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I plan to chronical my real estate activities (buyer representation and listing/selling) as I visit the many developments in southwest Florida over time. I will "tweet" interesting real estate market developments, listings, and notable events as they occur and, as I witness them. This sounds like it's going to be fun so...follow me!
Two recent announcements are The Mercato center in north Naples (Vanderbilt Rd and U.S. 41):
Blue Martini grand opening next to McCormick's & Schmick's ground floor. Happy hour is from 4 - 7PM in the nation's premier martini lounge. There is a terrific menu of some 40 different martinis to choose from! What can be better than casual upscale dining, tapas, and martinis while seated al fresco? There is also a great selection of wines and terrific deserts to top it off. I'll be stopping by real soon...
I have had the occasion to dine several times at McCormick's & Schmick's. My wife and I just love the food, the service, and the location. A casual stroll around The Mercato is just perfect after dinner.
On Friday from 5 - 7PM the concert series is on with merchants offering all kinds of wonderful items - wine sampling, complimentary appetizers, and happy hours. There are also shopping discounts at particiapting merchants.
The event is Friday August 7 from 5 - 9PM.
The Mercato center is home to The Strada uptown living condominiums.
NABOR is the Naples Area Board of Realtors and on July 17, 2009 a press release was issued summarizing the June 2009 real estate results as well as some year over year statistics. The headlines are
SUMMER CONTINUES TO BE STRONG
[ed. I might add, it's pretty hot too!]
Report Shows 15-Month Inventory Trend Line Continuing To Decrease
What could be better? We have a continuing increase in sales volumes and inventory dropping, at a slow rate albeit. But, nevertheless it's dropping. With the large sales volume in the less than $300,000 category (see earlier blog posts), the decrease is indicative that the new foreclosures and short sale coming on the market is slowing down. Is this the light at the end of the tunnel?
For the area that NABOR tracks (Collier County except Marco Island based on MLS data only):
Inventory: Decreased 14 percent to 9,681 in the second quarter compared to 11,211 in the first quarter.
Average DOM (days on market):Decrease 19 percent to 161 in the second quarter compared to 198 in the second quarter of 2008.
Pending Sales - property under contract but not yet closed: increased 92 percent to 2,989 in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.
Single-family home sales: increased 48 percent with 1,093 in the second quarter versus 737 year-over-year.
Condo sales:increasd 26 percent with 942 in the second quarter versus 747 in the same period last year.
The press release went on to mention that pending sales in the $2 million plus category increased by a substantial amount also. See my previous blog post for sales trends by dollar category.
Real estate markets recover from the bottom up. Signs that sales of properties in all price ranges are increasing is nothing but good news all around.
And that's one ahead of Wailea, Hawaii!
The following is an excerpt from the CNN Travel page.
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7. Bonita Springs, Florida
Calling all beachcombers! Our judges rated this town, which is midway between Naples and Fort Myers, as having the best sand anywhere. "It's like talcum powder," Howes says. "Your feet feel like they're getting a spa treatment when you walk on it. I could go for miles and miles."
If you have kids with you, stick around for high tide in the afternoon, when seashells wash ashore. Families can take a guided canoe excursion, swim in the calm Gulf waters, or explore the area's parks (1,500 acres of them). You have to look a little harder for healthy-food options. One spot our judges liked: Crispers, which offers healthy salads, even for kids.
Stay here: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa ... has its own climbing wall, around-the-clock fitness center and volleyball games. If you don't need all that, opt for Bonita Beach Resort Motel ..., where you get a kitchen, too.
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In previous years we have also seen Naples Beach and Vanderbilt Beach ranked in the top ten by different surveys and polls. What are you waiting for? Come visit!
In two out of four of the market segments charted, sales more than doubled from January 2009 to June 2009. In the under $300,000 category the increase is nearly double at 1.93X and the very high end, more than $1,000,000 category, sales are up a respectable 1.63X.
Both categories in the up to $500,000 segments have steadily grown and seem to have flattened out. While what was previously thought to be the "dead zone", $500,000 to $1,000,000, appears to be nicely increasing month over month.
We're smack in the middle of summer, the high volume categories have flattened out a bit and I expect this to hold true in July and begin to pick up late August. Bargain hunters in the greater than $500,000 market are getting serious and buying while the inventory is still strong and the selection is great.
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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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