Why now? Why not wait till the market has bottomed? Let's get one thing straight: it is virtually impossible to time the bottom.  To many factors to mention!  But lets discuss a major reason I feel Now is the time. Foreclosures are at an all time high in Lee County.  What does that mean to you the buyer? The bank now owns a property that is no longer worth the money they originally loaned.  Ok, now what? The bank has investors that put money into getting the bank started and now they have a negative asset on there books.  Alright still with me... the investors want that “asset” off the spread sheet NOW!  Thus they price it very aggressive sometimes below the cost to rebuild it!  Now that I have your attention, eventually the deals will be gone sooner than later (still hasn’t... 11/11/2008

 Over the last year Developers have had to get realistic in there pricing as well.  Here in Estero we have 2 big Developers get very aggressive on prices.    is now offering a 3 bed 2 bath over 2,000 sq. ft   for under $260,000.  That comes with all the bells and whistles as well as the fantastic builder warranty. The home is located in the Highly amentized community called Bella Terra. Resort Style pool, basketball courts, baseball field, soccer field, inline skate park, beach volleyball, fitness center, kids playground, and much more.         has a community called Estero Palms, great location to shopping and dinning (Coconut Point Mall) that has inventory homes starting at 292,000 which is a 2029 sq. ft 3 bed 2 bath with a pool. Should these deals or any other deals you may have que... 11/11/2008

        I wanted to mention a question I answer every day, which is what is the difference between a Short Sale and a Foreclosure. Here in the Estero Real Estate market we have a had our share of speculators that have decided to let their Investment go back to the bank. What that means is they no longer are making their payments on their property. Before we had the clients letting their homes go back typically the bank could foreclose on the property in reasonable time (3-5 Months).  At the present time, it can take at least 12 months and in some cases even longer! Because of the reason being the astronomical number of clients not making their payments, the bank can’t foreclose on them in a timely manner. Thus the short sale is put into place and basically it is when the bank allows for... 11/11/2008

Sports Personality and Sports Center anchor Kenny Mayne has a brand new internet show called Mayne Street. I heard about the new show while listening to the Miller and Moulton show on 770 AM ESPN radio located in Southwest Florida. Some fans of Mayne may remember so of his famous Sports Center quotes like: “Barry Bonds with homerun #735. Not this season, that would be a record.” "We're gonna show it again, cause we have editing equipment." and "We show you this to see how women 18-34 feel about the play." Those are just a few of his quotes.  Kenny also made a brief appearance on Dancing With The Stars the hit ABC show.  Unfortunately his time was very limited because of his lack of coordination to name a few of his short falls in Ballroom dancing.  Hope we will enjoy this show as much ... 11/11/2008

No better time than the present for a Good laugh and this Thursday November 13th 2008,  the place Germain Arena the entertainer Larry the Cable Guy.  Now some may not know who I speak of he is part of the Blue Collar comedy tour headed up by Jeff Foxworthy.  Alright now I’m getting some light bulbs going off.  Yes Jeff is the comedian who does the “you might be a redneck if…” jokes, very funny.  Back to Larry, he has starred in some straight to video movies (which in the comedy word usually has an underground cult like following) like Delta Farce, Witless Protection, Larry the Cable Guy – Health Inspector and Morning Constitutions to name a few.  His catch phrase "GIT-R-DONE!!!"  is insanely popular (you have had to seen a bumper sticker or heard some one say it or wearing it on a T-shi... 11/11/2008

Last weekend I went to Miller’s Ale House  close to Estero FL to get a bite to eat as well as watch some sports while enjoying a cold beverage.  I love college football and was excited for the Texas Tech vs Oklahoma State game.  I was pleased to see the Miller’s Ale House had great Drink and Food Specials.  Also a great crowd of young (Florida Gulf Coast University less than a mile away) and baby boomers cheered on their favorite teams.  Some of the other games on were:  Florida Gators playing the Vanderbilt Commodores and the U Southern California vs California.  This coming week will be a “quiet” week but that makes for more upsets should Kansas Jayhawks pull the upset over Texas Longhorns or  U Southern California repeats with a loss to Stanford Cardinals. See you at the  Miller’s A... 11/11/2008

This is an e-mail i just got from an agent it deals with short sales and there apparent irritation with short sellers and there agents. And it seems this agent wants a law against them or that the FREC should stop it and  deems that The Pricing of short sale are misleading or For pricing them way below true value.... And see below quote Fraud on The Public From "Impossibly Priced" Short Sales ("  I believe that such "way below the real price" listings violate Fl Statutes Chapter 475.25 (b) and (c).   I believe the advertising of these properties at unrealistically low prices is a "misrepresentation, concealment, false promises, false pretenses, dishonest dealing by trick, scheme, or device ... in a manner which is fraudulent, false, deceptive, or misleading in form or content." I furthe... 11/11/2008

Welcome to my blog! My name is Tim Ludemann and I live in Grandezza, a community located in Estero FL, with my wife and our two labs, Chef and Coco. I am passionate about real estate, music and sports.  I will be blogging about Estero FL musical events, Estero FL sporting events, Estero FL real estate, Estero FL restaurants, Estero FL shopping centers, Estero FL retail stores, and everything about Estero FL. I want to thank ActiveRain for this exciting outlet and interesting networking community.  I hope my readers will enjoy my posts and comment, ask questions and come back often. Thank you! Timothy Ludemann Listing Director|Realtor® tludemann@chiodoproperties.com 239.333.3484 Direct 239.839.7710 Mobile 239.333.3518 Fax 11/11/2008

  One of my favorite places in Estero, FL is the new Coconut Point Mall.  A girl’s dream… it offers 500 acres of open air shopping, and over 130 stores!  My personal favorites are:  Aldo, Ross and Buckle.  Mac in Dillards and Express.   If you're looking to shop, eat, do business or live in Estero FL, the Coconut Point Mall offers it all.      Visitors can stroll down Fashion Drive at their leisure taking advantage of the diverse mix of offerings, while enjoying musicians, singers and bands on various corners throughout the mall main street area.  Jazz concerts and art shows are featured monthly.   You'll easily find various coffee shops (there are three Starbucks locations at the Coconut Point Mall) and book stores, restaurants (give STIR CRAZY and HEMINGWAY'S a try and then a delightf... 11/11/2008

How do you help a home owner who needs to sell fast?Here are some tips from real estate professionals who now have a couple of years experience selling homes quickly in slow-moving markets:Be the best buy on the block. "Run an accurate market analysis for the last six months and price the property accordingly," says Alex Harb, a practitioner in Orlando, Fla.Schedule your discounts. If someone has to sell in say, six weeks, start with a 10 percent or 15 percent discount from the comparables and then reduce the property another 5 percent to 10 percent each week.Clean-up time. Scrub the house until it shines. Paint anything that needs it, and manicure the lawn.Don't sound desperate. When a buyer asks why the house is for sale, an effective response is, "I have a new opportunity in another ... 10/29/2008

  Details Photo Gallery View Rooms 33928-Estero (Estero) FOR SALE$209,900  Best View In Stoneybrook Keller Williams Elite Realty Chris GriffithEmail ChrisCell: 239-273-7430 More Photos(15) Lake View Quick Links Virtual Tour Request More Info Email Listing More Photos(15) Details Address: 21586 Portrush Run Type: Residential Style: Single Story Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Suite: No Living Area: 1,313 square feet Year Built: 2001 More Details Description Enjoy sweeping sunset lake views from this well cared for attached villa home. Features include extensive neutral tile though out the main living area, neutral carpet in the bedrooms, painted accent walls, security system, crown molding and granite kitchen counter tops. Situated in a gated, secure community, this attached villa home offers t... 08/30/2008

Well, the more I'm in this business, the more I realize how much control I don't have over things and that I cannot worry about what is out of my control.  I do my best everyday, and it's so funny how things just work themselves out.  Now that I got that off my chest, on to real estate.  We got our latest company report and as I predicted, we are busier this summer than in season.  People are finally realizing that pricing in SW Florida is near or at the bottom.  Foreclosures and short sales continue to saturate the market, however, as quick as they come on, we are seeing 2, 3, 4 offers on some of them.  It's a great thing for my first-time homebuyers who can finally afford to buy!  I look forward to my most successful years in real estate in the next several years.  08/06/2008

June Activity: Listings: During the month of June 60 Estero condos were listed for sale. For the same month in 2007, 53 condos were listed for sale; this represents an increase of 5.7 percent. The decrease from 2006 was 17.8 percent from the 73 new listings. In May 2008 a total 40 condos were listed for sale. The increase in the number of new listings has a negative impact on the number of months of supply for available condos in the Estero area, along with the lower volume of closed sales and stable pending sales volume. A graphic presentation showing the number of months supply for condominiums in Estero will be posted shortly. Closed Sales: A total of 8 condos were sold during June 2008. Comparing the same month in 2007 there were a total of 10 condos sold, the reduction of 2 condos ... 07/31/2008

June Activity: Listings: During the month of June 69 Estero homes were listed for sale. For the same month in 2007, 86 homes were listed for sale; this represents a decrease of 19.8 percent. The decrease from 2006 was 22.5 percent from the 89 new listings. In May 2008 there were a total of 48 homes listed for sale. Closed Sales: A total of 25 homes were sold during June 2008. Comparing the same month in 2007 there were a total of 26 homes sold, represents . . . Read more. . . Learn more about the neighborhood of Wildcat Run in Estero. 07/31/2008

June 17 Mortgage by Randy Newsletter - June 2008   Mortgage by Randy a monthly update to our clients, colleagues, family & friends by: Randy Mitchelson, June 2008 =======================================================================================================================    In This Issue We Touch On: Bank Troubles, Reverse Mortgages, Oil & Credit for Young Adults   Every week we receive new requests to join the distribution list for this newsletter. As a result of the growth we will be improving our distribution process by engaging a service that many of you are already familiar with, iContact.  Our thanks to Brandon Milford at iContact who I recently met with in Miami.   As usual, the current newsletter and all prior newsletters will be archived at our blog space mortgagebyr... 06/30/2008

Grandezza is located in Estero, Florida and is an upscale golfing community with just under 1,000 homes and condos.  Next Wednesday, June 18th we have a "Tropical Nights" buffet with a fantastic assortment of drinks and entrees for $19.95.  If you have not dined at Grandezza before be sure to give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised!  The most recent sales in Grandezza include: Sabal Palm:  20070 Seagrove St. #1902 - $195,000 Oakwood: 20321 Calice #1803 - $360,000 Savona: 12648 Grandezza Cir - $380,000 (short sale) Savona: 20084 Palermo Lake Ct. - $445,000 furnished Cypress Cove, 20060 Seadale Ct. - $440,000 furnished Cypress Cove: 20124 Buttermere Ct. - $580,000 Solemar: 11808 Solemar Ct. - $820,000 furnished Grande Estates: 19771 Markward Crossing - $812,000 Grande Estates: 198... 06/12/2008

In my travels around Naples, Bonita Springs, and Estero happy hours, there is one that stands out. Bice´ in Coconut Point. Whoever makes up the marketing program is right on the money. When I was living and playing in Manhattan, no matter where I roamed each evening, there was always a place that stood out as my refuge. Since I was not going to return to Boodle's Cafe, my own place on 77th street and 1st ave., I would go to Elaine's, which was only a short cab ride from my apartment. The attraction was the other patrons. Many of which were famous. But that is another story. My point is that there is a reason why Bice´ is the happy hour to go to, and it is not only that the appetizers and drinks are ½ priced from 3 to 7.The employees are happy to give you the discount. In some bars, many... 06/03/2008

Test 05/14/2008

Swans of Coconut Point There is a large lake with a water feature fountain between Coconut Point Mall and Tamiami Trail. While taking a shortcut from Rapallo I crossed the big wooden bridge by Hemingway’s and Moe’s and saw this lovely swan keeping house. She’s on the south side of the bridge in some bunches of grass. Today, when I took her picture she had company.  Mr. Wonderful is curled up behind her. I am not sure how long the pair have been on the nest or how long it would take for peeps to hatch. I looked it up online - 35 days after the last egg is laid. There is some serious math involved, here, and some serious guessing as to how many eggs are actually there. They’ve been on the nest for a few weeks now. I can’t wait to see the peeps. There is also a pair of black swans on the ... 05/05/2008

Greetings from Southwest Florida!   The question everyone keeps asking us is "Do you think we've hit the bottom?"  No one knows for sure the answer to that question, and we probably won't have an answer until the housing market is on it's way back up. One indicator for us realtors that the market is starting to recover is when builders begin to increase prices.  Stock Development and Centex have done just that as of April 1st.  The Bonita Bay Group had double the sales in four of its communities compared to same time last year.  Developers are saying people this year are very, very positive and the rediness of buyers is better.  Accordingly,  the The Fund, economist, Hank Fishkind, Ph.D., said that   "Florida's real estate market, it is important to maintain some perspective as recent r... 04/07/2008