This Old Mailbox

This two dollar mailbox was found on Horne Avenue in Olde Bonita Springs.  I wonder where it is now...

Mailboxes are now like magnets to me. I can spot a good one a mile away.  Sometimes it's not a mile a way, it's just next door.  Last weekend I stopped by one of my new listings to drop off some paperwork and the neighbors were having a garage sale.  Only I could find a mailbox across a yard, grab my camera and say, "I'm going to make your mailbox famous." and have people believe me.  (It's the conviction with which I say it.)

If you don't know about this little section of Olde Bonita Springs you should take a drive.  Do you know where Riverside Park is and the Banyan Tree?  The Banyan Tree is at Childers Street.  Take Childers and drive around back there.  That's where you'll find some of the old railroad houses and early homes of pioneer retirees that came to Bonita Springs in the 50's and 60's to escape the winter cold.

The best part about the homes in this area is that the lots are big for Bonita Springs real estate.  From .34 acres and up; a third of an acre and most of them are zoned TFC2 so a duplex could be built if it meets the codes.

When I first moved to Bonita Springs, almost 25 years ago, these were the only homes available.  There were no gated communities, no golf course communities, there was only two grocery stores and Nelson's Hardware Store was where Dixie Moon and the Panaderia (Bakery) is.  Little did we know, back then, that Ben Nelson Jr. would eventually become our Mayor.

Back in the day the homes seemed super affordable in comparison to the boom year prices.  The tide has turned in real estate and prices have adjusted.   There was once a time when no single family home real estate was available for under $200,000 even in Olde Bonita Springs.  These days we have home prices bumping around $100,000 and a few under that price.  There are a few that may be short sales.

There are home owners that decide to sell and they have equity and didn't refinance when it was oh-so-easy to get money.  They can price their homes well to get noticed and buyers who thought they were priced out of the Bonita Springs real estate market can get in.  It's a win win situation.

Unfortunately, consumers don't understand that most of these homes qualify for FHA financing so even if they're worried about qualifying for a mortgage, they should at least try.  It may work out for them.  I'm actually going to predict that a few of these owners will start owner financing.  The home is paid and the stock market isn't going to bring them the return that financing a buyer would.   Just watch!

Take a drive around the Olde Bonita Springs area and see what's been shaking.  Worst case scenario you'll stumble onto a garage sale and get a two dollar mailbox.  If you do, take a picture of it and email it to me.  I'll make your mailbox famous.