Housing starts to rise in Fort Myers-Naples

Housing starts are expected to be strong next year in the Fort Myers-Naples area because builders are bidding against each other for lots, says market tracker Metrostudy.

The fact that builders are competing for lots means they anticipate greater demand for new homes next year, says Brad Hunter, who oversees the Fort Myers-Naples market for Metrostudy.

Already, Metrostudy says the pace of housing starts in Lee County in the third quarter is nearly 36% higher than it was at the same time last year. In Collier it's up nearly 12% over the same period.

Metrostudy, which tracks new-home sales in master-planned communities, says move-ins were 16% higher in the third quarter in Lee County than in the second quarter. In Collier, they were up 13%.