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Eight months into 2023 home sales, prices lower, listings up

One year ago in this column we wrote that the key takeaways in our local real estate market involved rising mortgage rates, which had then climbed above 6%, ultimately resulting in a substantial drop in the number of closed home sales in August 2022. We also noted that our market had clearly ...

There are many issues to consider in rent-to-own deal

Mr. Feichthaler, I am considering a rent-to-own situation where I would rent for the next five years, with an option to purchase at the end. The owner/landlord has agreed to credit $200 every month toward the purchase price. He also has asked for $20,000 down payment for the “option,” ...

Yellow allamanda

Living in Cape Coral … coming from the Northeast, I had a big learning curve when I moved here ... gardening would never be the same. My garden was a blank canvas, but I would dream and wake up with plans. I achieved a wonderful butterfly garden, originally by accident, and every year I add ...

One year after Ian

Sometimes it is hard to believe that one year has passed since Ian roared through Southwest Florida. We see constant reminders of the devastation; empty spaces on our beautiful beaches where buildings once stood, blue tarps on many of our roofs, and damaged trees and shrubs in our landscapes. ...

Cape Coral home price and home inventory facts and myths

On an almost daily basis we continue to see national media reports about the generally slowing number of sales in the real estate market, typically followed by comments that sales prices are remaining high because of a lack of both new and existing home inventory throughout the country. ...

Home ownership and protecting partners

Dear Mr. Feichthaler: My partner and I have been together for over 20 years, and we have a great relationship. He has never wanted to speak about what would happen to me if he passed away, so we don’t have any plan. Now that we are older, I think the time has come. I wasn’t sure if ...

Homing In: Are the monetary policies of the Fed coming home to roost?

A funny thing occurred in August and into early September, even before the euphoric celebrations by many economic experts, media pundits and market analysts had come to an end. In case you have not been paying attention, there has been a big celebration of what these experts believed was the ...

Guest Commentary: Understanding, managing and treating arthritis

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 24% of all adults in the United States have arthritis. This means 58.5 million Americans suffer from the condition. Arthritis affects everyone differently, but it hinders mostly anyone who has it. They may feel a painful ...

Plants for your water garden

Creating a water garden in the form of a small pond in your yard may take a bit of effort, but brings hours of enjoyment. In my previous article, I wrote about how to construct and care for water gardens. Today, we’ll look at several possible plants to enhance a backyard pond, from completely ...