November 26, 2008
'Contrarian Realtors' open new office
Partners see need in Lehigh Acres
By Don Ruane   druane@lehighnewsstar.com

Foreclosures, crime and abandoned homes overgrown with grass aren't ideal for selling real estate.
So who would be "crazy enough" (their words) to set up shop in Lehigh Acres at a time like this?
The answer is John McWilliams and Tom Buckley & Associates, which just opened an office in Coral Plaza on Lee Boulevard.
"We are the contrarian Realtors," McWilliams said.
The pair are Fiddlesticks residents who met and organized their business in 2007. They also work from an office at 8971 Daniels Center Drive in south Fort Myers.
"We were selling property and we took a look at things. We said we need to be back in Lehigh," McWilliams said.
Most of the Lehigh sales now involve foreclosures, but they are sales nonetheless.
The upward trend reflects activity throughout Lee County. Home sales for the third quarter were up 73 percent from a year ago at 2,198 transactions this year, compared to 1,273 during the same period last year. Sales also were up during the second quarter, according to data from the Florida Association of Realtors.
Prices are more affordable now, McWilliams said. Each sale reduces the overstocked inventory and helps to stabilize prices, he said.
McWilliams and Buckley opened their first office to sell homes in the $250,000 to $800,000 range throughout Lee County. But they noticed a lot of activity in Lehigh, McWilliams said.
"We believe in the future of growth here. We know we have to cycle through a challenging period," McWilliams said.
The pair and their associates don't wait for people to come to them or do everything from the office, Buckley said.
"We're selling agents," Buckley said.
McWilliams is a veteran Lehigh real estate agent. Over the course of 26 years, he was frequently named sales leader for Coldwell Banker before setting out on his own.
While he built his career, Buckley strapped on his skates and emerged as a leader in his field, rather rink, as well.
Buckley played for the Florida Everblades from 1999-2004 and established himself over the course of 288 games as an all-time leader for the team. His retired jersey hangs from the ceiling.
Buckley, a forward, is the team's career leader in assists with 207 and penalty minutes with 422. But he also scored 103 goals (third best) and racked up 310 points (goals and assists for second on the list.)
Buckley clearly is the student of McWilliams and his traditional approach, although likes to talk about how he and staff brought McWilliams into the computer age over the past 18 months. He speaks like a proud son about how McWilliams has picked up skills and now is able to generate his own computerized reports.
"I knew hockey wouldn't last forever," said Buckley, who brings the energy of youth and lessons learned in sports about working hard to the partnership.
His real estate career started in the commercial area. He switched to residential after the housing boom ended.

Real estate sales partners John McWilliams, left, and Tom Buckley have opened their second office in the Coral Plaza on Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres. They believe Lehigh's market will thrive again, McWilliams said. They also have an office on Daniels Center Drive in Fort Myers. (Don Ruane/news-press.com)

Nov. 3, 2008 - McWilliams Buckley & Associates opened a second Office and are welcoming new agents.
The Office is located at:
1140 Lee Blvd. #101 Lehigh Acres, FL 33936 in the Coral Plaza.
Phone 239-466-9411 Fax: 239-303-0947
This new office is shared by Morgan & Associates Title Company.

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