The Return of Leatherback Turtles at Sanibel

This week’s blog is about leatherback turtle nesting on Sanibel this year. A leatherback sea turtle has been recorded while nesting on Sanibel Island for the first time in history by the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation. New to the SCCF, she was named Juniper. She is one of three new leatherback turtles nesting on Sanibel. During SCCF nighttime surveys that began on May 1, the team has encountered 39 turtles, most being previously spotted nesters. To learn more about the turtles and Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, visit their website below the linked new article. This is one of our most exciting natural phenomena that occurs yearly in Southwest Florida.

 If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Beaches Open

This week’s blog is about Englewood Beach’s reopening to the public. The beach was closed for over a month, due to obvious reasons, and has now been open for two weeks. While previously the beach had been useable for exercise activities only, beachgoers can now do any activities. Charlotte County has no restrictions other than encouraging people to follow CDC guidelines, such as staying 6-feet apart and not gathering in groups larger than ten people. Sarasota County has continued to limit beach use to exercise only and has not yet opened the parking lots. With the beach being open for a couple of weeks, the initial rush has cleared out, and you can always check how crowded the beach is with the below link to the Englewood Bach Cam. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Fire Hazard During A Drought

This week’s blog is about Southwest Florida’s severe drought, and how you can help. The Southwest Florida Water Management District enacted Phase I water shortage restrictions going in effect May 12, 2020 through July 1, 2020, except where stricter measures have been imposed by local governments. What does this mean for us in Charlotte County? The second link below shows us that Charlotte County will now be restricted to watering lawns twice per week. Already this year, fires caused homes to be evacuated in Charlotte County and destroyed more than 3,500 rental cars at Southwest Florida International Airport. According to Melinda Avni, a mitigation specialist with the Florida Forest Service, who accounts for wildfires throughout Southwest Florida, “If you had a cooking fire or a fire pit and you’ve left it unattended, or maybe you just let it burn down and you consider it out, it’s not really out, you need to get some water on that, get some sand on it, stir it around, turn it over, keep it wet.” All good things to keep in mind, during this time of year. From all of us at Southwest Florida Dream Builders, stay safe and please don’t start any fires in our favorite town! If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Buying and Selling On The Rise

This week’s blog is about some of the resurgence trending in the housing market. Southwest Florida realtors are starting to notice signs that activity is on the upswing, and their sales are improving. Mike Dodge, the director of market research at John R. Wood Properties, said “We entered a new norm, and there was some knee-jerk reaction to that, but people have become comfortable agents and customers alike. They understand, ‘OK, if I take precautions, then I can still buy or sell.’” Some real estate experts suggest that the market will return stronger than before the pandemic, due to pent up demand. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Selling while social distancing

This week’s blog is discusses some Southwest Florida businesses that have been meeting unexpected success during the coronavirus pandemic. Naples Soap Co., a Naples based soap and beauty product company, has been able to find alternative ways to sells to their customers. While all of the retailer's stores have closed for safety reasons, the company's e-commerce business has "really taken off," due in large part to its strong relationships with its customers and ability to reach them through alternative channels, such as email. From its warehouse in Fort Myers, the company is pushing out anywhere from 100 to 300 online orders per day! MY Shower Door / D3 Glass, based in Fort Myers, recently developed a product called MY Healthguards to protect businesses, employees and the community. The company can install the guards in register aisles, at cashier counters and in food areas, as well as at offices — temporarily or permanently. For more persevering businesses, click the article below! If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Daily Dose of Normalcy

This week’s blog is about Englewood’s Beach Cam. Here at Southwest Florida Dream Builders, we know a lot of our fans are at home missing the gulf breeze and the sounds of the waves. Well, fear not! You can still get your daily dose of sunshine and nightly sunsets. See the below link for a 24-hour live camera of the beach, and snapshots of some recent moments (see last night’s full moon shots!). We know that times like these can be trying and having a little continuity can really help. The beach, the ocean, and everything else that we love about our town will still be here when we all come back out to play. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Fishing in April

This week’s blog is about Southwest Florida’s (probably) best month for fishing. Anglers will hook into the largest sea trout of the year with many going well over 20 inches and a few pushing 30. Spanish mackerel are running large and schooling across our inshore waters, in the gulf passes and a short distance offshore. Tarpon fishing kicks off this month throughout Southwest Florida. It's possible to hook into a big silver king if you are fishing for them or not. You can go a different direction fishing each day from inshore to offshore and not cover all the possibilities. Please remember that the current regulations for boating include a restriction of 10 people or less to a craft (see below article). If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

New Water Park

This week’s blog is about the City of Northport discussing building a new water park. The financial plan would be to use portions of the city’s 1-cent sales tax revenue to build a $7 million water park. According to the current design, the park would be somewhere between Alabama Highway 69 and U.S. Highway 43, and visible from the road. City planners believe that a spot with enough property would allow the city to eventually expand to include a new sports complex for baseball, softball and soccer. The current proposal is a park with four slides -- two domed and two fast drops, a splash pad, lazy river, water guns and a tumble bucket. The park would also include an indoor splash pad and party area, which would mean the facility could remain open year-round. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Manasota Beach Restoration Under Way

This week’s blog is all about the Manasota Beach restoration project that started Monday, March 2nd. According to project planners, the beach is receiving 275,000 cubic yards of sand which will be dredged from below the water line. The dredging crew is facing a May 1st deadline to finish before our annual sea turtle nesting season. Charlotte County has been discussing the need for a beach restoration with residents and Sarasota County officials since 2003. Sarasota County is still trying to work out details, such as financing the project, with Charlotte County. All of this planning to make Manasota beach a great place for locals and snowbirds alike shows the care our county workers put into this town every day. Next time you see a county worker trimming the foliage for our roads or shooting elevation for future projects, let them know that you are grateful for their work. A little kindness will always be appreciated. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Must See Swimming Holes

This week’s blog features some of the best swimming holes to road trip to this Spring. One of the close and prominent locations on the list is Turtle Beach in Sarasota. Boasting crystal clear blue waters, its worth the short drive. For those feeling adventurous, Apopka and Gainesville have some amazing jungle-like springs to explore with a kayak or to float around on. Some locations offer paddleboard, kayak, or tubing rentals. Once you see some of the pictures from the article, you will agree that a day trip to these unique locations is a must. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Controlled burns

This week’s blog features some information about controlled burns in Southwest Florida. February, March, and April are often the driest months of the year in our area. Though this also makes up what many consider to be the nicest time of the year in our piece of paradise, it comes at a cost. Dry weather in Southwest Florida increases the threat of wildfires and that risk is highest during the stretch of months we're entering now. Controlled burns use up the fuel that wildfires can normally use to rapidly spread. These burns protect homes and businesses by ensuring that there is a buffer with no fuel for wildfires. The fires also have the ability to kill off disease and invasive plant species in an area. Soil can become more fertile in the wake of fires, and a fire moving through an area can clear out undergrowth allowing plants that otherwise would be choked out of sunlight a chance to thrive. Watch local news stations to stay abreast of scheduled burns. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Spring Training Scheduled For.......Spring.

This week’s blog features some information on four different teams ramping up for baseball Spring Training in Southwest Florida. The Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Minnesota Twins will all be here and training for America’s Pastime:

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The Atlanta Braves kick off spring training in just 10 days, on Feb. 22. You can find a full schedule of the spring training games here.

The Boston Red Sox also begin spring training on Feb. 22 when they play the Tampa Bay Rays at Jetblue Park. You can find a full spring training schedule for the Red Sox here.

The Minnesota Twins begin spring training on Feb. 22 as well when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton Fl, at LECOM Park. You can find a full spring training schedule for the Twins here.

You can find the full spring training schedule for the Tampa Bay Rays here. They begin their season on Feb. 22 against the Boston Red Sox.

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If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Shark Teeth In Paradise

This week’s blog features some of the best spots in Florida for fossils, stones, and gems. Included in the list is our very own Venice Beach and Punta Gorda. Venice Beach is the shark tooth capitol of the world, and even has a portion made entirely of black sand! Shell Creek, in Punta Gorda, has some wonderful spots for canoeing and hunting your own shell fossils. Also listed are some popular spots in Sebring and Arcadia. All of these are wonderful ideas for a picnic trip on one of our famously sunny days. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Englewood New Year's Eve

This week’s blog features the New Year’s Eve celebration 2019 event at the Sandbar Tiki & Grill. The Sandbar, a locally owned tiki bar and music venue, will be hosting Englewood’s biggest New Year’s event. Located directly across the street from Englewood beach, beginning at 8 p. m., by ticket only. Dinner is included, along with champagne and party favors at midnight. TL Jentgens, a one-man drum and hit song show (from a cursory glance at the website), will be playing from 9:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Charlotte County Housing Report

This week’s blog discusses an article from the Herald Tribune about new home construction growth in Southwest Florida. Builders broke ground on the highest total new homes in the area since 2006. Among the list of top “new home start communities” was Rotonda and South Gulf Cove! Another important point from the article was, “The most affordable single-family homes were in Charlotte County”. According to David Cobb, regional director of Metrostudy (a housing and residential construction information group), “All the data points to a market that continues to perform, with no forecast for rain in the near term,”. That is great news for current prospective home buyers! The market is ripe to buy in Charlotte County!

If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

The Grand Boca Grande

This week’s blog is about one of Englewood’s closest and most talked about neighbors, Boca Grande. Did you know that a railroad ran right through the island from 1907 to 1979? Did you know that the residents are actively involved in preservation of the island, and have been known to give millions in personal funds towards the efforts? Boca Grande is an interesting island with a rich history (pun intended). The island is the richest town in Florida, listed in the link below. You may even see a celebrity or two! Residents include Harrison Ford, John Travolta, and many others. Boca Grande makes a wonderful day trip from Englewood, South Gulf Cove or Rotonda. With a mere 15 minute drive from town, the island is a must see!

If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Waterfest

This week’s blog is about some of the attention that Englewood has been getting for this year’s Waterfest. Last weekend, racers and fans came together for another record turnout of this yearly event. This world championship for speedboat racers has drawn a lot of international attention, seen in the 40,000 fans coming from around the world, generating $6 million to the local economy. The below links are for this year’s news coverage and for the main Waterfest website. Make sure to keep an eye on the Waterfest website for next year’s dates/tickets.

If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Traveling In Time

With so many vacationers heading down to Florida during this time of year, we at Southwest Florida Dream Builders wondered “What was traveling to Florida like in 1922?” Well, look no further, folks! This article follows the Cook family as they travel from New Harmony, Indiana to Sanford, Florida. Their journey took 18 days and was wrought with difficulties that the modern vacationer would be surprised to hear of! From hitching their family vehicle to another just to get up mountain roads, to camping in old school yards, the trip was a hard one. When the family finally completed the trip, they wrote “It would be impossible to describe either the beauty” of the land or their feelings toward it “Somehow we all felt like we had gotten home.”

If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Ring Teams Up With CCSO

This week’s blog is about the Charlotte County Sherriff’s Office partnering up with companies to help solve neighborhood crime. The CCSO is working with the popular home surveillance company Ring and the neighborhood social media tool Neighbors to communicate with locals. They are now able to submit requests for video footage or tips relevant to ongoing investigations. Yet another improvement to make Englewood and Southwest Florida a safer, better place to live. Click the below article for a video with more information.

If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!

Housing Trends With Southwest Florida

This week’s blog discusses an article that is from the Naples Daily News, but covers some wider housing trends in Southwest Florida. One of the big takeaways are that consumer interest has stayed high, with fewer homes on the market. In fact, sales of single-family homes were up 10% for the month of August with inventory of homes for sale falling by 17.8%. Another interesting statistic deals with housing for 55 and older communities. In Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties, 10 such communities were completed between 2000 and 2014. From 2015 to 2017, 21 different 55 and over communities were completed. As stated in the article, the “Demand for the lifestyle has exceeded our expectations”.

With the market forecast like this, the time to build a home is now. If you would like to know more about land or homes in the local area be sure to make an appointment with Southwest Florida Dream Builders and save a spot for your dream home today!