Late last year the Naples Area Board of Realtors formed a focus group and established a committee to create some positive press after the real estate editors seemed to have it out for all of us. Shortly thereafter, the first of many articles began appearing in our local paper and slowly, but surely, the confidence of the buyers in the Naples Real Estate market returned. --With more closed sales in
Read MoreWhen I first started this real estate blog in December 2007, it was estimated that less than 3% of the public blogged. The percentage of real estate bloggers at that time was slightly less. A recent poll in the 2008 Realtor Technology Report, as reported by the National Association of Realtors says that 7% of the country's licensed sales associates post to their own self-hosted blogs daily, another 9% blog
Read MoreBack in the 1950's, Naples Bay began its metamorphosis as it changed from being a natural, mangrove lined, shallow estuary to a dredged body of water. Instead of being filtered naturally, stormwater now enters the bay via canals, including the main Golden Gate canal which connects to the Gordon River. This canal alone spills an average of over 200 million gallons of water a day into the bay!~ This excess
Read MoreIt happens every now and then, no matter how hard one might try to keep life in perspective...We get caught up in the daily routines and the simple beauty all around us goes unseen. -And then all of a sudden, in that dizzying rush to get things done, something or someone steps into our path and we slow down to see. I had several moments like that yesterday. As I
Read MoreSo, what's the scoop on Chinese Drywall? Yes, we've added yet another disclosure to those that already exist...Lead based paint disclosure, mold disclosure, radon disclosure, insurance disclosure, special taxing district disclosure...and so on and so on. Now, in the stack of paperwork that a buyer will be recommended to sign when making a purchase offer, there is another form: The Chinese Drywall Disclosure. It simply reads that drywall which was
Read MoreHappy Earth Day! I thought you might enjoy logging onto the following websites and taking their quizzes to calculate your personal Global footprint. How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle? I thought I was very conservative...I recycle, I use low energy bulbs, I only run the dishwasher and washing machine on full loads, I eat very little meat, I primarily buy local produce, I only live
Read MoreIf there is one thing for sure, that sets Naples apart, it's the easy beach access. From Pelican Bay south to Port Royal, Naples has seven miles of sugary-white sand beaches with public accessibility. Unlike much of the rest of the Sunshine state where the beaches are dotted with hotels & motels, restaurants & ice cream parlors and t-shirt shops with neon arrows pointing the way...Naples beautiful beaches are predominantly
Read MoreYesterday, at our weekly business meeting here at the Coldwell Banker Previews office, Kelly Rebimbas- Senior Loan officer for Sunbelt Lending, spoke about current industry news concerning mortgages. Here are a few topics that I think you will find very interesting: Did you know that mortgage rates have been higher in 35 out of the past 35 years? Fixed rates in March of 1974 were 8.41%. Going up each year
Read MoreThe NaplesRealEstate.com Team has upped the ante with its new website which caters to the affluent home buyer. This state-of-the-art site is completely tech-friendly and makes searching for that multi-million dollar home in Naples easier than ever! We have always prided ourselves in the service we deliver to buyers and sellers in all price ranges. Those of you that are familiar with us know that the first website that we
Read More"The best time to buy is always now"...I've heard that said many times over the past 28 years of my real estate career...and in most times that has definitely rung true...Of course, a lot of the folks who bought in 2004 through 2006 might not necessarily feel that way, but for those who did that don't need to sell right now, they have had the enjoyment of a wonderful home
Read MoreNormally Easter-time marks the end of "season" here in beautiful Naples Florida, but I think things are just now starting to get fired up! More and more of the customers we've shown property to in the past 12 months are calling to tell us that they'll be back now to find the best deals! There are so many fabulous opportunities out in the marketplace! Call or email us with your
Read MoreAs reported today in the local newspaper, The Naples Daily News, in an article contributed by HGTV's Frontdoor.com, Naples is the No. 2 bargain home buyer market in the United States. We trailed Stockton California as the nation's second best destination where good homes buys can be found! The article continued by stating we [Naples] are known for our "artsy side" and natural wonders, including the nearby Everglades. We were
Read MoreHere are a few interesting things to report which were discussed this morning at the office weekly sales meeting: The best news of all, our office was up over 82% in sales pending in the first quarter of 2009 as compared to the first quarter of 2008!The average list price in our office was up 5.8% Currently there are 10,405 Active residential listings in Naples per the MLS. Of those
Read MoreI had the pleasure yesterday, while driving through the alley behind the 800 block of Fifth Avenue South, of coming upon another lovely surprise in our beautiful little city. (see blog post dated March 5th, 2009 for another recent entry about "alley surprises") The first installment of public art, made possible by an ordinance passed in 2006, was recently erected in front of the new parking garage. The piece was
Read MorePalatial Estate Fabulous opportunity to buy a palatial 5 bedroom estate with breathtaking bay views, new 90' dock plus protected boat slip! Attention to detail beyond reproach. Click here to view virtual tour. For a personal tour of this majestic residence, or for additional information, call us today at 239-370-0574. For information about this and other multimillion dollar homes in Southwest Florida, please log onto our newest and most exciting
Read MorePending home sales are at their highest point since 2005! It has always been my contention that the best barometer to judge the "temperature" of the market is by studying pending sales. In a report recently released by the Naples Area Board of Realtors, January 2009 showed the highest number of sales pending since 2005. This is a key indicator of buyer activity. The first quarter of 2009 came and
Read MoreThe Coldwell Banker 'Portraits' campaign, which was originally released in 2008, has begun its 2009 multimedia roll-out highlighting the company's experience and innovation. Remember, Coldwell Banker has been successfully selling homes for 103 years! That is unprecedented in the industry today. The first spot, Iconic Homes, features notable properties such as The White House, Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Waters and the Jetsons' space age residence. The final tag line re-emphasizes
Read MoreToday I want to share with you one of the best buys in a perfectly maintained building along Gulf Shore Blvd. located on the bay with easy beach access across the street at The Moorings private beach. This remodeled 2 bedroom condo offers dazzling gulf and bay views, new impact windows, professional on-site management, fitness room, over-sized pool and docks available! Best of all, this home is priced below $500,000!
Read MoreThe NaplesRealEstate.com Team proudly welcomed their newest member to the "family" today. Actually, it IS the newest member to the family, not really the team! Our very own Meagan Harris and her husband Jay welcomed baby Liv to the world this morning while Auntie Kiki (Krista), Mimi (Michele)& Papa (Chip) were all close at hand! Liv is a beautiful baby girl who weighed in at 6 lbs 5 ozs. and
Read MoreIt was refreshing to logon to my networks this morning and read the reports about the upturn in the real estate markets around the country! Existing home sales rose at the fastest rate in over 6 years! Check out the following links for more good news! Inman News Fox Business I'm here to tell you, "housing WILL lead this country out of its recession"! Specifically, here in Naples, there are
Read MoreIt's been another busy day showing and selling houses in Naples Florida, but I wanted to post a couple of things that I thought were important. Jim Gillespie, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC is going to appear on the "Roadmap to Rebound" segment hosted by Maria Bartiromo on CNBC Friday March 20th at 4:30 PM to talk about the current state of housing. I would highly
Read MoreRecently, Harris Peppe Wells began to offer a new service, free only to our clients and customers. *Staging is fast becoming one of the best solutions in helping to make your home stand apart from its competition. ~and We've had great success! As an example; one of our listings, in Pelican Bay, which had been on the market for a long time, went under contract shortly after we finished the
Read MoreWe are so busy we can't see straight....no complaints here mind you; just an observation...In addition to showing homes, negotiating contracts, managing files, processing new listings, accompanying on showings, checking email as well as checking Twitter, and Myspace, and LinkedIn, and Facebook...and now a new social network called "Ning" that I just read about...whew! ~and proofing ads, and writing letters, and doing mailings, and returning phone calls, and so on
Read MoreLIVE . GOLF . DINE . RELAX . ENJOY Wonderful opportunity to own an exceptional residence in Arnold Palmer's signature course! The many features of this home include a great room with soaring ceilings, 3 spacious bedroom suites, a luxurious master retreat, perfectly appointed den with custom desk and built-in cabinetry, oversized-island kitchen with walk-in pantry and a casual dining area plus a formal dining room, side entry 3 car
Read MoreDo You YouTube? If you've been living on a secluded island for the past 4 years, click on the link and learn all about! In an effort to optimize our web presence, Harris Peppe Wells has been placing all of our listings on Youtube! Who doesn't "youtube" these days? Just click on the link and check it out! Thank you, and I hope to see you soon in paradise!
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