Life In Bonita Springs

Find A Real Estate Agent Who Will Say No

I really hate to be a dream stomper but a good real estate agent is going to tell you what is best for you in the long run and not “just make a sale”. You probably know, as well as I do, that real estate agents get a bad rap … some deservedly so.  In Florida, the bar for entry to the profession is set pretty low so I am  sure there are plenty of people making the real estate industry look bad. I can tell you from my nearly eighteen years as a real estate agent in the Bonita Springs area is that there are a lot of people who do the job really well. It is their profession, not a hobby or quick way to make cash.

My advise to anyone hiring or interviewing real estate agents is to make sure you find someone who will tell you no.  If you want a “yes man” you’re not going to be happy with your home purchase or your home sale, in the long run.

In the last year I have had to say a big “no” to more than one buyer who was making a choice that I wouldn’t be able to resell easily.  Any home can be remodeled but you can’t fix a horrible view or road noise or any other type of functional obsolescence.  I’ve talked many out of those sorts of choices not just because it’s the right the to do but, in spite of the fact that nobody buys with the intention to sell, I know they will want to sell one day and it shouldn’t be a struggle.

Due to the nature of our boomer population in Bonita Springs we run into many clients or customers who have lost a spouse.  There is often the notion that they should sell; a panic sell.  The sudden change caused by loss, probate issues, finding the right attorneys, dealing with the aftermath of medical bills can be overwhelming.  Time is generally not of the essence and you need a real estate agent who will help you make the best decision, not the fastest decision.  Sometimes that advise should be them saying no to listing your Bonita Springs home for sale until you’ve had time to adjust or process the situation. That could also mean waiting until a better time of the year to sell or finishing a household improvement project to get the most money out of your home sale.

Home Owner Associations in Bonita Springs Florida

Recently, a home buyer called me about one of the listings I have in Hawthorne of Bonita Springs.  The first question was if the home is located in a homeowner association, which it is.  The buyer huffed and stated that he was sick of HOA’s and the fees and that they were always going up.  He was rather abrupt and was off the phone before I could help him understand more about Bonita Springs real estate, homeowner associations in Bonita Springs and how they work and why they cost what they cost.

First things first, Bonita Springs is about seventy-five percent gated and/or deed restricted and I am not sure that he understood how small of a piece of the pied he was looking at if he was trying to find a home “outside of an HOA”.  Imagine that he only has twenty-five percent of the properties to look at and then further restrict them by budget.  The price he was looking at was entry level for the Bonita Springs area, about $300,000.  That just whittled down to a sliver of the pie.  Whether it is me, Angela or someone else, he need to have an agent on his side to help him find the properties when pickings are that slim.

Second, HOA fees sort of are what they are.  They aren’t a dreamt up fee. There isn’t someone or an entity in the back ground living the high life off of the residents money. 

To make this fairly simple to understand, consider this: Every year, in the fall the management company for the homeowner association requests bids for services.  Let’s take Hawthorne, for example.  Hawthorne would request bids for services such as lawn mowing, road repair/maintenance, pool care, tennis court maintenance, guard/security service, insurance/casualty for the common areas. This is how the fees become the fees … the bids are received, a new budget for the next year is proposed and generally approved by the board of directors or the association.

If fees do go up it is generally due to an increase in goods and services or an addition of maintenance, reserves or, perhaps, for future improvements of a property amenity.

It goes without saying that “the more there is, the more is could cost” for an HOA.  Modest amenities and community features generally mean modest fees.  Fewer things to take care of cost less. This is also why no two HOA’s have the same fee.  Hawthorne and Cedar Creek are wildly different because they have different responsibilities to the home owners for upkeep of the neighborhood.

I guess the term affordable is subject to interpretation much like anything else anyone can have an opinion about.  At roughly $300 per month with lawn mowing included Hawthorne seems like a deal as far as HOA expenses are calculated. The amenities are modest but Hawthorne does have a pool, community room with gym and tennis.

An HOA like Hawthorne also offers the congruency of the structures, too. Outside of gates you don’t know what you’re going to get for a neighbor or if he has an RV, boat or other recreation vehicles. There are plusses and minuses to each living situation. If you have pointed questions about living in an HOA or outside of a gated community give me a call and I’d be happy to help you understand more clearly. Call or text any time 239-273-7430.

Bonita Springs Real Estate Statistics & Out Look

The home prices of real estate in Bonita Springs have leveled off and slightly adjusted in a few communities around SWFL.  Just coming off of elections jitters we’ve seen an uptick in buyers who are also watching interest rates adjust.  We’ll undoubtedly see a bump in buyers who are interested in purchasing to stay the winter or who are interested in purchasing before the rates bump again.  Homes in Bonita Springs are purchased mostly with cash, about half.  The rest of the homes are financed so interest rate hikes will have an influence on home purchases in the spring.

Distressed Real Estate Bonita Springs

The Bonita Springs and Estero area properties for sale and recent closings reflect few distressed properties.  That means that there are few short sales and few foreclosures.  If you have a desire to purchase either in the Bonita Springs area know that they do not “bargain basement” those properties.  They are sold at market value and underpriced to stimulate bids which can sell them over value.

Entry Level Prices Above 200K

The $200,000 to $400,000 price range is still leading the pack. Single family homes priced under $200,000 are nearly non-existent.  There are currently five properties on the real estate market in Bonita Springs within that budget.

If you are a home buyer or a home seller keep this one fact in mind.  With the election jitters there was a slowing in homes for sale combined with pricing at premiums so inventory may have built up in some neighborhoods. Calculate an absorption rate before listing or purchasing a home, especially if the home is priced at the higher end of it’s value.

To learn more about buying or selling a home in Bonita Springs contact Chris or Angela at 239-273-7430

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from the Griffith Group!  Angela and I will be updating the elf antics on our Facebook page if you'd care to follow along.  Click here to follow:

The Griffith Group FB Page

Meanwhile, next week is the Holiday in the Park at Riverside Park in Downtown Bonita Springs .  You can find more info on the events calendar here. Riverside Park Calendar of Events  2016-2017.  Remember, the “summer festival season” runs November through April, this far south so we’re just getting revved up.  There are some great Art Shows and Concerts on tap at the park - tons of Things to Do.  The downtown area is looking great, too.  The redevelopment is coming along strong!  Stop in and see it!

Real Estate Closing Stress in Bonita Springs Fl

This is going to be blunt. A home seller eventually has to sign the closing documents for the sale of their home. It doesn’t have to be signed on the day of closing.  While I am a Bonita Springs listing agent I was recently a hired as a buyer’s agent for a home purchase Bonita Springs, Florida near Palmira.  The home seller was downsizing and moving on.  I don’t know much about her but I do know that she had become a widow and I wasn’t sure how recently that had happened.

Selling a home is really difficult for some people.  There is a lot of de-cluttering, parting with of memories and packing … the change is hard for most people but when you add to that any other life changing event it becomes more emotional, more draining.  No matter how permanent it feels, death and divorce are not final until the real estate is sold.

On the day of closing I walked through the doors of the title company and saw a woman in the waiting room.  I introduced myself and the buyer to her and asked how she was doing.  She said that she was fine but about to throw up.  This was unfortunate. My first thought for her was, why does the listing agent have her at the closing or even signing on the day of closing?  It’s like rubbing salt in her invisible, yet raw, wounds. The pain on her face stuck with me the whole day and, in fact, weeks later I have thought about it from time to time.

This lovely woman could and should have signed her closing documents days, even weeks in advance. She could have been spared the dramatics of physically walking into the closing, even meeting the buyer if she didn’t want to meet them.

The purpose of sharing this with you is to make sure that you, as a home seller, understand that if the act of selling your home is painful, unsettling, embarrassing due to finances or just plain scary, for whatever reason, you need to ask your listing agent, real estate attorney or closing agent at the title company to schedule you *before* the closing date. That way, on the actual day of closing you can take care of you.  You can take care of your own life and move and not be stressed by the theatrics of a closing.  The closing agent will call you after the buyer has signed and their wire of cash has arrived or their mortgage has funded. They will then disburse the keys.  There is no benefit to anyone by you physically attending closing especially if this is a painful experience.

The majority of home buyers and home home sellers in Bonita Springs are not even at closing because this is a destination location and they are seasonal residents.  It makes no sense and it is almost cruel to have a home seller completely stressed, wringing their hands in the waiting room of a title company and then have her nearly physically becoming sick because of event. 

Home sellers, ask to sign your documents early!  It can easily be done and it doesn’t cost any more to do so.

Things to Do in Bonita Springs Florida

Many home buyers coming to Bonita Springs, Florida make short trips to town to either search for homes or to actually buy their home. Home buyers commonly ask a lot of questions about purchasing a home but they also ask about things to do in Bonita Springs.

If you’re coming to Bonita Springs for a weekend. Here’s a mad dash list of a few things you can do either for the whole day or around your real estate home search. These are also a few nutty, off the beaten path things to do that you may not see in the brochure stands at your local hotel. You can mix and match a few of these activities while you’re looking for you new home in Bonita Springs.

Day one, activities in Bonita Springs, Florida area: 

Grab breakfast at Dolly’s Produce Patch Restaurant on Bonita Beach Road. They’re the place where the local yokels hang out.  They’re only open for breakfast and lunch and it’s standing room only during tourist season.  After breakfast take a great walk at a hidden gem called Cullum’s Bonita Trail. It’s a great way to see the east end of the Imperial River which is lined with cypress trees.  Pets on leash are welcome.

While you’re crisscrossing town be sure, at some point, to drive down Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs and stop in Riverside Park.  A secret parking spot is across the street from the Bonita Springs Lion’s Club at Depot Park which is on the other side of the railroad tracks from Riverside Park.  You can walk among grandfather oak trees and cross the foot path bridge over the river to Island Park.  It’s a great pit stop and pet friendly with dogs on lead. November to April there are activities at Riverside Park Band Shell every weekend.

Be sure to make a reservation at Angelina’s Ristorante for an enjoyable dinner.  Angelina’s is a family favorite and always a great meal.  It would also be a great special occasion restaurant as it has a few very special booth’s for small parties and even a room if you’re hosting a reunion or large group.

If you can squeeze in the sunset at the beach around 5ish go to Barefoot Beach Preserve in the Community of Barefoot Beach.  It is a state park but they stop collecting the fee after 5, I believe so you can zip in to watch the sunset if you’re looking for an alternative to Bonita Beach.

Day two, Naples, Florida area:

Joe’s Diner in Naples Park is a fun little breakfast stop with both indoor and patio dining. It’s a local yokel spot with personality and no frills dining.  We love eating outside with the 3 and 8 year old grands so they can be a little wiggly.

A fun day at the beach can be had at Clam Pass Park.  I wrote a story about it for Spotlight Magazine, here: Clam Pass Park Naples Florida. They offer a tram to the beach and serve snacks beach side.  It’s a great, different type of beach excursion.  There is a park fee.

If you’ve not eaten lunch at the pass you can grab a fun, healthy lunch at Food and Thought which isn’t too far away.  They offer vegan meals and the restaurant offers outdoor seating under huge oak trees.

Around the corner from Food and Thought are two great walking paths.  The Gordon River Greenway and Freedom Park. they’re across from each other on Golden Gate Parkway just east of Goodlette-Frank Road.  Enjoy wide walking or biking paths surrounded by nature.  Freedom Park is also home to the Freedom Memorial which was built to remember service members and those who perished in the September 11, 2001 attacks.  It’s quite a site to see and there is World Trade Center Steel on display.

Last but not least, grab dinner with the perfect wine pairings at Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant in North Naples, Florida.  The menu is fabulous and, while I am not a wine drinker, the selections look fantastic. There is even a wine bar for tastings plus they sell accessories to go.

We hope you enjoy the few “off the beaten path” ideas we had for your visit to Bonita Springs.  If there is anything we can help you find or if you’re ready to start searching for your new home give Angela at call or text at 239-728-7599.

Bonita Springs Real Estate Statistics & Outlook

The good news about this month’s real estate stats is that we still have few foreclosures and short sales.  Those distressed properties account for fewer than 1.5% of our active listings, as a matter of fact. 

Bonita Springs Home Sales Dip

The big difference we’ll see with this month’s sales is the dip in sales.  Bonita Springs had fewer pending sales and even fewer closed sales. The dip has been attributed to both buyer pull back and election jitters.  You’d have to be living on another planet to not have noticed the contention and the ripple effects the latest presidential election caused.  Things are slowly getting back to normal.  I’ve notice more home buyers searching for homes and condos on the website in the last week, already.

There are a few things that will keep our real estate market peppy this winter and that is, well, it’s going to be winter and everyone loves SWFL in the winter.  This morning, for example, it was sixty-seven degrees, blue sky and not a cloud in the forecast.  Also, we still have the baby-boomer population turning 65 at the rate of 8-10,000 people per day.  Many may be retiring or planning retirement so our real estate is in just the right spot for sun, fun and golf.

Bonita Springs Buyers Cash vs. Financing Homes

In the last month most of our home and condo buyers have paid cash for their real estate purchases, about fifty-five percent was paid for with cash.  That figure is down about ten percent over last October’s sales.  Cash buyers in Bonita Springs have dwindled as the price of homes has risen.  Also, the interest rates remain favorable with the rumor of rising so many are taking advantage of the low rates.

What Priced Homes Sell in Bonita Springs?

About fifty-three percent of our home sales occurred in the price range of $200,000-$400,000.  The $200,000 and under price range is thin, at best. We’ve sold off the bottom for a while and entry level prices have risen significantly.  There are only six single family homes in Bonita Springs for sale under $200K and only two single family homes under $200K in Estero.  These figures exclude manufactured homes.

The outlook for the winter tourist and home buying season looks great. There will be slim pickings in the affordable home prices ranges around $200,000. 

We’ve seen home builders slow production in some neighborhoods and most recently I’ve seen a mix of both price reductions in Paloma condos in Bonita Springs and price increase in Tidewater which is a new active adult community in Estero, Florida. 

If you’d like to learn more about the real estate market statistics in the Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida area contact Chris Griffith at 239-273-7430 or the Jersey girl, Angela Griffith at 239-728-7599.

You can also download the market reports here: Bonita Springs Real Estate Market Reports Oct 2016

Staged Homes Simply Sell Faster

Staging an staging a home listing, especially a home listing that has expired, is a great way to refresh a home and offer buyers a new, balanced view of the home. Sometimes its more than about function and livability. It is also about what the camera sees. Every home seller knows that you can’t get a home clean enough but many don’t think about staging or fear that home staging is expensive.

First, most experienced listing agents can either recommend a home stager or can perform light home staging as part of their service. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in interior design in a prior life so not only can help you de-clutter your home but I can help position your furniture to bring new appeal and interest to the property.  

There are circumstances where a few minor, inexpensive color changes and accessory changes can revamp the look of your home listing.  Take, for example, the photos of the bathroom above.  It was a beautiful bathroom but the photos for the listing looked quite dark and made it look smaller than it was so we staged it by swapping out the shower curtains, floor mat and towels and instantly it looked like the fresh home listing with bright cheery bathroom. It cost less than $100 to make the changes.  The items were purchased at Old Time Pottery in Bonita Springs, Florida. We were able to stage the bathroom without repainting.

Most often a new look can be achieved using your own furniture and accessories to stage your home, which saves you money.  Home staging is a complementary service to my home selling clients and customers.

Should you need full home staging services I also work with trades who have affordable options for staging a room or an entire home with newer, modern furnishings.  Staging makes all the difference in the world and research shows that staged homes, on average, sell 75% faster!

Recently, a vacant home that I had listed in Brendan Cove had the main living room and dining room area staged and it sold nearly immediately.  The home buyer even contracted with the staging service to purchase the furniture and accessories because it looked so good and fit so well within the space.

If you’d like to learn more about listing your home for sale and home staging it for a new look or better camera appeal, call or text Chris Griffith to get started today 239-273-7430. Chris is an experienced listing agent and a certified residential specialist in Bonita Springs, Florida.

When The Home Seller Provides Access

Great real estate agents are created by an amalgamation of experiences throughout the years. Through my own experiences both as a buyer’s agent and listing agent I have taken a lot of photos that I have either saved or, now, get uploaded to Google as a back-up.  

Recently, I ran across a photo that I wasn’t brave enough to ever post until now. At the time I was a buyer’s agent but now I am ready to post it as advise from the listing agent perspective.  I recall the property I was showing that day.  It was located in Imperial River East area and it was a gulf access, canal front home. The showing instructions were that the owner was home and that they would let us in to tour the property.  Not my favorite scenario as having the owner or tenant stand there while we look makes the home buyers uncomfortable. (If you’re a home seller, please do not do this.)  To help gauge the home buyer’s expectations I let them know as we drove from one property to the target property that the home owner would be there.  It helps prep them a little; take your time, don’t feel intimidated to speak freely about the home, if you don’t feel comfortable looking beyond a closed door ask me to do it, etc.

Well, we pulled into the driveway and I told the buyers to just sit tight for a minute. I announced that I was going to take a photo and that the subject of that photo was likely going to dictate the rest experience at the home unless we decide to not let that happen.  Then I took a photo of the truck which was parked in front of us, in the driveway of the home for sale. My buyer’s were great sports and looked at the truck tailgate and then burst out laughing in spite the vulgarity of the situation.

Needless to say, the buyers did not purchase that home but they did buy a property, I believe in Copperleaf at the Brooks. I know, a gulf access home in Heitmans vs. Copperleaf is a huge difference but she wanted waterfront and he wanted golf.  They settled for a waterfront home in a bundled golf community and membership at Baywater Exclusive Boat Club.

The whole bumper sicker experience that day has always stuck in the back of my mind and came to the front again after I stumbled over this photo.  These are the experiences that make Bonita Springs Listing Agents better listing agents.  Even *if* a home seller had to be there it would be the listing agent’s job to have things like this not in the driveway.  If they weren’t able to negotiate that the home seller not be there they could, at the very least, offer listing offer accompany so that the seller and his tampon/va-jay-jay stickered truck weren’t there.

Lock Box Hazards in Bonita Springs Florida

Everyone knows that I hate combo boxes. My theory is that the agent who uses them, most of the time, is too cheap to invest in the supra box, the box that digitally tracks everyone who actually enters the residence for sale. My second big dislike is when the listing agent hangs the box in a location that is tough to get to.  For example, it has been my experience that when a lockbox is hung in the bushes or a hose bib around the corner, the listing agent is often times a man.  Trust me, I have paid particular attention and can share that, since I have done this a  looong time, there are certain agents I just know are going to put it somewhere that Louis and Clark could only find.

In the off chance that a real estate listing agent who does this reads this post, women wear nice shoes.  Men probably do, too, but women where nice shoes.  They often have pointy heals that don’t do well in grass.  They also can’t take water intrusion if the sprinklers were on or it had just rained.  Quit trying to ruin my shoes. I don’t skimp on shoe expenses. Quit hanging the lock boxes in non-paved areas.  Women, and probably men, don’t like reaching through weeds or bushes (where snakes hide) to get to the lock box.  That’s just self explanatory.

A while ago I was showing property as a buyer’s agent and the lockbox was said to be on the railing of the condo for sale.  It turned out to be true.  It was both visible and reachable from the concrete sidewalk.  I accessed the box, popped out the key carriage and after I pulled the key out the carriage and accidentally dropped it.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, was the animal hole below the supra box.  Yes, the key box carriage plummeted to the bowels of hell. I could barely see it with my cell phone flash light. 

It was a long detail to retrieve it with broom handles and salad grabbers that I had retrieved from the condo. Just so you know, they say snakes live in animals and turtle burrows here so I could have died.

It took seventeen years to find myself in that predicament but I won’t ever forget it.  I probably won’t forget those awful clients, either.  I don't get them often but those two were horrible enough to be erased from my database.  The key box to the bowels of hell should have been the sign!

Recently, I came across the photo I took of the whole situation. A photoshop experienced friend  who also sells Des Moines real estate borrowed the image and added a few elements to reflect the real danger I was could have been in. 

Here’s to all the good days I’ve had showing property in Bonita Springs, Florida to the great customers and clients who made me forget about those terrible, tacky people on animal hole showing day.