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Paradise in Pelican Bay, Naples, Florida

June 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

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The Amenities at Pelican Bay

Residents and Guests take part in a variety of amenities at Pelican Bay. The finest and most frequented amenity are the two beach access locations; accessible by only by showing a Foundation Member identification card. These wonderful stretches of white sand extend for almost three miles. The south beach location offers year round dining at the Sunset Café and the Sandbar seasonally. The north beach offers elegant beach dining at the Sandpiper. The North Beach Café has a variety of drinks that will quench anyone’s thirst.

Pelican Bay is one of the most active tennis communities in Southwest Florida. Whether you’re interested in tennis leagues, round-robins, professional instruction or special events there is something for everyone. Two tennis complexes have a total of 18 courts is enough to make you perspire just thinking about it. 

Speaking of perspiring the fitness center is located within the Community Center at Pelican Bay. The very best equipment is offered to include Lifefitness and Cybex lines of cardio, strength and core training. Personal training is another benefit the fitness center offers along with a variety of classes. Designed to provide a relaxing and enjoyable experience the wellness studio is located seconds from the fitness center. A variety of therapeutic massages and facial/skin treatments are available by appointment.

Many utilize Clam Bay for recreational enjoyment with the use of the canoes and kayaks available for residents to checkout. The adventures you will have on the water with your family and friends could be priceless. The tram system is another amenity to residents. The tram system runs along the berms and boardwalks. It is designed to take residents to and from the beach and restaurants.

Various outdoor recreational activities occur within the confines of Pelican Bay including, bicycling, fishing, nature walks, running, jogging and rollerblading. The majority of these activities occur on the berm since motor vehicles do not have access to this portion of Pelican Bay.

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Life Just Doesn't Get Any Better than Paradise....I live here and can help you find your perfect Home....and Now is the Time To Buy!

 

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Pre-Inspected Local Listings Help Save Time, Money

June 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

 

 

If you are readying your home for sale this spring or summer, one of my favorite tactics to set your property apart from other area listings is to order a pre-inspection. If you’re not familiar with the term, a pre-inspection is a less detailed, less expensive visual inspection designed to report major conditions certain to be noted in the final. Why add this extra expense? Won’t buyers ultimately get their own inspection?

Yes, they will. But the purpose is not to replace a final inspection — it’s to attract more offers and hasten a final sale by minimizing re-negotiation.

 Picture yourself as a prospective buyer. Local listings which headline the availability of a pre-inspection report automatically seem to be offered by someone who is proud of their property’s condition and unafraid of what the final inspection will reveal. To skittish prospective buyers, it serves to lessen the "fear of the unknown" that can make buyers hesitate before writing an offer. If there were a formula, it would look something like:

Eliminating objections = Attracting more offers

Pre-inspected listings let you document major conditions that have either been addressed or left for the future owner to remediate as he or she sees fit. By noting how your asking price includes precise dollar allowances for named conditions, you display openness and conviction in the basis for your pricing. Local listings written after a pre-inspection are a lot more likely minimize last-minute re-negotiation: if you have ever been asked at the last minute to knock off  $20k from an accepted offer, you know the value of that.

It is worth noting that any serious defects that a pre-inspection identify must be disclosed, for better or for worse. But fear of a major discovery shouldn’t dissuade you: any major defect will certainly be discovered by the buyer’s inspector. The old saying applies: knowledge IS power.

If you plan to add your own property to the local listings any time this year, my job is to see that it brings you top dollar. Contact me today to talk over the way we will get that done!

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As Pelican Bay and Bay Colony Sellers Beginning to Think ‘Sellers’ Market’

May 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

 

So the market’s recovering, interest rates are low, and you think you’re finally ready to buy a home? Not so fast. Buyers across the country are running into a new roadblock: there don’t seem to be enough homes for sale.

Anyone who has looked at entry- to mid-level homes for sale in Our Pelican Bay Neighborhoods probably knows what I mean. Mortgage rates remain near historic lows, and as the prices of homes for sale continue to rise, fears that we could soon see a repetition of a real estate equity loss seem increasingly unlikely. 

Why the lack of inventory? There are several reasons. Buyers may be ready to buy again, but somesellers are still not in a position to offer their local homes for sale. When the housing market collapsed seven years ago, some homeowners’ equity loss was such that they remain unable to sell. Prices may be on the rise, but some need more time to return to pre-crash values.

Buyers always want to buy at the bottom, but sellers want to avoid selling there. Buyers are watching that bottom fade into the distance, but some sellers, pleased to watch their homes growing in value, are content to wait longer.

NAR says that there were just 1.93 million existing homes for sale on the national market in March, down nearly 17% from the prior year. In a well-balanced market, what had been a six month’s supply fell to just 4.7 months’ worth.  Nationally, homes for sale now stay on the market for just 62 days, down from a median of 91 days only last year. Glenn Kelman, CEO of an online national real estate brokerage, put it succinctly: "Somebody rang a bell and said the boom is back, and nobody wants to be late to the party."

Homeowners who have been thinking about selling are increasingly liking what they see in today’s market — including the prospects for trading up. Even those whose previous evaluations were unsatisfactory are finding it worth another look. If you would like to find out what your home is worth today, give me a call!

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Area Luxury Home Listings Can Do Too Good a Job!

May 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

 

Ah, spring is truly in the air…the traditional time when people can fall in love at first sight!

I’ll try not to dampen those springtime spirits too much, but for anyone currently looking into the local luxury home listings, some advice may be in order:

Online love at first sight is a really bad idea.

Those local luxury home listings can indeed be truly alluring, and using your computer (or iPad, or smartphone) to winnow through the current crop of terrific area luxury home listings is a supremely practical approach.

But do remember that any warm glow you experience after checking out a particularly fetching online tour is best held in check until after you have paid an in-person visit. Then the love affair is more likely to be the real thing.

Especially when it comes to the luxury home listings, they have been created by talented professional stagers and photographers (not to mention musicians, when a video is part of the presentation). We work with them to create an immersive online experience, which is all to the good.

The only drawback comes if we do such a good job that local luxury home prospects fall head over heels.  If reality can’t possibly match the romance of their mind’s eye abstraction, well…just ask a teenager’s parents about what the falling out of love experience is like! Until you have contacted me and we’ve made a real life, in-the-flesh house tour, what we are dealing with is — let’s face it — puppy love.

Seasoned buyers know that stunning photos can’t begin to reveal all the details that make for ‘the real thing.’ Does the kitchen fit a family’s cooking style? Is that gorgeous landscaping a good setting for kids and pets? Is the neighbourhood right for a particular family?

If your own home belongs among our eye-catching local luxury home listings, you probably also know that prospective buyers will be genuinely impressed when they visit in person. If that’s the case, I hope you’ll be contacting me soon for a complimentary consultation.

 

 

 

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Area Property Owners Get a Jump on Retirement

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

The other day I ran across some eyebrow-raising financial trivia. There’s a takeaway that should be encouraging for everyone who already own property in town.

The undeniable value of home ownership is pretty clear when you take a look at some of these financial facts — 

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 56% of workers report that they haven’t even attempted to calculate how much money they will need for a comfortable retirement. That should get them thinking (although it looks like it hasn’t). If the Center for Retirement Research is right that only 42% of private sector workers have any retirement savings at all, it might explain why they don’t want to think about it.

I believe we can safely ignore Fidelity Investments’ finding that a 65-year-old couple retiring last year would require an estimated $240,000 for retirement medical expenses. Not that they will require more or less, but with the Affordable Care Act currently being eyed suspiciously by politicians in both parties, who knows how much (or what proportion) of care will be provided by…who knows?

On the brighter side, a certain degree of realism seems to have crept into the general populace. That is, if the Employee Benefit Research Institute is right that only 14% of American workers are very confident they will have enough money to live ‘comfortably’ in retirement. It’s undoubtedly why more and more Americans are planning on working well past the former retirement age.

What you can deduce from these facts is how much brighter your own future is if you have owned your own local property for a while. Owning your property free and clear puts that shelter expense money back in your pocket. From the moment you make the final mortgage payment, the likelihood of having a ‘comfortable’ retirement goes up dramatically.

It’s why the American Dream of owning property is such a great wealth-building tool: one that forces long-term saving regardless of how daily living pulls in the opposite direction. If you haven’t started building your own property ownership yet, I’m here to show you how to make it happen!

 

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Three Questions to Ask New Neighbors When Relocating

May 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

 

 

With more than 43 million people relocating throughout the U.S. every year, you don’t have to wait until you are surrounded by stacks of cartons to realize how important it is to make your next move the right one. If you’re buying a house in town in the foreseeable future, it’s a particularly valuable idea to take the time to chat with some of your potential new neighbors. And while you’re at it, why not bring up a few relevant questions:

Which schools are best? 

School quality affects more than just property values. Especially if you have your own kids, buying a house in town is least disruptive when their new school is the best one available. You’ll make the soundest choice by comparing more than one parent’s opinion.

Is there a neighborhood watch?

You will have already aimed for the safest area possible. Now, getting involved with an active neighborhood watch can further ensure your family’s safety. When buying a house, the presence of a neighborhood watch is a good indicator of some solid community spirit…and if there isn’t one, make sure the reason is that everyone already feels secure in the area.

What events are available in town?

Buying a house means buying a home base for all your family’s activities. By asking your neighbors which local events and activities they enjoy the most, you’ll get a glimpse of the scope and depth of the cultural life that’s going to surround you. As a side benefit, just inquiring shows you as someone who is sociable — and that you’ll be a good new neighbor to have!

 The simple act of reaching out in this way lets you familiarize yourself with a new neighborhood faster, and ultimately leads to a better-informed long term real estate decision. Especially if the area is new to you and your family, buying a house in town is actually a one-time opportunity to make a host of new friends. I have tons of information available for futureresidents. If you’re even considering buying a house in the area, don’t hesitate to call me today!

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Selecting Your Real Estate Rep is Hands-On Activity

May 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

 

 

The Naples Florida, Pelican Bay....housing market’s recovery is still establishing itself. It’s not exactly in its infancy, but I would say it has a way to go before we can call it ‘mature.’ The majority of predictions for the rest of 2013 remain widely positive, and the young housing recovery is being strongly supported by continuing low mortgage rates.

This might easily lull prospective home sellers into assuming they will automatically have a simple selling process, but housing upturn or not, it’s no time to go to sleep. In short, it’s still a good idea for area sellers to take as much care as ever before — especially when it comes to choosing a real estate professional to represent their property.  

ASK. Don’t be afraid to ask every candidate for evidence that they have ample experience in selling area housing similar to yours. Experience will shape the marketing and all the other decisions that will be brought to bear on your behalf. Your home’s sale is no time to depend on trial and error!

 WATCH. From the moment you meet any candidate for your representative, look for the kind of confidence that will resonate with potential buyers. Housing choices are extremely important to every prospect. They are bound to feel more comfortable when the representation of their next home is in the hands of an obviously capable pro. If an agent doesn’t display those skills when you interview him or her, how likely are they to do so later on?

CHECK. If all else looks good, do check into the candidate’s community ties. A real estate professional who has solid connections within the local community will provide instant exposure where it does the most good. And a lively website is more evidence that you’re headed toward a solid choice.

 Don’t fear to be inquisitive when locating the local Realtor to sell your home; the questions you ask will serve a double purpose: telling him or her that you are a focused client. Looking for a place to start?  Let me interview first —  I’ll demonstrate how I can make your listing shine this spring!

Learn more about me Here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkDXCuUz_-4

 

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Pets and Worry-Free Relocating to Naples, Florida!

May 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

 

 

Close to 70% of families say they have a dog or a cat in their household. If you are in that sizeable majority and are planning on relocating to town, there are some planning steps you can take to help ease the move for your four-legged family members. 

Since the daily routine is going to be thoroughly undermined, on the day of your move, do as much as is practical to retain a calm atmosphere. If possible, provide a small quiet area where the pets can stay out of the way and safely clear of any wide-open doors. If you have portable fencing that’s strong enough to do the job, remember to make it available with the first wave of unpacking.

Fostering calm is especially important while your goods are being moved in and out by big, scary strangers.  If you will be using cages for transportation, make sure they are roomy enough, and put in some familiar, comforting toys. For especially excitable pets, you may want to consider spraying their cage ahead of time with a pheromone formulation that helps retain calm.

Relocating to the area or moving into any new home is apt to create opportunities for pet prison breaks. A move can disrupt behavior patterns for even the most loyal four-footer. Both cats and dogs who have gotten lost during relocation have famously made their way back home — even when home isn’t there any more. Prevent such misdirected heroics by making sure the garden has been fully secured before you move – and have all collars equipped with new tags with new local contact information. A doubly failsafe method is to have your pet micro-chipped. 

Relocating to town will be a big event, and a big adventure. Pup and Kitty will settle in shortly: the truth is, as soon as you are content, they will be, too. If you are in the early stages and have not yet found your new local home, I offer some of the best service in town – and I’d be delighted to introduce you to some of our best  neighborhoods!  Call me anytime.

Look for a new Home or Condo Here ...http://pelicanbayhomefinder.com/

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Area Real Estate Market Watchers Find Another Surprise

May 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

When the Wall Street Journal or Forbes run mortgage rate stories as their lead items, those of us who keep an eye on thelocal real estate market pay close attention. I frequently share what they say here. But when even the non-financial outlets like USA TODAY and the cable TV news channels give top billing to real estate market news, it’s a real attention-grabber.

That’s what happenedlast week. USA TODAY’s online headline focused on the 15-year fixed mortgage rate, “at a record low 2.61%.” The cable news channels talked about record low rates, too (although if you hit the ‘pause’ button long enough to read the TV graphics, you saw that the national average for 30-year loans was still a shade away from the actual record low).

 Never mind that; it’s still surprising that mortgage rates continue to linger at such tempting lows.

The reason is hardly a secret: the Federal Reserve is holding rates down to energize the real estate market — a key element of the overall economy. Yet, with existing home sales notching up in the first quarter at the briskest pace in four years, you would have thought that mortgage rates would have been loosened up at least somewhat. And with new home sales doing their best since 2008…

Of course, it doesn’t matter what anyone expects: the results of dipping mortgage rates is just plain good news for everyone in theareareal estate market: buyers and sellers alike. Those low mortgage rates act to offset the rising U.S. house price index. The result for buyers is a more valuable home without the expected increase in the monthly payment. What more of an inducement to enter the real estate market could there be?

In short, if you’re considering whether it’s time to buy (or to sell your current home and trade up without busting the household budget), last week’s national and local market signs are even clearer than they have been recently. There are definitely opportunities out there! Why not give me a call for an up-to-the-moment local real estate market evaluation? You want to buy here!...

http://pelicanbayhomefinder.com

 

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A Great New Job Can Mean Great Relocation Planning

April 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 


 

As soon as you are offered a great new job or promotion – even if it’s in a new town -- your natural response is, “Absolutely, yes!” After all, you landed the opportunity because you are a go-getter -- someone who solves problems!

Experience teaches that seamless relocation to Naples, Florida (or anywhere) takes some determined preparation. Even after you’ve identified your new house, there are a few significant hurdles to clear before happily settling into a new community.

Here are four common mistakes new buyers in town have made in the past…and how you can avoid them:

1)      Not Getting Loan Pre-Approval – Once you pack the cartons and load the truck, locating all those documents the bank requests can become next to impossible.  Get it done before the relocation begins!

2)      Not using the right moving company. Moving companies have a wide variety of costs and guarantees. Some give you a fixed price; others leave the final costs up in the air. Promised dates can also make or break a move (speaking of breaking, equally important is having insurance to cover damaged items).

3)      Not using licensed local professionals. In relocation, it is terrifically important to hire experienced local appraisers and Realtors®. Also, an absolute must is a thorough inspection by a licensed member of the American Society of Home Inspectors.

4)      Canceling an existing lease too soon. Not every deal closes on time, and if you have given a current landlord notice to vacate the day your purchase transaction is scheduled to close, a week’s delay can create moving mayhem! 

There are many avoidable pitfalls when planning relocation to Naples,Florida, but having the right pros by your side will help you avoid them.  If you are relocating to town, I’m here to help every step of the way.

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