What's a razzleberry? That's exactly what I asked the waitress at the Trail Cafe in North Naples on Tamiami Trail. Well, "razzleberry" is a mixture of whatever berries are in season. Today, trying to make somewhat of a day off from work, my wife and I ventured out for breakfast. Berries of the day were very tart blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. The razzleberries are baked into the pancakes with an extra dollop on top. Sprinkled with a very light dusting of powdered sugar...mmmm.
The swimming pool is at 84 degress and climbing...I think there will be a few extra laps this afternoon.
The Trail Cafe open for breakfast and lunch. It is located conveniently to everyone in North Naples and Bonita Springs. It's on U.S. 41, just south of Wiggins Pass.
Enjoy when you're in the area.
Bonita Springs - Estero Market Watch
August 2009
(Based on data from the local board of Realtors® multiple listing service.)
The August 2009 Bonita-Estero single-family homes sales volume increased nearly 17 percent over the same period in 2008. Some 79 single-family, detached villas, and attached villa homes were sold in August 2009. The average number of sales per month over the last 24 months is 68 homes. The 24-month average number of sales per month also increased 4 plus percent from last month.
Go to the complete Market Watch Report with downloadable trend charts.
Naples Real Estate Market Watch
August 2009
(Based on data from the local board of Realtors® multiple listing service.)
The August 2009 Naples single-family homes sales volume increased 41 percent over the same period in 2008. Some 340 single-family, detached villas, and attached villa homes were sold in August 2009. The average number of sales per month over the last 24 months is 256 homes. The 24-month average number of sales per month also increased 4 percent from last month.
Read the complete Market Watch Report and dounwload all the treand charts.
This is not exactly a blog post about real estate or the real estate market, but it is one for homeowners with an inground swimming pools.
For the first time I'm living in a home with an inground pool. We've been in this home for more than three years now and I always maintained the pool myself. How hard can it be? Well, it's really not very hard but it is time consuming with weekly attention absolutely required for that crystal clear, water glistening, totally refreshing, jump-into-me, inviting look!
I've watched and observed automatic pool cleaners at many, many homes and I was always skeptical, and there are so many. Which one to choose?
The hands-down recommendation from two different pool product suppliers is the Great White from Pentair pool products. It is also the choice of some of my neighbors. So, I "took the plunge" and bought one.
When I first put it in the pool, my skepticism remained. It just didn't seem like it would meet my satisfaction but the engineer in me was determined. Over the next several weeks of tweaking the length of the tubing and the suction pressure...bingo! This is the best thing since sliced bread. The adjustments will be different for every pool/filter/pump combination so, just stick with it. After successful adjustment the Great White will cover 90%+ of the pool including the walls. It routinely climbs up the wall to the water line. At the water line, the buoyancy bar exits the water, loses its effect, and it eventually turns and heads back down or across the wall. It really is amazing. However, too much suction will have it climbing above the water line and drawing in air. I have had this unit in operation for some six to eight months so I feel quite comfortable with my conclusions.
My weekly maintenance chore is now reduced to 1) dumping in a small bag of shock and 2) cleaning the filter element. Yes, clean the filter weekly! The Great White is so efficient at vacuuming that silt and other material will significantly reduce the water flow through the system. Reduced water flow slows down the Great White and also reduces the number of times the water in the pool cycles through the filter.
I should also mention that the pool is very typical for Florida and is within a screened lanai so there are no leaves or other larger items to pick up. However, the Great White has an "auto-lift" that periodically raise the unit about 3/4 of an inch to allow leaves to easily be vacuumed up.
Go get one!
This seasonally adjusted data is provided by the Census Bureau and this graph was published today in the Naples Daily News. It very likely has been reproduced in newspapers all across the country.
Why? It's good news!
While the economy is still hurting in many respects, it is also starting to show signs of improvement. Just look at 1) the Dow Jones since February of this year and 2) the ever increasing levels of existing-home sales fueled by the lower prices.
These events and generally positive outlook makes people feel good and that drives the buying process. Particularly when making a major purchase like a primary home or a second/seasonal home.
In a couple of days I will review the August 2009 home re-sale data for the local southwest Florida market.
One of largest nationwide home builders working in southwest Florida just raised the base price for new homes to be built.
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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
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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