Life In Bonita Springs

Bonita Beach Bonita Springs Florida 021

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Opportunistic Business vs. Consumer

Predatory businesses are successful enterprises because they’re able to take advantage of confusing situations, lack of educational resources and the desperation of consumers. Like any other new wave of change the housing and foreclosure crisis has spurred many new enterprises. Granted there are many successful housing industry businesses that run on the up and up but mixed in with the every honest business out there are more than a few unscrupulous organizations whose primary goal is to rip people off.

Here are a few panic based housing industry businesses that have been touring Florida.

The easy business of foreclosure cleanouts is all the rage these days. Any Tom, Dick or Harry with a pickup truck, a shovel and a dream is now a foreclosure clean out entrepreneur. They’re even on Craigslist and Trulia asking consumers, not banks, how to bust into the REO foreclosure clean out industry.

“Harry” from Fort Myers just broke in and padlocked a door for a bank two weeks ago in Estero. Good job, Harry, it was only pre-foreclosure; the paperwork hadn’t finished bouncing around the court system. The owners came home from work and were pad locked out without due notice. It looks like there is no longer a defined line between breaking and entering and securing a foreclosure.

Loan modification businesses are popping up like dollar weed on a freshly mowed lawn. They’re the latest way to take advantage of scared and confused consumers trying to save their own home. Homeowners need to be very cautious and should know that Florida law prohibits any company, attorney or individual from charging up-front fees for foreclosure rescue or loan modification services.

When regulation closes one door another opens. When the state cracked down on up-front fees charged for loan modifications the racquet was simply repurposed. Consumers should now also avoid any business that seeks to charge for services related to the new Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan initiated by the President.

The Chinese drywall situation has become another exploitable predicament that home owners can find themselves in. Most homes effected in southwest Florida were built during the building boom from 2004-2006. The fear mongers advertise as early as 2002.

First they scare and then they ask to charge you. These same so called experts are now sending out advertisements explaining why you should have your home inspected for Chinese drywall right away and pay them from two hundred dollars or more to do so. Is their motivation to help or get a remodel job out of it?

Two hundred dollars isn’t far off from the price of a complete home inspection. Just about any reputable home inspector can examine your copper wiring or air conditioner coil for signs of corrosion, which is a major clue if your home has faulty drywall. Even easier, they can roll back the ceiling insulation in the attic to see who the manufacturer of the drywall is. It’s stamped on the back.

Watch your back and watch your wallet. There is always somebody looking to make a quick buck off of the misfortune of others in chaotic situations. The foreclosure crisis is now a breeding ground for 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 left 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 the Naples Daily News it is probably stolen.

Bonita Springs Wildlife and Bee Bee Guns

There  is something to be said for living on a preserve.  I live on a preserve.  Its a few acres of trees, brush, flowers, weeds, bobcats, squirrels, possums, raccoons and armadillos.  I've seen just about everything.  I've heard just about everything, too.

See this little bird? It's the terminator of birds.  It never sleeps.  Ever.  All night with the freeking song trying to pick up a chic.  It was a little late this year, sometimes it starts in February.  This year it waited until March to start driving everyone in my home insane.  I can't wait until he finds his girlfriend and flutters off into the wild blue yonder.

I've had enough.  There's bags under my eyes, I've not slept for more than 2-3 hours at a crack because the bird, who I call Don Juan, is up trying to impress the ladies all bloody night.

Nature preserves, it's a good thing.

Storm Season | Flood Insurance | Home Owner Policy

Storm season is around the corner, June 1st to be exact.  It's time to check up on your storm policies for your home and structures on your property.  Why the early warning?  It takes 30 days for a flood policy to be activated.  There are no "last minute" policies where flood insurance is involved.  Get started on this project early.  You may need to order a flood elevation certificate prior to being insured which could cause delays and put your home or real estate investment at risk.

You can check home owner rates at www.shopandcomparerates.com and then call your agent.  You can always call my preferred agents  Jones & Jones Insurance on Bonita Beach Road (239) 498-6499.  Real people answer the phone and respond quickly.  There is no press one for this or press two for that.  Imagine that ... people answering the phone.

Storm season is just around the corner.  It's time to check up on your policies, make sure you have that flood coverage and add any new items of value to the policy.  If you don't see the video below click this: Home Owner Insurance

Bonita Springs Florida March - April 2009 Events

On Thursday, March 26, 2009, there is a book signing from 9:00am–1:00pm at the Survey Café with William Dietzel, author of “Common Sense Lifestyle for the 21st Century.”  The book offers insights into the kind of values that will help people thrive well into the 21st Century.  The Café is located at 10530 Wilson Street in Downtown Bonita Springs.  Call 992-2233 for more info.

Saturday, March 28th the Bonita Springs Historical Society's Annual "Walk Bonita & Picnic' will be held.  An Old Fashioned Picnic and music will follow at Society Headquarters at 27142 South Riverside Drive. Tour registration is at the Liles Hotel at 9 a.m. and the tour will start 9:30 a.m. The Hotel is located on Old Rt. 41 in Riverside Park across from Benson's Grocery. Cost of the Tour and Picnic is $20 for non- members and $5 for members. Please wear walking shoes and a hat. For more information, please call 992-5349.

Also on Saturday, March 28th, from 7:30 to 3:00 pm the Survey Café is celebrating its Grand Opening.  If you have not been there yet, this is a great opportunity to try it with samples from the menu, and door prizes.  The Café is at 10530 Wilson Street in Downtown Bonita, just south of the River across from Riverside Park.  A historic home turned Café where local art and antique tools adorn the walls, the Café offers a nostalgic Florida experience where friends and neighbors meet.  Call 992-2233 for more info.

Of course you don’t want to forget Celebrate Bonita on April 4th, 2009! This free event is a favorite and always tons of fun.  Hours are 11:00-7:00.  This year Chuck Negron from Three Dog Night is headlining. For more info call City Hall 949-6262.

April 12th, from 2-4:00 pm the Bonita Springs Concert Band will perform in Riverside Park.  Bring a lawn chair and relax to the tunes… a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Here is a map to Celebrate Bonita at Riverside Park.  Map to Event You can also Google: "Code Enforcement, Bonita Springs, Florida" to find your own map.

Seagrapes at a Bonita Beach Public Access

First Time Home Buyers in Bonita Springs, Florida

The combination of record low interest rates, low home prices and the new first time home buyer tax credit have kicked off 2009 as the year of the first time home buyer. Nationally, over 41% of last years sales were first time home buyers and that number is expected to grow even larger this year.

Locally, a smidgen over 50% of last months sales in the Sunshine MLS were priced $200,000 and under, compared to 17% in February 2008. 29% of the sales last month were single family homes under $200,000.

Folks who were previously priced out of the southwest Florida real estate market and first time home buyers are buying homes in southwest Florida. While I agree that not every person should be a home owner or is eligible to own a home, for those who are qualified the time is arriving.

That doesn’t mean buyers should jump in the water head first without checking its depth or temperature, first. If the thought of becoming a home owner has crossed your mind and you don’t know where to begin, know that it begins with you, the buyer. It begins with you determining whether you’re qualified for home ownership. Even with the monthly mortgage payment aside it’s an enormous responsibility and commitment.

Finding the best mortgage rate and terms and combining it with a home at its best possible price is supremely important. The inventory is out there but if you don’t buy smart and carefully choose the best possible financing and terms it’s a mistake. You’re buying a home to use and enjoy long term so buy it right.

“Now is the right time to buy!” is something you’ll hear and read a lot. Here’s the truth. It is the right time to buy for some people. It is the right time to buy in some locations. It’s just a matter of discovering if that is what is best for you and if the area you want to purchase real estate in is a value.

Every market has a bottom. There are plenty of economists estimating and naysayer’s bellowing their predictions of where they think the “bottom” is when, in fact, nobody can predict the bottom of any market until it has actually passed. There will be no bell that rings so that everyone knows it’s precisely the time to buy. The bottom is different in your neighborhood than it is in a community two blocks or two miles away.

The real estate market is driven by inventory and price. Some locations are doing better than others and the inventory has dwindled. Other places have a ways to go but will at least offer buyers the luxury of taking their time to shop and research while they wait for just the right price and time to buy.

The fix had to start from the bottom. The sales numbers will speak for themselves. Our market is quietly turning the corner in a healthy recovery process. With the entry level priced property starting to move it is a tangible sign of actual recovery beginning.

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 left 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 the Naples Daily News it is probably stolen.

Click Here: TwiTTeRziLLa

Wild Iguanas in Bonita Springs, Florida

Someone else that was enjoying the sun was Iggy.  We have iguanas in the wild in Bonita Springs, Florida.  This bad boy was in my driveway and measured about three feet long.  I was able to get within inches of him.  I considered that mad bravery.

Here are the rest of the pictures of Iggy: