Investors · Fort Myers
I am John Lee, a licensed agent with LPT Realty. I have invested in Florida real estate with my own money since 2006, I own a title company, and I underwrite your deal the way I underwrite mine. If the numbers do not work, I will tell you before you write the offer.
John Lee, licensed real estate agent · LPT Realty, LLC
What investor friendly means
Every deal works on a spreadsheet if the inputs are friendly enough. I show you mine so you can question them.
Rent from what comparable units lease for now. Insurance from a real quote. Property tax estimated for after the sale, when the assessment resets. Roof and systems priced by their real age.
Old liens, partial interests, estates, and boundary issues show up in a title search long before they show up at closing. Owning a title company, I look for them in the first week.
On a lot or a teardown, site work, utilities, impact fees, and the construction budget are most of the analysis. I deal with them on my own projects.
An investment is only as good as the exit. I keep track of which builders and investors are buying in which areas, and what they pay.
Fort Myers
Fort Myers is home. My family lives here and we are building our house here, so I see construction costs and timelines in Lee County every day. I also run TrueWay Homes, which puts manufactured homes on Florida infill lots, with a build underway in Fort Myers.
What I check on a Fort Myers investment property before you commit:
What I work on
Single family rentals, duplexes, and small apartment buildings, underwritten before we tour.
Land has been the core of my work since 2006, and I deal with construction budgets and timelines on my own builds.
Priced on income and comparable sales, with the leases, rent roll, and deposit records ready before investor buyers ask.
Commercial property too: retail, office, industrial, multifamily, and land. More on the Invest page.
Questions
It depends on the property more than the city. Two houses on the same street can have very different insurance, flood, and tax numbers. I run the rent, insurance quote, property tax after the sale, and flood zone on each property before I would call it a good rental.
Fort Myers and Lee County, including Fort Myers Beach, Estero, Bonita Springs, Sanibel, and Captiva, plus Naples, Marco Island, and LaBelle nearby. My wider territory runs up the Gulf coast through Sarasota to Tampa and St. Petersburg.
An investor-friendly agent runs the numbers before the showing and tells you when a deal does not work. I check rent against what comparable units are leasing for now, get an insurance quote, estimate the property tax after the sale, and price the roof and systems by their real age. You see every input and can question it.
The assessment resets when the property sells. The county reassesses it at market value as of the next January 1, and the seller's homestead exemption and Save Our Homes cap do not carry over to you. After that, increases on most non-homestead property are capped at 10 percent a year, a cap that does not apply to school taxes. Underwriting on the seller's tax bill is a common and expensive mistake.
It depends on what speed and certainty are worth to you. A direct cash offer usually trades price for a fast, simple closing. I pull the comparable sales so you can see what the property would likely bring on the market and decide whether the difference is worth it. Sometimes the cash offer is the right call.
More answers on the FAQ page.
Listed or not, I will run the rent, insurance, taxes after the sale, and flood numbers and tell you what I see, whether or not you end up hiring me.
John Lee, licensed real estate agent · LPT Realty, LLC