The spring season usually brings an increase in buying and selling to the Southwest Florida real estate market. Nationally speaking, housing experts are mostly optimistic that this spring will be even better than recent years. 

According to the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR), some signs are already there: Housing inventories are declining, housing affordability is at record highs, mortgage rates are at all-time lows, and the job market is improving. 

In Southwest Florida, home sales have been edging up in recent months, and available inventories as of January 1, 2012 in the combined Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero market was 7,896 units (4,264 condominiums and 3,632 single family homes). This represents a 23% decrease from January 1, 2011.

 Nationally, nearly 2.4 million units were available in December 2011, reaching its lowest point since 2005, according to National Association of REALTORS® data. 

NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says home prices are beginning to stabilize in many markets.  Also, NAR’s Housing Affordability Index is at its highest level since the 1970s, which indicates that for the average family housing is very affordable. 

The National Association of Home Builders is also predicting an improvement this spring among the new-home sector. NAHB is predicting that home sales will increase 18 percent this year, that’s after facing their lowest on record in 2011. 

There is no better time to buy a luxury home right here in Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs or Estero, Florida.

To find homes for sale in Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs or Estero, click HERE!

John R. Wood Realtors – The Symbol of Local Knowledge

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John R. Wood Realtors – The Symbol of Local Knowledge

Some interesting facts about the Dairy State…it turns out between 2006 and 2010 nearly 45,000 people left Wisconsin for Florida or Arizona, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.  Higher-income retirees headed to Florida, and Wisconsin lost more of those with higher incomes than it gained.

The report showed that of the 27,826 people who moved to Florida, family income averaged $81,744.

The report zeroed in on 1,300 Wisconsinites with an average family income of $138,713 who moved to the Fort Myers, Fla., area. Another 568 people with an average family income of $274,614 moved to the Naples, Fla., area.

Hey, Wisconsinites! If you’re searching for your new home in Naples, Bonita Springs or Estero, Florida, look no further! John R. Wood Realtors is here to help!

Click HERE to search for homes for sale in Southwest Florida: Naples, Bonita Springs, and Estero!

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Winter 2012 Digital Edition of John R. Wood Realtors’  Estate Lifestyles is now here!

 Click on the image to see the best luxury home listings in Naples, Florida right now!

John R. Wood Realtors – The Symbol of Local Knowledge

In a report just released by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), pending home sales continued to gain in November 2011 and reached the highest level in 19 months.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forecast indicator based on contract signings, increased 7.3 percent to 100.1 in November from an upwardly revised 93.3 in October and is 5.9 percent above November 2010 when it stood at 94.5. The October upward revision resulted in a 10.4 percent monthly gain.

The last time the index was higher was in April 2010 when it reached 111.5 as buyers rushed to beat the deadline for the home buyer tax credit, which reflects contracts but not closings.

According to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, the gains may result partially from delayed transactions.

He states, “Housing affordability conditions are at a record high and there is a pent-up demand from buyers who’ve been on the sidelines, but contract failures have been running unusually high.  Some of the increase in pending home sales appears to be from buyers recommitting after an initial contract ran into problems, often with the mortgage.”

“November is doing reasonably well in comparison with the past year. The sustained rise in contract activity suggests that closed existing-home sales, which are the important final economic impact figures, should continue to improve in the months ahead,” states Yun.

Pending home sales are not affected by the recently published re-benchmarking of existing-home sales because the index uses a different methodology based directly on contract signings, and is adjusted for seasonality.

The PHSI in the Northeast rose 8.1 percent to 77.1 in November but is 0.3 percent below November 2010. In the Midwest the index increased 3.3 percent to 91.6 in November and is 9.5 percent above a year ago.

Pending home sales in the South rose 4.3 percent in November to an index of 103.8 and remain 8.7 percent above November 2010. In the West the index surged 14.9 percent to 121.2 in November and is 2.9 percent higher than a year ago.

To see the latest market reports for Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero Florida, click HERE.

To search for homes for sale in Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida, click HERE.

John R. Wood Realtors – The Symbol for Local Knowledge

Source: Realtor.org

The December 4th issue of Homelook Weekly is here! Check out all of the open houses happening this weekend!  To see this issue, click HERE!

Another John R. Wood listing available in Bonita Springs!

Just reduced by $58,000! Exquisite home in Hunters Ridge Golf & Country Club complete with upgraded raised panel cabinets, granite countertops and large pool in serene tropical setting and shows like new. All rooms are large and airy with soaring ceilings and art niches in foyer. Hunters Ridge is a very friendly and social community with newly renovated dining facilities, fitness center, tennis and golf (available private membership) Private carts are allowed! Great location minutes to Coconut Point Shopping Center, beaches and airport.

Click HERE for more information on this fabulous home in Bonita Springs, Florida or to see more real estate for sale in Bonita Springs, Florida!

This John R. Wood Bonita Springs, Florida listing is a beautiful, custom Harwick home with upgrades galore. It has a 3-car garage and circular drive with Porte Cachere, spacious lanai with generous pool/spa area, outdoor kitchen and cozy fireplace. Travertine flooring, 3 fireplaces, temperature controlled walk-in wine room, lite touch lighting system, crown molding, tray ceilings with rope lighting, beautiful faux painting with gold leaf accents, plantation shutters, a living room large enough for the pianist in your family, surround sound, in-wall pest control and much, much more. You will be delighted to view this home that has been thoughtfully designed and decorated with emphasis on quality features.

Click HERE for more information and to set up an appointment to view this gorgeous property!

Known as the Gateway to the Gulf, Bonita Springs is nestled along the Gulf of Mexico between Fort Myers and Naples, Florida. In addition to some of the most beautiful beaches along this coast, there are many freshwater streams and lakes.  Bonita Springs is the perfect place to live if you enjoy fishing, boating, shelling and, of course, laying on the beach.

Bonita Springs was first discovered in the 1870′s, when government surveyors pitched camp near a medicinal spring, which the local Native Americans believed could heal the sick and injured. After the crew left, the site became known as Survey and the stream running from it, Surveyor’s Creek.  In the next ten years, some homesteaders made it their home but the population really exploded in the late 1880s when Braxton B. Comer bought 6,000 acres of land around Survey. He brought farm workers, mules and equipment to work a large plantation growing pineapples, bananas, and coconuts.

In just a few short years, Survey became a community. A small schoolhouse was built in 1887 and by 1910 the Eagle Hotel was in business catering to visitors that came to enjoy Survey’s unspoiled beauty.  In 1912, a man from Tennessee named Ragsdale purchased 2400 acres around Survey. He and his associate, Dan Farnsworth, surveyed the area and proposed streets. The developers decided that the name, Survey, lacked sales appeal, so the town was renamed Bonita Springs; Indian Spring Branch became Oak River; and Surveyor’s Creek was upgraded to Imperial River.

In the early 1920′s, Barron G. Collier extended his Fort Myers-Southern Railroad to include Bonita Springs which, with his new Tamiami Trail, brought another land boom to the area. And Fiddlerville, named for its millions of tiny fiddler crabs, became Bonita Beach. The historical Shell Factory got it’s start in Bonita Springs as well.  As the years passed the U.S.41 Bypass and I-75 corridors opened up more access that brought shopping malls, offices, neighborhoods, and golf courses into the area.

Today, Bonita Springs is an attractive area with beautiful beaches, fine restaurants, and excellent recreational facilities. It has become another flourishing Southwest Florida township and is home to a variety of entertainment, such as art museums and galleries, restaurants, Barefoot Beach Preserve, and Everglades Wonder Gardens.

In addition, Bonita Springs is home to many outstanding luxury home and golf communities, such as the West Bay Club, Hunter’s Ridge, Pelican Landing, Bonita Bay, and Spanish Wells just to name a few.  Bonita Springs’ real estate passes the paradise test and John R. Wood Reators know every real estate option that will suit your new Florida lifestyle!

Consider your next home or vacation home in the next great beachfront haven, Bonita Springs!

Click HERE to find homes for sale in Bonita Springs, Florida!

If you’re looking for a luxury home as your primary residence or a vacation home, villa or condo in Southwest Florida, including Naples, Marco Island, Estero, or Bonita Springs, check out John R. Wood’s July 17th edition of Homelook Weekly.  You’ll find open houses this weekend for some of Naples’ most luxurious homes and condos; some on the beach and others in the most exclusive golf communities in the nation! Just click the link below to get started.

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