The Statue of Liberty has come to embody the true essence of America. She has welcomed countless immigrants and visitors to our shores since being dedicated in 1886. The "New Colossus", famous sonnet written by Emma Lazarus, also symbolizes the universal message of hope to all people seeking freedom around the world..."Give us your tired and your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...I lift my lamp beside the
Read MoreIt's the first day of a new month and a new quarter. We completed our month-end reports yesterday and we are also carefully reviewing the year-to date statistics in each of the markets that we are most active. We found a few interesting conclusions based on data from our local MLS that I thought I would share. Keep in mind, these findings are inclusive of all geographic areas in Naples.
Read MoreA recent article published online through Real Estate Information Systems really caught my eye! (Taken from The Orlando Sentinel and distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services)...The headline read, "Jewel-box Homes are Built Smaller, Smarter". The main reason it got my attention is because Chip & I happen to live on Jewel Box Avenue here in Naples Florida! We have always loved the name of our street, and we even named our
Read MoreA lot of people tell me that they don't think they could live in Florida year round because we don't have any seasons...Of course, there's always the canned replies, "Oh we have seasons alright...rainy season, hurricane season, dry season, tourist season"...But for those of us who have lived here over the years, we have come to notice and appreciate the sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle changes that come
Read MoreAt this morning's weekly sales meeting, at the Coldwell Banker Fifth Avenue Previews office, our broker shared with us the following statistics from the Naples area MLS: May 2008 vs. May 2009 The number of pendings of residential listings priced under $300,000 is up 193%. The median price in this same price range is down -39%. Pendings of residential listings in the $300,001-$500,000 are up 9%, and the median price
Read MoreThe ultimate in "water therapy"! Make an appointment today to see this fabulous (click on link for a virtual tour) Key West-style home located in the prestigious boating community of Royal Harbor. The refreshing pool and soothing waterfall beckon you as you enter this wonderful residence with dramatic ceilings and fine touches through-out. There's Direct Gulf Access from your private dock for the avid boater--you are just minutes to Gordon
Read MoreFor those of you who follow my blog, you know I haven't been posting lately...I was away for a week, then got home with a bug that I probably picked up on the airplane...Finally back to the office today and quite honestly, I don't even know where to begin. There are a dozen newspaper articles clipped and scattered across my desk...any and all of them are blog worthy...plus several excellent
Read MoreI just got back to Naples today after spending a week in the New York/New Jersey metro area on family business...it rained or was cloudy and overcast everyday--even in June the area seemed bleak to me. If I said it once I said it a dozen times, "This is why I left"...Honestly, light deprivation began to set in by Friday. Then, last night, departing the airplane I immediately felt the
Read MoreOur broker read a letter this morning at our office's weekly sales meeting announcing that we, Harris Peppe Wells, earned the distinction of being named in NRT's Top 100 agents for the 1st quarter of 2009 for the nation! The letter was directly from Bruce G. Zipf, President & CEO of NRT LLC, headquartered in Parsippany New Jersey. His letter went on to say, "Your achievement is even more impressive
Read MoreToday, June 1st, marks the first day of Hurricane Season. This will run for 6 months, through to November 30th. Here are a few facts about hurricanes, as well as a few helpful websites, that I'd like to share with you. Did you know that for hundreds of years, hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the storm made landfall? Using a woman's
Read MoreIt's hard to believe that it is already June! Here's a brief recap of some of the more interesting data about the local real estate market: Currently there are 1,792 residential properties under contract. This includes listings still Active with Contingencies and those Pending. Of those, 1,103 went under contract in May! 812 of the 1,103 are listed at or under $300,000. which is nearly 74%. A total of 58
Read MoreThe National Association of Realtors today reported that existing home sales in April rose--the eighth consecutive month with sales increases nationwide! That sounds like a trend to me! Home sales in Florida rose 18%, with a total of 13,111 homes sold statewide compared to 11,133 in April 2008. Condo sales in Florida also rose 21% in April as compared to April last year; and condos rose 6.2% total units over
Read MoreOn this Memorial Day, The Harris Peppe Team would like invite you to join us as we honor the men and women who have given their lives so selflessly over many generations to allow us to live in a country committed to freedom. It is our deepest prayer that we live a life that is worthy of this sacrifice. During this weekend where so many people begin their summer celebrations
Read MoreLast Friday I confirmed an appointment with a buyer who was scheduled to arrive in Naples this morning...after discussing the final details of his arrival I began the process of setting up appointments. We had been communicating via phone and email for about 30 days...much of what he was looking for was either listed as short sales or foreclosed properties. After calling on several of the short sale listings, and
Read MoreI haven't posted in a week, so you know we've been busy. At this morning's sales meeting our title company reported that April 2009 was their best month since September 2005! I thought I'd share a few of the recent statistics with you. Once you review them, if you have any questions, please feel free to call any one of us on Harris Peppe Wells. There have been 15,368 new
Read MoreChip & I had the distinct honor last night of attending the 19th Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Celebration at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. It was a memorable evening and we left there feeling so blessed to be a part of this fabulous community. The teachers who were honored were a diverse and talented group; but they had a common characteristic...to them teaching is a calling, and their
Read MoreLate 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
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