First Guest Blogger

This is from Gary Szolosi who has a Sellstate real estate business in Fort Meyers, Fla.
Gary is a good friend and a very knowledgable professional with years of business experience.

Gary's Website

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It is always nice to have an opportunity to discuss differences, and the things that we have in common in different areas of the country. The Fort Myers Florida Real Estate market is somewhat unique since it’s made up of almost 40% of non residents. We are Snowbird Heaven. Our population increases from November through March. It is noticeable on the roads and in the Restaurants, especially. Fort Myers, like Savannah, enjoys a rich history and beauty that is unique to Southern towns.

One big difference is we have a high number of Gated Communities in this area and a lot of them are golf communities. I guess we are sort of a retirement collecting place for people fed up with the northern cold. We, or should I say the developers, have built communities for those wanting the recreational part of their life to be convenient. Even in the non-golf communities there is an abundance of activity. Most non-golf communities don’t have the restaurants and entertainment but offer a broad spectrum of activities. The 55 and over communities have been less built in recent years because the restrictions placed on them by their bylaws have hurt the re-sales in the long term, and in reality, our medium age kind of dictates that there are not going to be a lot of kids in most gated communities. That doesn’t mean that some communities are not family orientated though. If they boast of day care, kid’s parks, and things of that nature, they are designed for the young families and offer some great benefits.

The Fort Myers market is no different than the majority of markets right now, it is a buyers market. After being in the top 5 hottest markets in the country for a long period we attracted enough investors to drive our market over the top. That ended about two years ago. Since then we have seen a return to a more normal market. Right now prices are at the bottom and have just started to go from flat to a slight increase. You can still purchase at 2004-5 pricing but this will not last.

We are an attractive area for “Baby-boomers” and a prime landing zone. The fact that we have no income tax is a plus for the area. With our great weather and abundant sunshine we enjoy the beaches and summer recreational activities all year. We also make a great vacation destination. Fishing is great and the beaches pristine. If you have a chance, come see what the Gulf, or golf, is like in Fort Myers.