Real Estate News

Top Lee County Home Sales – January 2010

The most expensive home to sell in Lee County Florida during January 2010 was a Fort Myers riverfront single-family estate located at 14000 Schultz Road, Fort Myers.

Cramer Optimistic on Florida Real Estate

For those of you considering dipping your toe in the Florida real estate market, Jim Cramer believes that we are at the bottom. The supporting logic behind this proclamation is that builders stopped new construction in Florida two years ago and inventory is being absorbed by our continued low interest rates. Cramer suggests [...]

Top Lee County Home Sales – March 2009

The most expensive home to sell in Lee County Florida during March 2009 was a single-family bay-front home located at 1571 San Carlos Bay Drive on Sanibel Island. This recently renovated home overlooks San Carlos Bay with expansive views to Punta Rassa and Pine Island. This home offers 3,121 SF and features 4BR and [...]

Top Lee County Home Sales – January 2009

The most expensive home to sell in Lee County Florida during January 2009 was a single-family home located at 11515 Wightman Lane in Captiva. Whightman Lane is located in the village of Captiva and is one block north of the famed Andy Rosse Lane. This home is 2,650 SF and features 5BR and 5BA.

The [...]

Sanibel is Boca Grande Alternative

The New York Times published an informative column on the Lee County barrier island of Boca Grande.

Boca Grande sits just north of Cayo Costa Island and offers unprecedented peace and tranquility. Boca Grande residents have the opportunity to rub elbows with the rich and famous as recent visitors have included George H. W. [...]

Sanibel Vacation Homes

Humorous column about vacationing on Sanibel in the Sunday Times UK by Irish columnist Terry Prone.

The second home market in Southwest Florida is busier right now than it has been the last two seasons. Throughout the real estate market downturn, the Sanibel real estate market has remained relatively stable. Sanibel will never be [...]

Sanibel New Construction Approved

Sanibel Planning Commission Approves Chateaux Sur Mer project

After a nearly a year of contention between Chateaux Sur Mer homeowners, their neighbors and the city planners, the Sanibel Planning Commission gave the go ahead to building a new waterfront home.

This case was a classic, “we don’t want a trophy home“ in our neighborhood debate and [...]

Ocean’s Reach Sanibel

Congratulations Ocean’s Reach, the first development on Sanibel Island to be designated a Florida Green Lodge by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Ocean’s Reach was awarded this designation by demonstrating best practices in communication, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction and clean air.

Ocean’s Reach is a beachfront development on the Gulf of Mexico [...]

Sanibel Condo Deals

Ever thought about getting a place on Sanibel?

I know, during your last visit you checked out a few units and cringed at the prices……..Might it be time to rethink Sanibel as a viable 2nd home option?

Today there are four Sanibel condos available for under $300,000 and a total of 36 available for under $500,000.

One [...]

Not So Big Architectural Movement

Here is an interesting concept from a local firm, the Seacoast Cottage Company. This company is developing a niche focusing on high-end not-so-big construction. In this era of trophy homes and over-zealous mcmansions, a focus on quality over quantity is a fresh and welcomed approach.

The Not So Big movement was created by architect Sarah Susanka, [...]

Second home tax trap

Passive losses not sure thing

Sanibel rental property owners Ed and Susan Hanna have learned a costly lesson about taking passive losses for rental property. In a nutshell, the IRS disallowed their taking passive losses and ruled that Susan Hanna could not work as a full-time database consultant and also qualify as a full-time real estate [...]

Sanibel starter homes

The bar is high and the ammenities are sparse

The phrase Sanibel starter home is truly an oxymoron, but for the ambitious dreamers there are some options. For starters, the bar is pretty high on Sanibel…….it takes a cool half a million to get into the game.

The average asking price for a single family home on [...]

Captiva and Sanibel tourism

Normalcy returns to barrier islands

Sanibel and Captiva are the bellwether for tourism here in Lee County. The success of our real estate market is interwoven with the ability of these resort communities to draw visitors to the region.

The continued health and growth of our market is dependent on the absorption of inventory by in-migration. Many [...]

Casa Yucca Sanibel

Sanibel Waterfront Estate for $18.9M

Casa Yucca, the former Sanibel home of CIA Director Porter Goss, is listed for $18.9M. This is currently the highest asking price for a home in SW Florida.

The nearly 3.5 acre waterfront site has 315 feet of gulf frontage along Sanibel’s gold-plated West Gulf Drive.

The home has six bedrooms, seven [...]

Spec vacation homes

Investors building high-end spec homes in luxury areasA growing trend in the luxury vacation home sector is the spec building of second homes by investors. Many investors are focusing on the ultra-luxury communities like Boca Raton and Park City, Utah.

According to the National Association of Realtors, 13 percent of all homes – or 1.02 million [...]