Life In Bonita Springs

Short Sale, Foreclosure or Equity Real Estate Sale?

For more real estate reports read also:

What Price Range Real Estate Sold November 2010?

Real Estate Sales History November 2001-2010

Which Parks Allow Dogs in The Bonita Springs Area?

The Bonita Springs and Estero Florida area currently offer three pet friendly parks.  The rules for pet friendly parks are posted at the park but general rules include; pets must be vaccinated, clean up after your pets, no aggressive or dangerous pets.

Estero Community Center Dog Park offers a fenced pet friendly facility that permits dogs being off leash.

Dog Beach Near Lover’s Key offers an area of beach which is not fenced.  Off leash is permitted.

River Park at Imperial River is the newest park in Bonita Springs and Estero. It is not completely fenced but is partially bordered by the Imperial River. 

The River Park is so new that the official park rules are not posted, however, there are dog waste bag stations to indicate that pets are permitted.  River Park will be one of the largest parks when completed with a total of about 18 acres of parkland Bonita Springs real estate.

Click the park’s links above for further information or the map below to locate a pet friendly park.

Trusting Google More Than Your Real Estate Agent?

It’s absolutely no secret that there is a myriad of unexpected things that can go wrong in a real estate transaction these days. It’s just the unexpected surprises that catch everyone off guard.

The transaction terrorist in today’s episode is the home inspector. Not just any home inspector, the worst one on the planet. He’s out there roaming around giving the gift of less than mediocre home inspectors to consumers in a neighborhood near you and giving good home inspectors a bad reputation.

My first experience with the dude from Super Happy Fun Slide Home Inspections came a few years ago when a consumer I was working with purchased a lovely home and chose him for an inspector. He wasn’t on my list of recommendations but my buyers managed to find him on Google. I didn’t know him from a lamp post and certainly hadn’t seen him at any local functions that would indicate that he’d been involved in the community, a member of the chamber or an affiliate at the local board of Realtors.

Anonymity doesn’t make for a negligent home inspector but lack of ability does. The fact that the buyers had been provided a list of reputable, experienced inspectors and chosen invisi-spector was on them. The lack of ability was on the inspector. I just got to be a hostage to the situation.

Years later, having worked through the grief, I’m opening a home for a home inspection when the doorbell rings and its Moe Howard, once again. This time I’m the listing agent and seriously wondering if, since I’m a transaction broker, this person’s lack of professional ability is something that I’m obligated to bring to the buyer attention as a material fact which can jeopardize the transaction.

An industry first: “Hello, Buyer’s Agent. I feel compelled to let you know that your client’s choice in home inspectors is so poor I have to make you aware of it. The buyers deserve a fair shot at getting a home that is properly inspected so they know exactly what they’re buying. They should have the benefit of infrared thermography and an inspector that will actually test every single outlet … not just the ones they feel like, every appliance … and make sure all cycles work, the lawn sprinklers … even when it’s raining and the attic … even if it’s way too hot up there, because that’s what they’re paying for and deserve.”

Instead, the inspector came and went and when he was done I put everything back to the way he originally found it by locking all of the sliding doors he left unlocked, turning off the main water he left turned on, turning back the thermostat to where it was, flipping the breaker for the hot H2O tank he left blazing and looked around for what else he might have touched that needed secured before I left, so that it wouldn’t burn to the ground.

It turns out that the inspector wasn’t on a list of recommendations that was provided to that buyer either. I guess out of paranoia the buyers wanted to find their own inspector that wouldn’t be “in cahoots” with anyone or wanted to save ten dollars.

They found their inspector at the top of a pay-per-click Google ad which apparently now trumps years of experience and first hand observation of consumer-centric home inspectors who actually do their jobs well.

Is it wrong to hire off of Google? No, but like any other business they should be vetted for experience or at the very least be on a recommendation list besides the one they paid for on a search engine.

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Real Life in Bonita Springs is a project by Chris Griffith dedicated to writing useful blog posts for consumers about the Bonita Springs, Florida area.  Find out what it is really like to live in Bonita Springs, Florida by reading about our fair city. You’ll get the latest in local real estate information, Bonita Springs real estate market reports and a little bit of humor.  If you have topic ideas, feel free to request a story about the idea, after all, this site is just for you.

You can subscribe to a weekly email newsletter by visiting www.LifeInBonitaSprings.com and entering your email in the subscription area on the center pane of the web page or by adding us to your reader by subscribing to this blog. Oh, and if you’re reading this content anywhere else but www.LifeInBonitaSprings.com or Naples Daily News it is probably stolen.

Shopping in Bonita Springs and Estero Florida

First, I’m the last person on earth that should be writing about a mall or shopping or anything retail. I’m slightly allergic to shopping.  I’m all about shopping dot com and the UPS man dropping my choices off at the front door.  This trip to Miromar Outlet was for dinner at my favorite, Luna Pizza.   That’s the closest I usually ever get to a retail therapy. 

This time the littlest person in the family roped me into looking for a coat which doesn’t sound like a challenge except for the fact that she’s in her twenties and still wears clothes from the kids department due to her diminutive size.  I made the best out of being a Miromar Outlet hostage, I made the best out of it for both of us … me and LBD.  Little Brown Dog was tagging along in his bed, thanks to Atilla the Gardener poisoning him, and he’s volunteered to play Where’s Waldo, southwest Florida ~ Little Brown Dog style.

And for the record, there are no coats in the Jockey Store.   Now … where’s LBD?

Where’s LBD at The Jockey Store?

Where’s LBD at The Nike Store?

Where’s LBD at The Nike Store?

  Where’s LBD at the J Crew Store?

Miromar Outlets is located at Corkscrew and Ben Hill Griffin Road.  For more visit their site www.MiromarOutlets.com

PHONE: (239) 948-3766 · REGULAR HOURS: Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CLICK HERE for Holiday Hours · LOCATION: I-75, Exit 123, Corkscrew Road / Miromar Outlets Blvd. in Estero,

between Naples & Fort Myers

Renovating Foreclosure & Short Sale Homes

This is a Capri in Village Walk of Bonita Springs, Florida.  Like many production homes in gated or deed restricted communities, the homes are very similar.  The homes in Village Walk are nearly identical and when they were first contracted for sale they offered few choices in options or upgrades. 

There were only about a dozen upgrades in Village Walk product and some of those were basic. The room comes with carpet, to upgrade to tile is (for example) $6,500.  Do you choose light beige or dark beige?

Investors who were speculating on the real estate market sometimes didn’t choose any upgrades.  They bought cheap with the intention of selling high and letting someone else worry about their kids running across carpet dripping from the swimming pool.  A year or two down the road this same real estate is back on the market.  A good portion of these properties were formerly tenant occupied so they’re sporting worn carpet which has seen better days.

With more than five years passing the tile has become discontinued and the option of running the identical tile through the main [formerly carpeted] part of the home is no longer an option. Close enough counts with horse shoes and a few tiling options. 

The picture above is actually resale real estate that had carpet right where that futon is sitting.  The existing tile was out of production so a near color match was located and integrated by using a small border to break up the joint.  It’s nearly impossible to see.

I had a chance to tour this Capri at Village Walk shortly after it closed sale and the renovation was complete. It was a really impressive application of corrective tile.  Below is a close up version of the border and replacement tiles. 

In case you happen to be looking for a flooring remedy or a remodel contractor, the contractor who renovated this home and completed the flooring rehab was Spolar Enterprises, Inc. - 239-287-5497.  Besides being a licensed and insured general contactor, they offer home services, home watch, etc.  www.SpolarEnterprises.com  is their webpage.

This home owner was thrilled with the results and would be happy to provide a reference upon request.

Exterior Structure Changes and Paint Colors

Purchasing a home or condo in a deed restricted community or home owner association has benefits.  While some folks look at the homeowner association rules and regulations as a punishment it’s really to protect everyone.  It’s to preserve the values of the Bonita Springs real estate you’ve invested in, too.

Take into consideration barbecue grills on lanais of condos.  Many condo owners wish they could use a gas or charcoal grill when the rules either indicate no grills or electric grills only. Why?  Well, the other grills are dangerous in multi-family situations.  Besides, Bill and Betty down below really like the Grey Goose … so do you really want them playing with a gas grill below the bed you’re sleeping in?

Typically, the architectural review committee will review any changes a home owner would like to make to the exterior of a home or condo.  From putting on a screen door, to adding a swimming pool, to painting a home, there is likely a rule to control the aesthetic appeal of the change. 

Usually there is a committee of fellow owners who volunteer to review the plans of the proposed change to make sure it is compliant with the condominium or homeowner association documents … and not visually obtrusive.  Rules may include keeping architectural elements similar like all white pool cages.  Storm shutters must be clear.  Storm panels may not be left up year round.  The list goes on …

I don’t know what went wrong with the review of the paint color for the home above but it would be consider it a #FAIL.  This Bonita Springs home is located in a gated, Bonita Springs community with many gorgeous homes and then the great pumpkin got in.  I wonder if they check the architectural review committee for color blindness before they’re appointed.

Happy Thanksgiving Southwest Florida

A few weeks ago my daughter came to me with the realization that we needed to formulate a plan for Thanksgiving dinner. My mother had organized and cooked Thanksgiving the last few years. She passed away at the end of February and it hadn’t occurred to me that we were left Thanksgiving dinnerless.

Thanksgiving has always been an unusual holiday in our family mostly because the very child that suddenly wanted to make plans had been the queen bee ring leader for years who kept us from Thanksgiving at home.

If there’s a parent out there with a tween or younger cheerleader they know exactly what I’m talking about. They’re probably not reading this because they’re in Orlando, the happiest place on earth, Florida right now pretending they’re having fun watching thousands of cheerleaders wearing too much mascara and cheap perfume perform their little hearts out. That performance is usually followed by act two which is crying themselves to sleep on the way home.

Our family spent about a decade of “good times” in Orlando at the cheer-fest shindig before we were able to retire to a few years of normal Thanksgiving life with all the fixin’s at Grandma’s house.

Suffice it to say, I’m an older and wiser since the nest emptied out so when the opportunity came for me to cook Thanksgiving dinner I explained to my darling daughter that this would be the perfect opportunity for this tradition to skip every other generation. I explained further that since she is now a first time home owner it would be the perfect housewarming, too.

For the record, I actually congratulated myself for slipping out of that one so masterfully.

She tried wiggling out of it, too; not enough plates, not enough room at the table, blah blah blah. Without missing a beat there were volunteers bringing plastic ware and Chinette who agreed that sitting on the sofa without a table was perfectly fine.

What goes around comes around. I didn’t toss her under the bus just for me; I did it for the boys. Her brothers, one of which is her twin have suffered through way too many cheering competitions and this is their just reward. The entertainment value of assigning turkey day to someone whose only culinary accomplishment has been a grilled American cheese sandwich makes that turkey literally worth its weigh in gold.

She has no clue but I’ve helped her avert the first tragedy, buying the bird and thawing it out before Thursday. As of Wednesday it hadn’t occurred to her and when it does I’m not letting on right away that I have a thawed turkey in my fridge.

Needless to say, we are prepared for total calamity in the kitchen but we know that if it gets that bad, we can always fall back on her grilled cheese sandwich as the back up plan. Lord knows we’ve eaten much worse on Thanksgiving Day before Grandma saved us.

The one thing we learned spending all of those Thanksgivings in central Florida is that when we were together we always had fun. We had fun making her ride roller coasters with curlers in her hair. We had fun eating at the world’s worst diners while giving thanks.

If you’re fortunate enough to not be in Orlando, Florida shaking your spirit fingers to pop song mash-ups hopefully you’re making the most out of what ever company you’re keeping or whatever cuisine you’re enjoying, even if it’s just a grilled cheese sandwich.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Real Life in Bonita Springs is a project by Chris Griffith dedicated to writing useful blog posts for consumers about the Bonita Springs, Florida area.  Find out what it is really like to live in Bonita Springs, Florida by reading about our fair city. You’ll get the latest in local real estate information, Bonita Springs real estate market reports and a little bit of humor.  If you have topic ideas, feel free to request a story about the idea, after all, this site is just for you.

You can subscribe to a weekly email newsletter by visiting www.LifeInBonitaSprings.com and entering your email in the subscription area on the center pane of the web page or by adding us to your reader by subscribing to this blog. Oh, and if you’re reading this content anywhere else but www.LifeInBonitaSprings.com or Naples Daily News it is probably stolen.

Bonita Springs Holiday Boat Parade Imperial River

The Bonita Springs holiday boat parade is set for December 11, 2010. Details with meeting locations and the captain’s dinner are as follows.

Sign Up: Captain’s Dinner is December 3rd at Barefoot Boat Club. The boat parade launches from Barefoot Boat Club at:

Parade Date: December 11, 2010

The Location: 5025 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs, FL 34134-3915 is the sign up location and the beginning of the parade route.

The Route: The boat parade begins at the Barefoot Boat Club, goes up the Imperial River to east of US 41 Tamiami Trail to approximately Flossmoor Drive where it turns around and returns to the Barefoot Boat Club for the after party.

The After Party: The Boat Parade after party will feature drinks, burgers hot off the grill and live entertainment featuring the local upcoming songstress Casey Weston.  After party entry tickets will be available at the door.

For more information, call Bay Waters Boat Rentals 239-495-0455.

It’s a Free Market, Chose Real Estate Help Wisely

There are plenty of valid complaints that consumers may have about whomever they’ve chosen to help them purchase or sell real estate but the fact of the matter is that they have the ability to choose. Consumers can choose or not choose to use a real estate agent, choose their own buyers agent, choose their listing agent or chose to not choose and stumble around the market they’re shopping until someone ends up being their real estate agent.

The overwhelming majority of home buyers and sellers use the internet as their discovery tool for buying and selling homes. They crawl all over the consumer facing MLS services, tax rolls, clerks office and “guess-timating” sites like Zillow® getting their education about the market and the real estate they’re about to buy or sell. All the while the while, they’re able to educate themselves about the real estate agent they’re going to choose use.

The internet is the consumer’s friend. Just as easy as it is to check the crime rate or a Zestimate® of the property, a consumer can find out more about a real estate agent. Start with www.MyFloridaLicense.com and check for licensure, violations or to see how wet the ink is on that license. Actually, you can check any professional license here, so have at it when hiring any trade.

Google the agent’s name or the community they claim to be an expert of. If you can’t find a website owned and operated by the real estate “expert” you’re thinking of using, exactly what are they the expert of except finding lost consumers?

Make sure the agent isn’t traveling beyond their geographic area of familiarity. Agents in the state of Florida are licensed for the entire state, but they’re not experts of the entire state. And yes, we get lost, desperate Miami and Tampa agents over here all the time.

It goes without saying that if your agent doesn’t have access to the local MLS how exactly are they going to provide recent closed sale comparables and advise on the purchase or sale of real estate, absorption rates for the neighborhood or access the important disclosures for the properties?

Everyone knows a reel-a-tor. Just because your mother’s housekeeper’s sister is a real estate agent doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t research them if you’re going to take a reference.

There are scads of people brandishing a license that have no business experimenting with you or your life savings. That includes losing the genetic lottery and having to use a family member who’s driving around town with a multi level marketing adver-decal on the back window of their car, too.

The real estate agents on the other end of your transaction want you to do your research and thank you for doing your research. They would like you to use someone that knows what they’re doing, doesn’t sabotage the transaction with ignorance and doesn’t need to be babysat.

Consumers can wing it and carp about the disappointing results or carefully research the agent that they hire. Unfortunately, many of consumers spend more time shopping for a new sofa then vetting whether the real estate agent they choose is actually qualified to help them.

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Real Life in Bonita Springs is a project by Chris Griffith dedicated to writing useful blog posts for consumers about the Bonita Springs, Florida area.  Find out what it is really like to live in Bonita Springs, Florida by reading about our fair city. You’ll get the latest in local real estate information, Bonita Springs real estate market reports and a little bit of humor.  If you have topic ideas, feel free to request a story about the idea, after all, this site is just for you.

You can subscribe to a weekly email newsletter by visiting www.LifeInBonitaSprings.com and entering your email in the subscription area on the center pane of the web page or by adding us to your reader by subscribing to this blog. Oh, and if you’re reading this content anywhere else but www.LifeInBonitaSprings.com or Naples Daily News it is probably stolen.