Consumer confidence surges over 15 points

 NEW YORK – Nov. 29, 2011 – The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which declined in October, surged almost 15 points in November.

The Index now stands at 56.0, up from 40.9 in October. The Present Situation Index increased 11.2 points to 38.3 from 27.1. The Expectations Index, which gauges attitudes about the economy’s condition six months from now, went up 17.8 points to 67.8 from 50.0. read more . . .

Sanibel Island Real Estate - Investors see bigger profits from rising rents

NEW YORK – Oct. 27, 2011 – Rental demand and prices continue to soar, and investors are cashing in. Rents are rising at a 5.17 percent annual rate – up from last year’s 4.72 percent rate. If rents continue to grow at their current pace, they won’t be too far behind the record-high reached in 2000 of 6.18 percent, according to Axiometrics Inc.  read more here  . . .

Sanibel Island Real Estate - Florida’s existing home and condo sales up in September

ORLANDO, Fla. – Oct. 20, 2011 – Florida’s existing home and existing condo sales continued their upswing in September, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Existing home sales increased 10 percent last month with a total of 15,036 homes sold statewide compared to 13,723 homes sold in September 2010, according to Florida Realtors. read more here . . .

Sanibel Island Real Estate Information - Homeownership rate second highest on record

WASHINGTON – Oct. 25, 2011 – The homeownership rate is at its second-highest level on record, only behind the record high set in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which began collecting homeownership data in 1890.  read full article here . . .

Sanibel Real Estate Update - Growth picture enjoys uptick

WASHINGTON – Oct. 25, 2011 – Economists have significantly raised their estimates of third-quarter economic growth ahead of the government’s official report Thursday, easing near-term fears of another recession.  read full article here . . .