Cape Coral’s real estate market has been less than predictable in
recent years; we have had our share of ups and downs.  As real
estate professionals there are ways to track the markets progress and
predict the changes to come.  This prediction comes in the form of
absorption rate.   The absorption rate is the rate in which
the market absorbs and eliminates inventory. We have broken down Cape
Coral price brackets and what it means to buyers and sellers.

Homes in Cape Coral with a price ranging from $0 to $150,000 have
turned over 4.5 times in the past 12 months and currently, we have 2.6
months of inventory available in that specific price range.

Homes in the price range of $150,000 to $200,000 have turned over 2.3
times in the last year and the current inventory is 8.5 months.

Gulf access homes in Cape Coral at no specific price point, in the
last year have turned over 1.4 times with an inventory of 8.5 months.

What do months of inventory indicate? Typically 1-4 months of
inventory indicate a seller’s market, 5-6 months is generally a balanced
market and 7 months or more points toward a buyer’s market.

How does this information specifically relate to buyers and sellers
of Cape Coral real estate?

Sellers

The absorption rate is very important to know. Since it tells
something about how long it might take to sell the home.  A higher
number of inventory typically means more competition from other
sellers.  A lower number may indicate that we are in a seller’s
market, so the need to make sure your marketing strategies are “spot on”
is detrimental to a quick sale.  Good marketing will insure your
home will be displaying a sold sign before you neighbors.

Buyers

Buyers also need to be aware of the absorption rate.  If the
market is shifting into a time of low inventory, it isn’t the time to be
throwing out “low ball” offers hoping to get a good deal. 
  When inventory is low and buyers have increased, chances are
the buyers will be introduced to a situation where the home has
multiple offers.  When inventory is high your chances of getting a
“steal” have increased significantly.

Buyers and sellers who pay attention to the changes in the market
will be more informed and can make decisions accordingly.  Most
important whether buying or selling real estate in Cape Coral it is
important to work with an experienced agent to help you calculate the
absorption rates for the homes that you are interested in.  

*This blog was written 6-22-10 all calculations are subject to
change, for accurate information please call a speak with our
knowledgeable team members.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

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June 17, 2010

Cape Coral is located near the SW Coast of Florida. We are a peninsula surrounded by water. There are over 400 miles of canals throughout the city. Many of these canals lead out to the Gulf of Mexico while others are freshwater and connect to other canals and/or lakes. To say that we are anything BUT a waterfront community would be misspeaking. Cape Coral IS a waterfront community. Most homes on the water have a car in the driveway or garage and a boat sitting out back in the canal. Cape Coral residents love the water. They love to boat in Cape Coral. Cape Coral residents also enjoy fishing in and around Cape Coral. Many residents also enjoy the serene waterways and wildlife in Cape Coral’s waters even if they do not venture out often into the waters.

The BP Oil Spill has many people worried. Even though Cape Coral has not been directly affected by the oil spill all of us have been indirectly affected. Watching the sad photos of the wildlife covered in oil is enough to make anyone angry. Hearing about loss of income for fisherman is sad for all of us. And for sure knowing that lives were lost in this accident is horrible.

My family and I have been to the beaches several times since the spill began. The water is still beautiful. We are not smelling any of the oil around here either. At the present time experts are saying that we are safe from the oil spill in our area of Cape Coral, Florida. Below is a photo taken this past weekend of Sanibel Causeway. There were many others out enjoying our beautiful weather & beaches.

Sanibel June 12, 2010

We hope that this continues to be of no concern for residents of Cape Coral. We continue to assist buyers and sellers alike with their real estate needs as normal. There are many great opportunities for buyers in our area and as they are attracted to Southwest Florida this is also a good time for sellers to market their home for sale.

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

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Florida real estate agents

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(239) 542-8521

(239) 218-2229 Cell

Susan@SusanMilner.com

copyright 2010 Susan Milner Florida Future Realty, Inc.

Government Guidelines For The Remediation Of Chinese Drywall

Many Cape Coral homes have been deemed “Chinese Drywall homes” and
unfortunately that comes with a stigma.  Most buyers are scared
away from the thought of purchasing a home affected with this mainly
because of the unknown.  We have learned a lot about them in recent
months and there continues to be more information on how and what is
necessary to correct the problems and make the home just like new.

Fortunately, the government has also stepped in and created a task
force that studied the effects Chinese drywall has on each individual
component of the home.  It is now mandated and guidelines were
created for removal and remediation.  This allows home owner the
security of knowing the job was done correctly.

The Interim Remediation Guidelines for Homes with Corrosion form
Problem Drywall are as follows

They state that you must replace:

• All possible problem drywall
• All fire safety alarm devices(including smoke alarms and carbon
  monoxide alarms)
• All electrical component and wiring (including outlets, switches,
  and circuit breakers);and
• All gas service piping and fire suppression sprinkler systems

According to the guidelines, once these repairs have been made your
home or potential home is ready and safe to occupy.  People have
once thought that it could spread to surfaces such as wood, tile,
carpet, and furniture.  The task force stated that they do not have
any scientific basis to believe that to be true. 

The material in the effected drywall is high levels of sulfur, which
emits a corrosive gas that attaches itself to anything metal (copper
pipes, electrical wiring, HVAC, systems, appliances and so on) we know
that the removal process can be time consuming and added expense is
involved, but people should not steer clear of these properties
anymore.  There are many of these homes in inventory that are
priced well below market value giving the consumer the potential of
instant equity once the repairs have been made. 

We have been in contact with a local contractor that states they are
able to repair these homes for approximately $21.00 a square foot (just
to give you an estimate of the repair costs). This contractor will
guarantee the complete removal of the drywall and all directly affected
components.

We also have been made aware of a lender that has allocated funds for
rehabs, including Chinese Drywall.

We hope this information help open doors for buyers that just haven’t
found the “right” place.

All information above was gathered from href="http://www.dryallresponse.gov/">www.dryallresponse.gov 
Information is subject to change as investigations continue.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

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Get Started Saving For Your Dream
Home

How to save money seems to be on everyone’s mind these days, we all
strive to hold on to every last penny and make it stretch as far as it
will go.  We have come up with some helpful and creative ways to
help you and your family stay on budget, so you will be able to afford
that dream home much more quickly.

Here are 20 tips to get you closer to making that down payment on
your home

• 1. Wash your laundry with cold water in place of hot.
• 2. Hang your clothes outside to dry
• 3. Turn the thermostat up in the fridge
• 4. Fix leaky faucets
• 5. Pack your lunch
• 6. Use rechargeable batteries
• 7. Grow your own fruits and vegetables
• 8. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
• 9. Rather than renting movies, check them out at the library
• 10. Pay your bills online and save the postage
• 11. Bring your coffee from home
• 12. Shop year round for Christmas presents
• 13. Save gift bags and reuse them
• 14. Buy all purpose cleaners rather than different solutions for
  each task
• 15. Save and actually eat last night’s leftovers
• 16. Buy in bulk
• 17. Cancel your newspaper subscriptions, most all information can
  now be found online
• 18. Take a shorter shower
• 19. Make your own baby food
• 20. Buy or sell your next home with Florida Future Realty

Try implementing some of these helpful tips into your everyday life
and soon you will have enough saved for that down payment. 

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

Florida Future Realty, Inc

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Cape Coral real estate

href="http://www.floridafutureagents.com/" target="_blank">Fort Myers
real estate

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estate

 239-542-8521       

What are the benefits to staging your home?

Selling your home in today’s market has proven to be a more
challenging task.  Inventory continues to be flooded with short
sales and foreclosures, that are driving down Cape Coral home values .
 We need to be more creative than ever, and make your home shine
above the rest. 

Home staging is preparing your home for sale, with a special emphasis
on presentation and appearance.

Staging a home involves things that will improve the look and feeling
of your home, such as design, organization and overall
appearance.  The goal when staging is to “wow” the buyer. 
This will get your home sold quickly and for maximum sales price.

Think like a buyer.  Look at your Cape Coral home through the
eyes of potential buyers, what makes your home stand out? Then showcase
those attributes.   Tour other homes on the market and see
what stops you in your tracks, then implement those features in your own
design.   

Organize and de-clutter.  Clearing away shelves, closets and
cabinets is a big part of the home staging process.  Don’t forget
to get rid of personal effects such as family portraits.  

Staging increases likely hood of a sale.  When selling your
home, you must do everything in your power to increase your chances of
selling.  These techniques can give your and extra edge in selling
the home quickly.

Staging reduces the home’s time on the market. Putting in the extra
effort to stage your home effectively, will decrease the time it sits
stagnant on the market.

Staging the home helps justify the asking price. We are in a buyer’s
market; you need everything in your favor to justify the asking
price.  Proper home staging will position your home as the front
runner in the minds of the buyers.

You can think of home staging as presenting your Cape Coral house in a
way that appeals to the largest possible audience, in order to ensure a
quick sale for the best possible price. Good luck, and start staging.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team.

239-542-8521