Leugers Group, Southwest Florida Real Estate Blog

2021 Real Estate Market Update and Our Search for the BEST Grouper Sandwich in all of Southwest Florida!

2021-02-08T08:15:00.001-08:00

Market Update 2021

What's Happening in The Housing Market in 2021

We're getting into the depth of winter, and it's absolutely beautiful down here in southwest Florida. We're enjoying an amazing time, with perfect temperatures and absolutely perfect weather.

We're even stoked because after the nose dive the market took in quarter two of 2020, it's rebounding nicely, finishing off higher now than it was last year at this time. Yes, the shutdowns and forced closures put a kink in things, but as we predicted, we're coming back better than ever.

Why The Housing Market Is Looking Good

At the beginning of the pandemic, we knew the housing market would crash for a little while. And it did. But, it did a 180 in quarter three and quarter four of last year, recovering to normal levels. And now, as we're moving into finishing out the first quarter of 2021, we see even more improvements.

So, you should ask why are we doing so well?

People are moving more than ever before. People want to get out of the cities and into nicer, rural areas. We can't blame them. But, that's just some of the remarkable things for the housing market.

In Collier County and Lee County here in SW Florida, we see a drop in available homes for sale. What we would normally see is only about half of the normal rates.

There just aren't as many houses to buy.

And look, when there are not as many houses to buy, sale prices go up. We see an average of about 21% to 29% increase in the median sales price.

Over the rest of 2021, we expected a 2% to 6% increase in home value, averaging right around the national average of 3%. So, not only are Southwest Florida homes shooting up in value right now, but they will continue to go up.

We have a couple of e-guides on how to buy and sell your home completely for free. These will give you a step-by-step plan looking at your options and resources.

Looking at what's going on in the market is one way to be prepared. Even if you're not at risk of losing your home or you're not thinking about selling, you should take a look at these guides because they can give you a better idea of what to do in the future.

Visit Celebration Park

2020-02-25T06:23:00.003-08:00

Today I’m showing off Celebration Park and all it has to offer.

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Today I’m in East Naples to give you a look at Celebration Park. It’s a pet-friendly, food truck park with a bar and a gorgeous view of the bay. On Sundays, the farmers market is a wonderful place to purchase fresh produce. There are also all sorts of developments happening around here.

Celebration Park is three miles away from downtown Naples and its many points of interest. The park also schedules various events you may be interested in attending. If you’re an investor looking to buy an investment property, this Bay Shore gateway redevelopment area might be just the thing for you.

If you ever have any questions about real estate, please reach out to us via phone or email. We would love to speak with you.

The Many Amenities of Cape Coral’s Club Sandoval

2020-02-10T07:26:00.003-08:00

Today I’m walking you through some of the lovely amenities of Sandoval in Cape Coral.

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Sandoval in Cape Coral is a family-oriented gated community. It boasts a plethora of amenities, including two dog parks, a fitness center, a playground that was actually designed by the children of Sandoval, a community pool with a 100-foot water slide, and a water playground.

Their community center offers bingo, poker, movie nights and more. For those of you who are big sports enthusiasts, Sandoval has two bocce courts, a basketball court, disc golf, four tennis courts that can also be used for pickleball, shuffleboard, a horseshoe pit, and a sand volleyball court.

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Properties in this community are selling fast, so now’s the time to act.

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There are currently 14 active listings on the market with prices ranging from only $220,000 to $375,000. In the past three months, 10 of these properties have sold, so now’s the time to buy.

You can click here for available Sandoval homes. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me at (239)-734-7036. I’m always here to help you.

Southwest Florida Is Never Too Hot to Get Into the Christmas Spirit

2019-12-19T12:35:00.001-08:00

Southwest Florida is never too hot to celebrate the holiday season—here’s proof.

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People always say Southwest Florida is too hot to get into the Christmas spirit, but is that true? No way! In today’s message, our team filmed ourselves celebrating the holidays in true Florida fashion—with boating, kayaking, pool-hopping, and more. Our Santa even shows off his dance moves. From our family to yours, we want to wish you a happy holiday season. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home or you have any questions about our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

A Q&A With Rock Star Real Estate Pro Mike Blake

2019-12-03T06:57:00.002-08:00

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For today’s real estate rock star interview, we sat down with Mike Blake: eXp icon agent, $50 million-producer, and an inventor. Along with his many achievements in real estate, Mike has six patents under his belt. We can’t wait to share our incredible conversation with all of you today.

Cited below for your convenience is an outline of our discussion, with timestamps so that you can skip ahead to the section(s) that interest you the most:

00:15 - Introducing today’s real estate rockstar: Mike Blake

01:52 - What is Mike’s favorite real estate-related patent?

03:14 - What made Mike decide to switch to eXp?

07:13 - Which of eXp’s technological resources does Mike most appreciate?

18:12 - How did working at Century21 compare to working with eXp?

22:27 - How has eXp’s revenue-share system improved the lives of Mike’s agents?

25:55 - What fears did Mike overcome when making the switch to eXp?

28:19 - Sharing a few closing words about what makes eXp so special

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why You Should Use a Buyer’s Agent When Purchasing a New Construction Home

2019-11-07T11:14:00.001-08:00

Today we’ll discuss the importance of working with a buyer’s agent when purchasing a new construction home.

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Why should you use an exclusive buyer’s agent when buying a new construction home? You may know that builders have builder’s representatives that are available to assist them in choosing different floorplans and finishes. However, they aren’t necessarily looking out for your best interests as the buyer. Those representatives are hired by the builder to get the best price for themselves.

Unlike builder’s agents, a buyer’s agent will work exclusively for you to get the best deal possible for your home. Builders love to work with local Realtors. When we bring buyers into their model homes and work with them, the builder usually takes care of the commission, so why not work with an exclusive buyer’s agent? We’re free to work with!

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We can help you decide which builders will best suit your needs.

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One perk of working with a buyer’s agent is that we can help you decide which builders will best suit your needs. We have the local knowledge of who the good, the bad, and the ugly are. We can help identify the best builder for your situation. We can also provide information about comparables in the area, how much you should be paying, as well as additional community information.

Not only will we be there to help make your initial decisions, but through the entire process of purchasing a home, whether that’s choosing finishes, following up with the construction process, reviewing contracts, and more. With so many options in Southwest Florida, we’re here to help you make those critical decisions along the way.

If you’re interested in learning more about new construction or what the new construction market is doing in Southwest Florida, you can visit our website, call, or email us. We would love to speak with you!

The Market Is Booming Here in Lee County

2019-10-11T11:20:00.002-07:00

Here’s what the latest stats tell us about our Lee County market.

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As we enter fall, it’s time for a quick market update from Lee County. According to the latest year-over-year stats from August, the number of closed sales decreased by 2.7% for single-family homes and by 12.1% for condos and townhomes. In short, this means now’s the time to buy because of all the available inventory. Meanwhile, the number of closed sales in Fort Myers Beach rose 150% during that same time, which means now’s the time for sellers in this area to put their homes on the market. No matter what your real estate goals are, don’t hesitate to give us a call so we can help you get started. If you have any more questions about our Lee County market, feel free to reach out to us as well. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Latest News and Numbers From Our Lee County Market

2019-09-26T12:51:00.001-07:00

As we look at the latest statistics from our Lee County market, we see that home values are increasing.

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For your latest Lee County market snapshot, let’s look at some key statistics from last July and compare them to July 2019.

First, closed sales rose 8.2% and the median sale price rose 2%, which means if you list your home this year, you’ll likely earn a better price than you would’ve last year. This also means if you’re thinking of buying a home, now’s the time to start shopping.

Furthermore, active listings rose 1.8%, which means buyers have more options to choose from. This might also explain why the median time to contract for homes rose 10.6% from 66 days to 73 days. This increase also allows buyers more time to make a decision.

Now, let’s do a city-by-city breakdown:

In Sanibel and Captiva, homes sales increased 135.7%
In Bonita Springs, homes sales rose 31.7%
In Cape Coral, home sales rose 10.8%
In Fort Myers, home sales rose 7%

Obviously, this means now’s the time to buy if you live in any of these areas or you’re looking to move there. Traditionally, the Florida real estate market experiences a bit of a slowdown during the summer (as opposed to the winter, when activity ramps up due to the increase in seasonal buyers). However, we haven’t seen a slowdown this year. In fact, our business has actually increased compared to last year.

In short, the market is hot—especially for condos and townhomes. Sales for these types of homes rose 17.2% year over year, and prices rose 4.4%. If you’re a condo or townhome seller, now’s definitely the time to list it if you want to get top dollar. The season is changing, and we’ll soon see more out-of-state buyers entering our market to escape those cold, snowy winters.

If you’re shopping for a condo or townhome, now is still a great time to buy because there’s still a sizeable amount of inventory available. However, it’s taking buyers longer to get these types of homes under contract.

If you have any more questions about our Lee County market or have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’d love to help you.

Let Us Teach You How to Implement Video Into Your Business

2019-09-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

We’re hosting an upcoming workshop dedicated to teaching you how to implement video into your business.

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Have you ever wanted to implement video into your real estate business but you found the process too daunting to get started? Or perhaps you were extremely busy and the thought of slowing things down to create videos was just too much? Even so, can you see how implementing video into your business can take it to the next level? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we want to invite you to an upcoming workshop we’re hosting. Recently, we were featured in FL Realtor Magazine for our creative videos and YouTube channel, and want to provide a step-by-step playbook that will show you how to shoot quick and easy videos you can use right away. This is a proven, repeatable system we’ve tailored just for you. Space is limited, so click on this link to register for your spot. If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to help you.

Will You Make Ibis Cove Your New Home?

2019-09-12T10:53:00.002-07:00

Here’s a sampling of what homebuyers can find in Ibis Cove.

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If you’re looking for a new home, look no further than Ibis Cove and all the great opportunities it affords homeowners.

This neighborhood features 416 available homes and villas that are easily accessible to I-5. Additionally, you’ll find 19 acres’ worth of lakes with lighted fountains, two tennis courts, a community pool and heated spa, and an awesome community center featuring:

A pool room
A card room
A TV/library room
A kitchen
A fitness center
A covered lanai

Also, there’s a children’s playground and plenty of wildlife to enjoy—sometimes entire flocks of migrating birds will take a break lakeside.

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This area is well known for having outstanding landscaping.

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If you’d like to know more about this neighborhood or you’re ready to start shopping for homes here, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to help you.

A Quick Look at Cape Coral’s Real Estate Market

2019-08-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Cape Coral is a wonderful community with lots to offer. Here’s a quick look at the latest real estate numbers from the area.

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Today we’re at one of Southwest Florida’s most sought-after boating communities: Cape Coral Yacht Club. This area is extremely important to boaters because most of the properties that are built here don't have bridges or lofts, so you can get to the Gulf of Mexico in no time. The Cape Coral Beach is within walking distance, as is the Boathouse Tiki Bar and Grill. You can even dock your boat right at the restaurant.

As far as properties in this area go, there are 14 active listings on the market right now ranging from the mid-$300,000 price range all the way up to over $1.6 million. We have everything from your base house to your dream home available for purchase here.

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You can buy a base house or a dream home here.

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In the last six months, there have been 16 properties sold in Cape Coral starting in the $240,000 price range up to $800,000. And last year, the average sale price for a home in this area was just over $421,000, with a cumulative 224 days on market.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in this area, we’d love for you to reach out to us. If you have any additional questions about the market or about real estate in general, we’d be happy to answer them. Just give us a call or send us an email today.

The Benefits of Owning Seasonal Rental Property in SW Florida

2019-08-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

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Tour an Investment Condo!

Have you ever thought about buying a seasonal rental home in Southwest Florida? There are a number of benefits to doing so—especially if you’ve made a tradition out of vacationing here. I’d like to discuss them with you today.

First of all, owning seasonal rental property is advantageous because it’s an opportunity to lock in a future retirement home. In the meantime, you’ll be able to rent the property out on a daily, weekly, or even short-term basis and create a steady source of income that, in turn, will offset the costs of ownership.

Because property rarely loses its value, you’ll enjoy year-over-year appreciation on your seasonal rental property. In our area, properties are currently appreciating at a yearly rate of 8% to 12%.

Don’t forget the tax incentives! As a rental property owner, you’ll actually have the option to write off travel and maintenance-related costs as business expenses.

Finally and most enticing of all, you’ll have a home away from home that you can use whenever you want.

Benefits aside, there are a few other factors you’ll need to be mindful of. For instance, two-bedroom properties tend to outperform three-bedroom properties, and the property’s quality, location, and amenities will either help or hinder your ability to generate cash flow.

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In our area, properties are currently appreciating at a yearly rate of 8% to 12%.

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Some desirable amenities include:

- A pool
- Access to bicycles
- High-end furniture
- An updated kitchen
- Close proximity to the beach
- Beach supplies

Now, I’d like to switch gears and highlight some of last year’s numbers as it concerns our local rental market.

Naples, Marco, and Bonita Springs

- Occupancy rate: 80% for six months of the year
- Average stay during high season: 10 days
- Average daily rate during high season: $232
- Average stay during low season: six days
- Average daily rate during low season: $128

Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, and Sanibel Island

- Occupancy rate: Over 90% during the winter months
- Average stay during high season: nine to 10 days
- Average daily rate during high season: $184
- Average stay during low season: five to six days
- Average daily rate during low season: $123

If you have any further questions about the long list of benefits associated with purchasing seasonal rental property or about our local rental market here in Southwest Florida, feel free to contact Faye directly at Faye@LeugersGroup.com or you can visit us online at SearchFloridaGulfHomes.com. We hope to hear from you soon!

The 4 Financial Benefits of Homeownership

2019-07-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Homeownership is a wise financial decision. Here are four reasons why.

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Today we wanted to share the four financial benefits of homeownership with you:

1. You’re paying for housing whether you rent or own. In our area, the median rent is about $1,750 per month. We’re also seeing that you can get a $200,000 property with a mortgage that has a monthly payment of around $1,200.

2. Owning is a form of forced savings. Research has shown that homeowners have a 44 times higher net worth than renters, on average. Ownership gives you the ability to build equity, pull out lines of credit, and more. You can’t do that in a rental.

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Homeowners don’t have to worry about rising rental rates.

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3. Owning is a hedge against inflation. Home values and rents go up in our market by about 8% to 12% each year. As inflation comes into the market, rent prices go up. If you’re in a home that you own, your mortgage will stay the same while your home value increases with the market.

4. There are substantial tax benefits. If you're living in your home full-time, you can take advantage of the homestead exemption and see significant tax savings through that.

In conclusion, from a financial standpoint, owning a home has always been and will always be better than renting. If you have any questions about buying, selling, or anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via phone or email today. We look forward to hearing from you.

Cost vs. Value Pie Contest

2019-06-20T08:43:00.001-07:00

Don’t miss our cost versus value pie competition.

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Today we’ll be answering some questions about how the cost of home remodels and repairs compares to the value brought by those projects. Additionally, we'll help you gain an understanding of where you will and won’t see an appreciable return on your investment.We decided to give today’s message a bit of a twist, though: Connor and Doug are going head to head in a trivia-style contest. And the cherry on top? After each question is asked, the first person to hit the table will have a chance to answer. If they answer correctly, their opponent will get a pie to the face. If they answer incorrectly, though, they’ll be the one to get the pie.

If you’re thinking about selling your home, reach out to us and we’d be happy to send you an itemized cost versus value report for your home, so you’ll be able to see where the greatest dollar-for-dollar return will be on the money you spend. For help with any and all of your real estate needs, please reach out to us as well. We look forward to hearing from you!

Lee County’s April 2019 Market Snapshot

2019-06-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

No matter if you’re buying or selling in our Lee County market, opportunities are there for the taking. Find out why in our latest market update.

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It’s time for a look at how our Lee County market performed this past April. There’s a lot to share, so let’s jump right in.

Although the number of closed sales for single-family homes saw a 6.8% dropoff year over year, the median sale price went from $263,000 to $266,500—a 1.3% increase.

As we predicted, the market is making an adjustment, which has led to a bit of a downturn. Even still, we’re seeing plenty of activity and buyers getting into the market.

For sellers, this could very well mean that now is as good a time as any to take advantage of all the opportunities before you in our market. If you’re more comfortable with waiting, just know that you could be gambling away the chance to earn top dollar on your home sale.

The choice of whether to get into the market now or later is much clearer for buyers: Year over year, the number of active listings in our market has shot up by 10.2% from 6,017 to 6,633. It goes without saying that the more homes available to you, the better your chances of finding the perfect home.

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We’re seeing plenty of activity and buyers getting into the market.

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As for new pending sales, we’ve had a year-over-year increase of 5.5%, so it’ll be interesting to see if we can keep this up into May.

Next, let’s look at the median time to contract—from the time the home goes on the market to the time it’s under contract. Here, we saw a 16-day jump from 55 days to 71 days. In all likelihood, this can be attributed to our market’s above-average supply of inventory. Unless a home is priced aggressively, it’s going to sit a little longer.

Shifting the focus to townhomes and condos, the number of closed sales is 6.9% higher than it was at this time last year. The median sale price for these homes is up as well: Between April 2018 and this April, it rose from $198,000 to $205,000. For condo owners looking to sell, upgrade, or downsize, it only makes sense to get your property on the market now.

Our market’s sweet spot when it comes to pricing is currently between $200,000 and $300,000. Broken down further, it’s between $200,000 to $250,000 and $250,000 to $300,000 for condos and single-family homes, respectively.

For help with any and all of your real estate questions and needs, you can reach us by phone at 239-309-2352 or find us online at SearchFloridaGulfHomes.com. We hope to hear from you soon!

Title Expert Beverly Onson Explains Important Topics Related to Closing

2018-12-27T07:54:00.001-08:00

Navigating the closing process is much easier if you’re equipped with the right knowledge, and we’d like to offer you that information today.

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Today’s guest, Beverly Onson, has worked with Fidelity Title for some time and knows all the ins and outs of the closing process as a result. And it’s for exactly this reason that we brought her in for this message—so that she can offer insight into some of the questions people typically ask about taxes, home loans, and the financial side of the closing process.

To kick off the conversation, Beverly first explained how taxes work here in the state of Florida. In short, Florida residents pay their taxes in arrears—meaning that taxes are paid out through a single bill toward the end of the year. Speaking of taxes, the subject of Homestead Exemption is another area of confusion for some in our area.

Essentially, Homestead Exemptions, available in Florida only to homeowners whose primary residence is in our state, offers property tax exemptions on some (or all) of their home’s taxable value. New homeowners can apply for this exemption anytime after closing. Generally, doing so shortly after receiving your recorded deed in the mail is a good idea.

Better still, applying is simple. All you need to do is visit www.leepa.org and fill out the relevant form under the “Exemption Information” tab on the sidebar. You can find plenty of information on other applicable tax exemptions on this website, as well, including those for seniors, veterans, and widows, to name a few.

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Inquire before you wire.

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Another critical subject Beverly touched on during our discussion was wire fraud. This increasingly common scam has become a hot topic in our market as of late—and for good reason. Wire fraud scammers target innocent buyers by tricking them into sending their closing funds to the wrong account. To achieve this, scammers pose as someone legitimately involved in the transaction, typically the buyer’s agent or someone from the buyer’s title company, and then send out fraudulent wiring instructions as the buyer approaches closing.

It's precisely for this reason that Beverly Onson and her teammates at Fidelity Title provide verbal wiring instructions to each and every buyer they work with. They do also send email instructions, but these are only accessible to buyers if they are able to enter the secret code provided to them during the previous verbal discussion.

Beverly also notes that wiring instructions for a given buyer will never change. So if they receive an email claiming this is the case, they can be certain it’s a scam. If a buyer is ever uncertain, though, Beverly says they can always call for confirmation before sending any funds.
Ultimately, there are a number of ways to protect yourself against wire fraud. It’s all about knowing what to look out for. Inquire before you wire.

If you have any other questions for Beverly, feel free to give her a call at (239) 954-6790 or email her at bonson@fnf.com.

And, as always, if you have any other questions or would like more information about anything related to real estate, please reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

A Video Tour of Esplanade Properties

2018-12-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

Join us as we tour three luxury model homes.

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Today we’ll be giving you a video tour of three Esplanade model homes.

For your convenience, we’ve provided timestamps to help you navigate to the section(s) you’re interested in viewing:

(00:23) — This 2,275-square-foot home features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a den. This model has an open floor plan and is one of the most popular options that Esplanade builds. These homes cost anywhere from $600,000 to $700,000 and include a pool, spa, summer kitchen, outdoor fireplace, wood floors, and much more.

(03:48) — This model home is around 2,900-square feet with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a dining room, and a den. It includes a beautiful outdoor living space and shows off two guest rooms.

(08:14) — Today’s final tour is of a 3,800-square foot home, which includes a media room, two-car garage, dining room, den, and much more.

If you’d like more information about these properties or have any questions, reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you.

The Many Benefits of Using a VA Loan

2018-11-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

Veterans can take advantage of the VA loan, which includes 100% financing and no mortgage insurance.

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One of the benefits our veterans receive is the opportunity to take out a VA loan for a home purchase. I’m here with Whitney Hall of Acopia Home Loans to talk about this type of loan and how it benefits veterans out there who want to buy or sell a home.

The biggest benefit with a VA loan is that it’s 100% financing, meaning no down payment or mortgage insurance is needed. The loans typically have a better interest rate than conventional loans, as well.

Veterans also receive some leniency on any credit issues they may have. If a veteran has had a foreclosure or a bankruptcy, they’d need to wait two years to be eligible for a VA loan; it’s a very forgiving program. These loans aren’t difficult for veterans and their real estate agents to obtain or use, so it’s unlikely that buying a home would become a complicated process because of using one. Whitney’s average closing time is around 19 days using VA loans.

Acopia Home Loans waives fees for veterans and provides them 25% toward closing costs, which can add up to thousands saved. Many mortgage lenders offer some sort of incentive to veterans looking to buy a home.

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These loans aren’t difficult for veterans and their real estate agents to obtain or use.

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As VA loans don’t require home insurance, veterans are often able to qualify for more when buying a home.

There is a myth that veterans pay more fees in closing costs, but it simply isn’t true; the contract is negotiated in the same way as any other loan. Another myth is that veterans can only have one VA loan at a time, but there are ways to get up to two loans (as long as the veteran is eligible).

If you have any questions about VA loans or would like to learn more, give Whitney a call at 239-471-9829.

We’ve created the “Homes for Heroes” program, which helps minimize closing cost fees for first responders, veterans, medical staff, and similar occupations. If you’d like to learn more, are looking to buy or sell a home, or have any questions, feel free to call me at 239-791-7514. I look forward to hearing from you.

How Home Inspections Have a Huge Impact on Insurance Rates

2018-11-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

Expert home inspector Bob Cantu joins us once again today to discuss a few more points regarding the home inspection process.

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If you’ve ever had any questions about the home inspection process, today is your lucky day.

Because so many viewers ask us to explain how home inspections work here in sunny Southwest Florida, we decided it was time to address the subject with the help of expert inspector Bob Cantu.

In Bob’s words, a home inspection is a “general overview of the home’s condition.” Inspectors will examine a property’s roof, plumbing, electrical systems, air conditioning, and more. Home inspections are meant to uncover any structural, mechanical, or safety issues a property may have.

In our area, insurance inspections, like wind mitigation inspections, are also a major part of this process. If a home passes a wind mitigation inspection, it’s owner can be credited for a discounted insurance rate. Homes with features designed to help them withstand high winds are far more likely to do well in such an inspection. For instance, insurance companies will only offer credits on properties with three nails in their hurricane strap. Updating a home’s roof or adding hurricane shutters to doors and windows can also help.

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The work of inspectors like Bob is so critical to the real estate process.

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Moving on, we also wanted to ask Bob about some of the deal breakers that tend to be uncovered in an inspection. According to him, bad roofs, faulty electrical panels, and poor plumbing are three of the most common issues that cause buyers to back away from a deal after the inspection.

That isn’t to say that these issues will always lead to the collapse of a sale, though. Buyers and sellers may certainly negotiate repairs based on the findings within the inspection report. Home inspections exist to make sure that a property’s issues, especially ones not immediately visible to the naked eye, do not remain undetected and unresolved. Sometimes, identifying these issues requires inspectors to use specialized tools like an infrared camera—which can be used to find leaks.

And when issues like leaks go unnoticed, they can evolve into an even worse, even costlier problem down the line. This is why the work of inspectors like Bob is so critical to the real estate process.

If you’d like to reach Bob, you can give him a call at (239) 340-6700 or email him at bob@ahandyhi.com.

And, as always, if you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to our team. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How Infrared Technology Is Used in Home Inspections

2018-10-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

How does infrared technology improve the home inspection process? Listen to this expert’s explanation to find out.

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Did you know that infrared technology can be a useful tool during the home inspection process? It’s true, and we recently had a great conversation with Bob Cantu from A Handy Home Inspector to learn more about how this is the case.

Infrared technology makes it easier for home inspectors to identify hidden issues in a home, like leaks or displaced insulation. Without infrared technology, such problems could easily be missed.

Inspections on new construction homes, in particular, can benefit from this technology. A property’s problems may not always be perceptible to the naked eye. If left unchecked, many of these deficiencies could eventually evolve into major structural or safety concerns.

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Without infrared technology, certain issues can easily be missed.

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The use of infrared technology helps ensure that this doesn’t happen, which is why Bob and his team offer this additional screening for no additional cost when you book an appointment with them. Better still, the next three buyers to book a home inspection with A Handy Home Inspector and mention “What’s Happening in Southwest Florida” will receive a free drink tumbler with the Handy Home Inspector logo on it.

So if you’d like to book an inspection with A Handy Home Inspector, simply visit their website: https://ahandyhi.com/.

As always, if you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

“What’s Happening in Southwest Florida?”: Grandview at Bay Beach

2018-10-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

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Welcome back to “What’s Happening in Southwest Florida?”! On this show, we want to keep you updated and educated on all things happening here in Southwest Florida.

We’ve got a couple exciting topics to cover for you, so for your convenience, we provided timestamps for you below so you can navigate the episode in the video above at your leisure:

0:08—Guest Lindsay Springsteen is on-site at the luxurious Grandview at Bay Beach Community to walk us through the development. It’s the last condo unit of its kind to be built on Fort Myers Beach.

16:30—The impact of monthly housing inventory on home prices. Learn about the state of inventory in our market and how that will affect buyers and sellers.

If you’re interested in following small businesses, trends, and events here in Southwest Florida, be sure to follow us on social media. For any questions you may have, feel free to reach out to us here at the Leugers Group. We’d love to help you.

The Key West Express, One of Southwest Florida's Hidden Gems

2018-09-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today I want to show you a Hidden Gem here in Southwest Florida called the Key West Express.

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One of the things that I love about living in Southwest Florida is that everything is so convenient. From Fort Myers, you can be in Tampa in just two hours, Miami in two hours, Orlando in three hours, and Key West in just three. That in mind, today I want to take you on a video tour of the Key West Express, The Keys, and tell you about some great things you may not know about. Refer to the video above to see some great shots of some of the places we stopped.

Recap:

We had an amazing weekend in the Keys to celebrate one of our dear friend’s birthday. We stayed at Chelsea House, a beautiful, old-style Florida Hotel. Later, we took a stroll down Duval Street and stopped in at Sloppy Joe’s, Irish Kevin’s, and Fat Tuesday’s (their strawberry daiquiris are amazingly potent).

We didn't end up riding back on the Key West Express, but instead we drove back with some friends for an opportunity to check out the other Keys along the way home. There were awesome bars, restaurants, and opportunities to go snorkeling. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I highly encourage you to check out the Florida Keys some day.

If you have any questions or ideas for future video topics, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Leugers Group Is Now Brokered by eXp Realty

2018-03-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

We’re very excited to announce our move to eXp Realty. Here’s how switching helps us help you.

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We’ve got a huge announcement to make today. The Leugers Group is now brokered by eXp Realty!

We wanted to make every agent on our team an owner and connect them to profit sharing. For the last few years, we’ve been trying to solve this on our own, but joining up with eXp Realty solved the problem for us. They were already solving the problem for us.

We couldn’t be more excited about our move. It sets up our agents for success, gives them additional opportunities like earning stocks and profit sharing. It helps our agents turn two pillars of income into four.

We owe a huge thanks to every one of you.

We owe a huge thank you to a lot of you. We wouldn’t be here without many of you. One person that comes to mind right off the bat is our old broker, J.J. Jones, one of the most knowledgeable brokers in the state and one of the smartest people we’ve ever met. Everybody we have been working with so far at eXp Realty has been fantastic as well.

Our team will still have a brick-and-mortar office and we welcome any other eXp agent out there to come and join us there as well. If you have any questions in the meantime or you’re thinking about what a company like eXp has to offer, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

How Does FIRPTA Impact International Real Estate Buyers and Sellers? Part 1

2018-01-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Charles and Susanne Review Leugers Real Estate Advisors

2018-01-05T09:51:00.002-08:00

LINDSEY: Hello, Lindsey Springsteen, Leugers Real Estate Advisors, Jones & Co. I’m with Charles and Susanne Mibben. We’ve just closed on their new condo. How did you find Leugers Real Estate Advisors? SUSANNE: We found Leugers Advisors online and met up with the lovely Lindsey. She’s been absolutely amazing and I would say she’s an absolute pleasure to work with. I couldn’t have found a more lovely lady and I think I’m going to be friends with her for the rest of my life. LINDSEY: So, with that being said would you recommend Leugers Real Estate Advisors? SUSANNE: I would recommend it 1 million percent. Absolutely. LINDSEY: Excellent, we’re glad to hear that. Another happy couple buying in Southwest Florida. Until later, Lindsey Springsteen, Leugers Real Estate Advisors, Jones & Co Realty.