Cape Coral Real Estate

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:10:30 -0500

January 12, 2012 Cape Coral, FL USA

Cape Coral real estate broker, Susan Milner of Cape Coral real estate brokerage, Florida Future Realty, Inc (That’s Me would like to take a moment to wish every one of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

As each new year approaches we tend to look back over our previous year and make new plans for the coming year. As a huge fan of planning, goal setting and living life to its fullest I want to extend my best wishes for your best year ever. If you haven’t already made a plan for the coming year (and beyond) I encourage you to sit down for a few minutes and write something up! It is amazing to watch life unfold exactly as written/planned. I firmly believe that great things do happen to great people and those people who are not afraid to set, and believe in, grand goals.

And if your goal happens to be real estate related I’d love to chat. We can assist you with buying a retirement home here, purchasing a second home, investment property or relocating to Cape Coral, Florida. Cape Coral real estate is predicted to continue to rise slowly over the next few years and this year may be the last year for many years to come to acquire a great Cape Coral property at a reasonable price. Our Cape Coral real estate team has great experience with short sales and foreclosures in Cape Coral along with experience with more traditional real estate sales in Cape Coral. Allow us to guide you in the process.

There are never any fees to buyers no matter how hard we work to find you that perfect Cape Coral property.

So come on down, or call or email us today to learn more about Cape Coral real estate and how buying or selling in Cape Coral can be a reality in this new year.

As always, should you have ANY real estate questions do not hesitate to call or email us for more information. We look forward to working with you.

To get started you can start your online search now for Cape Coral property or fill out our contact form to have an agent contact you right away about Cape Coral real estate!

We look forward to working with you!

We also work with sellers of real estate in Cape Coral. If you own a Cape Coral waterfront or off water property and would like to see it featured here; please let me know. We are looking for realistic sellers who want to get the most out of their property within a reasonable timeframe. We also handle short sales in Cape Coral.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE, and (TRC) TransNational Referral Certification

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional licensed Florida real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 1, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Lee County Rocket Docket

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:53:44 -0400

Is The Lee County Rocket Docket Over?

The previous ‘rocket docket’ is said to be over in Lee County, Florida.

What is this Rocket Docket?

Over the past couple of years the civil courts of Lee County have been handling foreclosure files quickly or also known as the ‘rocket docket’. The idea was to process files quickly as to not clog up the judicial system. The state supplemented the local court system with funds to allow them to hire additional staff for case management and to hear foreclosure cases. One possible problem that came along with this was cases being foreclosed on unjustly or without due process. Even lenders (plaintiffs) complained as well stating that they could not stop foreclosure cases being pushed through via the court systems. Many defendants and organizations have complained about these actions and additional suits have been filed because of this. One such complaint was made by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) stating that the Lee County Rocket Docket does not allow for defendants to be granted the due process they deserve. To top that, the money that had been provided by the state is said to have run out.

What is happening to the Lee County Foreclosure Cases now?

Foreclosure cases that are ‘sitting’ at the courts have been placed back into ‘case management’ for the most part. Cases that are considered ‘sitting’ are cases where neither the defendant (the home owner) or the plaintiff (the lender) have filed anything recently. Some options* that a defendant has are: Motions to Dismiss, compel, produce or mediate. Some options* that the plaintiff has are: Motion to set for hearing, trial and/or summary judgement. If neither party has taken action the court is now discontinuing with their docket soundings and moving everything out into what is called ‘case management’. Once back in case management nothing really happens with the case until one or the other party files something new.

Can this help you in your situation?

Perhaps. If you need more time to figure out the best option for you this could be really good news.

To read more about the Lee County Rocket Docket and find out how we may be able to assist you with a short sale in Lee County.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Cape Coral Gulf Access Homes

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:57:05 -0400

Cape Coral Florida offers wonderful gulf access homes and communities.

In the first quarter alone we noticed an upswing in the amount of higher end homes sellling in Cape Coral, Florida.

Comparing the figues to our first quarter of 2010 we see that properties over $500,000 in Cape Coral went from making up only 2% of the entire market (2010) to this year (2011) making up 12% of the total market.

We also saw an increase in our higher end, yet still affordable houses as well. Those houses selling between $200-500,000 went up from 16% in 2010 to 36% of all home sales in the first quarter of 2011.

This tells me that the higher end buyers are making decisions to buy in Cape Coral again. Yes, we still have many properties for sale under $200,000 but that market share is diminishing.

Watch my video below to see the Cape Coral luxury home sales data in a slideshow presentation.

* raw data derived from local MLS & interpreted by Susan Milner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. Does NOT include condos, vacant land, commercial or multi family properties. This data is strictly including single family home sales in Cape Coral from Jan 1, 2011 through March 31, 2011. Note: some sales may have yet to be recorded. In our mls active contingent means that there is an offer but there is some sort of short term contingency on the offer/contract. Active contingent short sale means that the listing is a short sale and the seller has accepted an offer already but is awaiting bank approval of said contract. Pending typically means that everything looks good on the accepted offer and that they are on their way to closing (could still have financing and inspection contingencies though).

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Who is behind Florida Future Realty, Inc. in Cape Coral, Florida

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:15:05 -0500

Hey there friends! I wanted to create a video to show prospective customers who is actually behind Florida Future Realty, Inc. I think transparency is important in today's real estate market and we've always tried to convey that. I have several videos online and have been working on them for quite some time but this is the first one I created that just talks about who I am personally.
Thoughts? Yes, it is a homemade creation of course...

So that is me, Susan Milner in a nutshell ~ Broker in Charge & Owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc.!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Captiva Island in SW Florida

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:30:21 -0500

We spent our Sunday afternoon on Captiva Island, Florida

Mid 70s, light breeze, beautiful beaches, tons of shells...need I say more?

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Cape Coral Short Sale Help

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:41:03 -0500

Cape Coral short sales are still abundant in and around Cape Coral, Florida. I've been personally handling short sales in SW Florida since the end of 2006. Anyone in our area who claims to have been handling them prior to that timeframe is full of it. Why? Well because in the early 2000s everything was appreciating at such a fast rate that no one needed a short sale. We did however experience a similar bust in both the early 80s and early 90s ~ see a pattern?

So back to my point of this article. I get at least one call or email a day from someone who is considering selling their house 'short'. Most have already being doing quite a bit of research on the subject. Whether they have just been reading various articles online or if they've checked with friends or maybe even spoke with a professional like their accountant and attorney they've done something. But I all too often find them with mis-information. That really tends to bother me. Some common misconceptions I hear often are 1) The bank won't approve a short sale because I am not behind on my mortgage 2) The bank won't do a short sale because the loss is too great (ex. I owe $800,000 and the house is only worth $400,000) 3) The bank won't do a short sale because this was/is now an investment property 4) The bank won't do a short sale because.....fill in the blanks to 5) It is better to do a deed in lieu or just let it foreclose, etc.

While everyone's specific situation IS different and unique to THEM, in *most* cases it makes more sense for someone to do a short sale vs a deed in lieu or foreclosing. Florida is a recourse state. This means that a lender can, and most likely will, come after the borrower for the difference. If you just bury your head in the sand while your house goes into foreclosure you will have to worry about that judgment sneaking up on you. According to attorneys I've communicated with, these banks have up to 5 years to decide to file against you. From there they can keep renewing the judgement for up to 20 years! AH! Do you really want to worry about that for the next 20 years of your life?

When we negotiate a short sale we always attempt to obtain a FULL Release and FULL Satisfaction of mortgage which means the bank is waiving their right to seek a deficiency judgment against the borrower/seller. Most of the times we are able to get this but sometimes we are not. At some times the banks will agree to a short sale but are unwilling to provide a satisfaction of mortgage. This means that they still have the right to come after the seller/borrower for the difference. In these cases we make sure the sellers/borrower gets in touch with an attorney and discusses this with them. Usually they go ahead with it at least knowing now what the property is selling for and selling it sooner than later (it can take much more time for a foreclosure to go through and the bank will tack on many more expenses too) to avoid owing even more to their lender later. Sometimes these individuals have other liabilities too (like credit cards, other loans, etc) and are planning a bankruptcy in the future. Their attorney may be able to add that pending judgment into the bankruptcy for them. Again, everyone’s situation is unique and there is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution.

If you qualify for a HAFA Short Sale you will not be held responsible for the forgiven amount. Many lenders are now on board with HAFA’s program but there are certain criteria that you must meet to qualify.

We've completed MANY short sales in the past few years. Some the sellers have not been late on their mortgage, many of the sellers have owed 2-3 times the value of the property, most have received full release and satisfactions at closing and a few have had to sign promissory notes and/or came up with some cash at closing (typically only requested of someone who actually has assets of some sort).

While we cannot know what your lender will say (every file is different - even with the same seller and same lender on different properties we’ve gotten different responses) but we can give you a great shot at a positive outcome.

Being organized and having experience with major lenders like Bank of America (Countrywide), Chase Home Mortgage (JP Morgan), Fifth Third Bank, GMAC, CitiMortgage, National City, SunTrust Bank, Wells Fargo (Wachovia), EMC Mortgage, Flagstar, Green Tree Servicing, LLC, SLS (Specialized Loan Servicing), HomeEq Servicing, Saxon Mortgage Services, RoundPoint Mortgage Service Corp, and several smaller banks as well such as BB & T, Riverside (TIB Bank), Suncoast Federal Credit Union just to name a few.

If you've consulted with your attorney and tax accountant and have decided to sell your property as a short sale we'd love to go over the process with you. I've written many articles going over the process of the short sale, documents required, outcomes possible and so much more to assist sellers in this trying time.

You can check out these articles about Cape Coral short sales on our website: www.The-Extreme-Team.com or you can call us anytime to discuss your personal situation at (239) 542-8521.

We look forward to hearing from you.

~ Before you decide to sell your house as a short sale we recommend you contact BOTH a CPA/tax professional & an experienced Attorney to discuss YOUR specific situation. Laws & guidelines change frequently and you want to be sure a short sale is in YOUR best interest! ~

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Success Story About A Short Sale Seller Who Purchased Another Home In Six Months

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:55:37 -0500

Could you buy again in 6 short months from completing a Cape Coral short sale? Maybe. Read below how one family did just that. The guidelines are fairly strict but if you make the decision to do a short sale before you go into default and if you maintain your other good credit this could be possible. We specialize in short sales and can help you out of your situation fast. Learn more about us and Cape Coral short sales. The moral of the story is to NOT WAIT. You need to make the decision before you get too far behind.

Via Peggy James-Erick and Company Real Estate in Lake Ridge, Woodbridge (Exit 1st Choice Realty):

So many people are under the impression that a homeowner who sells their home by short sale must wait years to purchase again. That statement is not always true. In fact on Friday, I assisted a purchaser settle on a gorgeous five year old townhouse with a two car garage, granite counters in the Belmont Bay Community in Woodbridge Virginia. The townhouse was totally remodeled and in perfect move-in condition.

Why is that unique?

Those purchasers had sold their single family home by short sale in Dumfries, Virginia less than six months ago!

Yes, you read that correctly!

So now you are asking "How?"

Simple...compromise According to the Lender, there are guidelines set up to help homeowners purchase again when using FHA Financing.

This purchaser fit those guidelines.

Maintained good credit throughout the short sale process

The purchase must be inferior in size ( you cannot go buy same size house at lower price)

The purchaser needed to relocate to a different area ( different zip code is fine)

The purchaser must qualify for a loan

The purchaser must be able to come up with FHA Down payment requirements to purchase.

Talk with a lender to see what your options are. Then call a local Realtor you trust to help you find another place to call home.

The seller went from this home to the townhouse photographed below.





The moral of the story. If you can see that you are not going to be able to make ends meet, act quickly. Call a local Realtor®, to assist you. Learn your options before it is too late. This example shows you that if you can maintain your credit, and act quickly your credit does not have to suffer. This customer had excellent credit to begin with. Their credit did take a hit after short sale, however the good news is, they still fit within the FHA Guidelines to buy another home! I love happy endings.

                     Have questions? Call me direct at 703-851-3085 or contact me by email

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's .





Search the MLS right now for Immediate Delivery Homes, Foreclosure Deals, Approved Short Sales, Vacant Homes, Just Listed Homes, Just Reduced Homes, New Homes even For Sale By Owner Homes listed on the MLS Begin Here

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

How do I Buy a HUD Home in Cape Coral?

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:49:18 -0500

Are you looking to purchase a HUD home in Cape Coral or Ft Myers Florida? We can help! Here are some quick tips to assist you with the bidding and purchasing procedures for HUD homes.

HUD home bids must be submitted online by a HUD registered broker or one of their licensed real estate agents. Our office is registered which means any of our agents can assist you with submitting an offer.

There are currently 3 different type of bids. One is lottery and is only for certain goverment agencies or not-for-profit groups. The next is for owner occupant only and the final stage allows investors as well. You can see what bids are acceptable right online.

HUD Homes have changed to a new service provider for bids. To search for available HUD homes you now go to: www.HUDHomeStore.com click on the state and city you would like to search in and find the home(s) you are interested in.

Once your offer is accepted they require a full earnest deposit, contract signed in blue ink along with any addtiional addendums to be to their offices within 48 hours. Your agent will handle this for you.

Our agents are familiar with the process and can assist buyers in their search. We also work with REOS, Foreclosures, Bank owned listings and short sales as well.

Here is a list of the current properties available in Cape Coral, Florida through HUD homes. There are currently 11 in Cape Coral, Florida but more are added all of the time.

We look forward to working with you.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Is a Short Sale Right for You?

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:20:26 -0500

Is a Short Sale Right for YOU?

Have you fallen behind on your current mortgage?
Have you tried loan modifications without success?
Have you considered a deed in lieu?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, a short sale may be the answer you are looking for.

We have successfully negotiated many short sales for families in Cape Coral and Fort Myers that have suffered some kind of hardship through no fault of their own.

We understand the stress you are experiencing and want to take the burden from you.

Our services are completely FREE to you. Your lender will pay our commission at closing!

What is a short sale?

A short sale may occur when the amount of the loan exceeds the value of the property. We work with your lender to get them to accept less than the current pay off.

How do you get started? It is as easy as giving us a call or filling out the simple form at www.The-Extreme-Team.com

Once we get started, we can negotiate with your lender on your behalf to make this process as stress free as possible. Don’t forget, our services are completely FREE!!!

Don’t let your lender bully you into a solution that doesn’t make sense for you and your family. Know the alternatives that are available, and make an educated decision. If that decision is a short sale, we would be happy to help.

And finally, when choosing the best real estate agent to assist you in selling your short sale find someone who has experience with actually closing short sales. I’ve been successfully closing short sales since the end of 2006! Since then many agents have hopped on board getting designations and such to learn how they work. I’ve also earned those as well. Just don’t forget to ask questions and see how long they’ve been doing short sales and how many they’ve actually closed.

I have the SFR designation and I also hold the CDPE designation. For more details on these and us you can visit our websites at www.SusanMilner.com or www.WhyCapeCoral.com!!!

Be sure to choose the right real estate agent with the education and experience to successfully close your short sale.

Let’s get started today!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, SFR, CDPE, GRI, e-PRO, REALTOR® | www.Florida-Future-Realty.com
239-542-8521 or Toll-Free at 1/888-764-6665 | Susan’s personal cell phone# is 239-218-2229

Before you decide to sell your house as a short sale we recommend you contact BOTH a CPA/tax professional & an experienced Attorney to discuss YOUR specific situation. Laws & guidelines change frequently and you want to be sure a short sale is in YOUR best interest! ~

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Losing your Cape Coral house?

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:33:53 -0400

Cape Coral homeowners, are you struggling to make your monthly mortgage payments? There are options to help you! From government programs to lender options to debt counseling and more.

Don't bury your head in the sand ~ seek the information you need to make an informed decision.

You most likely have many months before you'll have to find a new place to live. Hopefully if you want to stay in your house you will be able to make that happen. But if you need to short sale the house we can help you. We've been able to assist many other Cape Coral homeowners in your same situation. We don't give up until we've sold your house or exhausted every possible direction to do so! Lenders can be a challenge to deal with but we have the experience to work with them and you, the homeowner to sell your house as a short sale before it ends up foreclosed upon.

Speak with your accountant about any tax implications you may face and speak with an experienced attorney to discuss options.

We only help people who want to sell their house. If you are looking to keep the house you can read more below about HAMP or contact your lender directly to see if they have any assistance programs you may qualify for.

HAMP Loan Modification

HAFA Short Sale

Here are a couple of notes from our recent customers:

"Your dedication and great patience has been fantastic through this whole really extended process with my short sale. Thank you SO much for all your hard work!" Elly S. (property sold 9/21/2010)

"Kathy and I are grateful that we found such a knowledgeable and professional company in Florida Future Realty. Our research identified FFR as leaders in this field and, after meeting at our property, we knew we were in the most capable hands. You walked us through this complex process and shouldered for us what had been a very stressful event. Thank you!" Kathy & Norm G. (property sold 9/14/2010)

These recent short sale seller testimonials definitely give you an idea of our professionalism in this time of hardship and potential stress. If we can be of assistance to you with a short sale in Cape Coral (or Ft. Myers or Lee County) please do not hesitate to contact us. We can be reached at the office at (239) 542-8521 or you can reach Susan directly on her cell phone at (239) 218-2229.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

First Time Homebuyers

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:08:48 -0400

My opinion is that now is the best time to be a first time homebuyer in our area. The prices of homes have actually been declining making them once again affordable. In SW Florida we experienced price appreciation of 20-30-40-50%+ a year depending on type of property & location over the past 2-3 years. We knew this couldn't go on forever but it was fun while it lasted.

Now the market is adjusting back to normal. First time homebuyers are able to take their time to research, plan & make a decision on the best options available. Last year, they had to move quick & often times make offers ABOVE asking prices. Now, with more options available you can actually make offers BELOW asking prices & GET THEM ACCEPTED.

There are NICE homes in Cape Coral under $75,000 again. There are brand new ones under $120,000 again. These prices are lower than they've been in about 5 years. Now is the time to buy. First time homebuyers, stop renting or living with your parents - you can't afford it. A new home is now affordable here.

We have designed a great new site just for the first time homebuyer with articles, advice & contact information to the best 'team advisors' around. Get your team in place today & find your own home while the market is down. Take advantage of the buyer's market & don't be left on the sidelines when it starts going back up.

Search all Cape Coral real estate for sale now!

I hope to see you there soon!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, e-PRO GRI REALTOR

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Cape Coral Second Homes

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:11:49 -0400

Cape Coral Gulf Access homes make great second homes.

What will a second home in SW Florida cost?

As the prices of homes in SW Florida are, can we say, more than affordable, many people across the U.S. and abroad (especially Europe and Canada) are entertaining the possibility of a second home. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is “What will it cost me?” Obviously it is pretty easy to find the listing prices of Cape Coral homes online but to truly understand what the ‘cost’ will be can take doing some research. In this article I will go over the basic costs you can expect to pay when investing in a second home here in beautiful Cape Coral or Ft. Myers, Florida.

First to consider: Cost of Money

Are you planning to pay cash or do you plan to get a mortgage for some of the purchase price? If you plan to pay cash make sure that you are comfortable with the rate of return on your investment. You may wish to consider getting a loan for some of the purchase to keep more capital for other investments (more houses, or?).

If you are going to obtain financing make sure you determine which loan is best for you and your needs. Most investment properties will require 20-25% down. If you are Foreign National you must be prepared to put down at least 30% in most cases. You can also attempt to receive a loan from your country as well. The rates will be lower but you may have to put up your current home as collateral (borrow against your equity). Some second homes may be purchased with less money down. But your payments will be much lower with the more money you put down on your purchase.

For comparison purposes here let’s look at a sample waterfront listing. The current asking price is $375,000. Let’s assume that you plan to put down 25%. This means that you will be putting a down payment of $93,750. Here is an estimate of closing costs:

Taxes: $ 6,422.24*

Loan fees: $3,846
Prepaid taxes & insurance: $5,778

Total costs to close: $103,374.

from current 2009 tax bill – properties are reassessed every year here so this could change. Currently this home is assessed at $374,230. Please also note that taxes are NOT higher for non-residents. But full time residents are eligible for exemptions.

To find insurance companies who are still readily writing homeowners insurance in the state of Florida visit www.ShopandCompareRates.com

You can verify tax information online at www.LeePA.org

Next we need to figure maintenance. You will have an electric charge and probably a water bill as well. Let’s assume that you are not here full time and so we’ll estimate these charges on the ‘low’ side.

Monthly Bills
Electricity         $200-400
Water            $ 50-150
Lawn            $ 75-100
Pool            $ 75-100
Alarm            $    20-50

You may also wish to hire a maintenance company to handle all of this. They will have their own crews to handle lawn, pool, cleaning, repairs, etc. They charge anywhere from $50-500 per month above the charges listed above.

You can also have the property rented out during the months you will not be visiting if you’d like to offset the costs. Rental rates very depending upon location and whether we are talking about in or out of ‘season’. You can pay anywhere from 5-15% for property management assistance. This fee is generally deducted directly from your monthly rental income.

Keep in mind that these are estimates and that the real charges could be higher or lower.

Our professional real estate agents can walk you through this process and assist you in determining what makes sense for your needs and wants.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

(888) 764-6665

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

I hate dealing with idiots!

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:47:29 -0400

I cannot believe what that idiot did today!

Sound familiar? Do you constantly end up dealing with ‘Idiots’ in your real estate business? They don’t know what they are doing. They clearly haven’t read the new laws! They don’t even write up a contract correctly! Sheesh, we should all ‘Raise the Bar’!

It is funny that I am writing this. I have definitely had my moments dealing with ‘idiots’. Yep, I said it. But you know what? Looking back I clearly could have handled the situation differently, better even. Instead of allowing the initial frustrating thought to take over I should have stepped back and realized that EVERYONE makes mistakes.

We all have our moments of saying or writing something ‘stupid’. We have all messed up some document before. We have all misspelled something in our day! We have all done something completely incorrect.

But you say, “I take responsibility for my actions”. Or even “No, I don’t make mistakes”. You are crazy if you think you haven’t made mistakes. We all do! Great, you take responsibility for your negative actions but you don’t think others do? Well maybe you could respond with kindness and actually HELP them out instead of ranting about what they do.

For instance, in this current market we are dealing with a LOT of bank owned properties, short sales and investors. Some of the real estate professionals around here have been handling short sales and/or bank owneds for years. Others are just now starting to take these kind of listings. It appears that the ones who have been handling it for longer are (from the newbies mindset): Rude, non-responsive, even unprofessional
While they are: so much more professional. They would of course answer their phone and most certainly return all phone calls promptly, take more photos of the house, be nicer to agents who ‘are trying to sell this house for the listing agent’!

Funny thing is though on the flip side of the coin these listing agents are “tired of all the stupid questions”, “exhausted with the low ball offers”, “too busy to explain to every buyer’s agent how to write up an offer properly”, “knowing the property is priced so low it will sell fast & don’t need to take 10 photos of it - it is a foreclosure after all’.

Sound familiar? See the problem? Everyone is too worried about everyone else and not worried enough about themselves. We all need to focus more on our own professionalism, our own friendliness, kindness and ethics. We will never force someone else to be something they are not but being rude to them will not help - in fact that will make it worse! (i.e. viscous cycle)

Next time you are thinking about ‘ranting’ about some ‘idiot’ agent/any other person rethink it. Think about being kind and doing something way more productive with your time! Like maybe ‘helping’ someone out!

And please, don’t convey your opinion to the public or your customers. It will only make you look like the loser. People want to be around happy, kind people - not jerks.

So leave your negative attitude, huge ego and BS at home and come out and be positive, have fun, be professional and be more successful!

No one is perfect but we can all make a better effort to be ‘better’. And ‘better’ is not telling someone else how to do their job. It is being better at your own!

My 2 cent rant for the day ;)

Make it a GREAT one!!!!! And wouldn’t you rather be HAPPY than RIGHT?

(and the photo is there to help you RELAX :))

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Cape Coral Hurricanes

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:24:14 -0400

June 1, 2010

Cape Coral, Florida

June 1 is the first day of Hurricane Season.

This year is predicted to be a busy hurricane season. The official NOAA predictions are as follows:

“We estimate a 70% probability for each of the following ranges of activity this season:
14-23 Named Storms,
8-14 Hurricanes
3-7 Major Hurricanes
An ACE range of 155%-270% of the median.” (from http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml)

NOAA is clear to state that they DO NOT make landfall predictions. They are unable to predict landfall until a few days out.

It is always best to be prepared as you never know exactly what may happen in your neighborhood/area. The good news with Hurricanes is that they give us plenty of warning. We are notified of their formation SEVERAL days before they are even close to United States in most cases. This gives you plenty of time to prepare. Whether you plan to board up and stay at your house or board up and leave is up to you. Depending upon the strength of a Hurricane you can make the best choice for you and your family.

I remember when Hurricane Charley hit our area in 2004. Most people didn’t even make the necessary preparations because they had never experienced a storm this large. They were used to small storms that caused minimal damage. We knew it was headed our way as at least a category 2 storm well in advance. However, as it approached it reached a category 4 Hurricane status. Many older homes sustained minor to major damage and many other homes sustained minor roof, pool cage and tree damage. We lost power through most of the area for several days. Charley was definitely a wake up call for our area.

The following years were mild for us including last year which was also pretty mild in and around Cape Coral.

I wrote the article below in the past to remind people of other natural disasters around the US and World to put Hurricanes ‘in perspective’.

Being in SW Florida, I hear concerns from people about Hurricanes from time to time. We usually end up discussing historical data, newest hurricane codes & then I typically go into ‘natural disasters elsewhere’.

Honestly, I cannot think of a single place to live that there won’t be something weatherwise to concern yourself with. Basically it comes down to picking the ones that least annoy you, or maybe are least likely to kill you.

Here are some I can think of:

Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Mudslides
Blizzards
Avalanches
Fires
Floods
Draught
Extreme Heat
Wind
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
Sink Holes
Volcanic Eruptions
Solar flares, meteors, etc…

So, what natural disasters do you have to explain in your area?
Oh, I almost forget Florida is also the lightning Capital of the World
But I can’t see myself living anywhere else!

Read the remainder of this article on my webiste: Cape Coral Hurricane preparedness

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......

Cape Coral Lease Option

Fri, 21 May 2010 09:53:18 -0400

Cape Coral lease options are a great idea again. Florida Future Realty, Inc. has been receiving a high number of requests for purchasing homes in Cape Coral via lease options. We are in need of more inventory to fulfill the needs of these buyers in Cape Coral. Many of these buyers have unfortunately lost a home in the past few years to a short sale, foreclosure or deed in lieu. They are good people who want to purchase a home they can afford but banks aren’t lending them money, yet. They want a place to call home and are sick of moving every 6-12 months from homes that are also going into default! We need your help. If you have property in Cape Coral that is paid for and you’d like to receive income on this property we have a great plan for all. Lease options were very big several years ago and they are big again.

There are 2 parts to a lease with option to buy. The first part is the lease. The lease agreement is set up for anywhere from 1 to 3 years. There is first & last month’s rent included to get started. Rent rates on lease options are slightly higher than standard rental rates because the tenant/buyer will be receiving part of their monthly rent towards the purchase price.

There is also a contract for sale and purchase. This price will be based upon projected market value at the time the lease ends and the sale is to take place. The tenant/buyer will also put a non-refundable deposit down as well. This is generally 3-5% of the sales price but can always be negotiated to fit the needs of all parties involved. This amount will also be credited towards the buyer’s closing costs at the actual sale of the property. If the tenant/buyer fails to purchase the property then they deposit is completely forfeited to the owner of the property.

Our lease option program guidelines: Cape Coral Lease Options

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

http://www.YouTube.com/FloridaFuture

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We also handle Cape Coral Short Sales......