My understanding of Lee Counties real value.

Greetings from SW FL!

It's getting to a point where you can't ignore the headlines about SW FL in almost ever National media newspaper, TV, radio even NPR has done an investigative report on our housing market and the downward effect it has had on the local economy. But when the headline fade from the public eye and buzz has quieted down my hometown is still one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Know what has been reported in the media, but what brought me to this area nearly 15 years ago is still just as true today as it was then. In fact when I first came to Lee County FL the nation was experiencing an "economic down turn" then as well. But back then we called it a recession, not an economic downturn; it seems to me we spin a lot of things today. It's not a recession because if we say the word recession it would validate itself and become a self propagating and we would really be in a recession then. Call me old school but if it walks like duck, talks like a duck it's not a chicken!

The fact is this area to the world is so beautiful that most of the western civilization would welcome the opportunity to come visit at least a week or more when they are in the "worker bees" stage of life and the entire three or four month season when the worker bees retire.

And why won't they! Just look at what is in our community's back yard, PGA quality golf courses, the Gulf of Mexico in all of its natural glory, tropical islands, Sanibel, Captiva, Estero white sand beaches known though out the tourism industry as one of the best in the world. Unparallel new and creative vast shopping, from regional malls to quaint mom & pop island shops featuring world renowned artist's creations. Gourmet dining nearby and close too from nearly ever where, and our brand new International airport which you can get to almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere on a non-stop flight. Yeah I would say it's good here, even when we are in a recession.

All I know about markets is they go up and down, nothing stays idle, and here are some of the best words of wisdom and old sayings that are true today as the day they where first said:

•1. "BUY LOW SELL HIGH".

•2. You'll know the bottom of the market, has indeed bottomed when it passes you by and prices go up.

•3. You'll know the top of the market when it passes you by and prices start to fall.

What I do know, is whenever I have the opportunity to take a few hours off and break away from my work and daily grind, I enjoy and take the opportunity to get out on the water. And if possible do some Tarpon or flat's fishing. After all it was a major reason I choose to live here. The areas is known for it's world renowned federal protected aquatic preserves. To a sportsman, its draw is as powerful as ringing the school bell at the end of a 4^th graders school day. I lay down tracks and head out to some of the greatest natural preserve and fisheries in all of North America for that matter the world.

Today in the Boca Grand pass there is world record Tarpon schooling out there, maybe rolling on the surface or hugging the bottom of the canyon and some lucky angler sportsman will enjoy the thrill of hooking into "the king of sport fishing". Just hooking up onto one these Tarpon for the next half hour or so they will forget about all to any other of their worldly concerns and focus on getting this "water missile" next to the boat with out it jumping and shaking (more like throwing the hook back at you) to perform this one simple task require a huge amount of skill, luck and physical energy. Just to release this great big beautiful fish back into the open water unharmed, hopefully tagged and a DNA sample taken before the release. To ensure the conservation of this magnificent fish and enjoy sheer excitement one gets when ever you hook into one of these big fish.

This weekend I will try my luck at actually landing a Tarpon and officially earn the title of rooky Tarpon fisher but getting a leader tag on one of the greatest challenges of fishing. So tomorrow before dawn we'll leave to be on station by sun rise to officially catch my first Tarpon. I have hooked over a half dozen, been jumped by some big fish fought them 10 to 20 minutes only to have the Tarpon next to the boat and with one last once of fight in them jump and throw the hook back to me.

So today I do what I need to so that more of my tomorrow's can be filled with natural beauty and challenges like hooking a Tarpon from a boat that I have in my own back yard...

Where can you go from your back yard? If your like me maybe now that the market is down would actually be one of the best times to buy... Give me a call.