02 Aug Bonita Bay Real Estate News | August 2017
As of August 1, 2017, there are 91 active listings in MLS in Bonita Bay; 10 less than last month. There are 28 single-family homes ranging in price from $427,000 to $4,550,000. The average list price is $1,215,584 and the average days on the market is 133. The combined days on the market is 183. In the carriage, mid-rise, townhouse, and attached villa market, there are 32 active listings in Bonita Bay. Prices range from $159,900 to $599,000. The average list price is $387,467. The average of days on the market is 148. The combined days on the market is 239. In the high-rise market, there are 31 active listings in Bonita Bay ranging in price from $425,000 to $2,750,000. The average list price is $1,484,242 and the average days on the market is 211. The combined days on the market is 211.
Whether you are buying or selling, if you are looking for REALTOR® representation, think of me.
Your Bonita Bay REALTOR®,
Ed Gongola
SUMMARY OF BONITA BAY HOME SALES
If you are considering selling your Bonita Bay home, here are some statistics that may help you decide to place your home on the market:
- Within the last 12 months, there were 81 sales with an average sales price of$372,246; these condos were on the market an average of 71 days; combined days on the market is 135.
- During the 12 months previous, there were 80 sales with an average sales price of condominiums was $399,803; these homes were on the market for 52 days; combined days on the market is 119.
- During the last 12 months, there were 25 sales with an average sales price of $1,312,246; these homes were on the market an average of 159 days; combined days on the market is 239.
- During the 12 months previous, there were 34 sales with an average sales price of $1,413,176; these homes were on the market for an average of 149 days; combined days on the market is 254.
SINGLE-FAMILY BONITA BAY HOMES
- During the last 12 months, there were 76 sales with an average sales price of $1,119,659; these homes were on the market an average of 103 days; combined days on the market is 197.
- During the 12 months previous, there were 67 sales with an average sales price of $1,077,562; these homes were on the market for an average of 94 days; combined days on the market is 194.
Meet Ed Gongola and discover how he can help you with his concierge style of service when buying or selling your home.
AUGUST MARKET UPDATE
“Downing-Frye’s July pending sales volume was up 16 percent compared to July of 2016,” said Mike Hughes, Vice President and General Manager of Downing-Frye Realty, Inc. “This increase was buoyed by a well-performing market in the $500,000+ price range. The $1,000,000+ price range increased 72 percent in pending sales contracts, the $500,000-$750,000 price range increased 44 percent, and the $750,000-$1,000,000 price range was up 21 percent. The July pending sales below $500,000 are about 73 percent of what they were last July. Overall, we continue to experience a sound market with remarkable consumer confidence. Downing-Frye was recently installed in the Naples Daily News People’s Choice Hall of Fame for having won the People’s Choice award 32 times. No other real estate brokerage has ever accomplished this, and it’s a tremendous honor to be recognized in this way. Additionally, we were voted the best commercial real estate office. Our agents can be very proud.”
FLORIDA: HIGHER PRICES, MORE SALES IN JUNE
Florida’s housing market had more closed sales, higher median prices and more new listings in June. The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes last month was $245,000, up 8.9 percent from the previous year, according to data from Florida Realtors Research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in June was $176,820, up 7.2 percent over the year-ago figure. June was the 67th consecutive month that statewide median prices for both sectors rose year-over-year. Inventory remained tight in June with a 3.9-months’ supply for single-family homes and a 5.8-months’ supply for townhouse-condo properties, according to Florida Realtors. The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.90 percent in June 2017; it averaged 3.57 percent during the same month a year earlier.
USA: EXISTING HOME SALES DOWN SLIGHTLY
Existing-home sales slipped in June as low supply kept homes selling at a near record pace. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the previous three-month lull in contract activity translated to a pullback in existing sales in June. “Closings were down in most of the country last month because interested buyers are being tripped up by supply that remains stuck at a meager level and price growth that’s straining their budget,” he said. “The demand for buying a home is as strong as it has been since before the Great Recession. Listings in the affordable price range continue to be scooped up rapidly, but the severe housing shortages inflicting many markets are keeping a large segment of would-be buyers on the sidelines. The good news is that sales are still running slightly above last year’s pace despite these persistent market challenges.”
Sources: The Bonita Springs-Estero Assoc. of REALTORS®, Naples Area Board of REALTORS®, National Assoc. of REALTORS®, Florida REALTORS®.
Marina Contributes to Bonita Bay’s World-Class Lifestyle
In addition to enjoying luxurious, fully completed residences with spacious outdoor terraces, the residents of the award-winning Ronto Group’s Seaglass at Bonita Bay high-rise tower will relish the amenity rich, world-class lifestyle that continues to make Bonita Bay one of Southwest Florida’s most desirable communities. Recognized as one of the ten healthiest clubs in America by Prevo Health Solutions, Bonita Bay’s array of amenities includes a 60,000 square feet Lifestyle Center that features a fitness center, spa and salon, five of Southwest Florida’s premier golf courses, casual and fine dining, boating, biking and hiking trails, kayaking and canoeing, tennis, and a private, residents only beach club on Little Hickory Island. The master planned, gated community is celebrated for its environmental stewardship, award-winning landscaping, and creative land use, including three waterfront parks and 1,400 acres of open space.
The availability of a full-service on-site marina with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico allows Bonita Bay residents to enjoy every aspect of Southwest Florida’s heralded tropical lifestyle. A highly unique amenity that is rarely found in combination with a golf experience of the caliber found within the community, the Bonita Bay Marina is located on the Imperial River at the south end of Estero Bay, just minutes from the open waters of the Gulf. Wet slips and dry boat storage are available, as well as on-site fueling and light mechanical services. Owned exclusively by the residents of Bonita Bay, the Marina is designed to accommodate a variety of watercraft with a maximum draft of thirty-six inches. The wet slip lifts can hold vessels up to 16,000 pounds and the dry storage can fit boats up to 32-feet long from the rear of the engine or platform to the front of the anchor or pulpit. Trailer loading and unloading service is available for most boats. Charts, bait, tackle, and other items are available at the Ships Store.
The Marina provides several work racks for use by boaters on a first-come, first-served basis and can be used for washing, waxing, and vessel repairs. Several independent mobile mechanics are available for assistance if needed. Dealers are permitted to perform work on vessels that are under warranty. Marina staff are available to provide washing and waxing, full detail, metal polishing, propeller reconditioning or replacement, battery charging or replacement, engine flushing, including scheduled flushing when boat owners are away, pump-out, and light mechanical maintenance services on an hourly rate basis.
Backwater Jack’s, a waterfront restaurant and bar located at the Marina, is a favored gathering place for Bonita Bay’s boater community. A menu offering flavorful twists on Backwater Jack’s heralded casual dining selections is available during season. Dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday evenings and lunch service extends through season. A 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. happy hour includes drink discounts and a bar food menu. All menu selections are available for take-out. Live music by an assortment of artists is featured Friday and Saturday nights during season. Regularly scheduled special events and themed parties are open to all Bonita Bay residents and their guests. Backwater Jack’s is also available for events by special interest clubs, community parties, and private dinners.
Bonita Bay’s on-site marina contributes to the community’s exceptional lifestyle that has clearly captivated luxury homebuyers. With over $130 million in sales processed to date, Ronto’s Seaglass tower will feature fully-completed, ready for occupancy residences with designer-selected premium finishes, including flooring, paint, and trim. The space sequences and components found in the kitchens and master baths of the residences will reflect the contemporary flair found in the architectural style of the building. Each residence will come with two protected access under-building parking spaces. Private enclosed two-car garages will be available.
All of the Seaglass penthouse residences have been sold. A choice selection of tower residences ranging from 2,889 to 3,421 square feet under air and priced from just over $1.1 million remains available. The spacious tower residences will include dual private elevator grand foyers, large island kitchens, three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, or three bedrooms plus a den or fourth bedroom and three-and-a-half baths, walk-in closets in the owner’s suite, and sliders opening to multiple outdoor spaces that include a gas grill.
With concrete on the 20th floor already poured and a new floor being poured every two weeks, Ronto expects construction to top-off in October and construction to be completed on schedule just 11 months from now. Three furnished designer decorated models are expected to be open for viewing in fourth quarter of this year. The models will feature the finishes available to future residents in the Seaglass Design Studio located in the Seaglass Sales Center at 26951 Country Club Drive within Bonita Bay. Future residents are encouraged to visit the Design Studio and take advantage of The Ronto Group’s innovative Finishing Touches Program. The Program is designed to assist future residents with finish selections and to ensure each residence meets individual buyer preferences. Opportunities to specify finish selections are becoming progressively limited as construction progresses.
The Finishing Touches Program allows future residents to select finishes for their new home’s flooring, cabinetry, countertops, door hardware, plumbing fixtures, and paint colors. A fully outfitted kitchen featuring the finishes and Thermadore appliances available at Seaglass is included at the Design Studio, as well as stone, porcelain, and wood flooring and carpet selections; granite, marble, and quartz countertops; decorative backsplash choices; trim, doors, faucets, and plumbing fixtures; and a gas grill. Future residents are invited to meet with the Finishing Touches Coordinator at the Design Studio and to include the Seaglass building architect and their own interior designer in the Finishing Touches Program selection process. To ensure each residence is finished to each owner’s specific tastes, future residents may also specify finishes from other sources. The level of customization and flexibility available through Ronto’s Finishing Touches Program is extremely rare and seldom offered by high-rise developers in Southwest Florida.
Source: Seaglass at Bonita Bay
Contact me to schedule your private visit to The Seaglass: 239.770.0561.
A Word from Downing-Frye Broker & General Manager, Mike Hughes
The July numbers are starting to roll in. They are sending mixed signals. Our pending transactional sides for the month of July were down 11% compared with last July. However, our pending sales volume for the month of July was up 16% compared with last July. So, what happened? The markets above $500,000 performed well. The price ranges below $500,000 did not perform as well as they did the previous July. The $1,000,000 and above price range saw a 72% increase in pending sales contracts. The $500,000 – $750,000 price range in July saw a 44% increase in pending sales contracts. The $750,000 – $1,000,000 price range saw a 21% increase in pending sales contracts for the month (compared with last July ). Now below $500,000 is a different story. Last July (2016), we had 181 pending sales below $500,000 for the month. This July (2017) , we had 133 pending sales below $500,000.
Bonita Bay AUGUST Events Calendar
GOLF
August 4 | Men’s Interclub – Gateway
August 9 | Couples Golf | Rules & Etiquette
August 11 | Men’s Interclub – The Strand August 12 | Women’s Clinic
August 18 | Men’s Interclub – Kensington
August 25 | Men’s Interclub – Cedar Hammock
August 25 | Men’s Clinic
DINING & SOCIAL
August 4 | POETS Night “Manhattan Connection”
August 10 | Trivia Night
August 11 | POETS Night “Double Dare”
August 18 | POETS Night “Wendy Renee & Co.”
August 22 | Chef’s Cooking Class
August 25 | POETS Night “Billy Dean & Dawn”
5 Questions to Ask a Home Inspector
Home buyers would be wise to interview a home inspector before they hire one. But what should they ask? Here are a few questions to consider:
1. What do you check?
A home inspector will look at everything from the roof to the foundation and in between, Frank Lesh, executive director of the American Society of Home Inspectors, told realtor.com®. But they are restricted to visual, general inspections. A specialist may be needed for further investigation on some items. Buyers will want to get a clear understanding of what the inspector will and will not be checking. For example, will they scrutinize the inside of the fireplace or the well and septic systems?
2. What do you charge for an inspection?
Home inspections typically cost between $300 to $600. That will depend on the size of the house and the market area, however. Lesh cautions buyers about choosing an inspector based on a low price alone. “That’s often a sign they’re having trouble getting customers,” he says.
3. How many inspections have you done?
You can’t discount a home inspector just because they’re new on the job. That doesn’t mean lower quality. But experience is also important, especially if your home is an older one or something with unusual home features, realtor.com® notes.
4. Can I come along during the inspection?
Inspectors should want you present during the inspection. They’ll be able to explain the home’s system and how it works. The opportunity also gives you the chance to ask questions and get clarifications. A red flag would be a home inspector who asks you not to join him or her.
5. Can I view a sample report?
You may find it helpful to see an inspection report of someone else’s home inspection. While every home has problems, many aren’t a big enough deal to jeopardize a sale. A sample report may help prevent you from panicking if you see something come up on your report and also give you more of a feel for the information you’ll be receiving from your inspector.
Source: “7 Questions to Ask a Home Inspector Before Your Home Inspection Even Begins,” realtor.com® (Aug. 1, 2017)
Official Bonita Bay Club Brochure
Looking for an overview of the Bonita Bay Club for yourself or to send to others? Here’s a quick look at the Bonita Bay Club’s five championship golf courses designed by two legendary architects; an 18-court tennis center; two welcoming clubhouses; Lifestyle Center with a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa; and, a world-class staff — the elements that make Bonita Bay Club South Florida’s premier country club.
Owned and governed by its members since 2010, Bonita Bay Club offers membership levels in golf and sports that suit the preferences of active Bonita Bay residents. In addition, limited golf memberships are available for the the Naples Club only. Download brochure.