Community Feature: Brightwater, North Fort Myers

Are you looking for a modern, master-planned community in Southwest Florida with resort-style amenities? If so, look no further than Brightwater Lagoon in North Fort Myers, which features a 6-acre, crystal-clear lagoon-style pool. We had the opportunity to tour this community and see the lagoon, which is incredible. Brightwater Lagoon lets you enjoy beachfront, resort-style living without moving to the beach.  The lagoon has lounge chairs, sandy shores, cabanas, a tiki bar, food trucks, zero-entry beach access, and space for paddleboarding or kayaking. The community also features multi-use trails perfect for jogging, walking and cycling. There will also be a volleyball court, a park, and a dog park to bring your furry friends.  In addition to the unparalleled amenities, Lennar has some excellent new construction deals in this community.  Lennar is offering 4% towards buyer’s closing costs! If you want to get financed, Lennar’s mortgage company offers interest rates as low as 4.625%! Lennar has several floor plans to choose from, and all homes have impact-resistant windows. If modern, resort-style living is what you’re looking for, please reach out to us to schedule a tour of this community. We can help you negotiate a sweet deal, and Lennar will pay our commission! Call us today to help you find a great deal on a NEW CONSTRUCTION home!  

Fall Salad

If you're looking for a side dish to take to a family gathering, consider this Fall Salad for something a little different. The ingredients are very simple, and the vinaigrette is light and not too sweet. The great thing about this salad is that you can switch it up based on your taste. You may consider adding pear, bacon, pumpkin seeds, candied nuts, or different cheeses.  Salad Ingredients: 1 bag or small container of mixed greens or 50/50 mixed greens/baby spinach mix 1-2 crisp apples, thinly sliced  1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans Vinaigrette Ingredients: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 2-3 teaspoons of honey to taste Salt and pepper to taste   Directions:  In a large salad bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake to combine. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy!   *This recipe was adapted from Half Baked Harvest's Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad and Grandbaby Cake's Harvest Fall Salad.

Five of SWFL’s Best Local Coffee Shops

If you’re looking for the best local cafes to grab a coffee, latte, or snack, check out this list below with five of Southwest Florida’s best coffee shops. You can rest assured that this list features only locally owned shops, so you can support SWFL businesses while you enjoy your coffee. Check out these highly-rated SWFL coffee shops: Chocolattés Coffee is a family-owned and operated coffee shop on San Carlos Blvd in Fort Myers. Chocolattés has been in business since 2003 and was recently voted the best coffee shop in Lee County for the 3rd year in a row via Gulfshore Life Magazine. At Chocolattés, they roast and blend beans in-house to provide a flavor for each taste. In addition to coffee and coffee concoctions, the shop serves smoothies, kombucha on tap, and teas. They have various breakfast and lunch options ranging from their famous gluten-free crepes to yogurt parfaits, flatbreads, and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Urban Buzz is another local favorite coffee shop in Cape Coral and Estero. Urban Buzz is a fun and energetic coffee shop featuring nitro cold brews, plant-based energy drinks, milkshakes, and specialty coffees.  If you like a little sweetness with your coffee, try their most popular coffee drink, the OG, a vanilla caramel breve with caramel drizzle. You’ll find other fun coffee drinks on the menu, such as Banana Foster, Cookie Monster, and the Buzzed Bee, which is a lavender, honey breve. Urban Buzz is the coffee shop to take your teenage or college-age children or grandchildren to. They’ll be so impressed!  Cafe Flore in Fort Myers is a hidden gem that serves coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, and teas. In addition to their delicious drinks, they have an assortment of breakfast sandwiches, crepes, toasts, paninis, flatbread pizzas, and desserts. Customers of Cafe Flore rave about not only the tasty drinks and bites, but the excellent customer service by the owners and staff. And whether you’re coming for a coffee or a snack, order the New Orleans Beignets, a crowd favorite!  Penny’s Coffee Bar is another local favorite in Downtown Cape Coral off 47th Terrace. If you’re looking for a low-key and relaxing environment to enjoy your coffee, this is the spot for you. They serve all the classic coffee drinks, smoothies, refreshers, and specialty drinks, including the Pistachio Cold Brew and S’mores Mocha. You can also find light bites here, such as pastries, breakfast burritos, avocado toast, and sandwiches for lunch. What makes Penny’s unique is the cozy and warm environment with a book exchange library and a collection of board games for you to enjoy while you’re there.  Summer Moon Coffee in Fort Myers is a popular coffee spot in the Reflection Lakes area near Lakes Park. While Summer Moon has several locations across the Southeast U.S., the Fort Myers location is locally owned. At Summer Moon, they roast their coffee over Texas oak, which results in a rich, smooth, balanced coffee flavor. They are also known for their “Moon Milk,” their signature sweet cream made of 7 secret ingredients. While enjoying your coffee or a Mocha Moon Latte, try one of their homemade menu items, such as muffins, banana bread, guava and cheese croissants, or breakfast burrito. This spot will appeal to the coffee connoisseur who appreciates a rich cup of black coffee or the sweet coffee lover! 

What You Should Know about SWFL if You’re Considering Relocating Here

Are you considering relocating to Southwest Florida, but you'd like some more information about the Lee County area? Here are some things you should know if you're thinking about moving to the Southwest Florida/Lee County area:  Southwest Florida has several vibrant cities that offer relaxed coastal living, beautiful beaches, and a thriving community with numerous businesses, shopping, and dining opportunities. Lee County encompasses several cities, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel. Each city has its own unique features that make it special, but they all provide that laid-back coastal living that Southwest Florida is known for. If you're looking for the most affordable waterfront living with boat access to the Gulf, Cape Coral is your best bet. If you’d like to live close to a thriving downtown area, or near the historic Edison and Ford Winter Estates, you should consider Fort Myers. However, if you want to be closest to our beautiful beaches, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel are the best options. And if you like shopping and fine dining, Bonita Springs and Estero are filled with plenty of shopping and dining options.  Southwest Florida is known for its sunny weather, and Lee County offers many ways to enjoy the outdoors. Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve and Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve are two of the County's wetland areas with boardwalks that allow you to walk through the wetland and view the local wildlife. The County has several parks that provide recreation, boat ramps, and paddle craft launches for kayaking, canoeing, and paddle boards. Southwest Florida has several highly rated beaches to enjoy, ranging from Sanibel and Captiva to Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach.  For sports enthusiasts, Fort Myers is the home to the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins spring training facilities, and the Minor League team, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, for their regular season games. The Florida Everblades, Southwest Florida's professional hockey team, play their home games at Hertz Arena in Estero. With year-round warm weather, there are also ample opportunities for you or your kids to partake in year-round sports such as tennis, pickleball, golf, basketball, kayaking, baseball, football, and beach volleyball. Lee County has also been coined as a "fisherman's paradise" because of the abundance of in-shore and offshore fishing opportunities, including fishing from bridges, piers and shorelines to deep sea fishing.  If you're looking for great arts and entertainment, the Hertz Arena in Estero is a premier entertainment venue in Southwest Florida that holds concerts and shows. The Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Center in Fort Myers also features concerts, comedy tours, and Broadway shows. The Broadway Palm Dinner Theater has a full calendar of Broadway-style shows. Lee County is also home to the Southwest Florida Symphony, the Cape Coral Art Festival, ArtFest Fort Myers & the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.  If you're curious about public education, utilities, health and safety, or vehicles and travel, Lee County has a New Residents Guide with links to important local information. The guide can be found here: https://www.leegov.com/resources/residentsguide. You can also reach out to our team with any questions that you may have about the Southwest Florida/Lee County area.   Whether you're considering moving to Southwest Florida to raise your family or coming down for retirement, there is something for everyone here. We’d love to help you get acquainted with the area and find your dream home in Southwest Florida.