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The 2007 year end Bonita Bay real estate market statistics report for both homes and condominiums are listed below. Bonita Bay is Bonita Springs premier gated community and is a highly sought after place to live.

Encompassing 2,400 acres, Bonita Bay is also the flagship community of the Bonita Bay Group here in Southwest Florida. More than half the community is devoted to open space, including three Arthur Hills-designed golf courses and 12 miles of biking and walking paths. Golf club members also have access to two Tom Fazio courses at Bonita Bay Club East. Located on more than 1,000 acres of Cypress wetlands, there will be no residences permitted at Club East and these courses are enclosed by natural Florida surroundings providing a pure golfing…

Just a reminder, only two days remain for Florida homeowners to apply for a homestead exemption and for 2007 homebuyers to apply for the new property tax portability provision passed in the Constitutional amendment voted into law on January 29th.

To receive these benefits, residents must take action prior to March 1, 2008. Please pass this information on to your neighbors, friends and family.

Increased Homestead Exemption

Floridians who live in their homes as permanent residents are “homesteaded,” which grants them certain tax benefits. However, homestead status is not automatic. New homeowners must declare themselves to be homesteaders by March 1 of each year to their local property tax appraiser.

A major benefit of declaring a homestead is the…

As professionals involved in the real estate and mortgage industries, we know all too well about the sensationalizing the press has managed to do with regards to the housing downturn and the mortgage crunch. Obviously, that's what they do best. And, in their eyes, they truly believe they are doing the right thing - you know, looking at our industries with a skeptical eye and keeping the public informed. However, every day we see another "headline grabbing" story about how terrible things are and if something doesn't happen soon, real estate throughout the country is going to sink into oblivion.

Well, in the interest of the consumer, here are some items you won't see widely reported in the media that will hopefully help bring some balance and perspective…

An annual right here in Southwest Florida is spring training for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. What more could you ask for than a sunny 80 degree afternoon watching your favorite players begin their yearly quest to play the game almost everyone loves. From the long time stars to the rookies, it is a time of anticipation. Who will fill the teams open roster spots, how will the new players obtained from off season trades help the team, who's healthy and who's not, and perhaps most importantly, what are the team’s chances of going all the way to the Series and winning a World Championship. For Red Sox fans, expectations are very high, especially since they went all the way last year. For the Twins fans, they'd just like to see their team compete…

The largest private mortgage insurer's in the U.S. are raising their down payment and FICO score requirements for those looking for mortgage financing in “distressed markets” like the states of California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada and in many major metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C., Detroit, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta. The changes were prompted by heavier than expected 3rd and 4th quarter claim losses and the anticipation of such claims continuing to rise in the foreseeable future.

Update! Additional Metropolitan areas added to the “distressed markets” list include the following locations:

Denver, the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Minneapolis, the Long Island and New Jersey suburbs of New York,…

The 2007 Bonita Springs real estate sales statistics for both homes and condominiums are listed below. Bonita Springs, known as the "Gateway to the Gulf" is one of Southwest Florida's premier coastal communities. Located between Ft. Myers and Naples, Bonita Springs offers endless lifestyle choices and includes miles of white sand beaches, championship golf courses, fabulous shopping and of course the emerald green Gulf of Mexico. With its wonderful small town charm and an exceptional quality of life, a visit to Bonita Springs will entice you to want to stay forever.

Bonita Springs Sales Data

Bonita Springs Home Sales 2007*:

• 500 Closed Sales
• Average Sales Price - $686,720
• Median Sales Price - $509,250
• Average Days on Market -…

It appears some of Florida's largest insurer carriers tried to use loopholes in the new insurance law to bypass the requirement that they pass on reinsurance savings to homeowners from the state- backed financial safety net fund. And, that's just one of the conclusions many lawmakers came to Tuesday after two days of Senate hearings on compliance with the law passed last year to help deal with Florida's ongoing property insurance crisis. Insurance executives were called to testify under oath why their companies didn't reduce premiums after changes in the new law gave them access to cheaper state backed storm reinsurance coverage and mandated they pass the savings on to consumers.

The hearings were just the latest battle in a long feud between state…

The 2007 Naples real estate sales statistics for both homes and condominiums are listed below. Naples is the "Crown Jewel" of the Paradise Coast, filled with art galleries, fabulous shopping, dining, and Gulf front mansions. An older, and more quaint city, it's truly the cosmopolitan and cultural center of Southwest Florida and has transformed itself into a dynamic international and world renown destination.

Naples is the jumping off point to the Everglades, Ten Thousand Islands and the Big Cypress National Preserve, all of which are perfect places for photography, bird watching, and where alligators roam, and ghost orchids hide. This is where you can enjoy outstanding outdoor sports, such as canoeing or kayaking. And don't forget, Naples' famed beaches…