Miromar Lakes - Fort Myers, Florida.  The stunning entry is the first indication that this community is different from any other in Southwest Florida.  From the grand entry there is a refreshing surprise or amenity at every turn First and foremost, the Miromar Beach Club, Spa & Fitness Center are the centerpieces of the community.  A wide and varied list of concierge services is available for members.  Intertwined with over 700 acres of lakes, the Miromar Beach Club is the hub of activities.  The aqua blue lakes provide enjoyment for sailors, swimmers, pleasure boaters, water-skiers and fishermen alike.The Blue Water Beach Grill, next to the spa, offers residents a private club atmosphere where it is easy to make new friends, entertain family and be a part of an active lifestyle with re... 03/25/2007

Fort Myers" River District" Master Plan shows healthy Real Estate    The vision of Fort Myers Downtown Distric Redevelopment started in the year 2000-2001 with the Genesis Group and DPZ which had a master Plan to transform the heart of Fort Myers and its 534 acres.The first plan started in 1986 and  due a tremendous growth and economic health another vision was needed indeed. I recall very well the first time I drove downtown in the mid 1990's and saw the start of renovations block after block, building after buildings which is now into its phase II or called its Master Plan.Its no longer called downtown but the River District.I l will call it Downtown River District like many others..          What struck me most is the willingness to of the city to have both Public and private investm... 03/20/2007

In Southwest Florida the days of multiple offers and lotteries for properties ended about two years ago. I am kind of happy and also sad about it. I am happy because we have turned to a much more normal market and the flippers are gone. I am sad because a dog with a note in his mouth could sell anything and commissions during that period were great! Let's face it I make my money selling Real Estate! A stable market is much more conducive to sustained growth than is a rampant market. It is also scary to watch the per sq. ft. price of a home increase by $10.00 a sq. ft. per month. In Florida we also have the problem that was created by the severe increase in property values and the rapid decrease when the market turned and it is called Property Tax!! Non-resident home owners in Florida ar... 03/15/2007

         The City of Palms Park    Night lights The lights towers shined down upon City of Palms Park. in Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida, has been the home of the charismaticRed Sox since the opening of the new Ball Park in 1993 and have become a fixture in Lee County during the Spring Training.Gone are the days when the Red Sox were called bums are often as brilliant. We all remember the 2004 World Series against Saint Louis, who was a no show, but mostly the American League final against their arch enemy and fantastic power house The New York Yankees  or playfully called the Evil Empire.  But in 2004 The Curse was finally broken  (AP Photo)Fight during 2007 Spring Training 4 the Curse of the Bambino The Babe with the Red Sox in 1918  The last World Series won by the Red Sox was in 19... 03/10/2007

  Search Fort Myers MLS City of Palms: A Snapshot of Beautiful Fort Myers, FloridaFort Myers:  A Colorful History Ponce de Leon came to Fort Myers when he explored areas along Southwest Florida's Gulf coast in 1513 & 1521. During the last half of the 1700s the area was a base of operations for bands of pirates raiding the cargo ships sailing to and from the port of New Orleans.  When Florida became a US Territory in 1821, no more than ten families lived in the original Fort Myers town. However, by 1885, Fort Myers had population of 349, and was the second largest town on Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast. That same year Thomas Alva Edison was cruising Florida's west coast and stopped by to visit the village of Fort Myers. Captivated with what he saw, Edison built his home and laboratory, S... 03/09/2007

I want to alert you all to MAJOR changes in the mortgage industry.  I'm sure you all have seen articles, news, e-mails, etc. about mortgage companies closing their doors.  It is happening everywhere.  In fact, several of lenders are now out of business.  Why?  Read on for a segment of a March 1, 2007 article from the Wall Street Journal: "At issue are mortgages made to people who fall in the gray area between "prime" (borrowers considered the best credit risks) and "sub-prime" (borrowers considered the greatest credit risks). A record $400 billion of these midlevel loans -- which are known in the industry as "Alt-A" mortgages -- were originated last year, up from $85 billion in 2003, according to Inside Mortgage Finance, a trade publication. Alt-A loans accounted for roughly 16% of mort... 03/09/2007

                                                                             Finding a home in todays world is pretty easy, as well as finding all the information you will need to make an accurate choice on a Realtor to help you with your purchase. There are all kinds of web sites for real estate that shows homes for sale , school information, home values, tax information, local market values and the list goes on and on. You just want to make sure what you are reading is correct and makes sense. Some general real estate websites and lead generation sites, just advertise what you want to hear to get you to call them. The advice of a Realtor for accurate information is priceless and they will back up there information with true and the most current data that they will share with you for F... 03/06/2007

The Calusa Herpetological Society is not rare.      As I was promoting in localism.com the area of Iona Fort Myers, I stumbled on an unusual society.These herpetological  societies are under the umbrella of The Green Iguana Society, which is even more troubling because it means that other states besides Florida have these strange get together's. I am all for the conservation of the natural order of the animal kingdom, our reptiles, critters,snakes, amphibian and other creepy crawlers. There are at least 50 societies of the kind all over the USA. Mind you they do care about these animals and a lot has to do with protecting them,caring for them , adopting the creepy pets and rescuing them, have them in their living room and above all teach the public about their use in the cycle of nature... 02/26/2007

The community of Iona , has long been a favorite of Fort Myers visitors and residents. As you drive from Fort Myers Beach or sanibel towards cape Coral along Mc Gregor blv, you will discover why Iona is considered one of the better areas of Fort Myers. With over 12, 000 residents, it is part of South Fort Myers, Lee County. You will notice immediately why Iona is so popular. Its near the beaches of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, the center of town of Fort Myers, the airport, the South West international Airport and it has also on its canals and miles of frontage along the Caloohatchasee River.       Caloosahatchee River   The Calusa Herpetological Society Of Southwest Florida of Iona Its about 5 miles fromEdison Community College and even closer to Barry University towards Cape Coral 10 ... 02/26/2007

After major increases in 2004 and 2005 which saw in some cases 50% hikes for homeowners insurance, and Governor Charlie Crist pushing in Jan 31 for a new legislations to prevent insurances from renewing  "one the spot" insurance policies, we have now a twist. Floridians have been following the difficult dilemma the state, the Insurance companies and policyowners all year and most of us are crossing our fingers. Insurance companies have started to "think"of challenging the new rule that prevents them from increasing rates and premiums.That figures. We were told at first that they could terminate policies if they sent a cancellation notification to policyholders'  100 days before they re-new and file in March. That does not include Citizen which covers a large portion of policy holders an... 02/20/2007

CALUSA PALMS  Located in South West Fort Myers on A & W Bulb rd, South West of McGrergor Blvd, Calusa Palms is one of my favorite community. It is a gated community with 146 single homes and 184 carriages homes. Its is situated only 6 miles to the Fort Myers Beach and also about 15 mn drive to Sanibel Island. The privacy and calm of the road and area as you drive from Gladiolus is one of the reasons I always enjoy showing homes at Calusa. Amenities include a 2400 sf community center, fitness center, swimming pool, play area, tennis courts, putting green and bocce court.Many of the homes are circling around man made lakes, and enjoy water views.         You may enjoy a carriage home  with their 8 units per building, 2 or 3 bedrooms and a 1 car garage.The lanais are screened and these cor... 01/26/2007

    Awesome New Construction Loft Condo in Downtown Ft Myers. St Tropez loft unit with beautiful river views. 2745 1st st unit L9, Ft Myers, FL 33916 - New Unit under construction. Loft is on first and second floor overlooking intercoastal waterways St.Tropez offers luxurious amenities to include concierge, billiard room, home theater, exercise room and edgeless pool. St. Tropez is located in the Historic Downtown River District of Fort Myers. Two similar units recently went under contract at $399,900. Your price only $299,000 - Pics and info here - http://www.buyahousefromray.com/sttropezL9 Beau Rivage 14th floor unit - High rise views and High end living space in Historic downtown River district, Fort Myers, FL. 2797  1st St #1405,  Fort Myers, FL  33916 - Tenant in place until June p... 01/25/2007

Much was anticipated when the House voted with a overwhelming 116-2 to cut our insurance rates.  The Senate followed by an unanimous vote and approved to curb down an ever growing home insurance cost which was already straining millions of homeowners.  These who were hardest hit were of course homeowners along the coasts, who had seen a spike in rates, especially after Charley.  With real estate already dropping in sales all around Florida, over 30% and more, with many large developers postponing new projects, large home  inventory flooding our counties, rise in concrete and steel for new homes, taxes in numerous counties raising their taxable assessed values, Florida has managed to sell more homes in 2006 then it ever has, except for: (no surprise here) 2005!  One cannot deny Florida a... 01/24/2007

KNOCK - KNOCK -You Need to See the Signs Having a background in the investment banking business has given me some insight into viewing some similarities to the current real estate market. I can remember during the "Jimmy Carter Era" when I was selling municipal-bonds and the interest rate was at record rates, some as high as 12 - 16% tax free. I remember people saying, "I don't think we are at the top yet!" I would always ask do you not feel that a 12-16% return tax free is a good rate. So the truth of the story is that some people missed an opportunity to own good bonds that produced a great tax free return because they thought the rate would rise and thought they could pick the perfect time to buy tax free bonds. Let me ask you what I used to ask them, how much more do you have to see... 01/05/2007

December showing numbners are out for the RE/MAX office in Fort Myers, Florida.  December numbers were actually very strong considering showings decrease a few weeks before Christmas.RE/MAX Showing Index SW Florida can be found here along with October and November showing statistics. 01/03/2007

Since being a kid I was always curious to find out why people chose a profession and not another. You have had these mature classmates in high school who had always known they would be doctors. I had no idea. A friend of mine, Daniel, knew at the age of 13 that he would be a doctor.He sounded goofy but when he had to he would always get A's in science and math.At that point I didn't know if I was going to stay in France, being raised there, or go to college in the USA.I thought at one point to make it a go in tennis, got ranked , but when a friend of mine came back from some training in Winbledon for talented kids,beat me without trying very hard I knew I was good but not good enough.    Paris was an exciting city, it is a Moveable Feast. One could enjoy the slower pace of the europeen ... 12/28/2006

Hello AR members! I wanted to tell a bit about Joan B, Lindauer, Home Loan Consultant for Countrywide. A short while ago I invited Joan to join AR. Since she has arrived and because she has been busy she just put in a basic profile. I know where her office is because Her office is also at the same Real Estate company I work for.  I had met Joan at some party which celebrated the opening of our second office we now have in Cape Coral.Joan had now a plush office and was doing some promotion for her business with each of us getting an appraisal coupon discount of $300 for our next buyer.Outside the new office, boss Jack Solloway, owner of Real Estate Network Services had set up a tent with kharoki for agents, family members, clients and guests.My wife was singing The Wall by Pink Floyd and... 12/28/2006

With all the experience that we are acquiring while staging homes ourselves, and the strong amount of knowledge exchanged at Active Rain or with the help of a  consultant, shouldn't we use all of this knowlege when representing a buyer?Many of us work with buyers who are either relocating or investing from afar. While presenting these potential properties to your clients, we can also use the technique of reverse staging. You may still look at all the details and flaws(after, of course, you emphasize the pluses of the home), therefore providing an objective description. In the case of  a family who wishes a prime location but is limited by income and budget, conducting a reverse staging will inform your client as to what is expected to be fixed and for roughly how much, and this will sol... 12/27/2006

We have heard many times our friends in Canada complaning about their taxes on US soil. This is a dicey situation  as if a Canadian does not return to his country within 160 days they may just cut off their cherished health care. Germans for example are a big part of the growth in Lee County and in Cape Coral alone they add over $200 millions a year in business. Mexicans, specially Argentinians, Venezuelians are buying more then ever and are not to be denied.England and Holland are at the top of countries who invest the most in the USA in Real Estate. Ireland with its new found success since joining the Europeen Common Market has become the top or near top country in Europe for growth, unemployement and overall increase in GNP. India as we have seen is a center for high tech ( though ta... 12/20/2006

Sometimes when I try to mix pleasure with work I wonder around the area of Ft Myers also known as the Historic district, and drive not only with a client or two in my mind, but am taken by the Old Florida area of Mac Gregor and take another look at these South West FLoridian Victorian homes where Edison and Ford used to reside in the winter months side by side. The homes where build in 1916 and still have their original furniture"   Edison & Ford Homes. I bought with me a couple of addresses of homes of interest for one of these clients and was surprised by the willingness of the present owners to have kept this Old Florida charm as it was but restored and modernized.Under is an example of a home which caught my eye and is for sale for $449,000 with over 1800 square feet with its orgina... 12/19/2006