Cape Coral real estate broker, Susan Milner of Cape Coral real estate brokerage, Florida Future Realty, Inc (That’s Me would like to take a moment to wish every one of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

As each new year approaches we tend to look back over our previous year and make new plans for the coming year. As a huge fan of planning, goal setting and living life to its fullest I want to extend my best wishes for your best year ever. If you haven’t already made a plan for the coming year (and beyond) I encourage you to sit down for a few minutes and write something up! It is amazing to watch life unfold exactly as written/planned. I firmly believe that great things do happen to great people and those people who are not afraid to set, and believe in, grand goals.

And if your goal happens to be real estate related I’d love to chat. We can assist you with buying a retirement home here, purchasing a second home, investment property or relocating to Cape Coral, Florida. Cape Coral real estate is predicted to continue to rise slowly over the next few years and this year may be the last year for many years to come to acquire a great Cape Coral property at a reasonable price. Our Cape Coral real estate team has great experience with short sales and foreclosures in Cape Coral along with experience with more traditional real estate sales in Cape Coral. Allow us to guide you in the process.

There are never any fees to buyers no matter how hard we work to find you that perfect Cape Coral property.

So come on down, or call or email us today to learn more about Cape Coral real estate and how buying or selling in Cape Coral can be a reality in this new year.

As always, should you have ANY real estate questions do not hesitate to call or email us for more information. We look forward to working with you.

To get started you can start your online search now for Cape Coral property or fill out our contact form to have an agent contact you right away about Cape Coral real estate!

We look forward to working with you!

We also work with sellers of real estate in Cape Coral. If you own a Cape Coral waterfront or off water property and would like to see it featured here; please let me know. We are looking for realistic sellers who want to get the most out of their property within a reasonable timeframe. We also handle short sales in Cape Coral.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE, and (TRC) TransNational Referral Certification

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional licensed Florida real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 1, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2012 Susan Milner.

Have you been considering a move or purchase in Cape Coral, Florida?

Why wouldn’t you? Here are just a few reasons why Cape Coral is so great:

The prices are great * The area is truly like being on vacation every day!  * Our weather is awesome!  * We rarely have a day where we do not get to see our friend the Sun  * We have over 400 miles of canals ~ many of which lead you directly into the Gulf of Mexico. * We are about 30 minutes from awesome beaches like Sanibel, Captiva & Fort Myers Beach * We are within a 2-3 hour drive of Tampa and Miami for those day or weekend getaways! & SO many more reasons.

So then you want to know how much you will pay for one of these houses? Since January of this year there have been 4,052 single family homes sold in Cape Coral. This doesn’t count condos, investments or vacant land. Out of those 1,268 (or 32%) were foreclosures (or bank owned, corporate owned, REOs) and 878 (or 22%) were short sales (where the owner sells the house for less than what is owed and negotiates the balance with the bank). This means that about 46% of the sales were traditional sales. This could mean that an investor purchased a short sale or foreclosure and then resold it but it could also mean a regular home seller as well.

What percentage of their list price did these Cape Coral homes actually sell for?

This depends upon if you were looking at the short sales, foreclosures or traditional sales.

As you can see from the chart above when first on the market Cape Coral foreclosures actually go for MORE than asking price. This is because foreclosures are typically priced very aggressively by the banks. Once a Cape Coral property has been on the market for some time though the % goes down quite a bit; actually foreclosures then have the lowest list price to sales price %.

What does this mean to you? It shows you that if you see a brand new Cape Coral foreclosure listing on the market you better be prepared to come in with an above price offer to have the chance at buying that house. If it has been on the market for quite some time you may be able to buy it at 80-90% of its list price.  Conversely if you see a brand new Cape Coral short sale listing hit the market you may be able to offer 90-95% of the list price. Remember that this varies considerably on short sales because the bank has NOT set this price. The price has been set by a real estate agent and/or the seller and they typically do not yet know what price the bank is going to be willing to accept.

I hope this chart gives you an idea of what our market is currently looking like for buyers in Cape Coral. We are still in what is known as a buyer’s market but you must be educated in the market or work with an educated Cape Coral real estate professional in order to secure the property you are seeking.

Prices for single family homes in Cape Coral start below $100,000 for a standard 3/2 off water. They go up depending upon if you want a pool – closer to $200,000 and if you want to be on the water you can find awesome estate style homes above $1,000,000. (These are current prices as of 2011).

Whether you are seeking a cash flow investment or the home of your dreams in Cape Coral we are here to assist you.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE, and (TRC) TransNational Referral Certification

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional licensed Florida real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 2, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2010-2011 Susan Milner.

Did you read about the Cape Coral market and Fort Myers real estate market on Inman News?

http://www.inman.com/news/2011/05/23/10-markets-with-fastest-rising-real-estate-prices
“Two Florida markets saw the highest jumps: median list price in Fort Myers-Cape Coral rose 25.7 percent to $225,000, and the median in Miami rose 8.6 percent to $239,000.
Shreveport-Bossier City, La., followed with an 8.1 percent increase, to $173,000. Fort Myers-Cape Coral and Miami also saw the biggest year-over-year drops in inventory: -25.3 percent and -29.9 percent, respectively.”

What about CNNMoney’s take on the rise in prices in Cape Coral ?

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/real_estate/1104/gallery.10_turnaround_towns/6.html

Even Realtor.org had a blurb about the Cape Coral real estate market:
http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2011050503?OpenDocument

The Gulf Coast Business Review reminded us that our Fort Myers local board of REALTORS announced that Foreclosures are fading in comparison to traditional sales here in the Fort Myers and Cape Coral areas:

http://www.review.net/section/detail/5-18-2011-foreclosures-fade-in-fort-myers/

They also let us know that we may be turning point central:
http://www.review.net/section/detail/5-20-2011-fort-myers-recovery-central/

Want to read other great news coming out of Cape Coral? We are ranked the second safest city in all of Florida:

http://www.news-press.com/article/20110520/CRIME/110519055/Cape-Coral-second-safest-city-Florida

Summer is historically our ‘slowest’ time of the year for Cape Coral real estate sales so if you are looking to make a home purchase in SW Florida come on down this summer and see what we have to offer. I have a strong suspicion that come fall (our typical busy season) we will see more price and inventory adjustments here in the Cape Coral real estate market.

There are so many different unique opportunities right now for buyers of Cape Coral real estate.

Some experts warn that this ‘new’ news may leave Cape Coral home sellers confused about pricing. I’m sure it will confuse some of the sellers in Cape Coral. That is why it is the best idea for Cape Coral sellers to consult with a reliable and honest real estate professional who specializes in Cape Coral real estate. Considering selling your home or property in Cape Coral? Contact us at Florida Future Realty, Inc. to find out if now is the best time for you to sell your Cape Coral real estate. We market our listings internationally & have a solid reputation for selling houses in and around Cape Coral, Florida.

Canadians have been making a big splash in our market as have the Europeans, Chinese & Australians! See what Canada has to say about the SW Florida real estate market:

http://www.canada.com/Gulf+Coast+real+estate+market+down+buyers+shop+homes+resales/4848120/story.html

I recently created a video update showing the 2011 first quarter’s statistics for the Cape Coral real estate market that I’m sure you’ll find interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZueAR3m9Aiw (Yes, I’ll admit sort of boring ~ #s and all but I know that many of you enjoy crunching numbers so enjoy!)

As always, should you have ANY real estate questions do not hesitate to call or email us for more information. We look forward to working with you.

To get started you can start your online search now for Cape Coral property or fill out our contact form to have an agent contact you right away about Cape Coral real estate!

We look forward to working with you!

If you own a Cape Coral waterfront or off water property and would like to see it featured here; please let me know. We are looking for realistic sellers who want to get the most out of their property within a reasonable timeframe. We also handle short sales in Cape Coral.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE, and (TRC) TransNational Referral Certification

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional licensed Florida real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 2, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2010-2011 Susan Milner.

In the past few years our real estate market has taken a significant downturn. Waterfront homes that used to sell for 1-2 Million dollars are now selling for $700-800,000! Homes that used to sell for $500,000 are now available in the $200-300,000 range!

As of today there are plenty of great waterfront homes available. Some are distressed sales. This typically means a foreclosure or a short sale. But others are well cared for, traditional sales as well.

Whatever your budget is we can assist you in finding the best property for you. We also handle off water properties and condos too so just let us know what you are interested in. Our agents are all very familiar with the area so they can offer options that you may not have even thought about as well.

Send us a quick email or give us a call to receive a no-obligation list of properties specific to your needs.

If you own a waterfront property and would like to see it featured here; please let me know. We are looking for realistic sellers who want to get the most out of their property within a reasonable timeframe. We also handle short sales.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 2, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2010 Susan Milner.

Homes priced from
$0 to $150,000

1^st and 2^nd quarter of 09′ combined, the number
of sold properties were 3,159.

1^st and 2^nd quarter of 10′ combined, the number
of sold properties were 2,778.

Homes priced from
$150,000 and above

1^st and 2^nd quarter of 09′ combined, the number
of sold properties were 868.

1^st and 2^nd quarter of 10′ combined, the number
of sold properties were 806.

What we can gather from this information, is that home sales have
remained virtually unchanged from this year to last.  The media
likes to negatively portray our areas real estate market as being on a
downward cycle, but the reality is that we are selling homes.  The
very slight decrease from last year’s is most likely due to the slightly
longer than normal negotiation times associated with bank owned
properties and short sales.

It is certainly a great time to buy, homes are offered at huge
discounts from the preceding years, interest rates continue to be at
some of the lowest levels ever offered, and financial institutions are
loaning money more freely again.

If you thought living in Florida was just a pipe dream, it could be
your reality.  If you are interested in searching for a new home
take advantage of our user-friendly home search.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

Cape Coral Real Estate

(239) 542-8521

inquiry@FloridaFutureAgents.com

Copyright Susan Milner of Florida Future Realty

The National Association of Realtors published their polls and it
shows that in 2009 with the assistance of realtors, 16,260 homes were
sold.  In 2005 when the housing boom began, the record was 12,123

However one significant change is the declining home prices. In 2005
the median home price was 278,200, now in 2009 we were at 90,400. This
decline is due to the record number of short sales and foreclosures now
flooding the real estate listings.  Sellers are now coming to their
senses and listing their homes more realistically, their homes are
worth significantly less from what they were selling for 5 years ago.
The fact of the matter is that homes are STILL
selling.  We may have to navigate through a few detours, from bank
negotiations to new lending laws, but properties are moving.

Buyers also need to understand that there are great deals to be had,
but when a property is under market value as many of them are, they may
sell very quickly and most likely there will be multiple offers.

So when searching for real estate in Cape Coral, we suggest you
secure your financing and act quickly when you find the right home at
just the right price.  Call one of our agents at Florida Future
Realty to assist you in your home buying experience.

Yours in Success,

Florida Future Realty Team

(239)542-8521

www.floridafutureagents.com

www.florida-future-realty.com

How our current real estate market relates to Black Friday.

We all know Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving that so many rush out in the wee hours in the hope of finding that AWESOME deal on some electronic or other great Holiday gift.

We’ll compare the glossy store circulars to the real estate websites.

A couple will be lucky & will be able to buy one of the 3 50″ flat screen t.v.s for $50.

We’ll call that an under valued short sale that got lucky. You know the $50,000 home that exists in Cape Coral. You look at the photos online and can’t believe your eyes. But you get down here to see that the house needs a lot of work (of course there were no pictures of that), the neighbors houses all look the same and it is very far away from every convenience.

Quit a few others will be able to buy that same t.v. for $500.

We’ll call that a bank owned property that didn’t get proper marketing. Maybe a listing agent called another agent or buyer right out the door on it. Maybe the listing agent didn’t provide enough photos to entice buyers so only one offer came in.

And several others will miss the boat and have to pay $750 the following day.

We’ll call that the typical great buyer deal. Bank owned; short sale or private seller. The buyer got a great deal. Their agent did everything to help them find the best deal. The buyers are still very happy with their purchase and realize that the real estate market is MOVING in Cape Coral.  The house that they bought for $175,000 sold for nearly $400,000 in the peak.

Everyone knows that we are in a buyer’s market. But that’s a little misleading. How so? Well because; properties that are priced correctly are moving quickly and often times with multiple offers. So if you are up north looking at a house for $50,000 and you think you can buy it for less than that chances are you can’t. If anything you’ll probably have to pay more. I know it seems strange but that is what is happening. It happens time and time again when I work with buyers to find them deals.

A little trick to try: Look at homes listed slightly higher than other comparable properties. Offer just under what the others are asking and you may just get it. Or at least a decent deal. Why? Well because the homes just over market value are not getting any attention. Many sellers want to stay high to ‘give themselves wiggle room’.

To conclude, a very small percentage of buyers made a quick decision and were lucky enough to purchase a 3/2 pool home for $100,000. Many were lucky enough to purchase one for $125,000 but most paid upwards of $175,000 and more.

So with Black Friday coming up in conjunction with our busy season; I hope this guide assists you with your investment in Cape Coral real estate.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc.

(239) 542-8521

Specializing in great waterfront properties in Cape Coral & Surrounding areas. Visit us online at www.Florida-Future-Realty.us or search for homes online anytime at www.Florida-Future-Realty.com.  

Copyright 2008 Susan Milner Florida Future Realty, Inc.