It's that time of the year again! Our neighbors from points north and beyond are arriving in droves. Many are here to escape the cold - those long grey, dark, freezing winters! Our climate, even at this time of the year is downright balmy. Yesterday, despite being somewhat rainy, it was still warm enough to wear shorts. Many of our temporary residents are arriving at an opportune time. There hasn't been a better time to buy real estate in years. And pool homes are no exception! Buying a home, and then building a pool is an option. A typical, though modest, pool will set you back about $22,000. But, buying a pool home in today's environment will cost you about $10,000 more than the comparable non-pool home! What a steal! As a year round Deep Creek resident, I enjoy my pool year round. An... 11/04/2010

With the advent of the 'snowbird' season, I thought it might be a good time to explore the options facing these good folk as they wend their way south this winter. Many 'snowbirds' invest in condos, and there are some remarkable bargains around this year! Much has been written about the foreclosure mess. Although foreclosures will remain a good investment when all the red tape is dealt with, it may be a time to take another look at short sales. It is my opinion that short sales may be a better way to invest in distressed property than foreclosures, particularly at this juncture. Banks are taking a long hard look at whether all the foreclosure paperwork was properly processed. Short sales, though traditionally a little more complicated to process than a foreclosure, may make up the bulk ... 10/16/2010

Punta Gorda - Port Charlotte - North Port. It just got a whole lot harder to buy a bank-owned or foreclosure home. With the mess that the banks created - first approving mortgages willy-nilly, and then foreclosing in the same fashion - it seems as if chaos reigns supreme. Investors and savvy buyers had been snapping up foreclosures until the banks fessed up that they'd been fast-tracking foreclosures without conducting the due diligence. Attorney Generals in some 23 states have imposed restrictions, or requested voluntary compliance with the restrictions, on the foreclosures in their states. Texas has imposed a blanket moratorium on foreclosures. This whole debacle should make short sale approvals a little easier. It seems that the only way banks are going to mitigate some of their loss... 10/08/2010

Burnt Store Isles (BSI) is located on the south side of Punta Gorda.  It is a unique community in that there are many homes with Gulf of Mexico access through a saltwater canal by way of the Alligator Creek into the Charlotte Harbor through the Boca Grande Pass.  There are about 1000 home sites on a network of 10 foot deep, 100 foot wide waterways.  Burnt Store Isles is also a golf community.  There are about 400 homes on the golf course. One does not have to be a member of the Twin Isles Country Club to live in the community.  Twin Isles' golf course, tennis complex and spacious Clubhouse create a comfortable atmosphere that makes new members feel welcome and at home. Burnt Store Isles is also unique in that everything you need to survive is located right at the entrance to the communi... 10/05/2010

September is typically a quite month in our beautiful community of Deep Creek - a suburb of Punta Gorda - Florida. During September there were 18 closed transactions. Single family homes accounted for 13 of these sales and were priced from $82,900 to $315,000. The average sale price was $140,000. This price may have been skewed slightly because of the single 'higher-priced' home. Condos made up 3 of the sales in September. The average list price was $62,000 and the average sales price was $44,700. This demonstrates clearly that the market is still severely depressed and favors buyers. In one of the transactions, a condo priced in the low $40's actually sold for a tad over $20,000! A stunning buy for some lucky buyer. What to take away from all this. Bargains abound. Some buyers are stil... 10/05/2010

Do you ever wonder how the wealthy are doing in the real estate downturn? I handle lots of short sales and foreclosures in the Punta Gorda area. Short sales can be something of a mystery to many of my clients - at least when I originally meet them. Too many fall into the trap of not being proactive and end up being foreclosed on instead. Some potential clients feel that it's wrong or immoral to short sell your house just because it's lost some value. Apparently the wealthy think otherwise and - let's face it , they are better at managing their money than we are which is why they're wealthy - are quite comfortable doing a short sale just because it makes economic and financial sense to them. Looking at Punta Gorda Luxury Short Sales, we find a handful of luxury homes being on the market.... 10/04/2010

I have been working with distressed home-owners for a good couple of years now in the Punta Gorda - Port Charlotte - North Port areas. Probably the most blatant observation I could make after dealing with all sorts of situations is that, for the most part, distressed home-owners are woefully uneducated as to their options. There is a huge amount of misinformation as to what the most sensible options are for a home-owner in financial distress. Although I am not a lawyer, I have seen enough situations as an active real estate broker that I feel comfortable discussing some of the options that are available - and which should be explored with your lawyer at the appropriate time. So what's a homeowner to do when they are in a financial bind - and what constitutes a bind? Unfortunately the th... 09/25/2010

Deep Creek Florida Real Estate is a compelling buy! And not just because the economy is in the tank. Deep Creek is in the sweet spot - located midway between Fort Myers to the south and Sarasota to the north. It has always been the ideal bedroom community for commuters to either of these two cities. So where is Deep Creek exactly? Located in southwest Florida's Charlotte County, just to the north of the Peace river and east of Interstate 75 as it heads north to Tampa and points beyond, Deep Creek is close to the metro Port Charlotte facilities. With an abundance of shopping, dining, entertainment and medical facilities - yet close enough to rural Florida - Deep Creek offers a fulfilling lifestyle. The quaint village of Punta Gorda is just across the Peace river bridge to the south. Ther... 08/31/2010

I’m not sure about you and wouldn’t presume to know how your social and target marketing is doing for you. However, after attending “Raincamp” today in Orlando I have a much better idea where I stand in this ever changing technological world. A few hundred people showed up for the event and truly it was not nearly enough. Everyone blogging on activerain.com should have been present in that room if they could be there. Although the information presented is definitely drinking from a fire hose and far too much to internalize in one day the principle is to take a small piece per day and implement it into your marketing program. At the end of the day I walked away with a plan that can be put into action and will, if I do that which I was taught, get the same or better results than those tea... 08/24/2010

Deep Creek Realty, serving the Punta Gorda - Port Charlotte - North Port areas of southwest Florida, is proud to announce the launch of a new site dedicated to the sale and disposition of Deep Creek Foreclosures and Short Sales. Visitors to the site will have the opportunity to sign up for an account which will enable them to receive daily email updates of new foreclosure and short sale listings in the Deep Creek and Harbour Heights subdivisions. As most savvy investors know, the good deals get snapped up very quickly and fresh information is vital to finding the latest Deep Creek Foreclosures and Short Sales. And, because Deep Creek and Harbour Heights are very desirable areas, this site will be of great importance to individuals and investors looking to buy bargain properties in the D... 08/20/2010

Deep Creek Realty is proud to announce a new website aimed at simplifying the search for foreclosure and short sale properties. This site will provide photographs, maps and details of every short sale and foreclosure property available in Punta Gorda. Interested persons are able to create an account which will enable them to receive daily email updates of new foreclosures. As most investors know, the good deals 'fly off the shelf', which is why it's important to receive timely updates of new foreclosure and short sale listings. This site will do exactly that! The new site is: www.Punta-Gorda-Foreclosures.com Broker, Mike Glastonbury, will be happy to assist in negotiating offers on behalf of investors and other shrewd bargain-hunters. 08/19/2010

Deep Creek Realty has launched a website to answer the many questions consumers may have about short sales. We also delve into the HAFA rules which are designed to speed up short sales and incentivize the process for sellers. Our short sale site can be reached at: www.PuntaGordaShortSale.com 08/18/2010

Punta Gorda FL Real Estate & Homes for Sale in Punta Gorda Florida Punta Gorda FL Real Estate We have created specific searches for Punta Gorda FL Foreclosures & Short Sales, Punta Gorda FL Waterfront Homes for sale, Punta Gorda FL Homes with Pools, Punta Gorda FL Condos for Sale. The listings allow you to browse available properties, save searches, view prices and virtual tours in the comfort of your own home, all without having to contact a agent. When you are ready to buy a home you can contact Sarasota Choice Homes at 941-375-4030 for more information regarding Punta Gorda FL Real Estate. Punta Gorda FL Homes for Sale - By Price Range Punta Gorda FL Homes for Sale $700,000 - $800,000 $1,000,000 - $1,250,000 $2,000,000 - $3,000,000 $500,000 - $600,000 $800,000 - $900,000 $1,250,000 ... 06/19/2010

I may be a bit behind the times on some issues and maybe this advice finds you a bit late or you've heard of this before but; even the caboose on a train, although the last one to arrive is still attached to the train... I just received a great warning from a KW office that has been experiencing a particularly disturbing type of fraudulent activity. Please heed this and file it away in those "steel traps" of memories that we realtors and brokers possess. (That last part was my attempt at humor) OK, fake census people are calling realtors to obtain information regarding vacant homes. They are, in all actuality "scoping" the properties to vandalize, occupy them or by committing a type of rental fraud, lease them to unsuspecting individuals in the public and collecting payments in cash. If... 05/10/2010

It's a busy time for Short Sale specialists in our area. Our MLS area encompasses Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and North Port Florida. Charlotte County Florida encompasses the majority of the area with North Port falling into southern Sarasota county. We also serve Lake Suzy in southern Desoto county. This part of Florida has certainly seen it's share of short sales. Although we're not as bad as some parts of the country like Las Vegas, it certainly is not a good time if you are a homeowner who purchased in the 2003-2007 time frame. Almost universally these buyers have seen their home's value decline precipiously. On the other hand buyers are seeing values which haven't been seen in a decade. Dealing with sellers in this market is difficult. One has to be sensitive to the trauma they fee... 04/09/2010

Price: $93,900 FIZBER.com ID 14008262 Mobile Home with 2 bed, 2.0 bath, in 4300 Riverside Dr.lot #75 Punta gorda, FL, 33982 http://www.fizber.com/14008262/ 4300 Riverside Dr.lot #75 - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Mobile Home Address: 4300 Riverside Dr.lot #75, Punta gorda, FL, 33982 Sq footage: 1100.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.0 Bedrooms: 2 Year built: 2005 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Florida homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: This is an Adrian home,built and installed in 2005.The home is located in River Forest Village which is a 55+ community in Punta Gorda.The park is 1 mile from I-75,1 mile east of downtown,32 miles to Fort Myers airport and the local airport is serviced by Directair.The community is resident owned. The... 01/25/2010

Price: $355,000 FIZBER.com ID 13598489 Single Family with 3 bed, 2.0 bath, in 945 Messina Drive Punta gorda, FL, 33950 http://www.fizber.com/13598489/ 945 Messina Drive - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 945 Messina Drive, Punta gorda, FL, 33950 Sq footage: 2800.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.0 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 1986 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Florida homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: 3 BR 2 Bath New Appliances, Great Water Views, Fenced Yard, 20,000lb boat lift, Fenced Yard, Great Access, Freshly Painted, so much more, Must see call Anna 609-713-0820 Cell 3 BR 2 Bath New Appliances, Great Water Views, Fenced Yard, 20,000lb boat lift, Fenced Yard, Great Access, Freshly Painted, so much more, Must see... 01/04/2010

Refinancing Refinancing your home can be an excellent way to bring down your monthly mortgage payment, raise cash, or consolidate debts with high interest rates. However, you need to do your homework before deciding to refinance. One important factor is the difference between current interest rates and the rate of your original loan. You also need to take into account the amount of time it will take to recoup the costs of refinancing. When should you refinance? Some common reasons homeowners refinance include: Lower monthly mortgage payments Convert an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed-rate mortgage Raise funds for family expenses (i.e. college tuition) Pay off high-interest loans Home improvements The old rule of thumb is that you should refinance your home if interest rates fa... 10/12/2009

For those who haven't visited recently, Punta Gorda's downtown really has a new look and feel. Recently, we celebrated the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Charley and it caused many of us to look back on the last five years and reflect on all of the changes that have happened in a relatively short amount of time. As difficult as it was in the days immediately following the hurricane, it is hard to believe how far we've come. Punta Gorda has seen two, new luxury waterfront hotels pop up in the historic downtown area plus a multitude of new restaurants, each with their own unique appeal. In many ways, Punta Gorda is more charming and beautiful than ever. The Saint Petersburg Times ran an article that highlighted the amazing revitalization that has occurred in Punta Gorda. I highly recomme... 08/31/2009

Punta Gorda (not including Deep Creek)# of listings in Punta Gorda= 366 active listings# of listings sold from June-16-July 16: 70# of listings sold from May 16-June 16: 68# of listings sold from Apr 16-May 16: 61# of listings sold from Mar 16-Apr 16: 60# of listings sold from Feb 16-Mar 16: 70# of listings sold from Jan 16-Feb 16: 37366 homes sold in the last six months in PG. Average number of homes sold per month over the last 6 months in PG: 61 homes#sold (61 homes) X 12 (months) = 732divide 732 by 52 weeks= 14 units per weekIf 14 units sell each week divide that number into the number of active listings 14 divided by 732 = 52 weeks of inventory or a years worth of inventory in Punta Gorda. 08/22/2009