Reflection Lakes Archives - Page 24 of 26 - Fort Myers Real Estate and Homes For Sale

Agents use the SW Florida Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to search for homes for their buyers but what about searching for buyers for agent’s listings? The Ellis Team has found that having a searchable buyers database helps sell homes.

Searchable Buyers Database Helps Sell Homes — Ellis Team Client Search Screen

There is no MLS for buyers. That would be weird. There is one for sellers but it does not include personal information like seller’s name, phone number, email address, search preferences, etc. because nobody would want that kind of information out to the public. The same is true for buyers. No buyer would want a seller searching and contacting them. And it wouldn’t be just sellers. You’d have every retail store, financial planner, lender, etc. calling these buyers if that data were out in the public.

There may never be a true MLS for buyers as buyers for the reasons stated above however, we do have a large database of buyers we can search upon when we list new properties. One of the advantages we offer buyers is our MLS search site is updated every 5 minutes, so they can beat out other buyers to hot new properties. It’s also consumer friendly, speedy, and easy to use.

Because the buyers benefit so much we’re able to capture crucial search data. The system will email them property matches if they desire, and they can target exactly what they’re looking for.

Searchable Buyers Database Helps Sell Homes

Sellers often ask us if we have buyers looking for a home like theirs. The answer is usually yes. We can go into our database and search for buyers that matches our seller’s criteria. We spend a lot of money on advertising each month. We create a lot of buyers. It’s possible the money we spent last month or 6 months ago has already created a buyer looking for a home just like the one we’re listing.

One of our databases has created about 1,407 leads in the past year. Let’s say we’re on a listing appointment and the property is worth $250,000. If I search our database, we currently have 304 leads searching in that $250,000 range.

Let’s say we’re listing a Million dollar property. I just conducted a search and our database contains 58 people searching for properties. Our agents can tag buyers, so we have the ability to pin it down to features like golf course or waterfront, or neighborhoods.

Each time we list a property we create marketing designed to find a buyer in that price range. It does us no good to list a Million dollar home and create $200,000 buyers. Our marketing never stops working. Not only are we marketing today for a million dollar buyer, our past marketing may have already created the buyer. Likewise, just because we didn’t have a $4 Million dollar home for sale in last 6 months doesn’t mean we don’t have some $4 Million buyers waiting for the right property to enter the market. We create marketing for what we list. If we list a $70,000 condo we’ll create some $70,000 buyers.

Each week we have a team meeting and we inform our agents the properties we’re listing soon. Many times we have a buyer waiting for one like that to come to market. I remember a few years ago we listed a property in Moody River Estates. The seller asked me if we had buyers for his home. I answered I don’t know, we could. I went back to office and sure enough, one of our agents was writing an offer on another property a street over from the one we just listed. I asked him to hold up and go show our home. A day later our home was under contract with a buyer we already had.

No agent can promise you they have a buyer. And even if they did, you don’t know what the buyer will pay or how they will like it. The goal is to produce many buyers for the home. If you’d like to check out our site go to www.LeeCountyOnline.com Buyers and sellers love the site. Or call us at 239-489-4042 We’d love to help you buy or sell your piece of paradise in SW Florida.

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

14457 Cypress Chase Ct Fort Myers Florida — Open Sunday 11-2

14457 Cypress Chase Ct Fort Myers, FL 33919

3 Bedroom 3 Baths

Located in South Fort Myers

San Carlos Park Open House 3 Bedrooms 2 Baths — Open Sunday 1-4 PM

17225 Johnston Dr, Fort Myers FL 33967

3 Bedrooms 2 Baths Home in San Carlos Park

Call Today-Will sell this weekend

The problem with real estate agents is they are not all the same and it’s hard to tell the difference without really interviewing them. Agents come with varying experience and from differing backgrounds. There is no requirement for a college degree in Florida and it’s one of the few careers you can step into without any training. So what’s a consumer to do?

The agent you hire does make a difference. Agents with vast experience and marketing can net sellers ten’s of thousands more at the closing table than agents with poor track records. Being locked into a listing agreement with the wrong agent can seem like a lifetime if there is no communication and little activity for your home.

On the buying side, having an agent that works with you is invaluable. This is one reason most buyers do not buy For Sale By Owners. They want their agent advising them on price, inspections, zoning, schools, neighborhoods, etc. If a buyer is going to work directly with an owner they want a huge deal, because they feel like they’re taking a huge risk. The owner knows the home and neighborhood but the buyer doesn’t, so they feel at a disadvantage.

One of the reasons a home owner might sell their own is to save the commission, but the buyer and the seller can’t both save the commission, so it rarely works. Even if they come together on price, the deal rarely closes due to other issues they’re not equipped to handle, like inspections, appraisals, financing, HOA rules, etc.

I’ve seen two separate studies that show For Sale By Owners sell on average for 16% less with than an agent. This is not surprising. An owner desires to sell on their own only until they see the value of paying someone else to do it. When that occurs, it’s a no-brainer.

After that, which agent is the best? Only 4% of all buyers can actually buy right now. Many buyers have to sell something first, so somebody has to solve that issue before they become an actual buyer today. Other buyers don’t qualify for financing right now.

The answer is you need an agent that exposes your home to 100% of the market and can help with these facts about buyers. Imagine if you had an item on e-bay to sell. If there was just one buyer bidding on the item, how much would it sell for? Or, imagine you had 1,000 buyers bidding on that same item. Now how much would it sell for? The answer is, much more than just one buyer.

And this is the difference between finding a buyer and 100% exposure. Since we know only 4% of all lookers can actually buy, we need as much exposure as possible. Not all agents advertise the same. Some agents don’t advertise at all. They employ the 3 P’s. Put a sign up, Place it in MLS, and Pray someone else sells it.

The MLS doesn’t sell homes. Great agents do. If the MLS sold homes, all homes in MLS would sell, and that just doesn’t happen. Sellers need an agent who knows the market, communicates well, advertises extensively, studies changes in the market, and will tell the seller what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.

The market rarely stays steady. It changes every year, every month, and by the week. Buyers need an agent that is familiar with financing, knows the market, and will show them homes that meet their criteria. The bottom line is buyers and sellers both need agents that can listen, communicate, negotiate, and help formulate a plan to accomplish a goal. The agent should have experience and wisdom, or access to it at all times. The Ellis Team at Keller Williams has all of this.

Call us at 239-489-4042 if you’re in the market to buy or sell. If you’d like to get an idea of what your home might sell for, check out www.SWFLhomevalues.com If you’re looking to purchase, check out www.LeeCountyOnline.com

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

Open House Saturday and Sunday 1-4 PM

Reflection Lakes Open House — Reflection Lakes 4 Bedroom + Den Pool Home on Lake

13925 Bald Cypress Cir

4 Bedrooms + Den Pool Home Lakefront

Buyers and sellers may want to tune in because changes are coming to the lending process in September and it will affect home buyers. Sellers tend to say that’s not my problem, but it will be if your buyer no longer qualifies for the loan.

Credit Report Changes Coming

Certain loan programs are going to what they call Trended Credit Reports. Trended credit data is different than a FICO score which captures a particular point in time. Trended data looks at the trend and whether a borrower’s creditworthiness is improving or declining over time.

A buyer may have an excellent FICO score but if their trend is negative as Federated Financial reports says it could affect their ability to finance that much or the pricing on the loan, which also can affect the total amount financed. Many lenders are up in arms over this change, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

For instance, let’s say you charge $1,500/mo on your credit card for everything from groceries, repairs, phone bill, etc. You pay off that $1,500/mo so you have a zero balance each month. Under the current system they see an average balance of $1,500 mo on your credit report. You choose to collect the points on your credit card instead of writing checks but the money remains the same. Under trended credit reporting it just might be that you’re not penalized for charging to your credit card instead of a bunch of online banking payments.

We believe the new reporting will focus on credit utilization scores among other things and what that overall trend looks like, although we don’t know for sure. It’s important to note that this is a FNMA decision. This shouldn’t affect FHA loans.

We often tell buyers, don’t go out and buy a new car just before you close on your home. Buyers get the loan approval to buy their home and think everything is a done deal. What they don’t realize is lenders go back and pull credit again just before the closing and if there is a change they can deny the loan. I’ve seen it happen more times that I care to count. I know agents out there counsel their buyers but for some reason they forget that point.

If you’re considering buying it really helps to talk to a lender first. Sellers won’t entertain your offer unless a pre-approval letter accompanies your offer anyway. You can save a lot of time by knowing what the lender requires. Quite often a buyer needs to just have one thing changed in their financial situation and they’re good to go. Doing it upfront can save your deal and help you to shop in the correct price range.

If you’d like to speak to a lender, give us a call. 239-489-4042 We can recommend some good ones for you and really speed up the process. It doesn’t cost any money to talk to a lender upfront, and it can save you money on inspections and appraisals by knowing the facts upfront. You’ll save time and money.

Buyers are happy to find out they qualify for more now because rates have dropped. You might be surprised at what you can afford, but don’t go buy that new car until after you get the home.

If you’d like to search for your perfect home, go to www.LeeCountyOnline.com It has all the homes and the database is updated every 5 minutes, so you’ll beat out other buyers to hot new listings.

If you have a property to sell, you can call us too. 239-489-4042 Find out why our listings sell fast and for top dollar.

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

Open House Extravaganza This Weekend

Open Sat 1-4 PM

Bell Tower Park Courtyard Home — Open Saturday 1-4 PM

5693 Kensington Loop

$260,000

Open Sunday 1-4 PM

Viridian Pool Home on Lake — Open Sunday 1-4 PM

12407 Arbor View Dr

$485,000

This past week we’ve been speaking with agents who have noticed lower sales counts across the county, which begs the question “Is something happening to the local real estate market?”

June’s official numbers won’t be released until a few days after this article is written, so we decided to look at May’s numbers and combine some current data from MLS and a few large real estate companies in SW Florida.

Agents Reporting Lower Sales Counts Across Lee County

If you look at May’s data you’ll notice pending inventory is down 12% from last year. New pending sales are down 6.4% while inventory is up 14.1% This chart lends credence to the fact that the number of sales counts are softening.

At Keller Williams our office tracks Listings Sold Volume. The board was down 13.21% in June while our office was up 25.33% That’s a differential of 38.54% I spoke with 2 large RE/MAX offices and they both said they were up about 38% and 50% respectively. I’m not sure if that was sold volume or units, but either way they’re up.

So why are some offices increasing sales while others are obviously losing sales? The answer can be complicated. Perhaps the office had 1 or 2 large sales skewing the volume numbers. Perhaps they sold a chunk of homes to an investor. Or, perhaps their agents are just more tuned in to what’s going on in the market and making adjustments.

Agents Reporting Lower Sales Counts Across Lee County Market Watch — 7 Day Market Watch

I pulled a 7 day Market Watch available through our MLS. Price decreases are outpacing new listings. I was excited to see pending sales outpacing new listings as well, although we know not all pending sales will close. You’ll see some sellers giving up by looking at the terminated, expired, and withdrawn counts.

It can be frustrating to bring a property to market and have little to no showing activity. When this happens it tells you that you’ve overshot the market. If your home is priced at market it should receive showings. If your home is way above the market, it’s not really on the market and is shunned by potential home buyers.

Sometimes the sellers believe the market is at one point and the buyers believe it to be at a lower point. When this stand-off occurs, activity lessens. The sellers that want or need to sell react and make a move to find the buyers. When this occurs, a property will sell.

We recently had a property go under contract. We picked a price and had lots of showings. It was priced close enough to where buyers would look at it, but not make an offer. We reduced it once and got even more showings and one low-ball offer. We reduced it a second time and it sold, for much higher than the low-ball offer.

The home initially was priced right where it should be based upon past sales. However, the market rarely stands still. In that price range we noticed a shift in the market. If this seller would have stayed at yesterday’s prices, the home could still be on the market.

You never want to get caught chasing the market down. You want to get ahead of it. People read that prices are up, and they are up 4.7% in May versus last year. That doesn’t tell the whole story. That is median price, and some price ranges are increasing while some are decreasing.

Knowing where your home fits is crucial. Sure, you can interview 5 agents and pick the one who says the highest price. But have you done yourself any favors? If your home sits on the market and 6 months later you’re shaking your head because it hasn’t sold, are you going to be happy you selected the agent with the highest price?

We’d suggest interviewing agents who know the market, will be brutally honest in regards to price, and markets the home in a way to reach the entire market. If you do that, you will have success. If you don’t, you can find that agent the 2nd time around and hope that prices haven’t declined further. If it was priced right the first time, it should have sold. Keep in mind, just because you overprice it today doesn’t mean the market can’t fall further. If it does, you’ll just be chasing the market down.

Always call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams, we’ll help you get your home sold now! 239-489-4042 Find your dream home now!

Join us for Open House in Reflection Lakes Saturday July 23 1-4 PM

13925 Bald Cypress Cir

Reflection Lakes Gated Community South Fort Myers — Reflection Lakes 4 Bedroom Pool Home on Lake

Best real estate team SW Florida News Press Readers poll — Ellis Team Voted Best Real Estate Team in SW Florida

Thank you for voting the Ellis Team Best Real Estate Team in SW Florida News Press Readers Poll

Is there a shift in SW Florida real estate market? Many agents I’ve talked to have complained that buyers thus far this year lack a sense of urgency. They’re making offers at times but then shutting off to counter-offers. For some listings, there are no offers at all.

Last year it was common to have multiple offers per property. Prices were rising and Realtors could price homes ahead of the last known sale. This year might be different. We’ve noticed a slowdown of offers on homes priced about $275,000 and up. One Realtor we talked to this week has noticed a slowdown on homes over $200,000.

Is the stock market affecting the real estate market? Some speculate yes, others aren’t so sure. Sometimes there is a flight to tangible assets like real estate when the stock market is in trouble. Other times the stock market affects consumer confidence and people are afraid to do anything.

Let’s look at some of the numbers. Just because Realtors start talking doesn’t mean the numbers bear out their suspicions.

Shift in SW Florida Real Estate Market February Pending Sales — SW Florida Pending Sales Feb 1-9 2016

Last year there were 1,537 new pending sales in February. As of February 9^th, 2016 there are 217 new pending sales. The average list price of those pending sales are $280,569. We know that closed sales were down 2.8% in December. Unofficial January numbers suggest sales were down 12.7%

This confirms that so far this year new pending sales are off as well. Of the pending sales, average price is down. We won’t know what these pendings close at until they close, and of course we’re not dealing with a full month. In December, the average closed sale price was $333,735. Official January numbers won’t be released until later this month. If the rest of the month holds true, it would confirm strength in the lower price ranges and lack of urgency above $280,000.

Shift in SW Florida Real Estate Market Closed Sales 2015 — SW Florida Closed Home Sales

What should sellers do with this information? They could wait and see if this is a temporary lag in the market. This sometimes happens as season picks up steam the latter half of February and into March. Or, sellers could reposition their home in the marketplace and be the first ones out in case buyers remain unmotivated.

In January we listed two condos in Reflection Lakes and sold both within a matter of days. Just because the overall market may see a shift doesn’t mean all properties are affected exactly the same.

If you’re putting your home on the market, it pays to look at what has sold and what your competition looks like. Look at it objectively like a buyer would. If you have had your home on the market, look back and see how you made your initial determination. Did you price ahead of the market expecting the market to increase?

Look at it like a basketball game. Just because your team had a good 1^st quarter doesn’t guarantee you a solid 4^th quarter. To win you have to be better at the end of the game, not just at the start. If your home has been on the market and not selling it’s either the marketing or the price. And even if it’s the marketing, chances are it still might be the price as well.

I’ve been tracking a few listings that interviewed with us and went with another Realtor who listed at a higher price. In each case, those properties are still on the market and they’ve reduced the price down to where we initially said. They are still on the market, and if buyers remain indecisive, they may end up reducing more.

Sometimes it’s best to be the first one out than to languish on the market and compete with all the other sellers reducing their prices. Of course, Season could kick in any moment and clear out the inventory shelves.

Check your competition for yourself at our SW Florida MLS Search Site or call us at 239-489-4042 We can help you sell your home and find your next home as well.

This Weekend’s Open Houses

Saturday 1-4 PM

6087 Waterway Bay Dr

Gulf access Home in Boating Community

Open Saturday 1-4 PM

12510 Kentwood Ave

Hampton Park in Gateway

The number one complaint we hear from sellers is that they listed with a Realtor and never heard from them again. The number one complaint we hear from buyers is that either the Realtor doesn’t return their calls or their Realtor is out of town and can’t show them properties.

Buyers and sellers aren’t being unrealistic. They need help and that’s why they go to a real estate agent. Because buyers and sellers have questions, it’s not enough for the agent to know the answers but keep the knowledge locked up in a vault. That knowledge and information must be communicated with the customer.

In the old days we provided each of our clients with a communication binder where they would store all the reports, ads, and feedback we’d send them through the mail or personal delivery. We would discuss the reports with the clients, but there was a delay because of they way they were sent.

Communication the Key to a Successful Real Estate Transaction

Today communication is better and immediate. Our sellers receive a communication portal which is essentially a website we setup for each of our listings with private access by each seller. They login and see the marketing activities, the showings, and the feedback. They see the timelines and what is left to do on the checklist and what our team has already completed. There are links to the PDF of their ad in the newspaper. They can view each ad just as it’s printed. We can also post links to websites all over the Internet. When we list a property we place it on dozens of websites. The seller sees as we post these ads. They can preview their ad on Zillow, Trulia, realtor.com, Craigslist, News Press, LeeCountyOnline.com, REMAX.com, and all the other websites we place it on.

Sellers love viewing their printed newspaper ad online. They can send it to friends, or just have it for their records. All communications between sellers are stored there as well for easy reference.

When the property goes pending, the transaction gets another website. Inspection reports are posted along with progress on buyer’s loan if applicable, timelines, etc. When we speak with clients they can actually see what we’re talking about. It really helps make our sellers a more educated seller, and that’s a good thing.

We have systems for buyers as well. While they’re shopping for a home we have a client portal. In that portal they can store favorites, take notes, and be alerted when matching properties enter the market or change price immediately. This helps buyers get a leg up on other buyers who are shopping for the same thing. The early bird gets the worm.

When the buyer finds a property and goes under contract, we also setup a web portal where they can log in and check their progress. We are in constant communication regarding their loan, inspections, insurance, HOA or Condo Association deadlines, etc. We’ve taken a complicated process and made it easy to follow along and understand.

It all starts with communication. When buyers and sellers understand the process and know ahead of time what to expect, they begin to trust. They trust their agent and they trust the process. When buyers and sellers trust the process, they’re not surprised and they can make adjustments when necessary without freaking out because they were caught off-guard. Yes, unexpected surprises can happen in a real estate transaction, but being prepared and proper communication upfront goes a long way to solving surprises later on.

Many transactions have few if any surprises, and that’s the way it should be. Each Realtor has their own systems they like to use. When selecting a Realtor, just make sure you ask about communication so you know what to expect. Have them show you their systems. Selecting a Realtor based upon communication systems and skills might be the single best criteria you could use to determine which Realtor to work with.

You can always reach us at 239-489-4042 or search the MLS at www.LeeCountyOnline.com

Good luck and Happy Selling/Buying!

Our team is growing again. We need a closing transaction coordinator. Full-time position. Call us at 239-489-4042 if you are looking for a job and have real estate, mortgage, HOA or title experience.

New Listings:

31 Lagoon St

31 Lagoon St North Fort Myers– 5 Bedroom 3 Bath home on the water seconds from the river with pool.

31 Lagoon St Single Property Website

Virtual Tour 31 Lagoon St

31 Lagoon St North Fort Myers on Instagram

12724 Aston Oaks Dr

5 Bedroom 3 Bath Home in South Fort Myers

12724 Aston Oaks Dr Single Property Website

12724 Aston Oaks Dr Virtual Tour

7479 Twin Eagle Ln

Eagle Ridge 5 Bedroom 4 Bath Golf Course Home

7479 Twin Eagle Ln Fort Myers Single Property Website

Our team lists and sells a lot of property. We thought we’d share a few tips for selling your home.

Curb Appeal– Buyers judge the quality of the home by what they can see. You will never get to the home inspection stage if the buyer never offers. Look at your yard, landscaping, outside paint, roof, gutters, etc. If the outside looks bad, buyers judge the inside probably looks just as bad and they don’t schedule appointments to view.
De-Clutter Inside– If a room has too many things in it, it makes the room look smaller. Additionally, buyers have a harder time envisioning their personals in your home when all they see is stuff. Take out as much as you can.
Be sure to remove Personal Photos– Buyers always stop and look at the pictures on the wall, and if there are too many the home feels like it’s someone else’s and they have a hard time picturing themselves in your home. Knick knacks and photos subconsciously turn off buyers. A few are OK, but too many can be a turn-off.
If a Buyer Can Smell It, We Can’t Sell It– Cigarette odor and pet odors are the #1 turn offs for buyers today. We would suggest smoking outside and removing pets as best you can during the sales process, and hiring someone to remove any smells. Some breeds emit more odor than others.
Remove Pets For Showings– Buyers love pets, and the problem is many times they walk away remembering how cute your pet was, but they remember next to nothing about your home. Your home is in competition with other homes, and you want your home to be remembered and stand out against all others. You don’t want your buyer’s time distracted by your pet. Buyers will not buy your home because you have an adorable pet, but they may buy another if they don’t remember your home.

Be Gone For Showings-We have a saying that every word a seller says to a buyer costs the seller $1,000. Sellers think they know they’re home better than anybody and therefore they’re the most qualified to sell it. Buyers typically feel uncomfortable talking with the seller, and usually give feedback the seller wants to hear. The best and true feedback is a good offer, not meaningless words to appease the seller. Some buyers like talking to sellers because they glean information they’ll use against the seller in negotiations. Best advice is to be gone for showings.
Price-Overpricing a home is a sure fire way to make it sit. After your home is on the market awhile, buyers begin to wonder what’s wrong with it. After awhile fear kicks in and buyers don’t want to offer too much on a home nobody else wants to buy either. While the market is Hot today, it is a price sensitive market. Overpricing is a good way to ward off potential offers. Many buyers don’t want to insult the seller, so they just offer on another home that is priced where it should be. Sellers usually think the buyer can always make an offer, and of course nobody ever offers full price anyway so we’ll build in some negotiating room. This is a myth and statistically it’s proven that seller’s that overprice end up taking less later than sellers who price correctly upfront. Many homes in the market today sell at or near full price, and some sell for over asking price.
Marketing– Times have changed. Some agents employ the 3 P’s. Put a sign up in front yard, place it in MLS, and pray someone else sells it. Successful agents today rely on newspaper advertising, radio, TV, social media like Twitter, Linked In, Facebook Fan pages, YouTube, virtual tours, digital media as well as mobile technology and much more. Ask to see how your home will be marketed and which national sites it will be syndicated to when interviewing agents.
Have Your Interview Questions Ready– Agents may sound alike but they don’t all work alike or produce the same results. It’s up to you to ask powerful questions. Remember, the agent does this everyday, you don’t. It’s hard to know which questions to ask. If you need help, we have a list of crucial questions you should ask before signing any listing agreement in our Selling section on our website LeeCountyOnline.com
Select the Right Offer-Don’t just take any offer. Many times it pays to wait for the right one. Why waste time with a buyer that doesn’t qualify, or the loan program they’re pre-qualified for will present issues for your home or association. Knowledge is power and can save you from many bad transactions. If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, when in the world will you find the time to do it over?

If you’d like to search the MLS like a Pro visit www.LeeCountyOnline.com or call us at 239-489-4042 and we’ll be glad to help. Good luck and happy House Hunting!

Check out our new Ellis Team Instagram account where we’ll be posting videos on open houses and hot new listings in SW Florida

A few weeks ago we focused on gated communities in Fort Myers. This week we thought we’d focus on new construction condos in South Fort Myers.

Bella Casa Luxury Condos in South Fort Myers

We did a search in MLS for new builder product and 24 properties came up. The lowest priced listing we could find was in Bella Casa for $137,000. In fact we have a listing in Bella Casa for $134,716 and 2 bedroom 2 bath unit at $155,778.

Bella Casa is a gated community in South Fort Myers with a resort style pool and spa, state of the art fitness center, clubhouse with club room and an outdoor living room under truss with a two sided fireplace and lighted tennis courts. The best part might just be the low maintenance fees of only $213/mo which makes Bella Casa affordable.

Located on Plantation Rd off Daniels, it is close to Gulf Coast Hospital, Minnesota Twins Spring Training and the Lee County Sports Complex, shopping, airport, and US 41 and I-75. The builder has 36 units left for sale. There are some rented units for investors too who would like to purchase a condo with low fees and built-in income.

What makes Bella Casa luxury condos so unusual in today’s market is the combination of newer construction, garages, gated community with amenities, and low maintenance fees in South fort Myers. Typically a community might offer one or more of these features, but rarely all of them.

Bella Casa luxury condos offers 1 Bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom units. Many have lake or preserve views. For more information call our office at 239-489-4042 or visit our website at Topagent.com

Bella Casa Condominiums in Fort Myers is a saved search on our website which makes it easy for you to see what’s available in MLS. Did you know that you can search for a home or condo in MLS directly from our website? You can, and we make it easy. Virtually every property in MLS can be viewed on our website at Topagent.com Keep in mind not all new construction is listed in MLS, so that’s why our team works hard to keep up on inventory.

It’s quite possible the home you’re looking for is under construction and not in MLS at the moment. The Ellis Team has a team of buyer specialists devoted to keeping up on the market and listening to your needs. Quite often we listen and match buyers up with properties they didn’t even know were on the market.

As leaders in the SW Florida real estate market we try to find out about opportunities first, and we work hard to keep up with the changes. Because we work with a lot of buyers our specialists are out there regularly visiting projects so when you call we may have some ideas for you worth checking out.

Take Bella Casa luxury condos for instance. There may be 4 new construction units on the MLS and a few re-sales and yet active Realtors know the developer has models open daily and more to choose from, but they’re going fast.

We hope you enjoy reading about communities we’ve focused on recently like Bella Casa luxury condos and Reflection Lakes. If you have a community you feel has a lot to offer let us know and maybe we’ll write about it.

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

Check out Bella Casa Condominiums. We’ll be happy to show you this project in South Fort Myers

Ellis Team

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

239-489-4042

SW Florida Hurricane Tips From a Top Agent

It’s getting that time of year again when the tropics begin to heat up. The newspapers and TV stations do a good job of educating people how to survive a storm. We thought we’d give you our insights and tips from an agent perspective.

Remove for sale signs from yard. You don’t want that becoming a projectile in a storm
Purchase a Hi Definition antenna for your TV. TV stations broadcast over the air in digital format and Hi Definition. If you have a Hi Def TV you can receive these broadcasts over the air for free with $10 antennae. Mine has a 35 mile range and picks up stations from all over, including Sarasota and Tampa. Those old portable hurricane TV’s probably won’t work anymore as the standards have changed
If you have hurricane shutters, roll them down or slide them and lock into place and test them out. Over the years dirt, frogs, and other creatures can jam up the tracks. The time to work on these is before the storm
Be sure to go around your yard and look for loose items. Pay particular attention to your lanai and bring items inside that could blow around
Do not cut pool screens. It is true pool screens add resistance and could help bring down your cage in heavy hurricane force winds, but why cut them? You’d be better off removing spline and the screen and installing the screen after the storm. When you cut the screen you remove any chance of using it again
Park your cars against your garage door inside your garage. Experts will tell you this doesn’t work. Since your garage door may be the least protected exterior item on your home, I just don’t see how reinforcement behind the garage door could hurt. It’s no guarantee, but sometimes little things can help
Purchase a Sawzall, also know as a reciprocating saw. These are very useful in cutting down debris after a storm. We had one client take down his entire pool cage that had collapsed in Charley after the storm. Sometimes debris can block your exit to your home, so it’s nice to cut your way out if need be
Keep an axe in your home. Rising waters are usually more dangerous than high winds. If the waters were to rise, you might want a ladder and an axe. In Katrina people in New Orleans used axes to cut wholes in their roof from their attic. They were forced up in their homes due to rising waters. You’d hate to survive high winds only to drown in your own home
Buy lots of water-If the electricity goes out, you may not be able to count on having good drinking water
Fill up your car with gas ahead of the storm. Buying gas after a storm is never fun, and nearby stations could be out

We’ve created a Hurricane Tips Page on our website at Topagent.com with more tips. We’ll have an updated video you can watch on our YouTube Channel www.YouTube.com/brettellisfl with many more tips you might not think about. We’ve lived through and flourished through several storms, and we want you to as well. A storm doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds if you prepare ahead of time.

If you stay, be prepared. The decision to stay or evacuate is yours. Listen to the experts, and know what you’re going to do before so you’re not caught off-guard. Be sure to visit our complete checklist with more tips online.

Good luck and have a safe hurricane season!

View our July 2014 SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

To view our Listings in Hi Definition, visit www.HomesinHD.TV or click on our playlist below

Ellis Team

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

Fort Myers Open House

Fort Myers open house in Reflection Lakes gated community

When: Sunday, August 3, 2014 from 1pm – 4pm.
Where: 13745 Bald Cypress Circle. Map here.
Special Instructions: Reflection Lakes Pkwy to Gate 2 Code is: Press Phone button then 0293

Reflection Lakes Finest!

This beautiful 4 bedroom, 3 bath, pool home located on one of the most desirable lakefront lots in all of Reflection Lakes. You will be captivated by the gorgeous view as you relax poolside and thoroughly enjoy the ideal Florida lifestyle. From the moment you enter, you’ll find a spacious open floor plan, high ceilings, and upgrades abound. The kitchen is equipped with stainless steel appliances, solid surface counter tops, and plenty of space to satisfy any home chef! Reflection Lakes is regarded as one of Ft. Myers best communities featuring its ideal location close to everything! With a large community clubhouse, resort style pool, tennis courts, children’s play area, fitness center, and low HOA fees, Reflection Lakes has it all. Be sure to put this at the top of your list and see it today.

View our July 2014 SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

To view our Listings in Hi Definition, visit www.HomesinHD.TV or click on our playlist below

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

Fort Myers Real Estate and Homes For Sale

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