All Blog Entries by Dan Boyle

September is a quiet month on Marco Island.  Of course, the summer is considered the slow season but it gets the slowest in September.  With the kids back in school and the snowbirds quite happy to stay up north for another month or so, the atmosphere on Marco is quite peaceful.  OK, it's dead, actually. 

Marco is always peaceful and quiet when you compare it to most other coastal Florida towns.  Now, though, you can probably get away with crossing the street without looking both ways.  You can probably even go get the newspaper naked without anybody noticing. 

Many of us like this quiet atmosphere in September.  It's surreal to have the grocery store to yourself or get a haircut appointment for "right now."  The only negative is the fact that

Every week or so, we take a look to see which listing on BuyMarco.com is getting the most action.  This week, it's a great condo in the Tropic Schooner development off Marco Island.  Tropic Schooner is located just a few miles from Marco off Collier Boulevard, in the Marco Shores area.  This is the area with the three high rise condos you see just before you arrive on Marco Island. The little Marco Island airport is in this area, too.

This particular listing is a two bedroom, 2 bath unit with 948 square feet of living area. It has views of the pool and cabana and a very low maintenance fee of $248 per month.  The fee includes landscaping, trash removal, insurance and more.

The reason this listing is getting so much attention now is the price. 

Well, for all of you out there wondering how your property on Marco Island fared in the recent tropical storm, it did very well.  In fact,  the storm was anticlimactic.  With every update, the projected track of the storm was moved farther and farther from Marco.  Ultimately, we didn't even get much of a show.

As the storm made landfall in Cuba, the projected path took its center just a few miles off Marco Island.  Forecasters thought it'd be a hurricane when it got here.  People were scampering around preparing for the worst.  Plywood and generators were flying off the shelves.  Tourists were heading home.  Storm shutters were in place.  Then...nothing. 

We've had heavier rain this summer already with our usual thunderstorms.  The wind we

Who doesn't like free stuff?  Everybody likes free stuff!  We are going to be selecting a winner every week for the rest of the year and sending them a free Marco Island t-shirt.  All you have to do is register.  You can click on the photo on the home page to reach the registration form or simply use our Property Search a couple of times and the system will ask you to register.  Either way, you're signed up and could win a free t-shirt. We'll contact winners every Monday. 

When you register, you will remain eligible for the t-shirt drawing for the rest of the year.  The promotion ends on New Years Day 2013.

There is another sure-fire way to get a t-shirt.  Just buy or sell a property with The Boyle Team and you'll get one automatically.

Zillow.com, the real estate information company, recently released a study that finds, in most U.S cities, buying is a better deal than renting after just 3 years of ownership.  In Florida, it's even less time because real estate prices have been crushed.

If there's one thing I see Marco Island buyers struggling with, it's property valuation.  Even in a market where prices are often between a half and a third of what they were five years ago, many are still unsure that they're getting a good deal.  This study by Zillow is proof that not only are prices cheap when compared to 2006, they have fallen to the lowest in the country relative to rent.The time to buy in Florida is right now. 

Many are familiar with the price-to-rent ratio.  This is a

It's August 2012 and we're just a few months from another presidential election.  Of course, nowadays, there are other factors that are strongly influencing home prices besides the upcoming election.  Nevertheless, I thought it might be interesting to see what influence pending elections had on real estate prices, historically.

Well, election years, both presidential and mid-term, are bad for price appreciation.  The uncertainty of the future causes people to sit tight and wait.  In these big election years, U.S. home prices averaged 5.2% gains per year. In non-election years the average gain has been 5.8% since 1969.  When you look at median prices, you get similar results.  Non-election years outperformed election years handily: 6.3% annual gains

One of the greatest things about living anywhere in Florida is the rest of Florida.  You can drive to the best of what the state offers in just a few hours or less.  As long as your passion isn't snow skiing, you have it in Florida.  World-class cities with all the accoutrements, incredible adventures, wildlife encounters - it's all here in Florida.

If you want a break from the relaxed and cozy vibe that Marco Island is famous for, just drive two hours east and you're in one of the World's most dynamic cites.  Miami has everything.  It is probably the antithesis of Marco Island in every way.  It's intense. It's crowded.  It moves at 100 miles per hour, but it can be a lot of fun to visit.  Take a stroll down the beach past the famous art-deco hotels

We just sold a charming 2 bedroom home just off Marco Island in south Naples.  Located in the Quail Roost neighborhood, this modular home has over 1400 s.f. of living area and is located on a beautiful lake.  Quail Roost is a great development if you're searching for an affordable home that's close to Marco and Naples, too.

We've seen a lot of demand in the lower priced homes lately.  Not a day goes by that I don't get  a call from an investor looking for an exceptional bargain in the "under $100,000" range.  They're getting fewer and fewer each day.  The lower price range is evaporating and if you want one of these bargains, the time to act is now.

To give you an idea of the bargains that are available now, consider what this home sold for in the

While Marco Island has not had the high foreclosure rate that most of Florida has endured in recent years, we've certainly had our share.  Satisfaction among buyers of these homes runs the gamut from ecstatic to heartbroken.  There have been some great deals and a few nightmares, too.

Buying a Naples or Marco Island foreclosure is not for everyone.  Most of us are not experienced in evaluating the structural integrity and systems of well-maintained homes not to mention those of a neglected or damaged property.  The remedies and repairs necessary to foreclosures are almost always more complicated and more expensive then they appear to be.

If your foreclosure purchase doesn't work-out, there's no one to call.  The risk is all yours as the buyer of

We have a couple of notable condos that were just listed this week.  First, check out the new short sale in Bougainvillea Gardens.  This is the only unit available in this perennial favorite and it's priced at only $249,000.  It has two bedrooms and two baths and has been beautifully remodelled with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.  The floor plan is feels roomier than its 1200 s.f.  Bougainvillea Gardens is located on the South End of Marco Island and is just a short stroll to the beach.  For more info, just contact us or click to see the listing.

Next, we have a unit in South Seas East. Just about the same price as the Bougainvillea condo, the South Seas unit has partial views of the bay and you can walk right outside and start