Are you considering a move to Southwest Florida? Maybe even just Florida in general? Maybe even just somewhere warmer in general? Perhaps for a second home, perhaps you are moving to live here full time?Here are some things to consider:Let's start with some possible negatives:The world moves slower here. What do I mean by that? Well if you are from the country in the midwest you may not notice it, but if you are from a larger city or the NE you will notice it for sure. Everything is done slower here. Deadlines are often overlooked by many. Stop by the grocery store & the cashier will most likely spend more time talking about the groceries you are buying vs. just checking you out quickly. Some call this good ole southern hospitality, some call it annoying. Honestly, the slowness drove me... 11/05/2006

When I was first starting out in real estate, one question I loved to ask other SUCCESSFUL people is "What was your biggest mistake?" In the world of investors common answers were, I didn't buy enough houses, or, I didn't use my money wisely, or I misjudged repairs, or I sold too many houses and wished I would have held onto them, and the most common was, "I wish I would have started in real estate sooner". Amen to that. I like that question as I like to learn as much as possible, as fast as possible and I still aim to learn something new every single day. Not too long ago, someone turned the tables on me, and asked me that question. I had to think about that long and hard but my answer was that I was not flexible enough when I was starting out. As I was focusing on rental properties, i... 10/18/2006

So I ran across this article today:Click to read itBasically, they have decided what major real estate markets will see the largest decline in values. They have determined where the peaks were & have guessed on where the bottoms will be.Guess what? Cape Coral, Florida is first on the list. I don't care. I still think now is a very good time to be buying. Read my latest news report on Cape Coral, Florida.The reason now is great is because sellers all pretty much now know that it's a buyers market (many were in denial up until recently). A buyer can negotiate here. There is a lot of inventory now, many sellers need out, not so many buyers here right now & oh wait, everywhere you turn you hear it's NOT the bottom so sellers are freaking out here - or should be. But if you wait until they s... 10/13/2006

~ Here's our Oct 2006 News ~SW Florida Real Estate NewsOct. 13,  2006viewable online at www.SusanMilner.com/news.html     Oct 2006 News Wow, it’s October already. And from what I hear many of you northerners are already seeing major snowfall in your area. Our weather is great here J We are about through our Hurricane Season, the weather is drier and mid to high 80’s during the day & low to mid 70’s in the evenings. This is my favorite weather here. I would still like to have a house somewhere up north for the hot & muggy summer months but for Fall, Winter & Spring I can’t imagine a better place to live. What’s new here? Well let’s start with what is on everyone’s mind right now:  The real estate market Buyers Have we hit bottom? The short answer is YES. Why & how can I say that? I say t... 10/13/2006

You too can fly to Florida for a free steak dinner & be whisked away to look at swamp land...err I mean vacant property. For $50 down & $50 a month you too can own your own piece of the sunshine state.Yes, that's REALLY how it all got started here. It's amazing isn't it? You can check the tax rolls in Cape Coral & see that the original buyers were from all over the country and the world. They mostly purchased one or two parcels each. Most are classified as 'disqualifed mail order sales'. Now, our town has over 150,000 residents with more moving here every day. We have big businesses here. Like a super wal-mart, a neighborhood Wal-Mart, another on the way, a Target with a Super Target coming in, Lowe's & a new Lowe's opening up soon. We also have a Home Depot with another one a few miles... 09/25/2006

I have had this house listed for a few months now - in SE Cape Coral - with its central water & sewer hooked up & paid for as well (this is a big PLUS in Cape Coral). When we first listed we were a little high but that's just when the market had began to slow down so we didn't know if it would keep heading down or come back up. It has at least 2-3 showings a week & the only feedback I receive is that its too close to a main road - Del Prado Blvd. Well, we can't change that folks. So how much is that worth price wise? I've actually had buyer's agents tell me that their people chose an older home needing WORK at the same or higher price over this house. Its not ON Del Prado Blvd but if you are in the front yard looking across the street you see the back of buildings on Del Prado. The back... 09/16/2006

While we are still seeing a decline in most residential markets here locally we are seeing more and more commercial developments. Cape Coral has been behind in commercial growth for years. Slowly, we now have about 8% commercial. A recent article in the news-press examines this. Many of my clients & prospective clients have been worried about the current market conditions. They call & e-mail me to see what I think they should do in this current market. One aspect that always seems to come up is the commercial growth. With over 150K residents in Cape Coral & with so much vacant property ready for newcomers, businesses see opportunity here & are capitalizing on it. Many small businesses have opened along the Pine Island Corridor, restaurants & strip centers as well. Along the Santa Barbar... 09/10/2006

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... 09/06/2006

What kind of an investor do you want to be? I am currently reading The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller. As an investor myself I am constantly looking at ways to increase my investment portfolio & learning about what other real estate investors are investing in & how is a great way to enhance your current situation as well. Why re-invent the wheel as they say? Exactly. And maybe youve been successfully investing & your way works but maybe there is an easier or more lucrative approach out there? Im sure if you are reading this that you are the type of person that is always looking to find great advice out there though. By continuing to educate yourself through books, tapes, seminars, etc you are becoming more & more of what you ultimately seek to be. One part of the book I... 09/06/2006