Lee County Property Appraiser Ken Wilikinson released preliminary taxable values today.  The Ellis Team was able to secure an advanced copy and has provided a breakdown of values by area.  This is a complicated formula as new construction is built into these numbers, as well as personal property.  The following chart will give you a pretty good estimate by area of the county of how the Property Appraiser’s office feels values fared last year.  You can compare these values with our 2008 State of the Market Report. (Pg 10)

Lee County Tax Roll Values-Estimate 2008
Lee County Total Taxable -12.36%
City of Cape Coral  -26.56%
City of Ft Myers  -2.54%
City of Sanibel  -5.23%
Town of Ft Myers Beach  -11.12%
City of Bonita Springs  -7.27%
Independent Fire District  
Alva Fire District  -9.90%
Bayshore Fire District  -4.88%
Boca Grande Fire District  .19%
Bonita Springs Fire District  -4.72%
Captive Fire District  2.14%
Estero Fire District  1.05%
Ft Myers Beach Fire District  -9.13%
Ft Myers Shores Fire District  -.74%
Iona McGregor Fire District  -4.05%
Lehigh Acres Fire District  -17.33%
Matlacha-Pine Island Fire District  -15.25%
North Ft Myers Fire District  -5.98%
San Carlos Fire District  -.38%
Sanibel Fire District  -3.99%
South Trail Fire District  -3.47%
Tice Fire District  -5.64%
Upper Captiva Fire District  -10.51%
By Independent District  
Alva Area Taxable  -14.60%
Bayshore Area Taxable  -12.32%
Boca Grande Area Taxable  .39%
Bonita Springs Area Taxable  -6.54%
Captiva Area Taxable  2.95%
Estero Area Taxable  -1.15% 
Ft Myers Beach Area Taxable   -10.21%
Ft Myers Shores Area Taxable   -2.92%
Iona McGregor Area Taxable  -7.78%
Lehigh Acres Area Taxable  -22.98%
Matlacha-Pine Island Area Taxable  -19.47%
North Ft Myers Area Taxable   -11.83%
San Carlos Area Taxable   -4.05%
Sanibel Area Taxable   -4.31%
South Trail Area Taxable  -6.93%
Tice Area Taxable -10.58%
Upper Captiva Area Taxable          -10.22%

Tune in to "The Futire of Real Estate" this Saturday at 11:00 AM on AM 1240 in Fort Myers and AM 1270 Naples and Marco Island as Ken Wilkinson, Lee County Property Appraiser will be our guest.  We’ll ask Ken about the latest taxable values as well as upcoming Ammendments on the ballot and what they mean to the taxpayers this upcoming election.

NBC-2 has long been considered one of the premier news organizations in SW Florida.  NBC has a history of digging deep to bring to life stories that matter to the viewer, along with colorful and technical techniques that makes the story interesting.

A recent study showed NBC was the news leader in SW Florida.  The Ellis Team provides data and analysis on NBC-2.com Real Estate section.

Last week we focused on one of Fort Myers newspapers, the Fort Myers Florida Weekly.  This week we’ll provide links to the Fort Myers News Press, the long-time established Bell Weather newspaper in SW Florida.  The News Press focuses on daily news and advertising, while the Florida Weekly focuses on weekly events and summary analysis.

Both are excellent newspapers and serve a varying niche.  Currently the Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group advertisies its properties in the News Press, however the Fort Myers Florida Weekly is an alternative and will be considered in the future.

Last week Brett Ellis, a member of The Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group in Fort Myers spoke at Illinois State University’s College of Business as an Alumni for their annual Business Week Festivities.

Students, professors, alumni, and local business professionals got their chance to ask probing questions from each of the panelists about business conditions, hiring practices, competing in a changing world, and specific academic questions relating to today’s business climate.

"It was great to go back and offer insight into the real estate industry, and the business climate as a whole.  It is fun to give back, expecially to such bright, inquiring, and young minds.  I remember sitting in their seat 19 years ago and listening intently to any nuggets I could find.

As a leader in the real estate industry, I was able to offer information and advice on a personal level to students entering the work force.  That was personally rewarding, and our way of giving back.

County Commissioners decided Tuesday to limit lawn watering to one time a day twice a week from midnight to 8 a.m.   We are more than 6 inches below our normal rainfall for the year, and this is the dry time of year.  Yesterday’s rains will of course help tremendously, but for how long?

Lehigh Acres has experienced dry conditions, and some have complained about well activity and their concern their wells could go dry.  In fact, the Ellis Team is involved in one deal now where the seller must dig a $6,000 new well that has a bigger pipe and is deeper just to keep the deal alive.  We are about 6 weeks away rom rainy season here in SW Florida, so any rain relief we receive now is welcome.

The Ellis Team hosts a weekly real estate radio show offering tips and insight you won’t get anywhere else.  Each week The Ellis Team (Top Agents in in SW Florida and the country) bring their experience and knowledge to listeners, making it one of the weekend’s most popular shows.

Tune in each week at AM 1240 in Lee and Charlotte Counties or AM 1270 in Collier County at 11:00 AMon WINK WNOG

You can listen to past shows online

Bob Reed, a buyer specialist for the Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group recently made the news.  Bob Reed is a tarpon club member and a former fish population biologist at the University of California, and is featured in this News Press story.

Bob has won the Tarpon Club’s tarpon tournament several years and proudly displays his trophies in our office.  Bob is our official fishing expert and is extremely helpful with waterfront property.

Now you can search all listings in the Greater Fort Myers MLS system, regardless of which agent has the listing.  Our system includes mapping, neighborhood demographics like median income, schools, crime statistics, and much more.

Simply go to www.LeeCountyOnline.com  You can also view just Ellis Team listings at by clicking here.

Mortgage rates have dropped for the 5th straight week, to a national average of 6.15 percent. This was down from 6.21 percent the week prior. Recent economic news points to low inflation in the near-term which is causing the bond market to act favorably.

Because of this, the mortgage market has reacted and lowered rates, which is good news for home buyers right now in the Lee County Florida real estate market looking to purchase a home.

Lower borrowing costs help offset some of the higher housing prices we’ve seen the last few years, and it’s all about affordability. While we have no shortage of people who can afford to live here, it’s nice for the home buyers who are on the fence and barely able to afford to buy. Those are the people that really need the help, and lower borrowing caosts help them the most. It would be adviseable for anyone one the fence to purchase now before both mortgage costs and prices get out of reach.

Real Estate Bubble Ready to Burst? NBC interviews top agent Brett Ellis about the housing bubble boom or bust and where SW Florida market is headed. Complete with video (No longer active).  NBC Nightly News feature on foreclosures in SW Florida  Brett Ellis is known for his statistical analysis of the SWFL real estate market, and his Current Market Index, which accurately predicts where the market is headed. Brett works with his mother Sande Ellis, and together they lea d the market in Southwest Florida. View their website.

Our analysis shows the SW Florida real estate market may be headed for a real estate bubble, and soon. At some point, the what a bigger fool will pay philosophy will have to end.  We don’t have end users for all of this new construction.

See our Innovative Sales Tactics as reported by NBC-2.

Economist: Gradual moderation of real estate market likely (Link no longer active from Naples Daily News) Noted economist Hank Fishkind addresses mortgage rates, retirees, demographics, oil prices, and markets up north to come to his conclusion.