southwest florida real estate: MYTH BUSTING-GREEN HOMES-PART 2 - 01/31/18 12:23 PM

There is a great need for educating the consumer about the costs, uses of and benefits of Green technology that is sometimes labeled as a Green Home.
In my series: MYTH BUSTING-GREEN HOMES-PART 1, I shared the most common myth: Green Homes are Too Expensive.
In this post, I will look at the 2nd Myth: "Green Is All About Product Choice".
The truth is, it isn't about gizmos and gadgets.
A green home is about how the house is constructed (or retrofitted) to be more Energy Efficient. It is about promoting a healthy indoor environment.
An easy DIY project like putting new door seals and caulking windows … (20 comments)

southwest florida real estate: Myth Busting-Green Homes Part 1 - 01/29/18 05:17 PM

I recently asked the question of Realtors®: In your area is there interest in Energy Efficient Homes, also know as Green Homes?
There were several responses to the question that were very similar and were in fact in line with the most common myth regarding Green Homes.
Myth number 1 is: Building Green Costs More.
I believe this thinking is a carry over from several years ago.
Green technology was expensive and would certainly cause a person to hesitate to spend large amounts of money with a long wait to recoup the benefits of the savings.
For example:
in 1972 a Photovoltaic panel (solar panel) that would produce 1 … (17 comments)

southwest florida real estate: Cape Coral-No.1 "Boomtown" in U.S. - 12/16/17 07:12 AM

Cape Coral, Florida, has gone from "Bust" to "Boom".
After the housing market crash, Cape Coral was No.1 in U.S. for Foreclosures.
Now Cape Coral, has risen from the dust and according to an annual study done by SmartAsset, is rated No.1 "Boomtown".
What does it take to be rated a "Boomtown"?
1. A large influx of new residents.
    Cape Coral is showing an influx of net migration that is equal to 2.9% of it's population.
2. A growing Economy.
    From 2012 to 2016 the GDP grew 5.2%.
3. Housing Growth
    The housing growth rate was 7.1%
4. Unemployment Rate
    The unemployment rate decreased to 3.5%
 
Cape Coral … (30 comments)

southwest florida real estate: New Town in Florida-Babcock Ranch - 06/03/17 08:42 AM

It is rare to find a new town formed. But Florida now has a new town. It in not a development but a town.
Babcock Ranch is a New Sustainable Town in Southwest Florida.
About 20 minutes North of Fort Myers surrounded in natural beauty is the world's First Solar-Powered Town.
All the homes built here must conform to the town design of Florida style homes. In addition, all homes must have a Florida Green Building Coalition Certification.
The town offers many amenities that would not be found in most places. The town has been planned around shared natural spaced that run through the town.
Residents and guests … (43 comments)

southwest florida real estate: The Sandwich Generation-What Kind of Homes to Buy? - 05/09/17 06:01 PM

Younger Boomers, that is buyers whose age is 52 to 61 are often referred to as the Sandwich Generation. The reason is they often have children or grandchildren who move into the home as well as becoming caretakers for their aging parents.
The median age for this group is about 58 years old.
A traditional home often proves to be inadequate for this influx of people, who are different in age and interests.
The trend now is for the Sandwich Generation to look for the multi-generational home. In fact nearly 20% of this age group are most likely to buy the multi-generational house.
In my … (24 comments)

southwest florida real estate: Lee County Fl Market Update - 06/23/16 01:55 AM

In May 2016, Lee County had more properties coming into the market.
We see that Active Listings of Single Family homes were up 14% compared to May 2015.
As for Townhomes and Condos they show a much larger increase of units coming onto the market. They had a 36% increase over May 2015.
This means that Inventory increased 14% from May 2015. Inventory in May stood at 4.9 months.
Another interesting sign is that the Sale Price as a percent of
Listing Price stayed at 95.1%. 
 
Median Sales Price was Up 4.7% at $225,000
 
There were 4 Price Points that showed a positive increase in Sales:
$150,000-$199,999 up 34.5%
$200,000-$249,999 up … (5 comments)

southwest florida real estate: When Buying A House-Face Reality - 03/22/16 10:08 PM

Many people have a mental picture of what they want their new home to look like when they buy. But their picture may not always match the reality of what they can buy.
 
If a buyer has the picture of an isolated cabin in the woods and moves to South Florida, reality will probable be difficult to deal with.
What are some of the Reality Factors a Buyer will need to work with?
There are 3 Main Factors that Buyers will need to deal with realistically:
1. Location
2. Price Point
3. Fit and Finish
Location can be a very important part of the selection process. Many times … (11 comments)

southwest florida real estate: Lee County 24 Hour Market Report - 03/11/16 08:00 PM

I like to look at the past 24 hours to see what our local market is doing. In Lee County Florida over the past 24 hours the Market Report shows us the Residential Market has had the following actions:
 
1. New Listings were 194
2. Sold 105
3. Back on the Market 29
4. Listings Extended 34
5. Pending Sales 183
6. Price Increase 16
7. Price Decrease 222
 
8. New Listings included 22 homes with a Price Point of $1     million +. The highest price was $6,295,000.
9. The Sold homes had 11 that were $1 million or more. The highest priced sold was $3,150,000.
 
This market report … (6 comments)

southwest florida real estate: I Tried to Talk Myself Out of Working This Week - 02/09/16 09:24 AM
The weather has been unseasonably cool here in Florida. We have also had a lot of wind, up to 20mph. 
I had carefully planned my week out in advance and had put it in the calendar. The plan was for a full and busy week. I saw things come across my email that seemed like a good thing to do. Our Realtor Association had a class that I thought would provide helpful information to grow my business. I registered for it and started to change my calendar.
But then I reminded myself that I had established a plan and maybe I should work that … (26 comments)

southwest florida real estate: What to do in order to get mortgage loan approval - 06/24/14 10:01 PM

Many consumers who start thinking about becoming a home owner often do not have a realistic view of their credit position. Some think they can fool a lender and just tell them they have good credit, which never works. Others know they have weak credit but are serious about making it better.
Here are some great tips that can put you on the path to home ownership.
 
 to a score of
We advertise a lot to help out borrowers many of the BIG banks deny so we get asked this question quite often. Typically it goes something like this... … (10 comments)

southwest florida real estate: CAPE CORAL-RED WHITE AND BOOM! - 06/17/14 01:04 AM
CAPE CORAL-RED WHITE AND BOOM 2014

Red White and Boom is a must go place for Cape Coral fireworks and entertainment.
 
Have you ever watched fireworks from a bridge?
The Cape Coral bridge will be closed off to traffic and they shoot the fireworks from the middle of the bridge.

The party will take place at the foot of the bridge.  There will be food vendors and a kiddie activities area.

There will be a big stage with great entertainment to enjoy:
 
Kelleigh Bannen, is a country artist who grew up in Music City-Nashville.
 
Mike … (22 comments)

southwest florida real estate: Staging FAQ's- It's a Seller's Market! Why do I need to Stage my home? - 06/11/14 10:03 PM

As we move into a Seller's Market it is still important to present your home in the best possible light. A Seller's Market does not mean that Buyers will become less concerned about the condition of a house. 
Two things Sellers should always be concerned with when they put their home on the market are:
1. Length of time on the market
2. Will they get the best price.
 
To insure that the home sells in a timely fashion and for the best price, the house will need to show well to attract buyers.
Staging a home is just as … (10 comments)

southwest florida real estate: A DAY AT LOVERS KEY STATE PARK - 05/04/14 09:54 PM
A DAY AT LOVERS KEY STATE PARK
After a very busy week of work, I felt the need for a little rest. I have found the place I relax best is at the beach.
One of my favorite beaches in Southwest Florida is at Lovers Key State Park. It has miles of shoreline with great water views.
Getting to Lovers Key State Park, we drove through Fort Myers Beach. They were having their 19th Annual Taste of the Beach featuring Baywalk Blues Festival.
I was very tempted to change my plans and participate in the event. They have such great restaurants we could have sampled. There … (28 comments)

 
John Wiley,  Lee County, FL, ECO Broker, GRI, SRES,GREEN,PSA

John Wiley

Lee County, FL, ECO Broker, GRI, SRES,GREEN,PSA

Fort Myers, FL

More about me…

Address: Jones & Co Realty, 9403 Cypress Lake Dr Suite 3, Fort Myers, Florida, 33919

Mobile: 239.338.7927

Office: 239.415.5881



Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog