In a visit yesterday to Bonita Springs, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced his plan for property tax reform.  Doubling the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $50,000 and making the homestead exemption portable for people in the Save Our Homes Program are included in his proposal.  It would take 3/4 of the legislation to agree to the constitutinal ammendment.This proposal for property tax reform came one week after Crist signed into law a massive property insurance reform.Read also:  Property Tax Reform  01/30/2007

Almost daily I receive an email from a company called Video on Demand Real Estate.  Usually duplicate emails, too.  There is no unsubscribe button on the email.  When I reply to the email it bounces back.  I visited the website and submitted via their contact button and asked to be removed.I just want off of this list.  I have no interest in this product.  What do you, the members of Active Rain, recommend I do.  I explained in the "contact" email that I will report their SPAM without an unsubscribe button or opt out button to authorities.  I just don't know what authorities.  I've never had such an issue before.By the way, there is small print at the bottom that looks like unsubscribe literature, but reads:  You are receiving this email because you are either a member of NAR, or are on... 01/29/2007

 Agent X vs. The Bonita Springs AgentOn my way home from work today I stopped at an open house a few doors down from my house.  I have spoken with the agent holding the open house a few times before.  I toured the home and then shared with the agent that I am thinking of putting my home on the market, maybe in a few months.  Spur of the moment, I offered for her to show it to anyone she felt that were qualified and interested.  I even had her come over and take a look at it.  It is a pretty home.  (Spoken like a mother speaking of her child)  Keep in mind, we are ALMOST done with the remodel of the last bathroom.  Oh, did I mention it was someone's birthday Wednesday?  This was in the living room.  Plus baskets of candy and flower bouquets on the tables and counters.                    ... 01/26/2007

Alright, I didn't let them stay but they were around for a few hours. One of them left a present on the lanai.  Thanx!  Jon and his friends found four puppies in an appliance box on the side of the road.  All but one has a home.  The boy with the white toes, chin and bib needs a home!  They appear to be part lab and maybe hound.  Two of them were red.  Call today for your FREE, yes Free, GENUINE, REALTOR friendly, highly fashionable, Bonita Springs, Florida puppy. Supplies are limited, act fast!  Look at that FACE~!    01/21/2007

Are You Lucky To Be A Realtor?Today was a day to get together with some of my family.  My Twins turn 19 in a few days. I threw them a get together.  Today I had a birthday party for them that was the same old, same old (for them).  They are bored by my antics, but glad their grand parents showed up.They were thrilled by my parents showing up.  Mom, who scratched thru a health scare this year and Pappy who made it thru Mom's scare, only to have a stroke....and live with no imparement.  The flexibility of my occupation made everyone, including me have quality of life.  It made me realise a few things.  Iam so lucky that:I am  so lucky that I have a great career that I can blend around my family.I am so lucky I have great, understanding clients.I am so lucky that I can find a way to take a... 01/21/2007

In an effort to protect the integrity of the home sales numbers of Naples, Florida and how they are published the Naples Area Board of Realtors (NABOR) has  discontinued sharing their sales data with the Florida Association of Realors (FAR).  Continued bad press and skewed numbers prompted their decision.  To learn more:  Naples Real Estate. 01/19/2007

                                                          Today I have the opportunity to work with a buyer.  Not just any buyer.  An honest to good, repeat customer, prequalified, knows what he wants, no bull buyer.  By no bull, I mean: I have a list of what he wants to see, in the order he wants to see them, plus five alternate homes to see, in the event the homes (1-5) don't pan out.Yesterday I hopped in my car to preview the homes on the list.  I turns out the homes 5-10 (the alternates) are in one gated community by Divosta Homes - Village Walk of Bonita Springs.  I thought, while I was there, I'd preview the alternates or at least get to the bottom of their occupancy issues.  If we decided to see them I wanted to be able to walk right in.  The experiences I had trying to get infor... 01/17/2007

 Bonita Beach is located on Florida's gulf coast just a few miles north of Naples and about two hours south of Tampa.  The white sand beaches of Bonita Springs have been a favorite destination for world travelers.  Unfortunatly, too much time goes by between visits to the beach for a lot of locals and long time residents.  Enjoy the photos I snapped when I stopped to smell the roses and the beach breezes.  Bonita Beach Preserve is located at the South end of Barefoot Beach.  It is a State Park and Gopher Tortoise Preserve.  Between 12 noon and 3:00 p.m. the little "Sherman Tanks" are everywhere.  Admission to the park is $6.00 per vehicle.There are also several varieties of birds in the area. A few were kind enough to let me get close.                               A place of treasures ... 01/17/2007

The subject of a recent blog post of mine was about the trials and tribulations of "creative" for sale by owner signs.  The Tip of The Florida FSBO Iceberg was a featured post with about 30 comments and interjects regarding a series of signs that I photographed and published.  Apparently, a non-REALTOR blog reader took exception, which is fine, and felt we (who commented) were unprofessional.  The fact of the matter is, the exterior of the home, it's neglected landscape and it's expired Christmas decorations were the primary issues.  Adding to the unprofessional look was the fact that the home is overpriced, had been reduced twice as indicted in Sharpie Market on the FSBO sign and if it did sell, it is likely that it wouldn't appraise.  A couple questions I ask anyone that is selling a ... 01/16/2007

Located in the heart of Bonita Springs, Florida.   Located in Sabal Cove in Spring Run at The Brooks.  Two Bedroom + Den, two bath, w car attached garage attached villa home.  Enjoy sweeping views of the lake and golf course from the oversized screened lanai, breakfast nook, living room and master bedroom. This listing is no longer offered by Keller Williams Elite Realty.  Should you have interest in Spring Run at The Brooks or attached villa homes that offer bundled golf contact Chris Griffith 239-273-7430 and I will provide you with a current list of available properties.  01/13/2007

 It's the time of year in SW Florida that condominium associations and homeowner associations update their annual reports and annual budgets.  If there are changes to the fees or fee structures it usually takes place during the first quarter of the year.   As a listing REALTOR it is your duty to discover and produce accurate figures to present to the buyers of your listings.  These figures include: Annual budget for 2007 Any assessments from the association to the current owner. Status of the assessments paid/unpaid. Changes or ammendments to the bylaws/association documents. Current "frequently asked questions" (FAQ's) Current quarterly or monthly fees. Current management company contact information - they often change also. In a search through the same condo building in the MLS I was ... 01/09/2007

 Thanks to a grant from the Florida Humanities Council, the Bonita Springs Historical Society will present evening lectures, titled, "The Front Porch & Stories of Florida's Unique People and Landscape" The even begins Jan. 18 and runs through April.Nexst Friday at 7 p.m. at the Bonita Springs Community Hall on Old 41 Road,  the first lectue will feature author and cinematographer Bill Belleville.Belleville is the author of "Losing It All To Sprawl: How Progress Ate My Cracker Landscape." He shares his personal story of the battle for rural landscape and places his experience in the context of Florida development. He accounts for the impacts of sustainable growth, but also offers hope that can be found in the rediscovery and appreciation of the natural landscape.Other upcoming speakers i... 01/09/2007

For years I have received "Tee Shots" from The 1031 Exchange Experts.  They've developed the site over the years to a very informative library of detailed information.  They offer useful items such as: Informative articles. The Book:  "Exchanging Up!" Brochures about 1031 and the process. PDF Downloads. Online question and answer or phone conference.  Questions from agents and customers called "Tee Shots". If you or a customer is new to the process of 1031 exchanges or you would like to learn more about them, it is a great resource.  The website is very easy to use.  Brochures can be printed and given to buyers and sellers, emailed in .pdf form or you can direct them to the site. I've successfully used this organization for several exchanges, including my own personal exchanges.  They a... 01/07/2007

'For Sale' glut slowed home building in '06 Lee County's (Florida) pace of construction slowed last year as a huge inventory of unsold houses piled up - but it still was the strongest on record except for 2005.  Right there....on the front page of the Fort Myers News Press.  THE STONGEST YEAR ON RECORD EXCEPT FOR 2005.  The whole story HERE.I continued to be confused by the twisted stories with a double entendre or the just plain bad press the real estate industry receives in SW Florida.  Most especially when there are front page stories like this story.  Just days before, there was a story:  Prices in Lee County down 44%.  WHOA, 44%?!  The sky is falling.  But did they bother to qualify the statement?  List Price?  Sale Price?  Median Price?  Who's to guess which figure (list) they wer... 01/06/2007

Bonita Springs: A former quaint little fishing town, turned bustling city.  Through the years we've watched it change and mold itself into a destination of choice for families, businesses and retirees.One of the original landmarks that people use to come to Bonita Springs for was the spring.  Sounds glamorous, but it's a sulfer spring and smells like eggs.  It was rumored to have medicinal purposes.  It's actually how Bonita Springs got it's name, for the springs.  It's original name was Survey.  Why?  The survey crew that originally graphed the state slept at a camp by the river.  Uh, and this was before anyone invented "Off" mosquito repellant.  The state bird of Florida is, in fact, the mosquito.Through the years residents have watched as a few landmarks and attactions were consumed ... 01/04/2007

Here's some information for anyone that may have read Take The Tech Plunge - 10 Cutting Edge Ideas For The Real Estate Industry and made a vow to get on the tech band-wagon.  It's a baby step, but for those who haven't jumped all the way in the water, it's a start.Express PDF on the web will convert a web page, word document or excell into .pdf format.  They email you when it's ready and you can retrieve it from their site by click the link in the email.  If you haven't yet started emailing documents, floor plans or addendums, you can try it here.  Go ahead, it won't hurt. I thought this tool would be useful for anyone that may be stranded at a PC that may not have the Adobe program installed.  It would be possible to convert and email something that needed to "get there" right away. 01/04/2007

 Fitness enthusiats at the Bonita Springs Recreation Center were smiling ear to ear Wednesday at the grand opening dedication of its new weight room.  The new facility is nearly triple the size of the last, at nearly 2,000 square feet.Membership fees are $45 for Bonita Springs property owners under the age of 55, and $40 for property owners over the age of 55. All non-property owners, regardless of age, can purchase a one-year membership for $60. The facility is also available for a daily fee of just $3 per person.Membership includes use of the gym, weight room, showers, locker room,  game room, non-registered classes, and the community pool.The Bonita Springs Recreation Center is located at 26740 Pine Avenue, off West Terry Street, behind the Bonita Springs Public Library. The recreati... 01/04/2007

Take the Tech Plunge in 2007 Start an online blog or podcast.  Congratulations Active Rain members, you're already in the game and out in front.  Imagine the poor souls that are scratching their heads right now .... what's a blog? Forunately, most of the people that are blogging or podcasting have accomplished the lions share of the top ten. Have you gone paperless yet?  Get a tablet PC for contracts or try storing your documents by scanning or faxing thru online fax services.   No extra equipment required besides your PC. Are you taking advantage of wireless technology in your office or home?  Not a cell phone ... wireless cards and routers to get online and wireless printers so that your laptop isn't chained to your desk. Getting a virtual assistant cuts the workload.  It isn't necess... 01/03/2007

Are REALTORS® obsolete?  With the wave of the internet the rumors start floating everywhere.  Will the REALTOR® go the way of the T-Rex?  Is extinction just around the corner?                                                                    Buyers and sellers of real estate have access to nearly limitless information about homes, prices, sales prices, tax roll data bases and online comparative market analysis sites. (Z - I don't mention the whole name out of principal.)  Why do they need a real estate professional?   Is the day dawning when they, the buyers and sellers of real estate, write their own contracts?  Schedule their own home inspections and coordinate showings?                                                                        My opinion would be no.  Listen, anyone can... 12/30/2006

Mark TwainAfter just reading IF YOU'RE A BUYER AND OUT OF THIS MARKET, YOU'LL HATE YOURSELF LATER I came across this article about SW Florida real estate.  Our area is somewhat seasonal.  Blue skys and sunshine in February...you can't beat it with a stick.  Most residents have watch the real estate bonanza and prices of homes and land sky rocket.  Well, it's never been a better time to buy.  Enjoy this story from the Fort Myers News Press.____________________________________________________ Locals buy homes while they canLower prices make home ownership possibleSchoolteacher Jennifer Watenpool, 25, bought a house recently. She's overjoyed to have a chance at home ownership."I came from Michigan to teach down here and was actually in the process of thinking about moving back because I co... 12/29/2006