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.

First of all let me preface this by saying that I am ALL for capitalism and businesses filling a void and earning a profit for said service or product.

What I do not like is when this diminishes the consumer’s experience or overall professionalism of an industry.

As a consumer you probably do not have a great deal of understanding as to how the real estate business works. And why should you care? As a consumer myself I am only concerned with how something directly affects me. Perhaps that makes me ignorant but that is how I handle my life. I prefer to live in my own bubble.

But now there are outside influences attempting to break into my bubble. I admit it ~ I allowed it for the most part. I added great content to many different online real estate information websites. Why? Well because at first it was actually helpful to my business. It was easier to spread my knowledge across the net through some of these companies. In turn, I was able to get in touch with many more real estate consumers and assist many more families with their real estate needs.

But now it is becoming challenging. Companies that used to just be a blogging site have added additional revenue streams to their sites (don’t blame them in the least for wishing to be profitable) however now they have been ‘bought out’ by largest companies who are changing things around and costing agents more to be involved and they want to take our content, get you the consumer to their site, then make us (as in US I mean any agent who subscribes to their paid plans) pay to be able to contact you. Heck, the large one that most of us pay dues to belong to is also doing the same. Don’t you want to get in contact with the source of the information you were seeking and found valuable? Or do you like finding a great article or listing, asking for more information and having your name and number be sold to the highest bidder? That agent buying your name and number may not have a clue about your needs or know anything about that article that someone else wrote.

In recent days very large companies have been acquiring other fairly dominate real estate service provider companies. My issue is that soon perhaps every real estate service provider will be owned by maybe just a handful of large corporations or even just 1 or 2 of them.

My concern is how that will affect our real estate industry as a whole. Will it diminish your experience? In most instances a monopoly is never good for the end user. Great for the owners but not so great for those who are forced now to do business with that company.
I am not a fortune teller but I definitely see where this could go.

As a consumer what are you looking for? Obviously you’ve spoken and you want access to the best information around. You want to look through listings without having to necessarily speak with a real estate agent. You probably want to get your real estate questions answered without having to commit to anyone specifically. But do you really want to give your information to these huge conglomerates who in turn sell your information to ‘just anyone’? I’m curious. What are your thoughts?

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 2004-2011 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.

Our office currently has quite a few vacant lots listed from residential to commercial including waterfront and off water lots. See them by clicking:

Cape Coral area lots for sale

You can also view these vacant lots and other vacant land in Cape Coral and nearby areas by viewing the currently available properties below:

Click on any photo above for additional information on that specific Cape Harbour Home. You can also see the entire slideshow below:

International buyers

Whether these international buyers end up in a luxury waterfront home or a more modest off water house or condo there is something for everyone.

Our values are still at rock bottom prices. The inventory has been moving quickly but there is a constant flow of new properties being put on the market every day in Cape Coral, Florida!

If you are an international buyer we’d love to assist you with your Cape Coral real estate investment. Our real estate buyers agents have experience with international buyers and can make your purchase go very smoothly.

Whether you’ve invested here already or are just looking to get started on your research we are here to help.

Choose to invest in a Cape Coral property to use solely as a Holiday home or purchase a Cape Coral property to generate income.

Single family homes in move-in condition can now be purchased for less than $100,000 and fabulous Gulf Access homes can now be purchased starting well under $500,000.

Our Cape Coral office can also assist you with your property management and leasing needs and get you in touch with service providers you may need as well.

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 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, 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.

We are all looking for the truth right? Well I’m sure some are not. Some people thrive in drama filled environments that may consist of lies and deceit. But here at Florida Future Realty, Inc. we don’t believe in that. We have no gimmicky pitches to sell you on our services. What we do offer is authenticity, you know being real & honest? Of course we are also professional, experienced and ethical but that goes without saying. In this market sometimes the truth isn’t always fun to hear but it is necessary to make informed decisions.

I wrote the article below to assist others in hopefully turning on that ‘light bulb’ of the ‘ah-ha’ moment when you realize that being honest will gain you more friends and business associates in the long run. Feel free to comment below.

Do You Create a Pitch or Would You Rather Be Real?

Are you looking to have a successful business for the long term or are you looking to develop a pitch to generate some short term income and then fail?

I hope you picked long term because that is what this article is about.

Every day I see or hear about a company or individual using ploys or gimmicks to generate buzz and business. I’m sure this works for the short term but what about the long term? Well, those businesses fail, or at least those specific marketing campaigns do.

If you are looking to develop a long running, successful and profitable business then you have to be real. Consumers are savvy. They are researching more than ever. They ask around. They check facts. Making up stories will not win you business. People want to work with people who are real, authentic and honest.

Honesty is key. In today’s economy are the facts always fun to hear? No, sometimes they are not. For instance when I walk into a Cape Coral sellers house and have to tell them that their Cape Coral house has decreased 30% in the past two years. They aren’t happy to hear that. Who would be? But they appreciate my honesty. Especially when we sell their Cape Coral house by being honest and pricing it fairly. The converse would be an agent showing up and telling them their Cape Coral house is still worth the same as they paid 2 years ago, listing it too high and wasting everyone’s time and money for nothing. Sure at the beginning the Cape Coral seller was probably stoked to believe that they weren’t going to lose money on the deal. But 3-6 months down the road they are going to dislike their Cape Coral real estate agent very much for that misinformation. Now that real estate agent looks like a real jerk. Good luck relisting or getting any referrals from those Cape Coral customers.

The same goes for Cape Coral buyers in this market. Sure, there are a lot of great deals here in Cape Coral but we also know that there are pitfalls out there to be aware of. We discuss those in other articles especially when trying to buy a Cape Coral short sale or foreclosure. If you are not honest with the customer they get frustrated and end up finding another Cape Coral real estate agent to do business with. But if you are honest with them and explain how the process works and what to look out for then when challenges come up they are prepared for them. Sure, it might still be upsetting but it will be more toward the actual situation and less toward the real estate agent because the agent was honest and doing their best.

Whatever business you work in; whether you are an owner or an employee, keep in mind that people want to do business with people they like and who are honest. Get the information out to the customer and watch your business grow.

We look forward to working with you!

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.

In the past few years our real estate market in Cape Coral 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 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 also very familiar with the area so they can offer options that you may not have even thought about as well.

Below are a few featured listings that we thought we’d share. They show the diverse waterfront deals here in Cape Coral and also nearby areas as well. This is just a sampling of all of the properties available. Send us a quick email or give us a call to receive a no-obligation list of properties specific to your needs.

And here are some over $1,000,000 in Cape Coral:

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 look forward to working with you!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, Broker/Owner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

copyright 2010 Florida Future Realty, Inc.

What is good happening in Cape Coral? Well, it seems that anytime you search for “good news” and “Cape Coral” you find negative news. That is because pretty much all news stations focus on the negative. Whether it be crime, accidents, budget cuts or weather they sell more news when it is negative.

Don’t more people want to focus on the positive? I know I do. I rarely read any news. Why? Because it is depressing. I’d rather create my own happy news.

Cape Coral is a beautiful place to call home. With awesome weather year round, friendly residents, boating, fun & so much more!

How about the real estate market in Cape Coral for instance? Have you heard it is gloom and doom? Well, sort of. The values have been decreasing since the bust in 2006. Let me see if I can place a positive spin on this though. This allowed more homeowners to actually be able to afford to live in Cape Coral. In 2005 the least expensive house in Cape Coral was still about $250,000. Figure out the payments on that and not many ‘average’ people could afford to comfortably live here. Take that to our now $90,000 average house and it is a totally different story! Investors can also purchase homes that will actually cash flow now. Before that was completely unheard of. Sure, we still have more work to do. For instance, there are still too many vacant houses in Cape Coral. But we are selling those along with the regular occupied homes as well. To the tune of an average of about 500 residential homes per month in Cape Coral alone! That is a lot of inventory moving.

What about for sellers? You can see that there are great opportunities for buyers but are the sellers losing out? Nope! If they are upside down in their home and need to sell we can help them with a short sale. And if they have equity in their house there are plenty of buyers out there right now too! If they don’t need to sell, then they shouldn’t be trying to sell. That is easy

In closing, we all need to try to focus on the Happy Positive of ANY situation. Quit focusing on the negative and watch your life change. I hope you enjoyed this little ray of sunshine today!
Learn more about our team of short sale professionals or feel free to call us directly at (239) 542-8521.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We look forward to working with you.

There are programs available to assist owners in these situations. Have you heard about HAMP and HAFA? These acronyms are being thrown around a lot these days.

So what do HAFA and HAMP really mean to you? If you are having problems making your Cape Coral or Fort Myers mortgage payments this article should help guide you some. ~ remember that I am NOT an attorney or tax accountant; rather I am a real estate agent who works with homeowners to short sale their home or property~

The first few things to keep in mind are:

HAFA stands for Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives

If your lender advises you that you do not qualify for HAMP then you may qualify for a HAFA short sale or any other variation of short sale that they do offer. We can assist you with a short sale if that is the direction you choose to go. We always recommend that sellers attempt to keep their property through debt counseling, attempt a loan modification, etc but when those options don’t work for you we are here to assist you with a short sale.

Under HAFA guidelines, lenders work with homeowners to liquidate their home by means other than Foreclosure. These options are available for homeowners who:

do not qualify for a trial mortgage modification under the Making Home Affordable Program;
do not successfully complete the trial period for their modification;
miss at least two consecutive payments during their modification period; or
request a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.

Did you know that you may be able to receive $3,000 at closing after doing a short sale? The HAFA Program can help the strapped homeowner with relocation costs by offering this $3,000 cash at closing. Some lenders will start working with the homeowner and real estate agent right away to work out a plan for pricing, marketing and the sale of the home. This helps all parties move the property quickly to avoid foreclosure.

If we are unable to negotiate a short sale for some reason, most lenders will work out a deed-in-lieu with the homeowner. This is basically a *quick* foreclosure. With this option the homeowner may also receive the $3,000 cash for moving expenses.

You can read more about these options at:

http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/hafa.html

Should you be thinking about a short sale contact us with any questions you may have. We have been successfully selling short sales in and around Cape Coral for several years now.

Our agents and staff are here to answer any questions you may have pertaining to selling (or buying) a short sale. Using discretion, care and professionalism we are able to assist you during this time frame. Past customers of ours will tell you that they were never made to feel bad about their situation and were always treated with respect and confidence.

Learn more about our team of short sale professionals or feel free to call us directly at (239) 542-8521.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We look forward to working with you.

There are programs available to assist Cape Coral homeowners in these situations. Have you heard about HAMP and HAFA? These acronyms are being thrown around a lot these days.

So what do HAFA and HAMP really mean to you? If you are having problems making your Cape Coral or Fort Myers mortgage payments this article should help guide you some. ~ remember that I am NOT an attorney or tax accountant; rather I am a real estate agent who works with homeowners to short sale their home or property~

The first few things to keep in mind are:

HAMP stands for Home Affordable Modification Program

This program is designed for home owners who want to keep their homes and attempt to work out a loan modification with their mortgage servicer and investor (owner of mortgage note).

You can get started with the HAMP program by clicking the link below or you can always call the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline 1-888-995-HOPE (4673). Your mortgage servicer is going to need things like proof of income, tax returns and the actual affidavit requesting the modification.

http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/requestmod.shtml

How do I know if I am eligible for a modification under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)?

?To apply for a modification under HAMP, you must:

Be the owner-occupant of a one- to four-unit home. (This means that investment or second homes are NOT eligible under this program *)
Have an unpaid principal balance that is equal to or less than:
1 Unit: $729,750
2 Units: $934,200
3 Units: $1,129,250
4 Units: $1,403,400
Have a first lien mortgage that was originated on or before January 1, 2009.
Have a monthly mortgage payment (including taxes, insurance, and home owners association dues) greater than 31% of your monthly gross (pre-tax) income.
Have a mortgage payment that is not affordable due to a financial hardship that can be documented.

If you answered YES to all of these questions, you may be eligible for a modification under HAMP. Only your servicer will be able to tell you if you qualify.

Is your servicer participating in the HAMP program?

http://www.makinghomeaffordable.com/contact_servicer.html

Keep in mind that banks are always looking at ways to keep your loan and not have to foreclose. Just because your lender does not participate in HAMP or just because you have an investment property you are hoping to modify does not mean your lender won’t work something out with you. Contact your lender directly for information to see if they have options for you.

If your lender advises you that you do not qualify for HAMP then you may qualify for a HAFA short sale or any other variation of short sale that they do offer. We can assist you with a short sale if that is the direction you choose to go. We always recommend that sellers attempt to keep their property through debt counseling, attempt a loan modification, etc but when those options don’t work for you we are here to assist you with a short sale.

Should you be thinking about a short sale contact us with any questions you may have. We have been successfully selling short sales in and around Cape Coral for several years now.

Our agents and staff are here to answer any questions you may have pertaining to selling (or buying) a short sale. Using discretion, care and professionalism we are able to assist you during this time frame. Past customers of ours will tell you that they were never made to feel bad about their situation and were always treated with respect and confidence.

Learn more about our team of short sale professionals or feel free to call us directly at (239) 542-8521.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We look forward to working with you.

Property Management

Tenants in Cape Coral can also contact our office for assistance in finding the right rental property for their needs. Very competitive rates, reliable & quick professional service.

Cape Coral Property Management Services included:

Tenant Placement

Tenant Background, credit and employment checks

National Property Marketing – huge web presence

Leasing

Property Management – tenant issues – rent collection – repairs

Maintenance

Evictions

Accounting

Move outs

and more…

We specialize in waterfront homes in Cape Coral, Cape Coral pool homes and even handle vacation rentals. With the demand for Cape Coral rental properties at an all time high, now is the time to hire us to market your Cape Coral investment property for lease.

Should you be interested in adding your Cape Coral property into our rental or management inventory call us at the office at (239) 542-8521.

We look forward to working with you!

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

www.SusanMilner.com

(239) 542-8521

copyright 2010  Florida Future Realty, Inc.

In Cape Coral, Florida more and more home owners are looking at strategic defaults as an option in this current market place. Whether the owner ends up negotiating a short sale, loan modification or a deed in lieu or just lets the property go back as a foreclosure many are facing this challenge. Being upside down on a house in this depressed economy is definitely stressful to homeowners. Many have lost income, whether completely, or just reduced. Many more are forced to move to other cities or states for work. While some could continue to make their mortgage payments, even if challenging, they are opting to quit making the payments in order to get their lender to work with them on some sort of loan modification or short sale. There are programs available for those who are also current on their mortgages but often these are difficult to get approved.

~ Always check with your attorney, or an experienced attorney who deals with foreclosures and short sales first ~

While we, as real estate agents, cannot advise you on the decisions and legal ramifications of a strategic default we are able to help you with the sale of your home. We can place the home on the market for sale at market value, help you find a qualified buyer and work with your lender on the short sale. Many lenders are approving short sales for homeowners and investors. They have guidelines in place for those facing hardships.

Depending upon your situation they may require some cash at closing or they may ask for you to sign a promissory note. Lenders are NOT obligated to accept a short sale and can even seek a deficiency judgment against you after allowing you to sell the property in a short sale. You need to make sure you are working with a competent real estate professional along with seeking the advice of a qualified attorney prior to agreeing to any terms the lender may propose. We always seek to obtain a full release and satisfaction from the lender for our customers. If we are unable to achieve this then it is at the customer’s discretion, along with their attorney’s advice, as to how to proceed.

Should you be thinking about a short sale contact us with any questions you may have. We have been successfully selling short sales in and around Cape Coral for several years now.

Our agents and staff are here to answer any questions you may have pertaining to selling (or buying) a short sale. Using discretion, care and professionalism we are able to assist you during this time frame. Past customers of ours will tell you that they were never made to feel bad about their situation and were always treated with respect and confidence.

Learn more about our team of short sale professionals or feel free to call us directly at (239) 542-8521.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We look forward to working with you.

Cape Coral residential property update

Cape Coral is a city located in SW Florida. You may already be familiar with the city, even live here but if you are not from the area you may have heard of the city but were not quite for sure what is actually going on there an what it is like.

Cape Coral is often times called a ‘waterfront wonderland’ due to the miles and miles of navigable canals. The city of Cape Coral contains nearly as many canals as it has roadways! Many homeowners keep their boats at their own private docks right in their own backyard!

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In the early 2000s property values really started to increase in Cape Coral. There was great growth and new development in the area. Values were literally increasing 20-40% year over year in 2003-2005.

Today the values are back down considerably. There are areas that are distressed. We have quite a few short sales and foreclosures here in Cape Coral. This makes for a great opportunity for home buyers and investors alike.

Are properties selling? YES! Most of the houses listed below $100,000 that are priced right are going under contract (pending sale) within 30 days. If it is a bank owned or regular sale it usually closes within 30-45 days. If it is a short sale it could be anywhere from 60-180 days – sometimes even longer! Some houses are listed at market value, some are listed too high and some are even listed too low. When houses here are listed too low they end up selling for more than the list price with a multiple offer / bidding situation. The ones that are listed too high can sit on the market unnoticed for many months.

Buyers are looking for great deals right now and don’t usually look much higher than their budgets. At times a great home can be purchased for lower than market value if you can find something that others aren’t seeing. Maybe it has high days on market, maybe it was over priced, maybe it needs work, etc.  Having an experienced real estate agent to help you through this process is critical. In most cases it does not cost the buyer anything to have a real estate working with them.

I created the following video recently to go over the different price points for houses in Cape Coral to give you an idea of what the current Cape Coral real estate market value truly has to offer!

Are you a buyer looking for a house or an investor wondering what real property makes sense for your portfolio? You can always reach us directly at (239) 542-8521 or email me at Susan@SusanMilner.com. But if you want to look at properties right now from your own computer you can visit our free online search.

Cape Coral real estate search

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Cape Coral Gulf Access

Cape Coral Gulf Access homes make great second homes.

What will a second home in SW Florida cost?

As the prices of homes in SW Florida are, can we say, more than affordable, many people across the U.S. and abroad (especially Europe and Canada) are entertaining the possibility of a second home. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is “What will it cost me?” Obviously it is pretty easy to find the listing prices of Cape Coral homes online but to truly understand what the ‘cost’ will be can take doing some research. In this article I will go over the basic costs you can expect to pay when investing in a second home here in beautiful Cape Coral or Ft. Myers, Florida.

First to consider: Cost of Money

Are you planning to pay cash or do you plan to get a mortgage for some of the purchase price? If you plan to pay cash make sure that you are comfortable with the rate of return on your investment. You may wish to consider getting a loan for some of the purchase to keep more capital for other investments (more houses, or?).

If you are going to obtain financing make sure you determine which loan is best for you and your needs. Most investment properties will require 20-25% down. If you are Foreign National you must be prepared to put down at least 30% in most cases. You can also attempt to receive a loan from your country as well. The rates will be lower but you may have to put up your current home as collateral (borrow against your equity). Some second homes may be purchased with less money down. But your payments will be much lower with the more money you put down on your purchase.

For comparison purposes here let’s look at a sample waterfront listing. The current asking price is $375,000. Let’s assume that you plan to put down 25%. This means that you will be putting a down payment of $93,750. Here is an estimate of closing costs:

Taxes: $ 6,422.24*

Loan fees: $3,846
Prepaid taxes & insurance: $5,778

Total costs to close: $103,374.

• from current 2009 tax bill – properties are reassessed every year here so this could change. Currently this home is assessed at $374,230. Please also note that taxes are NOT higher for non-residents. But full time residents are eligible for exemptions.

To find insurance companies who are still readily writing homeowners insurance in the state of Florida visit www.ShopandCompareRates.com

You can verify tax information online at www.LeePA.org

Next we need to figure maintenance. You will have an electric charge and probably a water bill as well. Let’s assume that you are not here full time and so we’ll estimate these charges on the ‘low’ side.

Monthly Bills
Electricity $200-400
Water $ 50-150
Lawn $ 75-100
Pool $ 75-100
Alarm $ 20-50

You may also wish to hire a maintenance company to handle all of this. They will have their own crews to handle lawn, pool, cleaning, repairs, etc. They charge anywhere from $50-500 per month above the charges listed above.

You can also have the property rented out during the months you will not be visiting if you’d like to offset the costs. Rental rates very depending upon location and whether we are talking about in or out of ‘season’. You can pay anywhere from 5-15% for property management assistance. This fee is generally deducted directly from your monthly rental income.

Keep in mind that these are estimates and that the real charges could be higher or lower.

Our professional real estate agents can walk you through this process and assist you in determining what makes sense for your needs and wants.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

The Cape Coral city council will set a maximum tax rate on July 26^th
2010 further tax cuts may be adopted before the final budget decision
in September 2010, and become effective October 1, 2010.  We are
hopeful that this new budget will help our Cape Coral residents in an
unstable economy.

This new budget comes as relief to home owners who can not afford
higher monthly payouts, or prospective home buyers needing to stay
within a specific budget.

Cape Coral is a wonderful and affordable place to live and work, we
hope that the low taxes and beautiful surroundings will continue to
attract people to our area.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

www.SusanMilner.com

(239) 542-8521

copyright 2010  Florida Future Realty, Inc.

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 new bill allows for a little breathing room to buyers who are
involved with the arduous process of short sales and banked owned
foreclosures, there are many of these properties available in today’s
market and are offered at a discounted rates which makes them a
desirable.  These types of transactions are known to take quite a
bit longer than traditional real estate sales transactions to
complete.

This new bill allows for all contracts entered into by April 30, 2010
can now be closed on or before September 30, 2010 and still be eligible
for the tax credits.  The new bill
doesn’t grant any new tax credits it
only extends the deadline in which the transaction can be closed.

Home buyers and investors that have been involved in long
bank negotiations can still reap the benefits of these generous tax
incentives.  This extension will allow buyers the opportunity to
purchase a home or investment property they may have not been able to
otherwise.

If you would like more information about the first time and repeat
home buyers tax incentives please follow this link : Cape Coral tax credits

If we can help in anyway please don’t hesitate to call.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

(239) 542-8521

copyright 2010  Florida Future Realty, Inc.

At Florida Future Realty, Inc we are always focusing on how we can make the real estate process more pleasant. This is for our customers and our agents. So we recently revamped our entire office. We changed things up and gave the office a more inviting feel. Agents have more areas to meet with customers and do their work. Customers have a professional yet comfortable location for all of their real estate needs. Below are photos of our new look. Stop by to see us! We are open regular hours Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and by appointment on the weekends!

Florida Future Realty, Inc.
2816 Del Prado Blvd. S Unit 2
Cape Coral, FL 33904
(239) 542-8521

Hope to see you soon!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

www.SusanMilner.com

(239) 542-8521

(239) 218-2229 Cell

Susan@SusanMilner.com

Copyright 2010 Susan Milner of Florida Future Realty, Inc.

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.

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

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

www.SusanMilner.com

(239) 542-8521

(239) 218-2229 Cell

Susan@SusanMilner.com

copyright 2010 Susan Milner Florida Future Realty, Inc.

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
<a href=”http://www.dryallresponse.gov/”>www.dryallresponse.gov </a>
Information is subject to change as investigations continue.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

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real estate </a>

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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 </a>

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real estate </a>

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estate </a>

(239) 542-8521

inquiry@FloridaFutureAgents.com

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.

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estate </a>

(239) 542-8521

inquiry@FloridaFutureAgents.com

Cape Coral, Florida

June 1 is the first day of Hurricane Season.

This year is predicted to be a busy hurricane season. The official NOAA predictions are as follows:

“We estimate a 70% probability for each of the following ranges of activity this season:
14-23 Named Storms,
8-14 Hurricanes
3-7 Major Hurricanes
An ACE range of 155%-270% of the median.” (from http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml)

NOAA is clear to state that they DO NOT make landfall predictions. They are unable to predict landfall until a few days out.

It is always best to be prepared as you never know exactly what may happen in your neighborhood/area. The good news with Hurricanes is that they give us plenty of warning. We are notified of their formation SEVERAL days before they are even close to United States in most cases. This gives you plenty of time to prepare. Whether you plan to board up and stay at your house or board up and leave is up to you. Depending upon the strength of a Hurricane you can make the best choice for you and your family.

I remember when Hurricane Charley hit our area in 2004. Most people didn’t even make the necessary preparations because they had never experienced a storm this large. They were used to small storms that caused minimal damage. We knew it was headed our way as at least a category 2 storm well in advance. However, as it approached it reached a category 4 Hurricane status. Many older homes sustained minor to major damage and many other homes sustained minor roof, pool cage and tree damage. We lost power through most of the area for several days. Charley was definitely a wake up call for our area.

The following years were mild for us including last year which was also pretty mild in and around Cape Coral.

You can watch 2009’s season in video below:

I wrote the article below in the past to remind people of other natural disasters around the US and World to put Hurricanes ‘in perspective’.

Being in SW Florida, I hear concerns from people about Hurricanes from time to time. We usually end up discussing historical data, newest hurricane codes & then I typically go into ‘natural disasters elsewhere’.

Honestly, I cannot think of a single place to live that there won’t be something weatherwise to concern yourself with. Basically it comes down to picking the ones that least annoy you, or maybe are least likely to kill you.

Here are some I can think of:

• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Mudslides
• Blizzards
• Avalanches
• Fires
• Floods
• Draught
• Extreme Heat
• Wind
• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis
• Sink Holes
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Solar flares, meteors, etc…

So, what natural disasters do you have to explain in your area?
Oh, I almost forget Florida is also the lightning Capital of the World
But I can’t see myself living anywhere else!

In conclusion, I hope everyone makes the logical preparations for this Hurricane Season. Be prepared in advance & hopefully you won’t need to execute your plan or even break out your Hurricane Kit. But as with anything, being safe is always better than being sorry. And when a Hurricane is coming & quickly things get crazy and it is difficult to get the necessary items you need.

Here are some additional resources for you:

Download the 63 page Hurricane Guide

View NOAA.gov for up to the minute Hurricane information

Go to Weather.com for weather updates.

As always, should you have any questions about real estate in and around Cape Coral, Florida we are here to help!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

www.SusanMilner.com

(239) 218-2229

Susan@SusanMilner.com

copyright 2010 Susan Milner Florida Future Realty, Inc.

Browse through currently offered single family listings in West
Cape Estates.

Browse through currently offered single family listings in
Trafalgar Woods.

As with anything, the real estate profession is filled with honest
trustworthy agents, but there are those who give all hard working agents
a bad name, with their lack of knowledge and shady practices.
During the real estate boom, every Tom, Dick and Harry wanted to get in
on the action and unfortunately many did.  There are countless
stories of many of agents that ruined deals, artificially drove up
prices and were engaging in fraudulent practices with mortgage brokers
and appraisers, all for an extra buck.   Now unfortunately,
consumers are having a hard time trusting Cape Coral real estate agents
or brokers.  Now that the market crashed, we are left with the real
professionals wanting to provide consumers with exceptional service,
and honest business practices.

Here are some guidelines to help you pick the agent that is right for
you:

Make sure you interview with the potential agent.

You need to make sure your personalities click; you will be spending a
lot of time with this person.  They need to fully understand your
wants and need and most importantly your budget.  Are they willing
to show you properties that are not listed by their Cape Coral
brokerage? Do they seem to be honest? Are they interested in developing a
long term business relationship with you? Many people buy and sell
multiple times in their lives, building a strong trustworthy
relationship with your customers can only benefit their business.

Do some research.

You can find out so much about a person by simply imputing their name
into Google and hitting search.  Visit their website; make sure
they have experience in the type of property you are looking to buy.
What have they sold? What type of property seems to be their specialty?
Most importantly, ask for references and make sure to call.

Ask your friends and family.

Most likely someone you know or are related to have bought or sold a
Cape Coral property recently, and can share some useful tips and
valuable information with you. Would they recommend their agents to you?
If they answered yes, what traits made that particular agent so
special?  What kind of overall experience did they have?

These a just a few tips to help you weed through the mountain of
agents a find the best fit for your needs.  Put your trust and
confidence in this person, they will be responsible for the largest
transaction of your life and because of that pick carefully.

Call our team of highly qualified professionals to answer any of your
real estate related questions.  Florida Future Realty is here to
help.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

(239)542-8521

When you think of going ‘green’ and reducing your carbon footprint
what first comes to mind? “Instead of tossing out my soda cans, today
will be the day I dig out the laundry occupying my recycle bin and use
it as it was intended.”  Well that is indeed a great start, but if
we want to make a difference on the grand scale of things we can start
by reviewing the materials we use to build or remodel our existing
homes, or research the ‘green’ practices already in place in a home we
intend to purchase.  When researching home builders and modelers in
SW Florida, I came across many dedicated builders with the mission of
transforming existing or building more ‘green ‘dwellings.  Here are
some useful tips to incorporate in your next project.

What are some
things that make a home ‘green’?

• Exterior paint with LRV (light reflective value) absorbs less heat
  in turn lowers your air conditioning costs.
• ICF wall system a step up from the standard concrete wall systems
  includes two built-in layers of foam insulation.
• 2″ overhangs help shed rain water away from walls and foundation
  reducing cooling costs
• Solar or hybrid water heating system. Water heaters are the biggest
  energy waster of all your appliances.
• Impact rated and tinted glass windows and doors.
• Bamboo flooring vs. carpet; certain types of carpet can emit VOC
  gases that contribute to poor indoor air quality.
• Heatlok Soy spray foam insulation uses recycled plastic waste to
  create rigid spray polyurethane foam.
• Energy Star Appliances
• Relocating your washer and dryer to the garage can help you save on
  air-condition costs.
• Use any available recycled materials to remodel or construct your
  home.

These are just a few suggestions to help get you started on the path
to living a more ‘green’ existence. And most importantly ask your
contractor what he/she does specifically to incorporate ‘green’ into
their building practices.

As always, if we can be of assistance to you please call one of our
knowledgeable team members.

Yours in Success,

Florida Future Realty Team

(239)542-8521

There are 3 parts to a lease with option to buy. The first part is the lease. The lease agreement is set up for anywhere from 1 to 3 years. There is first & last month’s rent included to get started. Rent rates on lease options are slightly higher than standard rental rates because the tenant/buyer will be receiving part of their monthly rent towards the purchase price.

There is also a contract for sale and purchase. This price will be based upon projected market value at the time the lease ends and the sale is to take place. The tenant/buyer will also put a non-refundable deposit down as well. This is generally 3-5% of the sales price but can always be negotiated to fit the needs of all parties involved. This amount will also be credited towards the buyer’s closing costs at the actual sale of the property. If the tenant/buyer fails to purchase the property then they deposit is completely forfeited to the owner of the property.

The third part is drafted by an attorney and is the actual option agreement between the parties.

Our lease option program guidelines:

For Owners of property in and around Cape Coral, Florida:

You must own the property free of any mortgages/liens or must owe less than 50% LTV

We will collect a non-refundable deposit for you. 50% of that deposit will go to you & the other 50% will go towards the full commission to be paid at closing of said property.

Here is an example of how a lease option would work:

You lease the property to a buyer/tenant for $1,200/month with an end purchase price of $100,000. The buyer puts down a $5,000 non-refundable deposit that will be used towards the purchase at the end of the term (usually 1-3 years).

Paid up front: $5,000 non-refundable deposit
First Month’s Rent: $1,200
Last Month’s Rent: $1,200

Total to move in: $7,400
Minus $2,500 to real estate brokerage

You will credit $100-200/month towards the end purchase price also. So say at the end of the 2 year term the buyer qualifies for a loan and purchases the house.

You will credit $200 per month for 24 months towards the purchase price ($4,800) and also credit the $5,000 deposit as well.

The house sells for the agreed upon $100,000 and the buyer has $9,800 to use for closing costs/prepaids/down payment.

You pay the real estate commission ($6,000-$2,500 already paid=$3,500) and sell the house for a net near $83,000 (after closing costs/other fees)

More benefits for of a lease option compared to a straight rental:

More benefits of a lease option compared with a straight sale:

And finally benefits of a lease option compared with seller financing:

We can also assist you in seller financing as well if you are interested.

At Florida Future Realty, Inc. we bring the consumer what they are asking for versus what we think they want. Lease Options are a win/win for all parties involved and will in turn return the city of Cape Coral back to the full beauty it should be. We need people in homes that they can comfortably afford and maintain. We do not need more vacant homes.

We also work with traditional sellers, short sale sellers & bank owned listings as well. In any real estate market it is critical to accommodate to the needs of the majority buyer.

We look forward to hearing from you….

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

www.SusanMilner.com

(239) 542-8521

(239) 218-2229 Cell

Susan@SusanMilner.com

copyright 2010 Susan Milner Florida Future Realty, Inc.

Florida Future Realty, Inc. was so excited to be a part this year’s
Cape Coral Relay for Life.  The event was held on the football
field of Ida Baker high school and decorated to resemble Mardi
Gra.  More than 70 teams of local business participated for an
amazing night.  Teams sold anything from food to crafts; there was
even a tarot card reader in the tent next to us.   The Florida
Future Realty, Inc. tent consisted of carnival like games for the kids
and a raffle.

Many of the teams brought tents to camp in, as the event lasted
through the night into Saturday morning.   There was a
comedian to provide comic relief, and a DJ that played through the night
to keep the participants awake and walking the track all 18 hours of
the event.

There were thousands of attendants there for a common goal, to help
find a cure for cancer. This year $132,000 was raised, which exceeded
last year’s totals by a few thousand.

Cape Coral’s Relay for Life was a huge success.  We were so
fortunate to be asked to participate in this event, and had a wonderful
time supporting the cause.

While visiting our site please feel free to use our MLS search
engine.

http://www.forida-future-realty.com/real-estate-home-search

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

(239)542-8521

Today is Earth Day; we all need to work together to save our planet
Earth form further and irreversible destruction.  If each person
takes one step forward in the direction of living “green” we will make
huge strides toward the big picture.  As Cape Coral home owners we
can take a close look at our appliances and the energy we are wasting
because of our out dated and less efficient models.

One new product to recently hit stores in Cape Coral and across the
country is a hybrid water heater.  This is an appliance that we
don’t think of to often, until we step into the shower one morning and
find it to be frigid.  Or worse come home from a long day of work,
and are greeted with a steady stream of water escaping from the front
door.

Water heaters use the most energy of any household appliance,
and were not regulated by Energy Star until 2008′. About 17 percent of a
home’s energy usage stems from its water heater.  That equates to
hundreds possibly thousands of wasted dollars each year.
Unfortunately there are only a few hybrid water heaters on the
market at this time and they do cost considerable more than their
conventional counter parts- 2,000 to 3,000 for the few on the market
now.

When you hear the word “hybrid” you automatically think of half gas
half battery powered car. Though hybrid water technology is still
evolving and can contain a combination of technologies, the term hybrid
actually refers to a combination of tank and tank less water heating
system.  The new water heater models vary. One of the few available
uses multiple passes of the heat and water to warm up more
efficiently.  The machine has 44 pipes that heat up, and the water
flows around them for quick heating.  Unlike a tank less system,
the hybrid heater contains a reservoir to hold water at all times so you
will never run out.

If it is time to replace your water heater in your Cape Coral home or
if you just looking to reduce your carbon footprint, consider a hybrid
water heating system.  It is not only great for the environment it
is also great for you pocket book.

If we can help in any way or answer any questions please call.

239-542-8521

Yours in Success,

Florida Future Realty Team