[midwest shopper]

We just bought in Estero and are not buying to flip we are buying for enjoyment over the years with our family and feel we got a good deal. Was it rock bottom probably not but compared to a few years ago it is a good deal.

[Wendyb0077]

I moved to Port Saint Lucie in 1989 and boy has it changed since then. My family has made it through the Port Saint Lucie Fires when most of our neighbors lost their homes. Through major busing issues when our children had to get up at 5:00 am and wait for the school bus on a dark street corner and go all the way to Fort Pierce to go to High School from Western PSL. Through four Hurricaines Three major ones. Then the City water and sewer issue. Can't have four septics and wells per Acre. It was a wonder we didn't all get toxic from that one. No one wanted to pay for that either, so they put the assessments in our tax bill until paid for.
The prices of lots dived to an absolute low at that point. In the early 90's you couldn't give a lot away.The home prices dropped and the market was very, very slow. My home that I paid 80k for in 1989 was now 70k. Then slowly but surely the market started to come around and more and more people started to notice PSL. The roads had to be wider and wider to handle the traffic and PSL Blvd was a complete mess for a lot of years.
The growth in this City is amazing! The Schools are much better and we have many magnet and "A" rated schools. Lots of Grammar and Middle School combo's and New High Schools popping up all over town. So yes there are way too many homes for sale. Forclosures were mostly caused by investors and people who wanted to buy on a shoe string and got those 80/20 loans no money down. What do they have to lose walking away?? Investors lost their shirts and walked, and builders over built spec homes with inflated lot prices. (this caused the whole package to be out of wack price wise). Then those that bought when the prices peaked sure can't sell their home now for what they paid. But over the long hall this beautiful city will come back. I have seen prices 60% and more down from a couple of years ago. Yet when you look around the commercial building is amazing! Just about every commercial building lot has a pending sign. These are not dumb people that buy up these properties.
I wouldn't be afraid to buy in Port Saint Lucie, but I would do my homework first. Buy low and hang on to your property for the long haul. I still can't see renting and paying someone elses mortage when at least you can get the tax benefits and eventually get equity. Leverage as much as you can and keep your money in the bank. There are some beautiful homes out there priced low. And there are some that I feel are still too high. Everyone has there personal reasons why they like or don't like PSL. Do your homework! Good Luck to you...

[SANDYHAIR]

Enjoy your new home .It's up to the person to buy when they feel it 's right for them TO DO SO. As for me I 'm not going to buy for a few years yet.

[carlnasc]

This is an interesting article (imho)
ENGLEWOOD — Seven bargain hunters, most wearing shorts, slipped into a white stretch limousine Wednesday morning, hoping their adventure in luxury would lead them to a good deal on a home. (continue...)

HeraldTribune.com - News - News stories about Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties in Florida, from the newspapers of record. - HeraldTribune.com

[bigfmaily]

Anyone has any feed back on the builder for Highland Homes in Florida?

[firemed]

Originally Posted by Hero

If I buy now, I'll put 20% down. 6% of that will evaporate into agent fees. If the market drops another 14%, I will basically have lost my entire downpayment. With the current market and all the renting options currently avaliable, it doesn't make sense financially.

20% would have been gone in Fort Myers-Cape Coral! Its sad that the state has changed so fast. The number of existing single-family homes for sale in Florida was down 31% last quarter to 26,130 from 37,879 homes a year earlier, Alot of the homes were pulled and are rented hoping the market will change. The median sales price dipped 8% to $189,600 from $205,800, with the biggest drop of 26% being in Fort Myers-Cape Coral. Florida has the third highest foreclosure rate in the country. And its not over yet!

[ddcortland]

Originally Posted by Ralph60606060

Hi, can anyone give me some insight about Port St. Lucie, going there in mid March to check out the housing market. Any suggestions?? Ralph

Hi.
My husband's parents live there. His Dad was a Realtor who left the market b/c the market busted. Good luck!

[Wild Style]

find some articles I wanted to share with you guys

first up crystal ball prediction of when this craziness will end

link

Can't say I didn't see this one coming

link

[toyorotor]

I 100% agree with wendyb0077, do your homework and take the time to drive around and get to know the city. Me and my wife bought here in the early 07 and sure if we would have waited we could have paid less for our house, but hey who knew the market was going to crash this bad.
As far as the city is concern, i have no complaints and totally love it here, i am in my early 30's and see nothing wrong with it. You here all these people complain and trash the city for almost no reason at all. I dont know if they are realtors that lost there jobs cause the market went bust, or they are investors that lost there "cookie cutter homes"
cause no one was intrested in them. all i know is there are alot of good homes in PSL available and cheap. are house is twice the size of our first house, and we bought it for
less then what we sold our first house.
We moved here from Pembroke Pines/broward county, and also lived in Miami/dade county, And i wouldnt move back if you paid me!!!!! as a kid i grew up in miami and let me tell you, you are better off in PSL.... you can walk the streets feeling safe, and not having to hear all your neighbors outside talking and screaming at each other. sure there arent that many things to do in the city, but west palm is just 40 mins away and stuart is only 20 mins away. if you're in your early 20's than yeah miami will appeal to you more cause of all of the clubs and nightlife "been there done that" but im in my 30's how long do you really want to be clubing.
the main reason we moved was the traffic, its incredible.....
anyone that complains the PSL has traffic has not been to DADE/BROWRD COUNTY, and if you dont believe me, go drive through I595/I95/826/836 anytime even on saturdays.Trust me i have lived there and worked there, it sucks!!!!

The only thing people are correct on PSL is, there is no work here you must commute to a near city. Hey i do it every day to West Palm Beach 40 mins there and 40 mins back. Its take some people in miami/broward longer time to get to work and shorter the distance.

[nanwalt3]

Well Ralph, I think Wendy hit about every point possible for anyone looking at the PSL area.
It will comeback fortunately. Toyo,,,made some good points too, and its nice to see family's like his moving in here and enjoying the area. Glad he decided to make his move.
Good luck with your visit and I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised. We'll put out the Welcome Home sign for you.

Originally Posted by Ralph60606060

Hi, can anyone give me some insight about Port St. Lucie, going there in mid March to check out the housing market. Any suggestions?? Ralph