All Blog Entries by Dan Boyle

Everyone agrees that the bottom of the market on Marco Island has passed but there are still bargains if you look carefully and move on them quickly.  We have one of those bargains for you today.  Listen, this condo is a two-bedroom beauty that is priced less than most one-bedroom units in the same condominium - and it's a bright, airy, END UNIT.  It's 50 grand less than the only other two-bedroom available! Is this something that you folks up north might consider jumping on, sight-unseen?  Why wouldn't you?  Where is the risk? Seriously, a two-bedroom condo, a block from the beach on Marco Island, for $127,500.  Grab this condo in 2013 and look like a genius as soon as 2014.

Everybody knows that Seabreeze is a great condo because of its close

This week's hot listing of the week is a Marco Island beachfront condo.  People come from around the world to see the white sand and stunning sunsets of our crescent beach.  No doubt, this world-wide demand can make Marco Island beachfront property a little more pricey than some other Florida towns.  Occationally, though, you can find a steal and when you do, you need to move.  Itchiest trigger finger wins.

So, why is this condo getting so much attention?  It's only $315,000, that's why.  Now, if you watch beachfront condo prices, you know this is a pretty good price for a 1 bedroom condo.  This is a two bedroom condo, though...in one of the most popular high rises on the beach, Admiralty House.  Admiralty House is a pristine, architectural

One of the great real estate myths on Marco Island is that you can only sell property during our tourist season which is January through March.  Sure, the population of our little island triples in those months and sales are strong but the data tells a different story.  Selling off-season is a great strategy.

The numbers may surprise you.  First, let's compare the number of homes sold in the first half of 2012 with the number in the second half.  Bear in mind that the first half includes not only our busiest months of January, February and March but also April, May and June which are the months in which closings of sales made during those busy months often fall.  On the contrary, the second half of the year includes the holiday months of November

Fiddler's Creek is a unique community in southwest Florida.  There really is nothing quite like it.  This 3900-acre development is packed with every amenity imaginable, two world-class golf courses, a club house and pool that are nothing short of Florida fantasy and to top it all off, it's very affordable.

"I don't believe it," you say.  "How can it really be that great and still be affordable."  Well, in 2007, as the Florida real estate market began to flounder, Fiddler's Creek developers lost critical financing.  Ultimately, they were forced to file bankruptcy despite a giant cash infusion from investors.  Construction ceased and Fiddler's Creek was in critical condition. 

Now, Fiddler's has emerged from their financial troubles.  Property is

We are all familiar with Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving when Christmas shoppers, trying to grab bargains, have been known to fight over merchandise.  It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas - if you know what I mean.  The Florida real estate biz is humming like we haven't seen in years.  In certain price ranges and neighborhoods, buyers are getting worked up into a frenzy.

Here's a little anecdotal evidence for you...  I've made four offers for a single client of mine over the last few weeks and we haven't been able to even negotiate them.  In three of the four, there were multiple offers.  With these, our good offers we beaten by full-price offers or similar offers that were preferable because they were cash.  In the remaining case,

Serendipity - a lucky find.  Well, we've got your serendipity.  This week, we have a new listing in Smokehouse Bay Club.  Smokehouse Bay Club is located ideally on Marco Island.  The community is, of course on the beautiful Bay so access to the Gulf from the common dock is direct.  By land, this popular and sought after community is located right next to The Esplanade so a two minute walk gets you to Starbucks, CJ's, Tara Steak and Lobster House, Mangos and more.

There is a lot more to Smokehouse than its perfect location.  It is one of the best kept and most beautiful landscapes on the island.  The flowers are in bloom and the lawns are manicured meticulously.  The buildings are tasteful in design and very well maintained. Inside, each unit is an

Trulia and Zillow are awesome if you are interested in getting some general real estate information. If you want to see what prices have been doing over the last five or ten years on Marco Island, these big websites can give you a pretty good idea of what transpired. If you want to reach some random agent that probably knows nothing about the market, these sites will deliver that too.  But, if you want the good stuff - the real timely information you need in order to make a good decision, you might want to bypass these Goliaths.

Big real estate websites are ubiquitous these days. If you search for anything real estate related on Google or Yahoo or Bing, you're going to find that Zillow and Trulia are ranked high in the results. The sites are easy to

This week's hot listing is going to sell quickly.  It's a single family home with a swimming pool priced at $349,000.  One of many attributes that make this home so special is its size.  It isn't 1500-1800 square feet like everything else in its price range.  Not only is it over 2400 s.f., but the lot it's on is big too!  The back yard and pool area are private.  You don't have neighbors breathing down your neck.  It's fantastic and would make a great primary home, winter home or investment.

The interior of this home is awesome as well. You're going to love it!  It has been well-cared for and the bathrooms and kithcen have been recently remodeled.  In fact, the maple cabinets and granite countertops look like something out of a decorating magazine. 

If you're on our website, you're probably thinking about buying property in Florida. Most of you have probably looked around Florida and already decided on Marco Island, but some of you may still be undecided.  There are so many great towns out there like St. Augustine, Vero Beach, Key West, Clearwater, Sarasota and a dozen more.  They're all different, but they're all great Florida towns.  Deciding where to land when you make the leap can be tough.

Sarasota Is The Best?

I was in your shoes not too long ago.  My wife and I had decided that Sarasota would be the best place to finally start our Florida lives.  Twenty years in the making, we were finally going to do it.  We had vacationed down here so many times, we lost count. We loved Florida, but

This week's hot listing comes to us from the South End area on Marco Island.  The South End is really about boating condos.  There are inland condos and stunning condos on the Gulf of Mexico in this area also, but the bulk of Marco Island's boating condos are located on the South End.

So, what is a boating condo you may ask.  It is simply a condo with boat slips on the property.  Since the South End is entirely "water-direct", bridge clearance for you boat is not an issue.  Also, the Gulf of Mexico is only a few minutes from any property by boat.

This week's hot listing is in Huron Cove.  This two bedroom / 2.5 bath condo has been viewed by more people this week on BuyMarco.com than any other listing.  I'll tell you why I think this condo is