The pace of new-home starts in subdivisions in Lee County fell to 116 in the second quarter of 2009 — the slowest in more than a decade, according to statistics released today by housing data company MetroStudy.
There were 139 starts in the first quarter, the release states.
Meanwhile, the level of move-ins in subdivisions fell from [...]

How do short sales and foreclosures affect taxable values for those homes and their neighbors? What about the impact of derelict homes on neighbors? Why is the decline in values in Lee County double that of Collier? How soon will the real estate market rebound? Ken Wilkinson, the property appraiser for Lee County for the [...]

The number of single-family homes sold with the assistance of a Realtor in Lee County in June soared to a record high of 1,705 — more than twice the 719 recorded a year earlier, according to statistics released today by the Florida Association of Realtors.
June’s number was well above the 1,417 sold in May and [...]

Florida’s existing home sales rose in June – the 10th consecutive month that sales activity showed gains in the year-to-year comparison, according to the latest housing data released by the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR). Statewide sales in June also increased over the previous month’s sales level in both the existing home and existing condominium [...]

Downing-Frye Realty Inc. has been ranked 85th in the nation among all real estate companies based on closed sales volume, according to a report published in the July 2009 issue of Realtor Magazine.
This is the fifth consecutive year in which Downing-Frye has earned recognition on the “Top 100 Companies” list. The Naples-based firm reported total [...]

A draft Marco Island city budget for 2010 calls for an estimated 26 percent increase in the tax rate, but with declining home values, the bottom line might not be that bad for property owners.
The tax rate proposed by City Manager Steve Thompson in the preliminary budget is $1.75 per $1,000 of taxable property value.
The [...]

COLLIER COUNTY – Some good news from the local housing market. The Naples Area Board of Realtors (NABOR) says there’s been a steady increase in the number of homes sold and they expect that trend to continue.
Last year, the average home in the naples area took nearly 200 days to sell. Now, now homes are [...]

The Marco Island Area Association of Realtors wants homebuyers to know the island’s real estate industry is improving.
The association’s president and executive director visited Noontime Rotary of Marco Island on July 9 and spoke about recently released home value numbers.
Neal hopes to change people’s perceptions about the island.
“We are finally getting close to the bottom [...]

While the national housing bust has devastated property values, it has also created some outstanding bargain opportunities for would-be home buyers–if you know where to look.
During the first half of the decade, easy credit and speculative fervor sent home prices in certain states–Florida,California,Nevada–scorching to phenomenal heights. But nearly three years into a real estate crash [...]

Undeveloped property being sold at an up to 90 percent discount
That’s what the market looks like these days for undeveloped property in Southwest Florida – especially if it’s already zoned for development.
So far, it’s mainly investors on the buying end as a glut of unsold or foreclosed-on houses keeps down home prices, said Fort Myers-based [...]