Beach is definitely eclectic and diverse; it draws visitors from all over the world and you'll find all sorts of folks from generations o... Read Full Post

The 2011 end of year Cape Coral and Fort Myers real estate market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Cape Coral, known as "The Cape," is a boater's and fisherman's paradise and offers almost 200 miles of salt water canals with Gulf access. It is the 3rd largest city in Florida in terms of land mass with nearly 115 square miles of residential and commercial space. Over 55% of its population is under 44, so the city is family oriented, schools are important, and th... Read Full Post

The 2011 end of year Bonita Springs and Naples real estate market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Bonita Springs is quickly emerging as one of the most dynamic coastal communities within all of Southwest Florida. Known as the "Gateway to the Gulf", the city features numerous picture postcard perfect beaches, charming neighborhoods, and championship golf courses, all enticing you to want to stay forever. Bonita Springs Real Estate Sales Data Total Sales of 1,62... Read Full Post

Acting Federal Housing Administration Commissioner Carol J. Galante announced FHA will extend its temporary waiver of the 90 day anti-flipping regulations through the end of 2012. According to Commissioner Galante, "the new extension will permit buyers to continue to use FHA-insured financing to purchase HUD-owned properties, bank-owned properties, or properties resold through private sales. It will allow homes to resell as quickly as possible, helping to stabilize real estate prices and to r... Read Full Post

We found this interactive map online that was published by the NY Times that is a nice tool for looking at the county-by-county population change data from the 2010 Census. It includes 12 map options, some of which pertain to real estate. For example, you can look at the number of occupied and vacant housing units and the changes in vacant housing units over the time period. In looking at the data for the state of Florida, you can see that many counties saw increases of over 40% between 2000 ... Read Full Post

You just cannot make this stuff up, at least not in the real world. However, in the so called reality that is the political realm of Washington, D.C., anything is possible. Yesterday, the administration announced changes to the Home Affordable Refinancing Program (HARP) that are no better than those that were in place back in the heyday of NINA liar loans. You remember those. Well, under this program, things are eerily similar. No credit review, check. No appraisal per se, check. Limited equi... Read Full Post

The downward trend in Southwest Florida foreclosures abated somewhat in the 3rd quarter. In Lee County, foreclosures rose slightly in September (0.3% over August), ranking it third in the state. The review shows that 1,378 Lee county housing units were in foreclosure (one in every 265), down from 3,823, or nearly 64% from September 2010. In Collier County, foreclosures spiked to 503 housing units (one in every 386), up 54% from 326 in August, but still down 60.3% from 1,267 units in September... Read Full Post