All Blog Entries by Dan Boyle

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

As we roll through August, it gets a little quieter on Marco Island.  While some would say that August and September are the least comfortable months in terms of heat on Marco, this is relative.  It certainly isn't heavenly like the winter months are but it really isn't bad at all.  The average high temperature here in August is 93 degrees.  It's 90 all the way up in Myrtle Beach and I can tell you from experience, Myrtle doesn't get the sea breezes we have here that seem to offset the humidity. Myrtle Beach is an sauna right now.

The real estate market gets a little quieter in August and September, too.  It always seems though, that the buyers that are in town are very serious.  Many of the customers we see these days are here with a real estate

This one isn't gonna last, people.  If you're looking for a bargain on a water-direct home, this might be the one.  For those of you wondering what "water-direct" means, it is a property from which passage under a bridge is not required to reach the Gulf by boat.  Usually, they also have quicker Gulf access also. Check out this listing here.

Besides being water-direct, this home also has a big water view, oversized lot, and  open floor plan.  It has three bedrooms and three baths and 2193 square feet under air.  Total square footage is 3500.  The price-per-foot of this foreclosure is cheap when compared to recent sales.  It's only $194 per foot under air.  The last sale on Sunset was $303/ ft.

Our website has updated listings of all the foreclosures

Wow!  I've been telling you that the low-end is evaporating but we still see something under $50,000 once in a while.  If you're a first-time buyer, investor, or on a fixed income, we have a deal for you.  This home in south Naples is a foreclosure that just came on to the market this week.  Built in 1977, it's a ranch and has 1292 s.f., three bedrooms and 2 baths.

The home is located in the Naples Manor subdivision where sales have been brisk all year.  So far, there have been 33 sales ranging from $53,500 up to $145,000.  So, this will be the lowest sale price this year unless multiple bids bring the price up 10 grand.

If you've been seaching for a foreclosure on Marco Island or nearby as is the case here, you know time is of the essence.  If you

Calculating property tax in Florida can be a little more complicated by the variety of discounts one may be eligible to take.  The big one is the homestead exemption which is basically a discount available if your Florida home is your primary residence.  We thought we'd summarize the rest of the discounts for you today.

The most important information to take from this article is that the taxes shown in the public records for a particular home may be quite different for you when the taxes are recalculated.  Every person has different eligibility and this means two people will be taxed entirely differently on the same property.  Before you buy your Marco Island property, ask us for a tax estimate and will have one calculated for you.

EXEMPTIONS:

DIY, of course, stands for Do-It-Yourself and in real estate we refer to these sellers as FSBOs, pronounced "fizz-bo".  The natural aversion to paying 6% to a broker to sell one's home is absolutely normal.  But, because of the multitude of issues that are involved, selling your home yourself can be challenging.

If you are the adventurous type, go for it.  The key to success in selling your Marco Island home, as is it is with just about everything, is preparation.  Not preparing is a recipe for disaster.  Your home may go unsold for a long time if it sells at all. Plus, your bottom line may shrink considerably if you fail to recognize some of the nuances of the process.

To help you prepare, I've put together a few tips that you should be aware

What have people been looking at the most on BuyMarco.com this week?  Well, MLS# 2121558 is the winner - a South Seas two bedroom unit.  When a listing achieves "most popular" on our website, it's usually sold or will be very soon.  This is the case today as well.  This condo was only on the market a week so, you value buyers out there need to move quickly.  "If you snooze, you lose" has never been more true than it is this summer.  If you need someone to help improve your reaction time,  we can help.  For a list of our picks for best value, contact us and ask for the current "Best Buys" list.

So, how did this all happen?  This particular condo was the least expensive one available in South Seas Towers.  The asking price on this 2BR/2BA unit in

I've written a couple articles about this lately and I'm doing it again just to emphasize an important point.  The lower priced stuff is being gobbled up, so fast it'll make your head spin.  Regardless of the price range you may be interested in, this is an good indication of market sentiment.  We have customers coming in daily looking for inexpensive property to hold, rent out or use as a second home.  Everyone realized the market bottommed sometime in the last year and now they're afraid that these prices will be gone if they don't move quickly.  They're right.

Of six houses I wanted to show a recent customer, four had gone under contract in the last week.  This is amazing.

So, the lowest priced stuff available in Naples and Marco Island keeps

If you love Southwest Florida and you'd like to spend less than $100,000 on your home here, you have two choices: a manufactured home or a condo.  Finding an affordable Marco Island home under $100,000 was impossible a few years ago.  Today, there are some incredible options even as low as $50,000.  They are rare and disappearing by the day but you can still find them.

Just inland from Marco Island are several mobile home communities that are fantastic.  These well-maintained, friendly neighborhoods have everything you dream of.  Do you want a swimming pool?  We have them.  Do you want to live on a lake?  Done.  We even have one community with its own boat ramp and access to the Gulf of Mexico. Anyone that thinks you are giving something up by choosing