You may have noticed- It’s hot! Everywhere I turn—family and friends from up north, west coast, Midwest—Midwest—if you ask someone how it’s going, the first thing they say is, “It’s hot!” And here on the southwest Gulf Coast, It’s going to stay that way until at least October.I still have a good chuckle thinking back to our first December here when Ray and I were putting up Christmas decorations in shorts and flip-flops. It felt so strange at the time… now it’s just normal.
People often ask, “How do you handle the heat?” Well first, let’s all take a moment to thank Willis Carrier, the inventor of air-conditioning. Second, you also learn how to dress for the heat. Take for instance, tropical prints which I firmly believe are designed to discreetly hide perspiration so you can keep that Cool-Coastal vibe. You will also probably still carry a sweater, but now it’s for the icy blast of indoor AC, not for stepping outside.
For outdoor activities, do Ray and I still ride the motorcycle in summer? Absolutely! Though not in the sweltering afternoons when the heat index hits 108—we save our rides for after dinner, when the sun is setting and the coastal breeze kicks in. It’s a beautiful time of day.
I recently read an article that says people who live within 30 miles of the coast tend to live longer. (Living Longer along the Coast) Between the salt air, the gorgeous sunsets, and the year-round fresh seafood and produce, it makes sense. If hot yoga and saunas are supposed to be good for you, then living in Florida might just be the ultimate wellness plan.
Yes, it’s hot—but life along the Gulf is pretty special.
Stats and Data August 2025
You know me—I like for numbers to tell the story. Last month, we compared today’s market with the frenzied pace of Spring 2022 and the same period last year. This month, I’m zeroing in on what’s happening right now along our stretch of Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. Just a clear snapshot of where things stand right now. The data is simple and telling: how many homes came on the market in the past 30 days and their median list price; how many went under contract, their Days on Market (DOM), and list price; and finally, how many sold in the past 30 days—along with their DOM, list price, and how that compared to the final sale price. For consistency, I focused only on resale single-family homes and selected three fast-growing areas: Wellen Park, Lakewood Ranch, and Punta Gorda Isles.
Wellen Park:
New listings on the market in the last 30 days: 28 Average list price: $612,000.
Pending listings in the last 30 days: 34 DOM: 80 days Price at time of Contract: $602,000
Sold in the last 30 days: 36 DOM: 80 List Price: $627K Sold Price: $597,000
Click the here to see a beautiful Wellen Park home:
Lakewood Ranch:
New listings on the market in the last 30 days: 31 Average list price: $724,900.
Pending listings in the last 30 days: 33 DOM: 82 days Price at time of Contract: $699,000
Sold in the last 30 days: 48 DOM: 74 List Price: $774K Sold Price: $717,000
Click the link to see LWR home with over 3500square feet of WOW
Punta Gorda Isles
New listings on the market in the last 30 days: 75 Average list price: $450,900.
Pending listings in the last 30 days: 52 DOM: 83 days Price at time of Contract: $453,000
Sold in the last 30 days: 69 DOM: 74 List Price: $475K Sold Price: $437,000
Click the link to see PGI on the water beauty
So, what did you see in the data? This is what I found interesting:
1) Steady buyer activity despite summer heat
All three markets had more homes go pending or sold than were newly listed, which suggests inventory isn’t piling up — buyers are still active.
2) Days on Market holding in the 74–83 range
That’s a slower pace than the frenzy of 2022, but it’s consistent across all three areas. Sellers should expect about 2½–3 months from list to contract.
3) Price adjustments before closing are common
In all three markets, final sold prices came in below list prices — anywhere from about 4% lower in Lakewood Ranch to 6–8% lower in Wellen Park and Punta Gorda Isles. This reinforces the importance of strategic pricing.
Here are couple of interesting articles about mortgage rates and when will prices fall.
Here are a couple articles I think you might find interesting:
When will prices fall?
Mortgage Rates
And this one is a fun read. I have actually been in number 16 and it truly is rather amazing inside. The little village the house is in is just outside the city in Texas I am from. Weird Houses
Here is this months funny. Because I know how much we all LOVE traffic circles, the ones near Wellen Park, oh and the one at Jacaranda and Venice Ave.
Ray and I want to wish everyone a wonderful and safe August as school starts and last minute vacations happen. Please remember we are here to answer all your real estate questions.
Happy Summer to y'all!
Mary & Ray
