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Moving to Cape Coral, Florida?

Moving to Cape Coral, Florida?

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Are you considering a move to Cape Coral, Florida? Looking to learn more about the communities located in Cape Coral? We designed this just for YOU! Below are some of our most sought after criteria for homebuyers. While Cape Coral is an awesome SW Florida community with miles and miles of gorgeous canals; what we are not known for are many gated communities. While we do have some great gated communities with awesome amenities, most of the homes available here in Cape Coral are on stand alone quarter acre lots. That’s why we’ve broken down searches into communities and also criteria, like pool homes & waterfront homes! We hope you find these searches useful to get started but as you know, searches are no replacement for a knowledgable REALTOR so let us know when you are ready for help narrowing your search and checking out some of these homes in person! We look forward to working with you to find your dream home or investment property here in Cape Coral, Florida. Yours in Success, The Florida Future Realty team: 239-542-8521 or inquiry@FloridaFutureAgents.com!

Gated Single Family Home Communities in Cape Coral, Florida:

Bella Vida
Cape Harbour
Cape Royale
Coral Lakes
Emerald Cove
Heatherwood Lakes
Hermitage
Sandoval
Tarpon Point Marina
Trafalgar Woods
West Cape Estates

Popular Search Criteria for Single Family Homes in Cape Coral, Florida:

Pool Homes

Waterfront Homes

Golf Course Communities

Cape Coral house

Interested in buying a short sale in Cape Coral

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Are you interested in buying a short sale in Cape Coral, but aren’t sure how? We all know of someone that has been involved with this type of sale and maybe had a nightmare transaction. Good news; the more you understand this process the easier it may be to easily navigate through it.

What is your time frame? How long do you have to wait for an answer?

Most short sales on average, take about 30-60 days to receive any kind of answer from the bank. A short sale is definitely not a quick solution if you lack patience or need to secure housing by a deadline. Many consumers are leery; they know or knew someone that had a nightmare experience. The short sale may have taken 6 months or more to close; if ever. That is certainly not the norm, but it can happen.

The next thing to consider: Choosing a Real Estate Agent

A knowledgeable agent is certainly the first step in a successful short sale process. Ask questions like “have you helped a buyer purchase a short sale before?” If so, ‘how did the process go?” Then ask, “Have you ever negotiated a short sale for a seller before?” and if so, “how did that process go?” Watch for the agents’ opinion of short sales. If an agent has had a bad experience with a short sale you’ll be able to pick up on that. If they feel like they are a waste of time you’ll notice that too. Then you need to find someone who understands the process and can help you through it.

Next: View the homes

When you are viewing the homes take special note of the condition of the property. Is the property occupied or vacant? Are there tenants living there? If so, when will their lease expire? Has the home been maintained? Has it been destroyed? Keep in mind that short sales are written on an AS-IS contract; that means the seller will not pay for repairs to the property. What you see is what you get. The AS-IS contract will be discussed in more detail later.

Ready to Submit an Offer: Make sure it is written up correctly

There is a basic method to making short sales as streamline as possible with regards to the buyer’s agent. Your agent should of course called the listing agent to determine the status of the short sale. Does the seller plan to accept 1 offer or many? Have any offers already been submitted? If so, what was the outcome? Was there a previous bank approval? What were those terms? Does the seller plan to sign an offer and then take the property off of the market or do they intend to keep it available for sale?

Your offer will consist of the following:

Far/Bar As-Is Contract: This is an approved as-is contract. It does not require for the seller to be responsible for any repairs. It does give the buyer the right to an inspection. If you are not comfortable with the inspection results you can opt out of the contract with no penalty.
Short Sale Addendum: This form outlines timeframes. You can give any number of days for the seller to obtain bank approval, as we discussed the average is 30-60 days. You can make the offer’s effective date good from the time of acceptance by the seller or from the time of receipt of written approval from the bank. It is often advised that you wait for written approval as to not lose money with inspections not knowing the outcome of your offer.
Approval letter if financing: This is a letter from your lender approving your financing.
Or
Proof of Funds if paying with cash: This can be a letter from your bank stating “Mrs. Buyer has adequate funds available to close on said property for $this much money” or it can be a copy of a bank statement.

Earnest Deposit: Typically at least $1,000. The seller’s lender will want proof of this so go ahead and have it ready. It shouldn’t matter who is holding the escrow but if the seller is already working with a specific local title company it is best to have it placed there.

Seller Acceptance:

This often gets tricky for buyers to understand. The seller(not the bank) owns the property and must sign the offer before the bank will begin to process the file for approval. The seller should not take more than a couple days to sign. Keep in mind; the seller is only agreeing to sell the property if the lender agrees to a short sale.

Then you: WAIT for seller’s lender’s approval

Determine how often you’ll get updates. Do you want to know what is going on every week? Only when there is progress? Do you want to be called? Emailed? Communication is key. You and your agent should have a plan. Keep in mind that you and your agent are at the mercy of the seller’s agent. Your agent cannot call the bank for updates; he/she will only get the information from the seller’s agent.

Great News: Approval

Now your effective date starts. This means that your inspection period starts, your loan approval period starts. Make sure you work diligently on your financing because asking for an extension can be a real headache.

At Closing: One extra form

Most banks are now requiring the buyer to sign an affidavit of arms length transaction. This ensures that nothing funny is going on. Some banks are even doing background checks on buyers to verify this as well. Otherwise your closing will be handled like any other real estate closing.

Good Luck, happy buying… Check out the homes in Cape Coral for sale now that are short sales:

Buying a home in Cape Coral FL at any budget

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Every year around this time, many of our Northern neighbors experience their first freeze.  The chill in the air prompts them to pack up their belongings and head south.  Our city will soon wake from its summer slumber and welcome back the snowbirds, vacationers and extend a warm invitation to our potential transplants.  Northerners; No need to pack up those Bermuda shorts and flip-flops just yet, come see what all the fuss is about.  If you are in the market to buy a vacation home or thinking of relocating altogether there is no better time than the present.  Home prices along with interest rates are at an all time low, with plenty of inventory to choose from.  No matter what your budget or criteria there is something here for everyone. Listed below is what you can expect within your budget.

What can you get for up to $100,000?

Well there are many homes available in that price range, 214 to be exact.  There will be an average of 1472 sq feet and 3 beds and 2 baths.  In this price range 17 of these homes do offer an in-ground pool. None of these homes have access to the Gulf of Mexico, but 4 are located on non-navigable fresh water canals, which is still a nice view.   There are 42 of the 214 homes available with the city utilities in and paid. The majority of the 214 homes are located in the NW, NE area of Cape Coral, which is a bit further from the heart of the city, but still a close drive to Pine Island Rd., where many great restaurants and retail stores are located.  106 of these homes are regular resale’s, 53 are foreclosures and 55 are short sales. In this price range many of these homes will not be considered move-in ready, but with some work will still be a great investment.

What can you get from $101,000 to $200,000?

In this price range, a lot of requests we hear from buyers such as; with a pool, 1800 sq feet minimum and access to the gulf can be met, but the price will be closer to the $200,000 mark.  There are 506 homes available in this price range with the average homes being a 3 bed two bath with 1,817 sq ft.   Out of the 506 homes 230 have in-ground pools (average price being $154,841) and 184 have the city utilities in and paid.  96 of 506 homes are waterfront but only 45 of the 96 are gulf access, some with closer proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and/or the Caloosahatchee River than others.  The average home price for the 45 gulf access homes with a pool is $189,900, a great buy for this type of home.   The number of homes in this price range that are regular resale’s are 378, 46 are foreclosures and 82 are short sales.

It is important to understand that some short sales and foreclosures at any price range may have been stripped of certain fixtures, left vacant for extended periods of time, or may have not been properly maintained.  It is really important to have a home inspection to make certain you account for all necessary repairs and to be certain there will be no major surprises after closing.

No matter what your price range or criteria, we are certain we can find a great home to fit your needs, it is just important to be realistic and flexible and all the rest will easily fall into place.  If we can help you find the perfect home at the perfect price please don’t hesitate to call, we look forward to hearing from you.

The Florida Future Realty Team

239-542-8521

inquiry@floridafutureagents.com

*Please note the figures here were obtained from the MLS( multiple listing service) on September 26, 2011 are figures are subject to change, feel free to call for updated statistics.

The differences between Cape Coral canals

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Cape Coral FL is a water lover’s paradise; there are more than 400 miles of canals in this area ready for fishing, boating, relaxing and fun. 

If you are unfamiliar with our area and the differences in the types of canal front homes it can be confusing as to what type of canal property will suit your needs.  What is the proximity to the river? The Gulf of Mexico? The ease of navigation?  Salt water or fresh
water?  It can be really confusing and hard to understand. 
Here are the differences below.

Gulf Access:

Direct Sailboat Access: direct often refers to sailboat access, and is the most desirable of the Cape Coral waterfront choices. These types of properties are in high demand and that is reflected in the greater asking price.  There are no bridges to contend
with so the size of your boat isn’t a factor.

Not Direct Access:

The difference is the time it takes to actually navigate to the river.  Some are quick and take just minutes, others are full of twists turns and no wake speeds that take more than an hour to actually reach open water.   

Gulf Access with Bridges:

There are bridges in your route to the river that have size restrictions. The bridge height restrictions DO accommodate most boats, but if you plan to have a sailboat or an extra large model this type may not be suitable.

Fresh Water Canals:

These canals are often for aesthetic purposes only. They have a great view, but no access to navigable waterways. These types of canals are not meant for major boating. Some of these canals do lead to a string of lakes that allow personal water crafts, and fishing boats.

Whatever your boating needs one of these canals can be right for you, if we can help answer any of your questions or help you find your dream home we would be happy to help. 

Yours in Success,                                                 

The Florida Future Realty Team

239-542-8521

inquiry@FloridaFutureAgents.com

Cape Coral Farmers Market

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October is quickly approaching the holiday’s will be here before we know it, what that means for Cape Coral is that we are about to have an influx of part time residents.
Our local eateries, retail stores and parks will soon be bustling with positive energy and new sense of life in our community. We welcome these part time residents, and look forward to their return every year.  Cape Coral shows their appreciation for these snowbirds by adding great weekend attractions, one of our favorites is the Cape Coral Chambers
Farmers market. 

The farmers market is held every Saturday beginning October15 through mid  May.  We look forward to heading there Saturday mornings to get first pick of the local grown fruits and vegetables, fresh seafood, fresh out of the oven baked goods, homemade pastas,
different cheeses and much more.  You can stroll through the rows of more than 40 vendors selling anything from jewelry and handbags to exotic spices and teas, while listing to festive island music. The smell of freshly ground coffee and roasted nuts fills the air adding to the
atmosphere making this the perfect Saturday morning landing-place. We look forward to seeing you there.

Cape Coral Chamber Farmers Market Every Saturday October 15, 2011 through May 12th  2012 from 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m.
Club Square
SE 10th Place & SE
47th Terrace
(239) 549-6900

If we can help with any of your buying or selling need please don’t hesitate to call we would be happy to assist you.

Yours in Success,                                                 

The Florida Future Realty Team

239-542-8521

Susan@susanmilner.com

The history of Cape Coral

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 Leonard and Jack Rosen had a vision, they believed that this area’s (Cape Coral) proximity to the Gulf of Mexico would make it irresistible to homebuyers drawn to a waterfront lifestyle.  The Rosen’s referred to Cape Coral as a “Waterfront Wonderland.”   They began to make that a reality and purchased a 103 square mile tract know as Redfish Point, for $678,000.  In November 1957 the construction began, and Cape Coral was born. A system of canals was constructed spanning more than 400 miles, which were dug up to elevate and fill the land; most areas were below sea level.

Cape Coral was constructed at an astounding pace.   A few short months after its construction (June 1958) the first residents moved in.  The home sites were priced to sell.  Water views were $990.00 waterfront lots were $1900 and the riverfront home sites
were offered for $3390.  The first year of sales reached over $9 million dollars, which peaked the interest of northerners looking for a great place to relax and retire.  Cape Coral was heavily promoted through mail order, radio ads, T.V. and print.  Soon curious people
were flying down in droves to take a peak and hear a high pressure sales pitch. 

Unfortunately the infrastructure didn’t match the influx of people moving to the area, there was only one building in Cape Coral in 1958, it was a four-plex designated as the housing land office.  Residents were forced to travel more than 20 miles to shop for
supplies.  The problem was rectified in March of 1964 when the Cape Coral Bridge was opened to traffic.  This new bridge made Cape Coral more assessable than ever and the population exploded. 

In 1970 Cape Coral was incorporated as a city and was deemed one of the fastest growing cities in Florida.  Today, Cape Coral still continues to grow featuring waterfront properties on canals, lakes and basins ; many of which have direct access to the Pine Island Sound and Caloosahatchee River, making this city a water enthusiasts dream.   Come visit our city and see for yourself.

More fun facts:

  • Median age 43 as of 2010
  • Cape Coral is 120 square miles making it the second largest city in
    Florida
  • Second lowest index crime rate of Florida cities with populations
    over 150,000
  • More than 400 miles of waterways
  • Median household income $55,989

As always if we can assist you in your buying or selling need pleasedon’t hesitate to call.  We look forward to working with you.

Yours in Success,                                                 

The Florida Future Realty Team

239-542-8521

Susan@susanmilner.com

Easy to spot signs of Chinese Drywall

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With the home prices so affordable once again, there are many buyers looking for that next big purchase.  Unfortunately, we have all been made aware that some home built or renovated after 2001 could potentially be constructed with Chinese drywall. These homes can be completely remediated, but some buyers just don’t want to go to the added time, energy and expense involved in buying this type of property.

 These properties aren’t always clearly represented as infected drywall homes. So we as consumers need to get educated as to some of the most apparent and easy to spot signs.  Obviously the best way is to hire a home inspector and they can without doubt confirm or deny any suspicion that you may have.  When viewing multiple homes the cost
of an inspector can become very expensive.   Here are some simple signs to help streamline our home search.

Smell of sulfur it is comparable to rotten eggs.

Was the home constructed or drywall replaced after 2001?

There may be corrosion of the evaporator coil.

Metal corrosion and blackening on one or more of the
following:

Copper wires

Ground wires

Electrical connectors

Un- insulated and un coated copper pipes

Chrome plated bathroom fixtures

Silver or copper hardware

The mirror backing in the bathroom

Discoloration of picture frames and kitchen utensils.

We hope to educated consumers and help them make informed and educated decisions, buying a home is a big investment and we want to help you make right decision for you and your family. 

If we can help assist you in any way, please don’t hesitate to call we would love to help your search for your new Cape Coral home.

Yours in Success,                                                 

The Florida Future Realty Team

239-542-8521

Inquiry@floridafutureagents.com

Family fun for under $40.00

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 What can family of 4 do in Cape Coral for fun with a budget of
$40.00? Turns out there are quite a bit to choose from.   We
have so many beautiful parks to spend the day at, many of which line the
coast and have access to some great fishing spots.   It is a
great way to relax with your family, have a picnic, play some football
and enjoy some fresh air.

If action is what you seek, Sunsplash Family Water Park would be a
great place to visit.  They have superfast slides for the kids and a
lazy river for mom and dad.  If you visit after 2:00 p.m. the cost
for your family of 4 is just under $40.00. Pack the sun block and enjoy
the summer weather.

Stop at Mike Greenwell’s for a family fun pass, this pass will cost
you slightly under $40.00.  Included in this package are go-cart
rides, a few rounds of mini golf, arcade and batting tokens. 
Fun for the whole family, at a reasonable price.

We also have many bowling alleys, great way to get out of the heat of
the day.  Or spend the evening glow bowling.  What a fun time
and very economical.

Take your family to Marquee Cinemas. Ticket prices are below $10.00
per person and even less if you go to the afternoon matinee. 

In Cape Coral we also have some more educational activites for
you family that wont break the bank, your family can enjoy a stroll
through the Cape Coral Arts studio or the historical museum.  Each
lending itself to a day full of history and culture.

The beach is also a great place to relax and enjoy your day. 
Not only does the Yacht club have a beautiful pier to walk, an intimate
beach to soak up some sun, but you also have access to their pool; for
free. 

 Throughout the year we also have many local fairs and
festivals.   Many local clubs organize such events as
Oktoberfest, Irish fest, Greek fest, arts and craft shows, and many
more. Enjoy some great food and get some exposure to different cultures
in our area.

As you can see, Cape Coral has many fun and economical things for a
family of 4 to do and experience, come and see what we have to offer.

Updated 1-18-11

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team.

 239-542-8521       

Susan@SusanMilner.com

What can I buy for 1,000,000

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As a full time resident in Cape Coral, Florida I am asked often what is available in Cape Coral and Fort Myers for sale. After searching online many come up confused as to what you can actually purchase and for what price. In this series I will explore homes in all price
categories to give out of area buyers a better idea of the area.

Today we will be visiting homes that can be purchased right around $1,000,000. There are several great options from single family estate homes, to beach houses to oceanfront condos!

So what does 1,000,000 buy in the Cape Coral, Florida and Fort Myers, Florida 2010 real estate market?

Here are a few of my favorite options:

Below you will find many more options for spending $1,000,000 on Southwest Florida real estate.

So, what do you think? Ready to make the investment?

Call Susan Milner at (239) 218-2229 for more information on these, or any other listings in and around Cape Coral & Fort Myers, Florida.

Susan is the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc.. Florida Future Realty, Inc. is an independent real estate brokerage centrally located in Cape Coral, Florida.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty, Inc

239-542-8521

inquiry@floridafutureagents.com

Homes still selling in Cape Coral?

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Are we still selling homes in Cape Coral? The answer is yes, and in record numbers.  We have been getting so much negative national media attention, that our ideas are clouded with misinformation.

The National Association of Realtors published their polls and it shows that in 2009 with the assistance of realtors, 16,260 homes were sold.  In 2005 when the housing boom began, the record was 12,123

However one significant change is the declining home prices. In 2005 the median home price was 278,200, now in 2009 we were at 90,400. This decline is due to the record number of short sales and foreclosures now flooding the real estate listings.  Sellers are now coming to their senses and listing their homes more realistically, their homes are worth significantly less from what they were selling for 5 years ago.
 

The fact of the matter is that homes are STILL selling.  We may have to navigate through a few detours, from bank negotiations to new lending laws, but properties are moving.

Buyers also need to understand that there are great deals to be had, but when a property is under market value as many of them are, they may sell very quickly and most likely there will be multiple offers.

So when searching for real estate in Cape Coral, we suggest you secure your financing and act quickly when you find the right home at just the right price.  Call one of our agents at Florida Future Realty to assist you with your home buying experience.

Yours in Success,

Florida Future Realty Team

(239)542-8521

inquiry@floridafutureagents.com