Fort Myers Real Estate Blog

April Home Sales Up 32% From Last Year

2008-05-14T17:36:00.005-04:00

The Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, Inc. reports that a total of 684 existing single family houses were sold in April.

That's a 32 percent increase in the number of single family houses sold compared to last April. In addition, 1176 single family homes are pending, reflecting a 47.2 percent upswing since April, 2007. Most encouraging are the absorption (supply in months) rates as the current absorption rate for single family homes is 9.9 months, well below December, 2007 when there was nearly 23 months of inventory up for sale.
"We're seeing a gradual improvement in the market and are optimistic that with the current interest rates and affordable inventories in the market there is a window of opportunity for many residents who had been unable to afford a home in recent years," said Ron Carpenter, President of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, Inc.

The median sales price is $180,000, up 21 percent from 2003 levels, but down from year ago by 16 percent. Moderately priced inventories are moving as buyers are taking advantage of the lower interest rates and the affordable property values in the market. Based on the 4-month trend, it is anticipated that existing single family home sales will out-pace 2007 sales by 30 percent. "It is apparent that buyers are seeing the value of homes in Southwest Florida and are entering the market at increasing numbers."- Jenny Moorhead, Amerivest Realty of Lee Island Coast

Florida Weekly, May 14, 2008

Market Takes Off On Lower Prices

2008-05-08T10:41:00.001-04:00

Naples & Bonita Springs Florida - Pending sales have reached their highest levels since August of 2005, nearly three years ago; while median home prices are at four year low. They have hit month over month highs the last two months, with April sales even outpacing March sales, bucking the normal seasonal trend.

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Naples Florida Real Estate Market Turning Around

2008-04-13T11:23:00.001-04:00

With the more affordable prices and lower interest rates, showings and sales for homes priced at $300,000 or less have picked up over the past four or five months in Naples Florida.

"Certainly you can help a lot of people right now," said Michael Sopka, a broker-associate for Amerivest Realty in North Naples, who found a home for DeMinico.

At 31, DeMinico longed to buy his first home and decided the time was right after watching prices fall. Though he's only lived in the area a few years, he knew about the ups and downs of the market because his parents bought a home in Naples in 1989.

His home, which cost him about $207,000, is new and in a gated community with basketball and tennis courts, and a fitness center.

No one else has lived in the home. Like so many others investors, the original buyers purchased it in hopes of turning it around for a quick profit and then got caught with a home they didn't want when the market soured. The home sat on the market for more than a year, DeMinico said.
"I got lucky," he said. "They just wanted to unload it because they wanted to sell it. They couldn't really rent it."

His Realtor also worked with TIB bank to get him a loan that only required a $600 downpayment.

In south Lee County, deals can be found at such upscale golf communities as Bonita Bay and Pelican Landing.

A few weeks ago, Mary Catherine White, a Realtor at Amerivest, had floor duty. She got a call from a couple from Chicago looking to buy a retirement home in the area where they could spend part of the year. She took them out the day they arrived in town, and by the next day they had made an offer after finding a great deal on a two-bedroom condo at the Brooks, a gated community in Estero.

They got more than they wanted and paid $180,000, a price that even seemed to surprise White.

"Nobody can believe that we got something for that price in the Brooks," she said.
The home was once listed at $369,000.

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Posted By Amerivest Realty to Naples Florida Real Estate Blog

Real estate professionals can help when purchasing new homes

2008-04-06T09:56:00.001-04:00

Finding and purchasing a newly constructed home is a completely different experience than looking for a resale home. Here are 10 advantages to using a real estate professional when buying a newly constructed home.

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Signs of Real Estate Market Bottom

2008-03-31T11:25:00.001-04:00

The big question everyone is asking these days is "When will the bottom of the real estate market occur?" The bottom of the market may be closer than you might think.

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David Cole, Realtor of the Year!

2008-03-10T10:57:00.005-04:00

Amerivest Realty of Lee Island Coast would like to congratulate David Cole as the Naples Area Board of Realtors, 2007 Realtor of the Year!
Laura Layden of the Naples Daily News Wrote:

When David Cole sets his mind to something, he gets it done.

And he does it the way it should be done.

For everything he’s done for the Naples Area Board of Realtors (NABOR) and the community, the association on Saturday night named him Realtor of the Year during its annual Night of Honors at the Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Florida.

“He demonstrates a lot of leadership and integrity in everything he does,” said Joe Ballarino, broker and president for Amerivest Realty in North Naples.

The Realtor of the Year Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments made in the past three years. Winners must have been involved in NABOR for at least eight years, and exude a positive image for the industry.

Cole, is President and Broker of Amerivest Realty of Lee Island Coast and Director of Business Development for Amerivest Holdings. Since joining NABOR in 1994, he’s served on 11 project teams and committees for the local and state associations.

He’s been especially active with NABOR’s political action committee, where he’s organized events and served as chairman in 2006 and 2007.

“When David sets his mind to something, there is no stopping him. I am proud to have David as a business partner. He is the consummate professional” said Jenny Moorhead, Vice President for Amerivest Realty of Lee Island Coast in Ft. Myers. Cole served on NABOR’s board of directors for five years. In 2003, he was elected vice president/secretary.
At one time, he was treasurer of the SunshineMLS LLC Board of Managers and also served as president of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach.

Cole has worked in real estate for more than 23 years. He’s spent 19 of those years in Southwest Florida.

Before opening Amerivest Realty of Lee Island Coast, he was broker/vice president of operations at VIP Realty Group in Fort Myers, one of the largest firms in the area with six offices and 232 agents. He owned his own Century 21 franchise, and worked as a sales associate at Re/Max Realty Group.

Amerivest Realty of Lee Island Coast OPENS!

2007-10-09T14:05:00.000-04:00

Amerivest Realty is please to announce the opening of Amerivest Realty of Lee Island Coast located in Fort Myers, Florida. I'm thrilled to see such a strong leadership team, the partnership between Jenny Moorhead and David Cole provides excellent experience for associates in that office to draw upon." - said Joe Ballarino, President & Founder

Jenny will be the manager of the office and has over 20 years of residental real estate and property management experience. Jenny loves the independence and sense of personal responsibility that comes with entrepreneurship. She holds a bachelors degree in Business Management. "In the end it's all about helping people find homes where they'll be happy and call home or sell homes where they'll take the greatest advantage of the equity they've built." - Jenny Moorhead

The primary goal of the office is to create the most efficient and satisfying real estate experience for consumers, agents and brokers while also ensuring a company-wide commitment to enriching the lives and culture of the communities they serve. Further, to develop a market leading real estate company that is centered around integrity by delivering superior products and services at the best value.

Their Competitive Advantages:

Search engine technology that delivers world wide exposure to our sellers while providing buyers a comprehensive resource to locate, preview and analyze real property with ease.
Extensive state of the art package that includes web tools, technologies, such as customizable IDX agent websites, contact management systems, unique web training and support not delivered by real estate companies in today’s changing market.
These products and services coupled with a dynamic culture and a 100% commission structure provide the agents the freedom and control to increase their success and profitability.

Blog Access/Guidelines

2007-06-28T18:30:00.000-04:00

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