Eugene Fulton - Realtor

Eugene Fulton - Realtor Helping NY/NJ/IL buyers relocate to Punta Gorda & SW Florida — honest guidance, real data, no pressure.

06/09/2026

If you're paying $9,000+ a year in property taxes in New Jersey, here's something worth knowing: that same $350,000 home in Charlotte County, Florida runs closer to $3,000 to $3,500 a year — with the homestead exemption.

And that's before you factor in zero state income tax. New Jersey charges up to 10.75%. New York up to 10.9%. Illinois 4.95% flat. Florida charges none of it.
Now, I'll be straight with you — homeowners insurance down here is real money. Budget $2,500 to $5,000 a year depending on the home. It's not nothing, and you should plan for it.

But when you add it all up — taxes, income, housing costs — most of my clients from New Jersey and New York are still coming out meaningfully ahead.

I just put out a full breakdown on YouTube. Link in the comments if you want to see the numbers.

06/05/2026

The Sunseeker Effect: What a $700M Resort Does to the Properties Around It 📈

In October 2023, Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor opened its doors — a 785-room destination resort on Charlotte Harbor in Port Charlotte. It was the largest new resort opening in SWFL in a generation.

For luxury property owners and buyers within a 10-mile radius, this matters in concrete ways:

Valuation lift: Destination resort infrastructure historically raises surrounding property values 8–15% over a 5–7 year window. It signals to institutional buyers and second-home purchasers that the market has arrived.

Amenity without ownership: Within minutes of your Punta Gorda home, you now have a world-class restaurant, spa, marina, and entertainment venue — without paying membership fees.

Flight access: The resort's private aviation partnerships have accelerated the PGD Airport expansion conversation. Private charter volume into PGD has increased measurably since opening.

Visibility: Sunseeker has brought national media attention to a market that luxury buyers from NY and Chicago previously overlooked.

The smartest time to buy near a destination resort is before the market fully reprices. That window is narrowing.

06/04/2026

5 things buyers from New York and New Jersey wish someone had told them before moving to Charlotte County.

Flood zones. Insurance timelines. HOA decisions. Commute math. Building a social life from scratch. These are the five things that come up over and over after the move. Know them before you go. Save this — you'll want it.

06/03/2026

Renting vs. Buying in Port Charlotte Right Now: The Honest Math 📊

I get this question constantly: "With rates where they are, isn't it better to rent for now?"

Here's the actual math — not the headline version.

Renting a 3-bed/2-bath in Port Charlotte: $1,800–$2,200/month. You build zero equity. Your rent increases 5–8% annually. You own nothing in 5 years.

Buying at $265,000 with 5% down (FHA):
Principal + interest at 6.75%: ~$1,639/month
Taxes + insurance: ~$500–$650/month
Total: ~$2,150–$2,300/month

The difference: At $2,200/month in rent, you've paid $132,000 over 5 years with nothing to show. At $2,200/month owning, you've paid down ~$15,000 in principal and the home has likely appreciated $30,000–$50,000 based on historical Charlotte County trends.

That's a $45,000–$65,000 wealth swing over 5 years for the same monthly payment.

Renting isn't always wrong. But for most buyers in this market, the math isn't close.

05/30/2026

How to Compete in a Multiple-Offer Situation Without Overpaying 💪

Multiple offers are still happening in Port Charlotte — especially on clean, move-in-ready homes under $300K. Here's how first-time buyers win without throwing money they don't have at the problem:

1. Offer clean. Minimize contingencies where possible. Ask your agent what the seller values. Some want speed. Some want certainty. A strong pre-approval letter and flexible closing date can outperform a higher bid.

2. Escalation clause. Offer your target price, but add a clause that you'll beat any competing offer by $1,000 up to a cap. You only pay more if you have to — and you stay in the game.

3. Shorter inspection period. Standard is 15 days in Florida. Offering 7–10 days signals confidence and seriousness to a seller.

4. Personal letter — sometimes. Seller is an individual (not an investor or estate sale)? A brief, genuine note about why you love the home can be surprisingly effective.

5. The best move: talk to your agent first. Every multiple-offer situation is different. Strategy depends on who the seller is, how long it's been on the market, and what they need.

Winning a multiple-offer isn't about spending the most. It's about presenting the least risk.

05/29/2026

Sarasota County just posted its April numbers, and the one that keeps jumping out at me is this: active listings are down 27% from a year ago. That's over 1,100 fewer homes available compared to April 2025.

At the same time, new pending sales jumped 17%. More buyers, fewer choices.

Months of supply — the measure of how long it would take to sell everything currently listed — sits at 4.7. A balanced market is around 5.5. We're below that and trending down.

Median sale price came in at $490,000, up 4.3% year over year. Sellers are getting 94.3 cents on every dollar of original list price.

If you're planning a move to Sarasota, Venice, North Port, or Englewood, this is the environment you're stepping into. Not impossible — but it rewards preparation over impulse.

I do a full breakdown every month. Link in the comments if you want to watch it.

05/28/2026

The Real Reason People Who Move to Port Charlotte Stay in Port Charlotte 🏡

People come here for the weather and the price. They stay for reasons they didn't expect.

I've asked dozens of clients — people 6, 12, 24 months in — what surprised them most. The answers cluster around three things:

The neighbors. Not the HOA version of neighborliness — actual community. Street-level friendships that form because people are outside, on their driveways and lanais, not retreating inside. People wave here. They help. They show up.

The pace of errands. No traffic. No parking structure. In and out of the grocery store in 12 minutes. A lunch reservation at noon is available on a Tuesday. Life friction is just lower.

The relationship with nature. Ospreys nesting on channel markers. Manatees surfacing by the dock. Roseate spoonbills landing on the seawall. After a year, you still look up. You never stop noticing.

People don't move here because it's perfect. They stay because it's genuinely good — in ways that compound over time.

05/25/2026

Flood Zone AE vs Zone X in Charlotte County Florida — what every buyer needs to know before making an offer.

If you're relocating to Southwest Florida from New York, New Jersey, or Illinois, flood zone designations will directly impact your homeowners insurance costs and your loan requirements. This quick breakdown explains the difference between FEMA flood zone X and flood zone AE, what flood insurance actually costs in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, and the one step you need to take before submitting any offer.

Comment "FLOOD" and I'll send you my free Charlotte County Flood Zone Checklist.

Charlotte County inventory just dropped 28% from a year ago. We went from over 4,000 homes on the market to under 2,900....
05/19/2026

Charlotte County inventory just dropped 28% from a year ago. We went from over 4,000 homes on the market to under 2,900.

That's the number I keep coming back to when I talk to buyers from out of state.

Full breakdown with the month-over-month trend charts is on YouTube — link in the comments.

Address

1300 Main Street
Sarasota, FL
34236

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+19412861130

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Eugene Fulton - Realtor posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Eugene Fulton - Realtor:

Shortcuts

Share

Category