Fishing is one of Southwest Florida’s greatest attractions! I’m sure that comes to no surprise given our location on the Gulf of Mexico. Even if you are not an avid angler, the more time spent in SWFL the more curious you’ll get about the number of unique fish found in our local waters. 

Here’s a list of several fish commonly found in waters surrounding SWFL. Note, this is certainly not an extensive list of fish found here, but a good look at the most sought-after fish in our area. 




7 Popular Fish of SWFL 
Grouper - Found on most menus in any SWFL seafood restaurant, the red grouper ...

We know you’re anxious to see a sales recap for 2018, so without further ado, here are the number of properties sold in each zip code, along with the average sales price and median sales price for that zip code. 

How do last year’s stats compare to previous year’s? Don’t worry, we’ve also included the same statistics for sales in 2017 so you can see what changed. 




SWFL Sales in 2017 and 2018
FORT MYERS

BONITA SPRINGS, NAPLES

CAPE CORAL

SANIBEL, CAPTIVA, FORT MYERS BEACH, PINE ISLAND



STATS TIP:
Remember, the average price can be greatly affected by sales prices that are extremely high or low compared to the rest of the sales in that area. For example, if one property sold at $800k while the majority of the other properties sold between $300k-$400k, the average sales price will be skewed because of the $800k sale. 

The median sales price, on the other hand, will cancel out extremely high or low sales prices, an ...

The water temperature in our back bays and rivers is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit right now at the end of December. That’s according to the tracking devices that the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) monitors on their website here. 




What does this mean for the Florida manatee?
It’s chilly! Time to move further upstream to slightly warmer waters. 
What’s the magic tipping point for these warm-blooded Florida natives? The Lee County parks and rec website states that water tempters below 68 degrees equals prime viewing time for the migrating manatees.

Where do they go?
Manatee Park! ...

So you purchased a home in Southwest Florida with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage? Good! We know it may seem daunting to be on a 30-year course of payments. That’s why we thought we’d share a few tips about how to save thousands of dollars on your home mortgage interest.




Pay A Little, Save A Lot
Would you like a shave a few years off that 30-year loan? Of course, you would. We all would. You’d be surprised at how small, additional payments towards your loan principal could save you years on your loan payback.

Here’s an example. Say you have a 30-year mortgage on a $250,000 condo with a 5% interest rate. The monthly payment is $1,342.05 including principal and interest. If you pay this exact amount for the full 30 years, you will have paid $233,133.89 in interest alone. Wow!

So, how can we reduce the amount of total interest paid? 





1. Pay additional each month
We know, that’s not exciting news. But it doesn’t take much! ...

It’s that time of year. Time to determine what to get Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben. They certainly have enough nick-nacks in their home, and you gave them that great Hawaiian shirt last year. How about something more exciting, like a new gadget for their home that will bring them into the 21st Century?


We’ve researched some of the latest home technology and gathered a list of good gifts in multiple price ranges, see below! 
Smart Thermostat
This is no longer “new” technology, but since it’s been out for a few years, there are more options, price ranges and features available now. You can get a good system now for around $150. 


Smart Smoke & C ...