The Totem, The Brew & The $20 Salad

If you take a day trip to Fort Myers Beach you'll find this totem mailbox at the South end of the Island.  It's about midway between the drawbridge and Santini Plaza, on the gulf side.  For you adventurous types that don't know the area, there are only two ways to get to Fort Myers Beach.  Pull out a map: the top and the bottom. This is at the bottom.

This photo was taken a few weeks ago.  It was decided for a change that it would be a good idea to run to the beach for lunch.  It was.  It was a lot of fun to people watch and see different sites for the day.  I'll skip sharing exactly (very near Lani Khai but not at Lani Khai because I am way too old to be chilling there) where I had lunch because I'm about to complain about having a Corona that cost $5.18.  That brew should have been on the wine list at price, so in homage I am putting it on my "whine" list and not having another beer there.  That was like my $20 salad at the Coconut Point mall.  Any wonder why these restaurants are having difficulty staying in business?  When the consumer does finally venture out, they're punished with $20 salads and $5 beers.  At that price someone should have been spoon feeding me the salad or rubbing my shoulders while I drank that Corona.  Just sayin'.

This rant is officially over. I will now write a letter to the establishment that I consumed these products in, put it in a totem mailbox as a sacrifice and be on my merry way.

Have a great weekend and remember to take your own brewskis to the beach.  Cans only, glass isn't allowed on the beach or pool decks.

Camp Sites and Manufactured Homes in Florida

Every man's castle is his home. Some castles are different than others. Bonita Springs, Florida has long shaken off the image of being a land of retirement and shuffle board courts. A myriad of housing styles are available to fit nearly every lifestyle.

In the Bonita Springs area a few communities remain that offer retirement or vacation living in 55+ deed restricted, manufactured home communities. Often these communities offer an affordable option to get into the Bonita Springs real estate market whether it is as a part time vacation get away or a full time, year round home.

Homes in manufactured communities can be offered with land lease or with land purchase. So if you're looking into the manufactured home lifestyle you'll want to make sure you are purchasing the home and the land it is sitting on. Alternatives to land owned would be purchasing in a co-operative where you're purchasing a share of the community entitling you a portion of the land.

Manufactured home communities in the Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida area are priced from about $50,000 to about $250,000 depending upon land size, gulf access and location.

Besides homes located on regular building lots sprinkled throughout the area, there are local manufactured home communities in Bonita Springs and Estero which include:

• Bonita Heights Park
• Bonita St. James Village
• Broadway Mobile Home Park
• Corkscrew Woodlands
• Cypress Bend
• Cypress Park
• Gulf Coast Camping Resort
• Imperial Bonita Estates
• Imperial Harbor
• Lime Tree
• Leitner Creek Manor
• Mariners Cove
• Oak Creek Manor
• Riverwoods Plantation
• Spring Creek Village
• Trailside

Frequently, lots or concrete poured pads are available to purchase in these parks that offer parking for campers, RV's and buses. If you're making your way back and forth from your northern home to Florida in style, you can actually buy your own parking spot in Bonita Springs for your bus.

For more information read also: 55+ communties and Frequently Asked Questions

More Things to Do in Bonita Springs

Someone found this Bonita Springs real estate blog looking for "things to do First Date Bonita Springs, Fl". I don’t think I’ve ever really written specifically about dating. I think I did do a Valentine day post once. It got me thinking that maybe I should write about things to do for a first date in Bonita Springs. I then realized that I am a spinster and I don’t date so my advice could be totally useless.

Instead, I’ll take a stab at a few fun things to do in Bonita Springs. If you happen to try them on a date, you’re on your own if it all goes south. Sorry, but this isn’t the Love Connection.

1. Hit the Collier County water park. OK, it’s not in Bonita Springs but in the summer it’s only about 20ish minutes away. No, I don’t go to the water park because there isn’t a soul who will see my casper white flesh. Read also: Water Park Info.
2. Just go eat somewhere like regular boring people. If your favorite restaurant isn’t still in Business just ask someone who is a local where the best place to eat at. Better yet, ask where the best two or three places is and just have an appetizer at each restaurant instead of dinner. Appetizer hopping in Bonita.
3. Buy inexpensive kites and fly them at Barefoot Beach Preserve at the south end of Barefoot Beach. If you don’t want to fly them just give them to kids and watch. It’s hilarious. Read also: Bonita Beach & Barefoot Beach | Bonita Springs, Florida.
4. There are a few physical challenges you can try. First, there’s a miniature golf course on Bonita Beach Road west of 41. If you’re so good at putting maybe you should swap putting hands and make it interesting. There is also a Disc (Frisbee) golf course at the Bonita Springs recreation center. You’re suppose to use special discs, not the real Frisbees. I guess you might want to ask someone or google the proper way to play. Better yet, invent your own rules.
5. Rent a canoe at Carl Johnson Boat Ramp located just north of Bonita Springs at Lover’s Key. Depending on what time of the year, you might want to take a can of Off!

Now get out there and find your future ex-husband or ex-wife! Just a joke. These are all great things to do in sunny Bonita Springs, Fl whether you’re on a date, have company in town or you’re just looking for something new to do with your kids.

Increase the chance of selling your Bonita Springs house faster following a few good guidelines.

5 Tips For Seller's In A Buyers Market

1. Plan your work and work your plan.

Be prepared to sell your home and price it accordingly. Not the price the neighbor got for theirs last year, not the price you wish you get, but the price that you should get now.

2. Check Out The Competition in and around Bonita Springs.

Get out there and see what your competition looks like, how the competition is priced and the amenities that are offered with the competing homes. Approach the home search from a buyer's perspective.

3. Make It Picture Perfect.

Make the home 100% perfect. Clean every square inch, repair anything that is broken, replace anything that is worn or showing age.

4. Sweeten The Deal.

Offering incentives to Bonita Springs home buyers isn't something new. Besides a low price, great incentives for buyers include paying discount points to lower the mortgage rate, paying closing costs, offering a home warranty or providing flexibility about the move-in date.

5. Be Realistic.

Buyers have access to the Internet and can find their own information about comparable homes currently available and comparable closed sale prices. Home valuation websites and county tax sites are easy to use and provide accurate comparable sales information. Don't expect to charm buyers into paying more for a home than it's worth. They can't be fooled. Plus, the bank will be appraising the home to verify it's value.

Chris Griffith is a Certified Residential Specialist - Realtor in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Bonitians Have Feelings, Too

Many of my dear friends live in my computer. I know a network of great people all over the US of A due to social networking and my affiliation with blogging platforms. One of my favorite cupcakes is Sarah Cooper from West by God Virginia. She's on a blogging mission to help redefine the images people have of her fine state. The stereotypes that some have formulated are rather off base and she's on the loose trying to show people the real WV.

A few posts on various blogs have popped up about stereotypes. Even in on Boomer Jack's blog. (You-betcha!) So I thought I'd help Bonita Springs out a little on the stereotyping front. Here are 10 things I've heard that may not be as true as you think about South Florida or Bonita Springs, Florida.

1. Everyone that lives in Florida has a tan.
2. Orange trees are everywhere.
3. Florida Crackers ain't so smart.
4. Everyone lives on the ocean or gulf.
5. Bonitian's (people from Bonita Springs) are all transplants from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Not all of them, just some of them.
6. Every person that has olive skin is from Mexico and cannot understand how ridiculous you sound speaking bigoted English. It may not be in your best interest to call a person from Belize a Mexican. They're proud of their heritage and country and don't take lightly to you changing it through profiling.
7. Everyone in Florida knows how to golf and enjoys it. Personally, I'd rather scale fish than golf. Ok, I stink at golf and that's why I'd rather scale fish.
8. Bonita Springs, Fla was named after a beautiful spring. It's was named after a sulfur spring that smells like eggs. Seriously, it's at the Shangri-La Hotel on Old 41 Road. Last time I saw it, it had lily pads and algae in it - and smelled like eggs. Bonita Springs was actually a name a developer thought up back in the day because they didn't think Survey, Florida was sexy enough to sell. Yes, Bonita Springs was once named Survey.
9. Mosquitoes, snakes, scorpions and seashells are everywhere and alligators stalk humans because they're crunchy and taste good with catsup.
10. Tamiami Trail was named after an Indian name. Half true. Tamiami is a combination of the word TAmpa and the word MIAMI. The road was named Tamiami because it connected Tampa to Miami.

There you have it, Bonita Springs. If you have any stereotypes about our area or the city of Bonita Springs that you'd like to share, just add them to the comments below.

Sudbury and Windsor Estates of Bonita Springs, Florida

Since I had gotten my free wind mitigation survey I stopped into my insurance agency Jones & Jones to deliver the report and hopefully receive a discount.  I actually received a $120 discount on my insurance premiums, which I will get next year, too.  Skip Mulch, my inspector told a story this morning of a family that received a $1,300 discount!  If you're thinking of getting a survey, act quickly.  The free wind surveys dry up June 30^th so time is of the essence.

When I left the insurance agency I cut across Bonita Beach Road and looked for a new mailbox.  I found this seahorse on Sudbury Street in Sudbury Estates.  Just off of Bonita Beach Road is a little Bonita Springs Community called Windsor Estates and Sudbury Estates.  It's a little part of early Bonita Springs just west of US 41.  You may know it more commonly as the section just behind the miniature golf course.

The homes range in age and most are ranch style.  Prices are currently from the mid $200,000 and go up from there.  Bonita Beach is within biking or walking distance from Sudbury Estates.  Nearby shopping, dining and conveniences can be reached via sidewalks for bikers and walkers.  It's a quiet part of town in the heart of everything.

Hit The Beach, Bonita Springs

It really is an almost free if not a low cost trip. Save your gas cash, pack a sandwich or grab lunch on FMB. You can have an almost free ride on the Trolley from Bonita Springs to Fort Myers Beach for just a quarter. (Unless they raise the price)  The Trolley almost looks like Mr. Roger’s Trolley from like, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood on PBS. You can find it by going to the K-Mart plaza at the NW corner of Bonita Beach Road and hitch a ride on the stop right behind the Dunkin Doughnuts store. You’ll recognize either the half glass/hut waiting booth or something that looks like Mr. Roger’s Trolley.

If you want to entertain your family or friends and you’re pinching pennies hop the Trolley and hit Fort Myers Beach for an ice cream cone at the Square, a brew at the Cottage or, better yet, when you’re waiting for the Trolley to show up run to K-Mart for a few inexpensive kites. If you “kite it” get off the Trolley at Santini Plaza and head behind the Holiday Inn. It’s the widest expanse of beach so you can run and enjoy your kites, the sites and some of the best sunsets in Southwest Florida. You can just sit and watch others with kites, too. Often, there are sandcastle competitions or even amateurs that leave their mark in the sand too. The Holiday Inn offers free live music most weekends and during tourist season on most week days.

Since school is out stop in at Bay Park right by Red Coconut and the elementary school. They’ve put in a few water slides and such. You can’t really make a day of heading out to Fort Myers Beach without fighting traffic, finding a parking spot or dropping money on the petrol.

Don’t forget your sunscreen, it’s been scortchin’!

Are You Lost, Subscribed or Here On Purpose?

Enjoy a few of the searches that people have made on various search engines looking for information that may or may not be related to Bonita Springs real estate.  I occasionally get a pretty good chuckle out of the search query.  Who the heck looks for pitchers of "real mermaids"?  Who wants to feed alligators just for fun?  What teenage boy needed to see a topless photo?  Who wants a septic truck image and why did I write about a poo truck?  Did someone just get their tax bill?

I write about a lot of stuff and sometimes, just sometimes it's a wild goose chase for some web surfer.  Enjoy the real searches of real people that ended up on a silly little real estate blog in Bonita Springs, Florida.

• real real pichers of mermaids on the beach http://lifeinbonitasprings.com/the-little-mermaid-of-bonita-beach/

• where you can feed alligator fl http://lifeinbonitasprings.com/do-not-feed-the-alligators-in-bonita-springs/

• foto topless http://lifeinbonitasprings.com/fun-friday-foto-topless-in-the-rain/

• topless fort myers beach http://lifeinbonitasprings.com/fun-friday-foto-topless-in-the-rain/

• septic trucks http://lifeinbonitasprings.com/we-want-your-stinkin-business/

• bonita springs tax reassessment http://lifeinbonitasprings.com/bonita-springs-home-owner-property-tax-appeals/

What is Your Source for Bonita Springs Real Estate Advice?

There are a few things you can learn about the Bonita Springs real estate market by not talking to a real estate agent.  Sure a real estate agent can tell you how things are and how good or bad the market is but there are other professionals that will give you a clue if you just pay attention or at the very least, just ask.

This morning I had a home inspection for a condominium I sold in West Bay Club of Estero, Florida.  The home inspector, Bill Jurek of The Home Team, has been in the home inspection business for a while.  I've taken to asking a lot of questions of people I work with. I blog a lot and write a little for the Naples Daily News so I'm always looking for material.  I asked Bill how the market was. I actually know how the Estero and Bonita Springs real estate market is, but I thought, who better than Bill to tell me what is selling, how many foreclosures he's inspecting and what buyers are having inspected.  Bill's been busier than a one armed paper hanger, but I figured that because I've been busy myself.  The big news in his field is the amount of foreclosures he's inspecting.  The inspections are fast, so he says, because the homes are stripped, bare. They just inspected a home in Cape Coral that the only thing they inspected was the windows. There weren't even cabinets in the kitchen.  They tested the windows and the doors and left.  End of inspection. Yipes.

A few weeks ago I asked Mikey G from A Goode Locksmith how things were.  He's doing a couple of dozen lock outs for foreclosures per day.  Basically, banks or real estate agents call him to pick the locks or change the locks when a property is foreclosed or abandoned.  Business has been booming for Mikey G, but it's booming in specific locations.  You'll know right where all the foreclosures and short sales are if you just talk to a locksmith.

So there you have it.  Professional real estate advice and market reports from the "other" trained professionals of the real estate industry.

Happy Father's Day

This is Sonny.

His real name was Charles but people called him Sonny. Like Sonny Bono that guy that was married to Cher. I tried to find a picture of my father and me and this is all I came up with. He died fairly young and I don't have a lot of memories of him. What's strange is I dug into an old photo album, pried this photo off of "definitely not acid free paper" and found that it read "Daddy's Girl" on the back. I just do not remember being a Daddy's girl, that's for sure. It was like looking at someone else's family album at that point.

So this is my photo documentary of me with my Father. I'm still certain I was adopted. Reference: Another MeMe - Have at it You Jackals Me on a tractor is further supporting evidence, for the record. I certainly don't look as thought I'm enjoying the situation. How Eva Gabor of me.

So, many other men have stepped up to the plate to fill in when my Father was gone. If you're a person with a Father that didn't participate or couldn't participate you'll understand right away. If you aren't neither you should know that many people step in and act as Father's even when they don't have to. I've been lucky to be blessed with many stand ins in my life.

Al Gorithm has taken the role of Father for my own twins when he didn't have to. Their own Father was busy doing more important things. Al has suffered through cheerleading competitions, put curlers in little girl's hair, built dioramas and even taught LumberJack how to shave. That boy has had a beard since 5^th grade, so this was no easy feat. The twins were also lucky enough to have the guidance of a few other stand in Father's, slash friends: Al G., Harry F., Ron C., Carey B., Vito P., Broker Bruce. The last three guys on that list call LumberJack every Thursday for lunch. Who does that? People from K-Dub, that's who. They even drag Mini Me along once in a while just to keep her quiet. It truly takes a village.

So I thank all of the Father's out there whether they're biological or not. You're probably more important than you know.

Happy Father's Day Al Gorithm