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Archive for the ‘Lehigh Acres News’ Category

Lehigh Property Values Down Less Than First Thought

Posted in Lehigh Acres News, Lehigh Land For Sale, tagged , , , on July 7, 2008| Leave a Comment »

The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District could avoid layoffs of its firefighters because taxable property values did not fall as much as originally estimated.

The district experienced a drop of 16.3 percent, according to assessments released Monday, which are on their way to the state. A month ago, original estimates from the Lee County property appraiser suggested a 23 percent drop, but also a possible drop of just 17 percent.

“We were planning on 17.33 percent. That’s what we built our budget on. It’s still going to impact us drastically,” said Don Adams, fire chief.

Nearly every major taxing authority throughout Lee County is facing budget cuts that can affect emergency medical, fire and police services. At least one official said the decline is probably the worst decline in property values since the Great Depression.

Overall, the county saw little change from the estimate released a month ago, a 12.4 percent drop that ended up at 12 percent. Cape Coral did not see much change either, with a 26.6 percent fall that improved to 25 percent, and the city remained the hardest hit major taxing authority. The Bayshore Fire and Rescue District had a slightly better improvement than Lehigh – a 12.3 percent drop to a 4.8 percent fall, for a 7.5 percent upswing – but Bayshore’s tax base is only one-twelfth of Lehigh’s.

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Lehigh Acres’ Land History

Posted in Lehigh Acres News, Lehigh Land For Sale, Lot for Sale, tagged , , , , , on July 4, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Although its history is short, Lehigh Acres began as a “tax write-off” for a Chicago millionaire.

While Thomas A. Edison and his wife were spending winters in Fort Myers, there was a scattering of farm sites in the western areas of Lee County, known today as Lehigh Acres. Many families, most of them gone now, homesteaded some of the lands where today’s Homestead Rd., one of the community’s two main thoroughfares through town, is located. The government gave land to “homesteaders” if they promised to live and work the land.

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View Lehigh Acres Lots and Land For Sale…

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Lehigh Acres Roads Get a Facelift

Posted in Lehigh Acres News, Lot for Sale, tagged , , , , , on July 3, 2008| Leave a Comment »

An additional 35 streets will be resurfaced by Lee County thanks to lower construction costs earlier this year.

Work started last week on some of the additional streets. Most of the bumpy, worn and potholed streets on the list are in the southwest section of the community, between Gunnery and Homestead Road.

Downer and Knox avenues south are on the list. Residents presented a petition to the county two years ago and were told the money wasn’t available. Then last Wednesday heavy equipment showed up and scraped both between Addison and Raintree streets east.

“All of a sudden it just happened,” said Raymond Castano of Downer Avenue.

“For the most part it was bumpy. We’ve been asking for it for a while,” he added.

“It was horrible,” said Phyllis Whittemore, who lives on Knox Avenue, who lives on Knox Avenue.

“I’m very happy to hear about it. The potholes when it rains get larger,” Whittemore said.

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Browse vacant land for sale in Lehigh Acres.

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Lehigh Acres Resident Enters Florida Senate Race

Posted in Lehigh Acres News, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 1, 2008| Leave a Comment »

New Republican challenger Matt Caldwell is running for the Florida Senate District 27 seat now held by Democrat Dave Aronberg, because he believes Lee County should have its own senator.

Aronberg says it’s more about an unwritten Tallahassee rule and an east coast Senate race.

Caldwell qualified to run Tuesday. He’s lived in Southwest Florida since 1982, and he graduated from Edison College and FGCU. He manages the residential division for Maxwell & Hendry Valuation Services, a Southwest Florida appraisal firm. He’s a member of the county Republican Executive Committee and its Golden Goose subcommittee, which has criticized Lee County spending habits.  Click here for the full story.

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Lee County Home Market Takes Step Up

Posted in General, Lehigh Acres News, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 28, 2008| 2 Comments »

Sales edged up and prices reversed a downward spiral that’s been going on since October for existing homes in Lee County, according to statistics released Thursday.

The median price of a single-family home sold with the assistance of a Realtor in May was $212,400, up 6 percent from April’s $200,300, according to the report issued by the Florida Association of Realtors.

Meanwhile, the number of houses sold rose 2 percent from 809 to 823.

Nationally, resales increased 2 percent to a 4.99 million annual rate, but the median price dropped to $208,600 from $222,700 in May 2007.

Sales have been rising in recent months because lower prices are drawing more buyers, said real estate agent Brett Ellis of Remax Realty Group in Fort Myers.

As to the bump in prices in May, he said: “The increase in sales started at introductory-level homes and now we’re getting a lot more offers in the $300,000 to $400,000 range.”

That has had the effect of pushing up the median price, he said.

Will that trend continue?

“My gut tells me it will, but I don’t know that for sure,” Ellis said.

So far, at least, the bottom end of the market’s been driving the boom in sales, said Charles Richardson, regional senior vice president of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Southwest Florida.

“There’s been a substantial number of price reductions over the last couple years, and now you see great affordability in the market,” he said. “The price reductions that took place led us into a healthier market.”

Even with the increasing number of sales, he said, “It’s still a very strong buyer’s market from a point of view of being able to negotiate aggressively with sellers.”

Thursday’s sunny numbers come on the heels of a long decline in prices. The median price reached its all-time high of $322,300 in December 2005.

Compared to May 2007, the price was down 25 percent from $281,500, but the number of sales was up 43 percent from 575.

Condominium prices also were up in May with a median $205,900 – 5 percent more than April’s $195,500. The number of condos purchased fell, however, from 351 to 257.

Wendy King and Steve Kimball of Cape Coral are trying to sell the two-bedroom, two-bath canalfront condo they own on Tudor Drive for $299,000. They paid $340,000 in November 2005.

With direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, King said, “it’s a fantastic location and that’s a little less than what we paid for it three years ago when the market was great. We get very little traffic and maybe we’re asking too much, but we’re not in the position to lose $30,000, $40,000.”

Statewide, the number of houses sold dropped 5 percent to 12,175 from 12,882 a year earlier while the median price dropped 15 percent from $239,000 to $203,300 in the same period.

Nationally, resales increased 2 percent to a 4.99 million annual rate, higher than forecast, from a 4.89 million pace in April, the National Association of Realtors said today in Washington. The median price dropped 6.3 percent from May last year.

Compared with a year earlier, sales were down 16 percent in May.

The median price dropped to $208,600 last month from $222,700 in May 2007.

That was the fifth largest year-over-year price decline for records that go back to 1999. Many analysts think housing prices need to stop falling or start rising for the ailing housing market to regain its health.

Fallout from the housing crisis continued to be a big drag on first-quarter growth. Builders slashed spending on housing projects by 24.6 percent on an annualized basis. That wasn’t as bad, though, as the 25.2 percent cut made in the fourth quarter, the most in 26 years.

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Property Value Doldrums Gives Lee County an Edge

Posted in Lehigh Acres News, tagged , , , , , , on June 24, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Across from the private road in Alva is Daniels Preserve, the first property acquired through a land preservation program that allows sellers to name their properties after themselves.

The property, formerly owned by lifetime Alva resident Ruby Daniels, now is publicly owned, and supposed to stay that way forever.

The naming privilege offered by the Legacy Program is fairly new, only 18 months old, and Lee officials are promoting it to help entice property owners to sell environmentally sensitive land to the county, especially in the midst of a slumping real estate market.

Lynda Thompson, coordinator for Conservation 20/20, Legacy’s parent program, said despite the likelihood of less revenue coming into the county next year after a preliminary 12 percent drop in property values, more land can be acquired for preservation because of it’s more affordable now.

“When the market was favorable for land development, people didn’t have the interest (to sell to the county) because there were speculators willing to pay above market value. We couldn’t compete,” she said. “Now we can be more selective, more competitive.”

Property owners have to make the first move and fill out a willing seller form for the county to consider a purchase. A brochure about the Legacy Program is included. So far, two property owners have sold, including Daniels. Another two have made offers.

The county pays for Legacy properties through its Conservation 20/20 program, which costs taxpayers 50 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The county has spent $187.7 million to acquire 85 properties totaling nearly 19,000 acres since voters approved the program in 1996.

“At this point they seem to have an awful lot of land,” said south Fort Myers resident Jack Tanner, who believes voters should have to approve the program again.

Preservation seems to be popular.

“It’s one of the few programs that wherever I go in the county people seem to support it,” Commissioner Frank Mann said.

To qualify for Legacy, a property must be at least 100 acres or have an environmental significance such as connection to other sensitive lands. Other properties can be sold to 20/20 without naming rights.

Daniels qualified for the Legacy option, the first person to do so.

“Being realistic and looking into the future, I knew there was a good chance the property would be sold, and it would be sold to developers,” she said.

Daniels, 69, watched her daughters play on the 243-acre property when they were children. The land has oak hammocks and cypress trees, a pond and headwaters of Spanish Creek, and when money is available to make it a park, it will have hiking and bird watching.

“I decided to do something when I was alive to make sure it would remain in its natural state so the public can enjoy the beauty we’ve always enjoyed,” said Daniels, who sold her property to the county for $3.9 million.

Sam Galloway sold the second property to Legacy shortly before he died. The county bought the 404-acre plot known as Sam Galloway Preserve, located off Corkscrew Road in southeast Lee, for $5.85 million. Technically, he did not request the property be named after him, but county officials did, to honor his commitment to preservation.

“We had people that would have paid more money for the site for development purposes … and that area was prime for mining as well,” said Ed Bonkowski, who brokered the deal with the county. “But Mr. Galloway wanted it to remain a wetland.”

There are two more sites – 125 acres on Pine Island being considered and 541 acres between State Road 82 and Southwest Florida International Airport.

The 541-acre site, known as the Elizabeth and Thomas Muraro Tract, is approved for purchase. Final approval will depend on the property owners’ offer, which commissioners must support to acquire the land.

Elizabeth Muraro and her father Thomas could not be reached for comment last week.

The final site, on Pine Island, became available the same way as the Daniels property. Its owner, Jack Carver, who arrived in Lee County in 1970, wants to preserve the beauty of the area.

“The only way to protect it from development is to preserve it,” Carver said.

The property is known as Carver Preserve and awaits commission approval for purchase. If Carver and commissioners agree on a price, the property will belong to the public.

“This is what makes us different from the east coast” of Florida, Commissioner Bob Janes said. “Preserved open space is what makes the west coast a great place to live.”

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Southwest Florida 4th of July Events

Posted in Lehigh Acres News, tagged , on June 20, 2008| Leave a Comment »

You can find many 4th of July events posted on News Press.

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County Governments Cannot Easily Raise Tax Rates

Posted in Lehigh Acres News, tagged , , , , , , , on June 10, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Florida’s local governments face new requirements if they want to raise taxes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – June 9, 2008 – Contrary to popular opinion, city and county governments cannot easily raise tax rates to make up for any income deficit created by January’s passage of Amendment 1. A local tax increase now requires approval by a super-majority of officials, and it must be called a “tax increase” if considered.

The Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR) lobbied for this change during the 2008 session of the Florida Legislature, considering it an important component of the property tax relief offered by Amendment 1, which voters passed on Jan. 29, 2008. The language is included in SB 1588.

Following discussions during the session, the Florida House added provisions to the amendment that would make it more difficult for local governments to raise taxes either overtly or covertly. However, it was unclear whether the Senate would then sign off on those changes, though senators did reach agreement in the final hours of the session.

A few aspects of Amendment 1 must still be clarified. Once Gov. Crist signs the bill – as he is expected to do – additional rules will be analyzed and created. It’s still unclear, for example, how property tax portability will work in cases of divorce or marriage.

Tax increase changes

Under the old rules, a city or county government could raise tax rates with a simple majority vote. Under the new rules, two-thirds of commissioners must approve the tax increase. In addition, it must be called a “tax increase” so voters understand the issue. In the past, some local governments could use creative wording, perhaps something like a “recapture,” to hide the actual topic.

The average homeowner in Florida should save about $240 on their 2008 tax bill and many local governments are cutting expenses. A few, however, have considered some kind of tax increase to make up the difference. Under SB 1588, though, it will be more difficult.

“This was a big loophole, and people really got angry over it,” says Charlotte Greenbarg, president of a Broward Coalition that represents area homeowner and condo associations. “I have no doubt some cities would have (raised taxes) if they could do it quietly and try to say it’s not a tax increase.”

“The voters believed they did one thing, and there shouldn’t be a crack in the dam to negate their action,” says state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff. “It’s not horrible to ask them to get a super-majority.”

Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Scott Wyman, June 5, 2008.

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Lot Owners Association Will Post Sign

Posted in General, Lehigh Acres News, tagged , , , on June 10, 2008| Leave a Comment »

The Lehigh Acres Lot Owners Association will post a no trespassing sign on your lot…just ask!

NO TRESPASSING SIGN MAY ALSO DETER DUMPING

We have been asked by several members if this association would be interested in putting “No Trespassing” signs on vacant property due the numerous inquiries in regard to Notice of Code of Violations being mailed to lot owners from the county.

We asked our attorney if he thought there would be a benefit to lot owners to install a “No Trespassing” sign on their property and his response is below:

“Sometimes refrigerators, air conditioning units, or construction debris -even old cars- are abandoned on vacant lands. Out of state owners of vacant lots usually find out that trash has been dumped on their land when they are contacted by local code enforcement officers who have received a complaint from an irate neighbor.

The county may institute code enforcement action against an owner who fails to remove the unsightly items. Fines and penalties may be levied against those who ignore the proceedings.

What can you do to deter dumping? One solution is to put up a “No Trespassing” sign.

Florida courts have held that posting is a valid device for preventing the uninvited from trespassing on private property. Dumping trash on posted land is evidence of a trespass.

But when you live thousands of miles away from your land such a relatively simple task is not so easily accomplished. Here’s a solution. Contact your Association and ask that it post a conspicuous “No Trespassing” sign on your property. For a nominal charge, the Association will take care of that matter for you.

The Association already provides its members with a policy of insurance that protects against liability from persons who may be injured on your land. Why not take the extra step of posting a “No Trespassing” sign? It may be just the deterrence that is needed to keep the uninvited off your land and to discourage dumping.

Law enforcement officers may arrest someone who is trespassing on posted land. The penalty is punishable as a third degree felony”.

Due to the anticipated volume, we can do this for only $75.00 per lot. If you have more than one lot together, we could install the sign between them for the same price. If the lots are not together there would be an additional charge of $75.00 per lot. We will mail you a photograph of the sign on your lot(s) as proof of installation or we can e-mail you a photograph, whichever you prefer.

If you are interested in having a “No Trespassing” sign placed on your property, please contact our office at 1-800-376-9045, or e-mail our office at laloa@cfl.rr.com or fax our office at 1-386-424-0159 with a credit card number. If you would like to order this service with a check, please make payable to L.A.LO.A. Inc. and mail it to: L.A.L.O.A., P.O. Box 1590, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32170.

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