Gulf Coast Associates' Blog: Real Estate Information

If you're looking for Luxury Florida golf real estate, there is no better place to look in Naples other than Grey Oaks.

Grey Oaks surrounds the prestigious Grey Oaks Country Club, offering 54 holes of championship golf on three distinctly different courses that provides everyone who plays there a most memorable golf experience.

The community has something for everyone with designer furnished models, decorator-ready models, maintenance free villas and estate size home sites on the Gordon River Trail with opportunities to custom design your dream home by some of the area's finest builders. In addition,most of the home sites feature spectacular golf course and lake views and range from a half-acre to nearly a full acre in size.

Grey Oaks Quarterly…

If you're looking for Luxury Florida real estate, there is no better place to look in North Naples other than Mediterra.

Mediterra is reminiscent of the authenticity of the Tuscan countryside and is an exquisite upscale gated community still in the development stage. Centered around two Tom Fazio designed golf courses and the 25,000 square foot country club at the Piazza, residents at Mediterra will enjoy one of the most exclusive lifestyles available on the Southwest Florida Gulf Coast. Residents also enjoy 200 feet of beach shoreline on the famous white sands of Bonita Beach at the community's private Beach Club which includes an elevated swimming pool, full service dining, and changing facilities.

Mediterra Quarterly Closed Sales Mid-Year 2005 -…

If you're looking for Luxury Florida real estate, there is no better place to look in Southwest Florida other than Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs.

Barefoot Beach is tucked away just on the Collier and Lee county border and is one of the most gorgeous beach communities on all of the SW Florida Gulf Coast. It is popular for its unsurpassed homes - long considered the "Rodeo Drive" of the area, the properties will delight the most discriminate buyer. Surrounded by nature and elegant homes, three miles of white sandy beach is right outside the door of many of the residents. For those with a taste towards boating and fishing, the island also backs up to mangrove and intercoastal waterway - supporting Gulf of Mexico access through the Bay for deep… Read Full Post

The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) today announced the creation of a Client Bill of Rights to help protect home buyers in their home inspection process. According to Bill Loden, chairman of the ASHI Code of Ethics Committee, the Client Bill of Rights is designed to help the general public better understand how ASHI members and their Code of Ethics will serve them.

The intent is to shift the focus from the inspector to the client and is a commitment from ASHI members to uphold the highest standards of service and conduct a thorough, unbiased and honest evaluation of their clients' prospective homes. According to Loden, "our ethics are no longer simply a set of rules that our members strive to follow, they are more a commitment they offer to…

The Internal Revenue Service has recently issued a new ruling laying out some guidelines for individuals wanting to use a 1031 Exchange for their vacation homes. The ruling was released as a Revenue Procedure (2008-16), meaning it describes what steps the taxpayer must take in order for the IRS not to contest the investment standing of their vacation homes.

This issue came to the forefront last year when the U.S. Tax Court ruled against a taxpayer's exchange from one vacation home to another. Since you can only exchange property that is held for investment (or used in a trade or business), the court's ruling gave rise to the question of whether a vacation home is an investment or personal use property. The new guidelines are an attempt by the IRS to try…

Just a reminder, only two days remain for Florida homeowners to apply for a homestead exemption and for 2007 homebuyers to apply for the new property tax portability provision passed in the Constitutional amendment voted into law on January 29th.

To receive these benefits, residents must take action prior to March 1, 2008. Please pass this information on to your neighbors, friends and family.

Increased Homestead Exemption

Floridians who live in their homes as permanent residents are “homesteaded,” which grants them certain tax benefits. However, homestead status is not automatic. New homeowners must declare themselves to be homesteaders by March 1 of each year to their local property tax appraiser.

A major benefit of declaring a homestead is the…

As professionals involved in the real estate and mortgage industries, we know all too well about the sensationalizing the press has managed to do with regards to the housing downturn and the mortgage crunch. Obviously, that's what they do best. And, in their eyes, they truly believe they are doing the right thing - you know, looking at our industries with a skeptical eye and keeping the public informed. However, every day we see another "headline grabbing" story about how terrible things are and if something doesn't happen soon, real estate throughout the country is going to sink into oblivion.

Well, in the interest of the consumer, here are some items you won't see widely reported in the media that will hopefully help bring some balance and perspective…

What Are The Typical Characteristics of a Florida Home Seller?

Based on a review of NAR’s “2007 Profile of Florida Home Sellers", the answers to this question are interesting and provide real estate professionals with a glimpse into who their potential selling clients are and what they expect when selling their home.

Florida Home Sellers Characteristics

• The median age of home sellers was 48 years.
• 69% percent of home sellers were married.
• 51% of home sellers traded up to a larger home when purchasing their next home.
• The typical home seller owned their home for 6 years.
• 53% of recent home sellers reported that they undertook home improvement or remodeling projects prior to putting their home on the market.
• The typical home…