Naples FL Blog

If you are visiting Naples today, I am sure you have noticed the smokey smell in the air from the Big Cypress fires.  My husband Don & I were down at the beach tonight and watched the "smokey" sunset.

The winds were blowing the smoke from the fires Westerly.  If the smoke was this heavy at the beaches, I can only imagine how busy our Fire fighters are tonight!

Is anyone else tired of hearing bad news?  Good God!  I have had it with news about how bad the real estate market.  Hey!  The market is..........the market.  Doesn't anyone remember the late 1970's and the early 1980's when interest rates were double digits?  Anybody remember when there were NO adjustable rate mortgages?  Is anyone out there from the Midwest?  I remember a usuary rate in Illinois that prevented a lender from charging more than a set percentage rate on a loan.  Talk about mortgage money being scarce!

This Realtor® is here to tell you that there is some good news.  If you have been waiting to purchase a home in Naples, FL and want to purchase under $300,000.00 don't walk RUN to your favorite Naples Realtor® and find a home. "Why?", you ask?  Pull up a chair and I will tell you.

The Naples Board of Realtors released the first quarter of 2009 homes sales report. I have done the math and I can tell you that the first quarter of 2008 in comparison to the first quarter of 2009 the overall Naples market showed a 113% INCREASE in sales under $300,000.00. If you have been waiting on the fence to purchase a property in this price range, it is time to get off the fence!

In the same time period, other price ranges did not fare so well:

• $300K-$500K had a 26% decrease in closed sales
• $500K-$1M had a 32% decrease in closed sales
• $1M-$2M had a 50% decrease in closed sales
• $2M+ had a 27% decrease in closed sales

The  overall market was up 33% in closed sales but that increase was influenced by the increase in the under $300K price range.  The median sales price fell 45.92%  from the first quarter of 2008 in comparison to the first quarter of 2009 in the overall Naples market.

In the above bullated categories, there are some great buys if you are in that price range.

The under 300K price range is being driven by all the foreclosures and short sales.  If you have been thinking of purchasing a bank owned property or a short sale please click on the these highlighted links to learn more about buying these types of properties. 

When I sold real estate up North in Downers Grove, IL, I worked a number of short sales out in Woodridge, Bolingbrook and Aurora.  It was hard back then but I have to tell you it is worst today.  In MY OPINION a buyer is better off looking at bank owned properties -  bank owned properties will still have their share of problems, your Realtor® should be knowledgable about these issues.

My brother, Patrick, wants to purchase a bank owned home under $75,000.00 in Naples.  In following blog entries, I will relate our saga of trying to find a home.  Patrick did e-mail me today that when he finally moves into the home he will and I quote, "When all this is over with I'm going to throw you and Don a big appreciation party at my new house, catered of course. I'm not going through all that stress like you do for parties."

I feel like Smoky the Bear when I type......Even YOU can enjoy sunsets in Naples, FL  less than $300,000.00!

If you'd like to search for homes in Naples click on Property Search .  Want to comment on this blog entry?  Just click on the comment link at the bottom of this blog entry.  Want to subscribe to this blog?  Just click on the subscribe link near the comment link!  Your comments and opinions are welcome!

Why am I writing about Chicago hot dogs and beef sandwiches?  Both my husband, Don and I grew up in Chicagoland.  Don, could eat Chicago hot dogs and beef sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  He is a true hot dog lover.

When we first moved to Naples, Don longed for good Chicago style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches.

You can only imagine Don Wilber's unbridled joy when he discovered Cookers located just East of Goodlette Road on the North side of Pine Ridge in the Mission Square Shopping Center.  If you know where Noodles is located, Cookers is just across the street from Noodles.

According to Mr. Wilber, Cookers has the best Chicago hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches in all of Naples.  This afternoon found us finishing errands and having lunch at Cookers. Both Don and I had Italian beef sandwiches.  I had mine with sweet peppers and Don had his with Giardiniera peppers.  We both truly enjoyed our sandwiches.  I will say it does take the counter people a while to prepare the sandwiches.  Should you be in Naples and have a hankering' for some good Chicago style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, head for Cookers at 1485 Pine Ridge Rd. 239-254-0777.

FYI - My manager sent out an e-mail to all the Downing Frye agents recently that on March 31st, 30 sales contracts were turned into our office. 

The Naples MLS showed the following activity from:

March 1, 2009 - March 31, 2009

New Listings	1,905
Pending Sales	1,165
TerminatedListings	462
Withdrawn Listings	225
Expired Listings	765
Price Changes	3,159
Listings Back on Market	295

As of today, there are 10,592 active listing on the market in Naples.  Take a close look at the number of price reductions that were taken during the month of March in Naples;  3,159.  I would say looking at these numbers that 3,159 sellers were motivated enough to sell their homes that they lowered their asking price.

If you have been thinking about owning a second home in Naples, you may want to start planning on purchasing this year.  Low interest rates and a wide availability of affordable homes makes buying a home in Naples a good choice.

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