Lynn M. Bower PA - ABR, GRI, RSPS, AHWD

Collier County, Goodland Florida, has a brand new boat launch which is just a minutes away from the 10,000 Islands. As a boater I can't tell you how thrilled my husband and I were to see this park open. Wide launch, room for 2 boats at a time, stable piers with ladders, fully staffed bait store with all the goodies one needs for a day on the water. Clean restrooms, BBQ pavilion and my personal favorite, grass (not asphalt) parking for trucks with trailers. There is something there for everyone whether you have a boat, kayak, jet ski or just want in a quiet beautiful place to sit and look out at the water. Tax money well spent.

With all my listings that are sold I purchase a one year Home Warranty for the Buyers (saves a lot of headaches). The last policy I just set in place for an upcoming closing had information sent to me about the EPA and the banning of Freon. This is not a sexy topic but boy do I see possible problems.

As of January 1, 2010, the EPA mandated the way air conditioners are serviced and repaired. In a nutshell, if you have an older AC unit and need replacement parts, you might be out of luck. Puron know as R-410-A is a product used as a standard refrigerant for air conditioners and some of the older models can't use it. Living in Florida and using AC at least 8 months of the year, this is not good.

Sellers Disclosure issues! Does your state have this info in their disclosures? It was suggested to contact a Real Estate Attorney and get their opinion according to your state as to the liability for you as a Realtor in disclosing this information to prospective buyers...

I'll be intersted to see what feedback there is from state to state. A good FAQ website is www.R410Asolutions.com

I consider myself a North Naples expert for all things real estate. I live, shop and dine all over North Naples and love everything about it. I have a confession. In all the years I've been doing real estate I have not paid that much attention to Wyndemere Country Club. It just never seemed to fit into the niche that any of my clients were looking for. North Naples has so many new developments that I would gravitate towards them to show my clients- because that's what they wanted.

I had the pleasure showing Wyndemere Country Club to a lovely Canadian couple before Christmas and fell in love with the community. It is not huge, it has a variety of homes and condos to choose from, it has a wonderful renovated fitness/spa and lovely grounds with mature plantings. The golf course has 27 holes and it well maintained. In addition the social life is unparalleled. The residents seem to really enjoy the club house, dining facility and the staff of which the majority of them have been there for years. It is a comfortable fit for all living there.

Located just north of Golden Gate Parkway on Livingston on the east side of the road. Close to downtow, beaches and shopping. Another bonus, there is a stop light to help residents get in and out of the community safely.

You can go to www.lynnbower.listingbook.com and put in Wyndemere Country Club to get current real estate activity in there - or just give me a call.

What a nice way to spend the second day of the New Year 2011. Southwest Florida finally warmed up after our record breaking cold so we took our first trip to the Botanical Gardens with our family. What a treat. The plants, trees, water scenes and themes of each garden was a feast for the eyes.

If you have not visited this garden do not hesitate. It was one of my biggest ah- ha moments for the years we have lived here. So much work and effort has gone into this project it is just a pure joy to see. As the days get longer more of the plants, orchids and bromeliads will be blooming. The butterflies from South America are just now starting to come in and some of the trees are starting to set buds.

For times and prices go to: http://www.naplesgarden.org/

Baby it's Cold Outside

The fun and sun our relatives wanted for their Christmas vacation in Naples, Florida was a little difficult this year. Too cold for the 4 out of 5 days they were here. Even though they are from Indiana, they shivered along with the rest of us! Our homes in Southwest Florida are just not cold proof. And to add insult to injury our electric costs are about $.35 cents for AC an hour versus $.75 for so called heating. Our heat is air blown across a coil and that's it. We actually went out and bought a space heater. There are times I feel like I'm back up north and I'm not liking it at all.

We did manage to fish one day on our boat. But here comes some more complaining. Because of the lunar eclipse and full moon the tides in the 10,000 Islands were the lowest we have seen in the 8+ years we have been on the waters down here. We follow channel markers extremely closely and we still got stuck. Fortunately, the tide was coming in and within 45 minutes we were on our way. We did laugh, have a good time and poked a little fun at the "Captain". Later that day when it warmed we actually caught fish!

We broke records for lows and we are just wondering what we have in store for January through March. Time will tell. Just a side note of inforamtion, always expect weird weather during full moon. Try not to book your vacation during the full or new moon. Oh, and if you live here full time, go buy a coat.

Have a wonderful 2011

Lynn Bower