Black Tuesday is how members of Palmira Golf & Country Club (PGCC) refer to Tuesday, September 30, 2008, the day The Ronto Group (developer of PGCC) closed the doors of the club permanently due to financial conditions.
One year later, in a jovial manner with laughs, smiles and speeches, the members relived the day including crime scene tape stretched across the front doors. This is a bad situation turned good. A few months previous to Black Tuesday I sold a property in PGCC. I relayed the event to the seasonal resident and said not to worry, in time it will be fine. I just knew it would. In this case the members in this premium Bonita Springs community stepped up and purchased the club with 27 holes of golf and now have 320+ members which is nearly the peak membership of the past. The end result is much lower initiation fees and dues and PGCC is now one of the places to be in the area.
PGCC is not alone. Similar situations have taken their toll in other area golf courses. In the end, I believe that these too will be worked out. In as much as the housing market is in its early stages of recovery, it will drive the rejuvenation of golf clubs in these communities.
What could this mean to a home buyer? Good deals, of course. Just like a financially distressed property brings a lower price compared to market value, a distressed golf community can bring down prices or slow down sales leading to better deals.
Naples Real Estate Market Watch
September 2009
(Based on data from the local board of Realtors® multiple listing service.)
Pending home sales data for September 2009 indicates the market remains strong and it even increased in September over August.
Read the complete Market Watch
Bonita Springs - Estero Market Watch
September 2009
(Based on data from the local board of Realtors® multiple listing service.)
Pending home sales data for September 2009 indicates the market remains strong and it even increased in September over August.
Read the complete Market Watch
The last data point represents eight months of 2009 through August.
Lee County homes sales data from the Fort Myers Association of Realtors
as printed in THE NEWS-PRESS.
Lee County is home to Fort Myers, Estero, Cape Coral, and Lehigh Acres among others.
Collier County is home to Naples and Marco Island amoung others
August reports for Naples area are available here
September reports for Naples area are also available.
As you can tell from the smile on my face in the picture to the right, this is the day after we put in our outdoor kitchen in our new home after moving to Florida in March 2006. Florida is all about outdoor living and a great outdoor kitchen was something I tought about for a long time. Cooking is a great passion of mine.
My kitchen is pretty basic, 36" three-zone grill with "sear-zone", two burner cooktop, and a small under-counter refrigerator. Now, to the swordfish.
Set out to grill some swordfish, I wanted something to top it off. What did we have in the house that I could use? Shallot, onion, garlic (of course!), kalamata olives, red bell peppers, capers, EVOO, and butter (just a little.)
In a ratio of 3:1 of shallot to onion, chop medium coarse. Saute both in EVOO over medium-low with a small clove of chopped garlic added. Cut about half a red bell pepper into 1/4" squares, add to saute. Add the kalamata olives, capers, and one tablespoon of butter. Saute a little more. Add some white wine (I use Pinot Grigio) and let it all saute and reduce. Then a a little sherry and let it reduce down again.
By the end the shallot and onion are carmelized and the whole mixture is slightly thickend. Go grill the swordfish - don't over cook it! - and top it off with the delectable saute.
Note: There is distinct lack of precise measurements...well, I hardly ever measure except when it's real important. (In this case I didn't want the onion to over power the shallot.) This makes for variety and a difference each time you cook. The only rule is, there is no rule...just make it up!
When you buy swordfish, select a piece with complete, round, concentric circles. This is the best cut.
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With our real estate office in Naples and my home in booming Estero I have great exposure to and knowledge of Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and south Fort Myers.
Robert (Bob) Pisa moved to the Naples area after spending 30 years in the Boston area. He was raised in the metro-NYC area and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) in 1974. His career has been primarily in high-technology manufacturing and enterprise software for multi-national companies. Bob was also a successful small business entrepreneur and ultimately sold his start up business after six years of operation to a major corporation. He is the recently elected Vice President for the Grandezza Master Homeowner's Association and President of the Santa Lucia Homeowner's Association. Bob attained his real estate license in 2005, and is working in commercial and residential real estate. He is a member of Naples Area Board of Realtor®, NAR, and FAR.
Sales recognition. 
Residential + Commercial + Investment + 1031 Exchanges
Read all and recent testimonials here.
Howard and Kathy - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Bob Pisa is a true professional. After working with two other realtors in the Naples area, we almost gave up altogether in our search for a new home. Bob was a breath of fresh air; not pushy or overbearing, allowing us to direct the search, while keeping us informed every step of the way, and giving us great advice. Bob pointed out quite a few issues that we were completely unaware of, even though this was our fifth home purchase. Every point of negotiation in our purchase turned out in our favor. His referrals to inspectors and title company were great as well. We could tell right away that Bob knew the real estate business inside and out and only had our best interest as his focus. That blend of knowledge, professionalism and integrity is a rare find these days. We could not have asked for more!
Howard and Kathy
John and Lisa - St. Louis, MO
Bob, Thanks for your assistance in helping us purchase our town home in Naples. Since we live so far away, it was really nice to have worked with someone who answered our calls and emails promptly! Your help in showing us on line listings of what was available in the location that we wanted saved us so much time and effort. I appreciate your being there to do the walk through for us when we closed since we were not able to be there ourselves.Thanks again for all your help!
John and Lisa
Anthony Elia - Attorney at Law
I am an attorney in Connecticut specializing in real estate transactions. My wife and I recently purchased a home in Punta Gorda with the help of Robert A. Pisa of Prestige Properties of South Florida. Attempting to buy a home so far away can be a daunting task, but Bob went out of his way to make us feel comfortable, going so far as to take photos of various homes and the rooms inside to provide us with as much information as possible. He was forthright and honest with his recommendations and we soon became aware that his opinions were right on target and that we could trust his judgment. Bob was extremely helpful in negotiating a fair price for our home once we finally found something that was to our liking, a process throughout which Bob exhibited an abundance of patience. His dedication to us as home buyers did not stop once we purchased our home, as he has again gone far beyond the call of duty to assist us with matters which came about after the closing. There are many real estate agents who would forget you even exist once they are handed their commission check, but I can assure that Bob is not one of them. I have been practicing law in the Connecticut for almost 30 years and I can tell you from experience that real estate agents of Bob's caliber and expertise are few and far between. We are very fortunate to have chosen Bob as our real estate agent and we highly recommend his services to anyone who is interested in buying a home in Southwest Florida.
Sincerely,
Anthony J. Elia, Jr.
Connecticut
Andy J. - Denver, CO
Going through a process of purchasing a second home is never easy, especially when you have to complete the deal from a distance. Bob's professionalism made our process much easier and convenient. My introduction to Bob came from this wonderful website. His responsiveness to my many questions and inquiries was always truthful, honest, and prompt. It is rare that you find someone who is patient, who strives to understand a client's needs, and then organizes a trip that will guide you through a difficult decision. Through this process, Bob became friend, colleague, and real estate advisor for my family. What more can you ask...If you are looking for someone who has these qualities, I highly recommend that you speak with Bob.
Andy J.
Brian O'Donnell, CEO | Fraysen Systems Ltd.
I have worked with Bob on a number of projects going back almost twenty years. I have always have found him trustworthy and committed to getting the job done. I have highly recommended him to a number of associates and will continue to do so.
Brian F. O'Donnell
Tom Barrett, Director | EqualLogic Inc.
I have known Bob for more than ten years with much of that time in a professional environment where I found Bob to be nothing other than the quintessential professional. Bob's ability to research the relevant data and apply a highly analytical approach always leads to well informed conclusions and good decision making. These traits in addition to his commitment to get-the-job-done and attention to the details are exactly what you want from your real estate professional. Bob's recommendation comes to you without any hesitation whatsoever.
Bob Thaler, Sr. Director, Marketing Communications | Acronis, Inc
I have known Bob Pisa for more then 10 years as a business associate, peer and close friend.
Bob is a man of great integrity, is extremely dedicated to his family, his work, and is trustworthy beyond reproach. Highly motivated to always do the best in every aspect of his chosen field, he does whatever it takes to ensure a satisfied customer. His dedication to hard work, identifying the best solutions for his clients, establishing life-long friendships and a sincere drive for honesty makes Bob Pisa the consummate professional.
Furthermore, his expert ability to research critical information necessary to make important buying decisions will serve his clients well when considering a real estate transaction.
I have first hand knowledge of Bob's character and credentials because of our peer relationship at a firm selling very complex software to the semiconductor industry. His performance was so impressive; Bob was rewarded with a promotion to Senior Director.
Bob Thaler
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