NEW YORK – March 16, 2015 – With the economy gaining strength, this is a good time to consider investing in commercial real estate. You can do that via real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs trade like regular stocks, but they don't pay U.S. federal income taxes as Continue Reading
NAR: Pending sales hit highest level in 18 months
WASHINGTON – Feb. 27, 2015 – Improved buyer demand at the beginning of 2015 pushed pending home sales in January to their highest level since August 2013, according to the National Association of Realtors®(NAR). All major regions except for the Midwest saw gains. The Continue Reading
5 reasons U.S. economy stronger than stats suggest
WASHINGTON (AP) – March 2, 2015 – The U.S. economy grew at a modest annual rate of 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter, less than half the third quarter's torrid 5 percent rate and weaker than the government first reported. While the sharp slowdown seems troubling on the Continue Reading
Baby boomer housing a hot market over next decade – Sanibel Real Estate
NEW YORK– March 2, 2015 – Sixty-five percent of retirees say they're living in the best homes of their lives, according to a new Merrill Lynch study conducted in partnership with Age Wave. But many retirees – free from work and family restrictions – will choose to move. The Continue Reading
Homeowner tax breaks
WASHINGTON – Feb. 20, 2015 – Tax reform talk is once again heating up on Capitol Hill, with key lawmakers vowing to work together toward a simpler and fairer tax code. The implications for homeowners – many of whom take advantage of incentives such as mortgage interest and Continue Reading
Small, Exterior Home Improvements Offer the Best Value Investments in 2015, Say Realtors®
WASHINGTON (January 12, 2015) – Homeowners often consider various remodeling and replacement projects as a way to add value to their homes. Some projects add more value and better recoup their costs than others, according to Realtors® who rated small and exterior projects as Continue Reading
Fla. consumer confidence surges higher in Jan.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jan. 30, 2015 – Consumer sentiment among Floridians rose sharply to 93.3 in January – almost 6 points higher than December's reading, according to a new University of Florida (UF) monthly survey. However, much of that increase occurred because of Continue Reading
Consumer Reports: Sellers can increase value by 12%
NEW YORK – Feb. 4, 2015 – A seller may be able to boost the value of their home by an additional 12 percent, with just a few smart pre-listing repairs, according to a new survey of 300 residential real estate professionals by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. On Continue Reading
Tennis tourney at Sundial welcomes renovations
A charity tennis event at a popular island resort is scheduled for Feb. 6. Sundial's Tennis Showcase features ATP Tour professional and Naples native Jesse Witten. The round-robin tournament puts together celebrity players with locals, with a doubles match to follow the Continue Reading
Does home staging help? Most Realtors say ‘yes’
WASHINGTON – Jan. 28, 2015 – Most homeowners know it's important to keep a home clean and free from clutter while it's on the market, but does staging the home increase the final selling price or offer other benefits, such as more interest buyers willing to tour the Continue Reading
U.S. home equity continues to improve
NEW YORK – Jan. 12, 2015 – Average equity on all financed homes in the nation continued to grow as hundreds of thousands of borrowers moved into the black. As of the third quarter of last year, the average loan-to-value ratio (LTV) on all U.S. residential loans was 58.9 Continue Reading
Chamber Hosts Ribbon Cutting for Sanibel Historical Museum & Village
Sanibel, FLA (Dec 15, 2014) – The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on December 10th to officially welcome the new Visitors Center at the Sanibel Historical Museum & Village. The new Visitors Center is located Continue Reading
Sanctuary executive chef rated as one of the world’s best, talks about his trade, food history
Daniel J. Scannell is one of 64 Master Chefs and has been granted Global Master Chef Certification from the World Association of Chefs Societies. He has served since March as the executive chef for the Sanctuary Golf Club in Sanibel. Chef Scannell started in his trade Continue Reading
U.S. home prices coast upward in Nov.
U.S. home values rose at a measured pace in November, a sign that demand remains weak as many buyers have been priced out of the market. Prices increased 5.5 percent in November compared with 12 months earlier, real estate provider CoreLogic said Tuesday. That was up Continue Reading
U.S. home prices up 4.5 percent in October
U.S. home prices rose in October at a slightly slower pace, as real estate sales have fallen and affordability has increasingly become a challenge for potential buyers. Facts HOME PRICES Case-Shiller Home Prices Index Community Year-over-year pricing in Continue Reading
