The many market details include community averages and individual residences data. You can also search for active properties by subdivision (organized alphabetically). It’s really a helpful resource to learn about Bonita Bay real estate trends.

Want to see past years’ data? Click HERE to view 2011 data, and go HERE to see the 2010 numbers! Feel free to contact us with any questions. Our office phone number is (239) 498-2888. Do you prefer email? Send your message to Michael@TheDillardTeam.com or Richard@TheDillardTeam.com. Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you!

Let our combined experience with Bonita Bay real estate help you achieve your goals. The Dillard Team works with sellers and buyers closely keeping you informed of current real estate trends and always putting you, the customer, first! Call Michael or Richard today at (239) 498-2888 for a confidential appointment. We look forward to hearing from you.

View the April 2012 Market Report HERE

View the April 2012 Snapshot Report HERE

We appreciate the opportunity to exceed your expectations and want to keep working with you as your repeat real estate needs change. Put The Dillard Team’s combined Bonita Bay real estate experience to work for you! Call (239) 498-2888 with any questions or to set up an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you.

View the March 2012 Market Report HERE

View the March 2012 Snapshot Report HERE

We strive to exceed your expectations and want to continue earning your repeat business! Let our combined Bonita Bay real estate experience work for you! The Dillard Team partners with buyers and sellers, working hard for you. Call us at (239) 498-2888 with any questions or to set up an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you.

View the February 2012 Market Report HERE

View the February 2012 Snapshot Report HERE

Not only is Bonita home to many gated communities, but also lower-income families. Garner has watched Bonita Springs’ population grow approximately 34% (from 32,797 to 43,914) from 2000 until 2010 (per the US Census Bureau). The median age in Bonita is around 54.

Bonita Bay, a gated, mostly retired community West of US 41, is about 70% seasonal residents. The Garner family moved from Central Florida to Bonita Springs for career advancing opportunities. Garner is a former banker of more than 40 years and recently became a John R. Wood Realtor.

When asked why they relocated to Bonita, “We quickly fell in love and knew this was going to be our home for a long time,” Garner said.

Garner is married to his wife of 23 years, Toby. The couple has 4-year-old triplets, Emma, Katherine and Jackson. “We look forward to our kids growing up here. It’s got all you could ask for,” he said.

There are other friends of the Garners who are long time residents of Bonita Springs. Donald Thomson has lived here all his life and likes the strong sense of a small town. Isn’t is funny how you meet people and discover a special connection? Or you can be fortunate to meet someone new and become friends in no time at all!

Not everyone is transient in the area … Thomson never left the area and didn’t have any intent to go anywhere else. It’s a great place to live! Growth is inevitable, but the sense of community still remains.

A story in the Wall Street Journal about founder of ForSaleByOwner.com Colby Sambrotto is really quite humorous. His lifelong mission was to convince people that they didn’t need a real estate agent to sell their home. Guess what he did? He was forced to hire a Broker to sell his home after FSBO failure. He paid a 6% commission to a Broker for the sale of his NYC apartment. Let’s look at 2 myths about FSBOs:

Myth #1 – You Will Pocket More Money Selling on Your Own

Most FSBO sites say you can save the commission by selling on your own. What happened in Sambrotto’s sale?

From the WSJ article:

“The Broker, Jesse Buckler, said he told Mr. Sambrotto the apartment in the Lion’s Head building on West 19th Street near Sixth Avenue was priced too low and wasn’t drawing the right buyers.

By May, it went into contract, he said, after attracting multiple offers. It closed in the last few days for $150,000 more than the original asking price.”

Myth #2 – The Internet Alone Can Sell Your Home

Many have said that, with the introduction of home search on the Internet, hiring an agent is no longer a necessity. What happened to the FSBO guru when he attempted to only depend on the Internet?

From the WSJ article:

“Looking to move his family to the suburbs, [Mr. Sambrotto] said he carefully staged his apartment for sale himself, and put it on the market. But after using a mix of websites to publicize his apartment, he said he had only ‘middling success’ and switched to a Broker because many buyers were so reliant on Brokers.”

Bottom Line

There is a reason the real estate industry has been around for centuries: it performs a valuable service.

The next class is on Thursday, 5/3/12 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs. The cost is $42 which includes art supplies, pizza and wine. Groups can book private sessions, too. Peruse their website or call (239) 495-8989 for more information.

Family memberships will be offered at affordable rates for the summer as well. The 24,000 square foot facility is located on Kent Road (East of I-75). This is going to be a major asset to Bonita residents! Bonita Springs Mayor Nelson is “proud of all the people that made the reopening of Bonita’s Y possible … the citizen supporters, generous contributors, YMCA employees, directors, and others that worked so hard to get this done.”

FYI: Community organizations wanting to get in on the action at the Bonita Y are encouraged to attend the outreach meeting on Tuesday, 4/17 at 5:30 p.m. Call (239) 992-9622 for more information.

BACKWATER JACK’S: Open daily from 3 to 9 p.m., call (239) 992-3010 for reservations. Not sure what to eat? Check out their menu to sample the delicious fare. Happy Hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. Enjoy live entertainment on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, Ladies’ Night every Monday, and Gents’ Night every Sunday.

CATCH OF THE DAY: Did you take a picture of a “special” catch? There’s such an incredible variety of fish in the Gulf and Bay in close proximity to the marina. You can email JenniferL@bonitabaygroup.com your picture or go HERE to check out some others.

NEWSWORTHY: In February 2012, the marina celebrated 10 consecutive years of the Clean Marina Program. Awarded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, winners are selected based on environmentally friendly programs that promote awareness among boaters and marine facilities to preserve and protect Florida’s natural environment. Congratulations!

RENOVATIONS: Earlier in 2012, phase II marina renovations were completed. They include roof repairs, a new timber platform, and a complete re-decking of several docks. Phase I, completed last fall, upgraded 3 storage barns with support columns and beams, dock enhancements, forklift upgrades, and other general improvements.

Look at the homeowners jumping for joy ~ absolutely wonderful! Home prices are ready to rebound! Several reliable sources state that home prices fell 34% the last six years and are about to reach the very bottom. Looks like things are “turning up” by this time next year!

Additionally, many mortgage holders have foreclosed their homes or been forced into short sales since 2006. That’s not all! “An estimated 14 million owe more on their homes than their properties are currently worth.”

The GOOD NEWS is there are signs “the long nightmare is in its terminal stage, and maybe home prices will bottom and begin to turn by the spring of 2013—if not before.” Economics are on the upswing these days with higher housing demands, more jobs and higher consumer confidence. Read about the numerous positives in a Barron’s article. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!