http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/ BenjaminDona's Gooruze Blog Copyright 2010 Gooruze en-uk BenjaminDona The Fort Myers real estate end of year 2009 market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Fort Myers, known as the “The City of Palms”, sits along the natural splendor and shoreline of the Caloosahatchee River and is renowned for its fabulous winter weather. The city is a metropolis bustling with [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/188690/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/188690/ Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:37:02 -0700 BenjaminDona We are often asked about where our clients can play a round of golf while they are here visiting Southwest Florida. To that end, we are providing the following list of golf courses that are open to the public for play.A few of them are located in some of our most sought after communities including [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/188328/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/188328/ Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:03:27 -0700 BenjaminDona The Sanibel Island real estate end of year 2009 market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Sanibel Island, known as the “Shelling Capital” of the world, is one of Southwest Florida’s true treasures. Only 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, Sanibel is a haven of natural beauty, very romantic, [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/188056/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/188056/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:15:13 -0800 BenjaminDona Foreclosure filings continue to impact the Southwest Florida real estate market in January and February in both Lee and Collier counties. For Lee County, there were 1,395 new filings in February, up from the 1,318 in January. In Collier County, there were 565 new filings in February, up from 457 in January.While both counties’ filing [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/187143/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/187143/ Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:21:54 -0800 BenjaminDona The new year has brought continued strength to the Southwest Florida real estate market. After a blow out year in terms of total sales for 2009, Jaunary’s numbers show no signs of a let up.Here’s a synopsis of the January sales numbers: Bonita Springs Real Estate SalesBonita Springs Real Estate Market Highlights:January sales totaled 99 and [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/185940/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/185940/ Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:48:58 -0800 BenjaminDona The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has finally announced two important clarifications regarding the documentation required for taxpayers seeking to claim the first-time and move-up homebuyer tax credits. Local guidelines, especially for closing statements have caused a lot of confusion for both claimants and their tax preparers.The IRS announcement said that while they still are requiring [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/185635/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/185635/ Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:27:19 -0800 BenjaminDona If you are looking for Luxury Florida real estate, there is no better place to look in North Naples other than Mediterra.Mediterra is reminiscent of the authenticity of the Tuscan countryside and is an exquisite upscale gated community still in the development stage. Centered around two Tom Fazio designed championship golf courses and the 25,000 [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/185025/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/185025/ Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:54:48 -0800 BenjaminDona In a recently released 2010 report compiled by PNC Financial Services and IHS Global Insight, the Naples real estate market ranks as the 15th most undervalued housing market in the country. That’s quite a change from just four years ago, when the city had the dubious rank as the No.1 most overvalued market among the [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/184365/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/184365/ Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:16:43 -0800 BenjaminDona The Southwest Florida real estate market sales statistics for 2009 are listed below. Southwest Florida experienced its biggest sales year ever, outpacing the total sales in the previous peak year of 2005 by 44%. It also led all other metro areas in Florida in terms of total sales.Obviously, price has been the number one determining [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/183295/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/183295/ Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:53:22 -0800 BenjaminDona Buyers and investors looking to purchase a property using FHA financing have some good news and bad news to consider. FHA commissioner David Stevens outlined the agency’s new policy guidelines last week. Included in his announcement were changes to “seller concession” ceilings and new FICO score related down payment requirements that went into effect immediately. [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/181335/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/181335/ Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:29:28 -0800 BenjaminDona The Barefoot Beach real estate end of year 2009 market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below.Barefoot Beach is tucked away just on the border of Bonita Springs and Naples and is one of the most gorgeous beach communities on all of the SW Florida Gulf Coast. It is popular for its [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/180319/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/180319/ Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:59:05 -0800 BenjaminDona According to a memo sent out to all its lenders and mortage servicers, Fannie Mae is going to modify the way it goes about the handling of selling its foreclosure/REO inventory effective immediately. In the announcement, Fannie says it will now accept purchase offers for this type of inventory immediately after listing, without notifying lenders [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/178128/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/178128/ Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:17:17 -0800 BenjaminDona The Bonita Springs real estate end of year 2009 market statistics for both home and condominium sales are listed below. Bonita Springs, known as the “Gateway to the Gulf”, is one of Southwest Florida’s fastest growing coastal cities. Lifestyle options are endless and its central location between Ft. Myers and Naples make it a most [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/177355/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/177355/ Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:47:21 -0800 BenjaminDona For buyers or investors looking to purchase a short sale property using FHA financing, HUD has put in place some tough guidelines going forward into the New Year. A letter sent to FHA lenders by Commissioner David Stevens last week spelled out the agency’s revised policy regarding short sales. HUD made it quite clear they [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/176871/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/176871/ Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:50:58 -0800 BenjaminDona The real estate market in Southwest Florida continued to be strong in November. In fact, for the first eleven months of the year, the Bonita Springs and Naples market areas have seen total sales rise over 17% and 48% respectively on a year over year basis.Bonita Springs Real Estate SalesBonita Springs November Highlights:Single family home [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/175030/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/175030/ Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:53:15 -0800 BenjaminDona The real estate market in Southwest Florida continued to boom in November. In fact, for the first eleven months of the year, the Cape Coral and Ft. Myers market areas have seen total sales soar over 70% on a year over year basis.Cape Coral and Ft. Myers Real Estate SalesCape Coral and Ft.Myers November Highlights:Single [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/174581/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/174581/ Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:39:45 -0800 BenjaminDona The following are excerpts from the 2009 Florida Home Buyer and Seller Profile Report released by NAR. A review of the data gives some intriguing and interesting information to real estate professionals and provides many valuable insights into who their potential clients are and what motivates them to buy a home. Having this information is [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/172432/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/172432/ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:05:45 -0800 BenjaminDona Just when you thought you understood the FHA condo financing guidelines, HUD steps in and changes things all over again. And, there’s both good news and bad news for buyers, sellers, investors and developers alike in the latest revisions. The new rules – which HUD says are temporary - are set to begin on December [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/171357/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/171357/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:30:42 -0800 BenjaminDona For the first time in 2009, new foreclosure filings fell in the third quarter for Lee and Collier counties in Southwest Florida. In fact, in September new foreclosure filings reached their lowest level of the year.For Lee County, there were 13,206 new filings from July to September, down 5.19% from the second quarter and 2.19% [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/171251/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/171251/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:52:28 -0800 BenjaminDona After a unbelievable first eight months of the year, real estate sales in Southwest Florida were again strong in September. In fact, home sales for the year are up 120% in the Cape Coral-Ft. Myers and up 30% for Bonita Springs-Naples. September marked the fifteenth month in a row sales have climbed in both Lee and [...] http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/168983/ http://www.gooruze.com/members/benjamindona/blog/168983/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:48:49 -0800