Life In Bonita Springs

This Was an Awareness Rally - We Have No Oil

Folks I took tons of pictures and I just need to decide if I want to waste the storage space on them.  Lucky for you I mostly took pictures of other photographers covering the event and tramp stamps.

For the most part, there were tons of photographers and the outnumbered the attendees in the beginning.  It was rather humorous so the hunters became the prey and I got ‘em all.  Then I turned on the ink.

I don’t know what it is about tramp stamps but it’s like flashing ambulance lights at an intersection beside a pile of crumbled up cars. You don’t want to look, but you can’t stop looking.

So where most people might wonder who caused the accident and if the drivers were texting or impaired, I wonder the same thing about the tramp stamp.  Did you lose a bet?  How drunk were you?  I did you ever imagine you’d have a dimpled, saggy butt with muffin tops and that would be it’s crown?  Did it look that freeking huge in the book you picked it out of?  How much ink did it take?  Are you sure it says what you think is says … I mean, it’s Chinese and all…

Anywho, there was a rally at Bonita Beach today to bring awareness to the offshore drilling and to promote alternative sources of energy.

On my exit I noticed the parking lot was full to capacity with gas powered automobiles and there were only five bikes in the bike rack.

Bella Terra & Village Walk are Ninjas in Recovery

First of all, we’re not all going to die. Well eventually we will die, but probably not from exposure to real estate. Second, this too shall pass.

The turning points in the real estate recovery are s-l-o-w and when they happen, go by with little fanfare.

It’s been a rough market for some time but there are particular neighborhoods that were hit especially hard. There were a hand full of communities that were built or contracted at just about the time the switch was flipped and the market headed south. To say that some were hit hard would be an understatement.

In general, most consumers realize that there were real estate speculators and investors in the market. What most consumers don’t realize is that those speculators didn’t just buy a home and roll the dice; they bought multiple properties, even whole buildings. So a perfect storm of excessive real estate, purchased by speculators for imaginary home owners hit the valuation ceiling and a blood bath began.

Distressed real estate piled up for sale and the inventory loads swelled to years, sometimes decades. More property came on the market than was selling and for a brief period of time, nobody was buying.

Here’s the thing about the real estate market, it’s cyclical and ever changing. Eventually no matter how ugly it got, it wouldn’t last. The inventory would sell off either by price adjustment, short sale or foreclosure and the neighborhood would stabilize. That’s been the case with many of the communities mired in the thickest of market struggles.

Dare I mention a community by name? It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a complimentary full page “I hate Chris” tantrum ad in the paper so I think I’d roll the dice. Its good news and possibly even great news so what’s not to love? 

Existing resale home inventory has been reduced from several years to only several months in both Village Walk of Bonita Springs and Bella Terra of Estero. They’re two communities that had, at the onset of their construction, more than their fair share of investors and plenty of growing pains. They’ve actually worked through the majority of their tribulations, put them into the past and have become the poster children for market recovery.

Consider this; a balanced real estate market is approximately six months of inventory. With approximately ten months of inventory in each of the communities, they’re officially teetering on the edge of being a healthy, balanced market as a whole. That’s not even taking into account the hefty number of pending sales that will shave months off of the inventory as they close sale.

The majority of the product offered in both of the communities is in the faster paced $400,000 and under market which accounts for about seventy-four percent of all sales in the MLS in the last thirty days.

Not every community is as fortunate as Bella Terra and Village Walk. If you’re wondering “What about my real estate?” and you didn’t know the swiftest moving price point or the absorption rate for your neighborhood you’ve now got some important questions to ask your real estate agent.

And no, I have no listings to peddle or investment interests in either community. It’s simply good news, deal with it.

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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’ Beaches Remain Oil Free

Photo taken 6-22-2010 8:00 p.m.

Royal Scoop Ice Cream off of Vanderbilt

What are you doing after dinner tonight?  If you haven’t made a plan you should go visit one of Bonita Springs’ original favorites – Royal Scoop.  In case you didn’t know, Royal Scoop has the most delicious, freshly made ice cream in Bonita Springs.

Treats aren’t limited to ice cream, Royal Scoop serves other goodies and even lunch.  The last trip I took to Royal Scoop I had home made butter pecan ice cream. I was going to take a picture for the blog, but it just didn’t last long enough.  So, enjoy the neon image instead.

If you’re thinking of taking a trip to Royal Scoop here’s a map and directions.  You might want to follow them on Facebook, too. Royal Scoop is located at 15 8th Street, Bonita Springs, Florida.  That’s in Bonita Shores by the number streets.

When They *Always* Wanted To Buy Your Home

Whether it’s the well meaning acquaintance or just an overly involved neighbor, someone, somewhere in the neighborhood or complex is going to know when you’re preparing to put your real estate on the market and approach you with an offer.

There’s nothing like the idea of a property just about to hit the market to bring half cocked buyers out of the wood work. The idea of “interest” in the property even before selling is exciting, isn’t it? The reality is that there is a slim chance that the buyer is going to work out.

People can certainly sell their real estate for sale by owner easily enough. There are many hand shake deals at swimming pools especially in tight knit communities. The bigger challenge is getting the buyer do more than just talk a mean game about buying the property.

Selling real estate for sale by owner presents the same set of issues with qualifying a buyer that selling with a real estate agent presents. Anyone can want to buy real estate but do they qualify to purchase it and will they take action?

That well meaning buyer dreaming about helping you out of your real estate usually hasn’t been prequalified for a mortgage or produced some form of documentation that they’ve got the cash to close. Come to think of it, they haven’t done it with any of the other identical properties for sale within stone’s throw, either.

Somewhere in the mix the homeowner calls a real estate agent for professional advice and to feel out listing the home. They mention an exclusion of a neighbor or friend who “always wanted to buy the place” that just needs a few weeks to think about it.

How long does someone need to think about it when they’ve “always wanted to buy the place”? If they always wanted to buy the home the only thing they should be thinking about is getting wiring instructions for their escrow deposit.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the clock is ticking. While the buyer is thinking about it and still hasn’t provided a tangible offer with a dollar sign in front of a pile of numbers, proof of funds or a mortgage prequalification. All the while, the pennies and dollars are trickling through the hour glass.

They’re thinking about it, risk free, on the homeowners tab. It could easily cost hundreds of dollars in taxes, homeowner association, utilities and mortgage expenses for just a few weeks of consideration for a big, huge maybe.

My advice to the last seller that had this situation was to call the interested party and let them know the price the property was being listed at and what price they would be willing to accept prior to listing.

Naturally, the buyers were in it to win it … if the property was priced about forty percent less. They had heard through the grape vine that something else had sold at that discounted price. This passionate buyer was willing to move forward at a forty percent discount based what turned out to be an unsubstantiated rumor.

Needless to say, the buyers were only dreamers and if the sellers fell for holding it while they took their time making a decision it what would it have cost 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.

Angels Trumpet Pretty But Deadly

Angels Trumpet is another back yard beauty in the Bonita Springs area.  I’m not sure if it’s called angels trumpet because the trumpets hang straight down as though they’re pointed from the heavens or because when this plant is ingested, there’s a good chance that that trumpet will be calling you to heaven.

Every few years or so a group of kids will get together and make some some tea or eat some of it just for giggles.  There’s nothing funny about what happens next.  The plant, in its hallucinogenic qualities is sort of pass-fail.  The “fail” is permanent and fatal. 

I wonder what inspired Georgia O’Keefe to paint The White Trumpet Flower cir. 1932?

It’s better to look and not touch … and definitely not eat.  Here’s the blossom in various stages of bud, half opened, profile and completely open:

No Oil on Bonita Beach or Barefoot Beach

We’ve been posting pictures every few days for curious homeowners and potential buyers who are worried about the situation.  Read also: Bonita Beach Photo Report

Mediterra Golf & Country Club Beach Access

The Mediterra Beach Club, located on Gulf of Mexico on Hickory Blvd. at the north end of Bonita Beach.  Features of the Mediterra Beach Club include an elevated swimming pool, expansive sundeck, and indoor and al fresco dining overlooking 200 feet of Bonita Springs Gulf front, shoreline.

Mediterra Beach Club is member owned.  Memberships at the Club at Mediterra are available to Mediterra residents.

• 

  A beautiful 25,000 square foot clubhouse and two Tom Fazio designed championship golf courses.

• The Beach Club, located on the Gulf of Mexico at Bonita Beach, features an elevated swimming pool, expansive sundeck, and indoor and al fresco dining overlooking 200 feet of white sand beach.
• The Sports Club with a fitness center,five Har-Tru tennis courts,  three spa rooms and outdoor pool with sundeck.

Other Bonita Springs Communities or Luxury communities offering Bonita Beach Beach Clubs include:

• West Bay Club Beach Club – On Hickory Blvd
• The Brooks Beach Pavilion – Commons Club Enrichment Center Membership – Hickory Blvd.
• Bonita Bay Beach Club – On Hickory Blvd.
• Pelican Landing Island Beach Park – Water Taxi Accessible

What’s The Current Supply of Real Estate?

According to real estate economists, six month supply of real estate for sale represents a balanced real estate market.  A number higher than six months means it’s leaning towards a buyers market, a number less indicate that it’s a sellers market.

Keep in mind that real estate is local and even hyper-local.  The statistics indicate what is available in both Lee and Collier Counties in the Sunshine MLS.  There are individual neighborhoods and specific price ranges are experiencing short supply. 

Your real estate agent *should* be able to calculate the absorption rate of the neighborhood or price range you are shopping in and that skill should be used as leverage in the purchase process.

White Oleander – The Frangipani Wannabe

Oleander is a really common flower in Bonita Springs yards and gardens. It’s far more pretty up close than far away. I consider the bushes tall and gangly.  While I don’t have any in my yard I do see them all over town.  I’ve seen them in pink and in white.  This white oleander was located in Brendan Cove of Bonita Springs, Florida, in the preserve section.  It had two things going for it:  Flowers low enough for me to photograph and a path to get to it without walking through weeds or water.  Naturally, I was wearing nice shoes.

Enjoy the white oleander and it’s hot pink neighbor growing along Corkscrew Road in Estero, Florida.  There is a light pink Oleander in front of Bonita Bay.  I just need to get some photos on a cloudy day before they get sleepy and wilted from the summer heat.