Bill Arther ~ Punta Gorda Isles ~ REALTOR

My strategy is to get your property out on the internet in such a way that if 
there is any chance that it can be found by a buyer, or a realtor with a buyer, 
that it will be found.  I do this by making sure that all of the details are in 
the MLS listing and that the information is as accurate and complete as possible 
- resulting in your property appearing in the greatest number of relevant 
searches possible by anyone who is looking.  Another thing that I do is to list 
the property on internet websites that specialize in propagating listings to 
dozens of other websites around the world.  This results in the same thing 
exponentially - your listing will come up in the most searches possible, 
potentially on hundreds of websites, for buyers and realtors with buyers who are 
searching for Florida property from anywhere in the world.  I refer to this as a 
broadcast based marketing strategy.
 
If you wanted to buy real estate in Canada or England what would you do?  You 
might see something in a local paper or a magazine but this type of marketing, 
which I refer to as targeted marketing, will usually direct you to a Realtor's 
phone number or an internet website.  Targeted marketing can be a very expensive 
way of reaching very few people in the hopes of snaring a buyer.  Today most 
buyers (international or local) will likely start their search on the internet 
or call a local realtor - who will search the internet for them.  My strategy is 
to use broadcast advertising that is designed to capture the attention of 
everyone including those who use targeted advertising.  When they search for 
Florida Real Estate on Google I want them to find us.
 
Don't take my word for it - try it!  Go to www.google.com and pretend you are 
from another country (like England) and you want to buy property in Florida...  
Do a search on Florida Real Estate and when the list comes up click on a few of 
the links and try to find your property.  It may seem a bit kludgey at first but 
people are persistent - if they want it bad enough they will find it, and the 
best part is they usually know what they want so if they find your property it 
probably fits their criteria.  Anyway, it doesn't matter whether your Google 
search is from England, Canada, or Colorado, or whether it takes you to an 
international site like www.worldproperties.com, or U.S. sites like 
www.realtor.com, www.realestate.yahoo.com, www.trulia.com, www.homegain.com, 
www.remax.com, or www.prudentialproperties.com, buyers and realtors with buyers 
should find your property listed for sale.
 
I am always looking for other ways to efficiently and cost effectively market my 
listings so please let me know if you have an idea of how we can find our buyer 
- the proverbial needle in the haystack!
 
--
Bill Arther
Keller Williams Realty Gulf View
941.661.3643
All you really need to remember is www.billarther.com

Time to take some of the mystery out of the sailboat versus powerboat description often used to describe waterfront real estate (in Southwest Florida) and it's suitability for boating.

In the most basic form sailboat water would apply to any water suitable for a sailboat to operate in. Typically, regarding real estate and waterfront property, when I say sailboat water what I really mean is that you can get in your sailboat or large powerboat docked outside your home in a canal or waterway and the water will be deep enough for a boat with a keel or a large draft to get out into open water. Equally important is the ability to do this in an environment where there are no bridges that would prevent you from reaching suitable open water. This is important because it creates some confusion when you are talking sailboat water. Of course you know that you aren't getting under any low bridges in a sailboat, but many large powerboats are not suitable for going under small bridges either. If you have a large powerboat, chances are you want a waterfront lot in the sailboat section of town.

Here in Punta Gorda open water generally refers to Charlotte Harbor, the Peace River, and the Gulf of Mexico. Most people who buy property listed as ‘Sailboat Water' expect to be able to take their boat from their dock out to the Gulf of Mexico. Trust me when I tell you that there is no substitute for local expertise when you are trying to determine if a waterfront property is right for you and your boat. You will find property listed as sailboat waterfront with Gulf access where it is physically impossible to get your boat out of the canal and into open water. You will find lots listed as sailboat waterfront with Gulf access because there is water out back that leads to the Gulf of Mexico - regardless of whether the canal is dredged, the water is deep enough, or the canal is navigable. If there is water leading out to open water and there are no bridges, then it must be sailboat water - right? Wrong!

Powerboat lots are perfect for most small to medium sized powerboats - no sailboats! If you have a powerboat it may be perfect for a powerboat lot in the area where you would like to buy, just make sure to do your homework and check it out first. You will also want to consider that if at some point in the future you decide to get a bigger boat will this lot still be right for you. It's easy to upgrade to a bigger boat if you own a sailboat lot, not so much with a powerboat lot...

I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have regarding the Charlotte County area of Southwest Florida. It's a great place to live and a great time to buy. From Jacksonville to Miami on the East Coast and Tampa to Naples on the West Coast you won't find more affordable waterfront living anywhere in Florida. Along with the sunshine and warm weather we have some of the finest fishing and boating on the planet. So don't be shy, just ask me why...