Garren Grup, REALTOR, CDPE, GRI… Naples & Bonita Springs, FL

The Children’s Museum of Naples is realizing the dream, and breaking ground January 24^th!!!!

Sign up at www.duckrace.com/naples

View Teams & sign up inder Mimy's Lucky Ducks Here

Garren Grup is a Real Estate Consultant, REALTOR®, GRI...

Noteworthy Results in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero & Fort Myers!

View Naples Beachfront Estate Homes Here

May 2009 be better to all than 2008!

I wish all of you the best in the New Year! Better times await. 2008 has been a learning experience for everyone. Let's start 2009 with a positive attitude and wipe the 2008 slate clean so that nothing holds us back!

To your success every day throughout the New Year,

Garren Grup at BuyUpNaples.com

While it's not all sunny for the Holidays in the North and Northeast... There is some positive news to report!

The November Year-to-Date Report for Naples and Bonita Springs Florida is out! The market report below shows the sales trend in the Naples area as well as the historical numbers and comments that provide some clarification for those that tend to glaze over when they see all these charts and figures.

I believe the comments on the report speak for themselves. The market continues to increase in the number of sales over the same month in the prior year because of the roll back in pricing which has caused the dollar volume to be lower. To the dismay of many of the buyers in the market a recent study found a very small handful of waterfront or beach homes that were either short-sales, foreclosures or bank owned.

CLOSED SALES

• YTD November closed sales units up 19% over same period 2007. Volume is down 9%.

• YTD closed sales under $250,000 continue to dominate the market, showing a 121% increase over same period 2007. Not a big surprise however considering the lack of sales in this price range in 2007.

• Closed sales for the month of November are up 10% over November 2007.

• Median sales price is down 22.5% from November 2007.

PENDED SALES

• Pended sales in November are up 44% over prior year period.

• 64% of newly pended sales are represented by properties under $250,000.

LISTINGS

• New listings taken year-to-date November are down 6% over prior year.

• Active listing inventory on December 1, 2008 stands at 13,873 in the combined Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero markets (7,141 single family homes and 6,732 condominiums). This represents a 6% decrease from December 1, 2007.

**Trouble viewing?... See the full PDF Document of the November Year-to-date Report

Garren Grup is a Real Estate Consultant, REALTOR® and GRI...

Noteworthy Results in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero & Fort Myers!

View some of the Best Values in Naples Here

View Naples Beachfront Estate Homes Here

English & European buyers can access Gulfshore Blvd. Homes in Naples at www.NaplesBeachfront.co.uk

Vanderbilt Beach, Pelican Bay, Barefoot Beach, Park Shore, Port Royal, Aqualane Shores, Old Naples.

*Use the links above to view listings in a specific area/city or create your own search Here.*

**Stay Tuned.... On or about January 15, 2009, we will be publishing the annual report on the state of the market and where it might be going from here!

This report represents the combined Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero market.

Disclaimer: All information from Sunshine MLS. Accuracy is deemed correct but not warranted.

Naples Beachfront Condo Report - Historical Prices, Number of Units Sold & Price per Foot

Below at the link is a twelve-year sales history of Gulfshore Boulevard Beachfront and Bayfront condominiums. The reports include only condominium product, on the beach, from the Beach Club north through LeParc, and from Charleston Square north through Venetian Cove on the bay. Beachfront and Bayfront properties were analyzed separately and are reflected in separate reports. Buildings in this area vary significantly in terms of size, age and amenities, so take this into consideration when looking at annual averages.

The following three reports are provided for each area:

(1) Average Sales Price by Year

(2) Average Price per Square Foot by Year

(3) Number of Closed Sales by Year

All figures are annual except for 2008, which shows performance year-to-date through the third quarter. Although the highest number of sales on both beach and bay were recorded in 2004, Average Price Per Square Foot peaked in 2006. Price Per Square Foot on the beach is down 18% from its 2006 high, while this bayfront measure is down 25% over the same period.

Available beachfront inventory on December 1, 2008 stands at 268 units. During the twelve months ending November 30, 2008, there were 157 closed sales, indicating just slightly over an 18 month supply. Buildings with the largest selection of available unitsinclude Aria, Gulfside and Lausanne, each with 12 units available; Bay Shore Place (15); and Savoy and The Terraces, with 13 available properties in each building.

On the bay, 88 units were for sale on December 1, 2008. During the previous 12 months, there were 30 closings, giving this area approximately a 2.9 year supply at the current sales rate.

Both beachfront and bayfront areas offer some attractive purchase opportunities for individuals buying for personal use and longer term holding periods.

Consult your local knowledge expert, Garren Grup for information on specific buildings in which you may have an interest.

***Trouble viewing? ...See the PDF Report

**Trouble viewing?... See the 4page PDF Report of Historical Prices, Number of Units Sold & Price per Foot

Garren Grup is a Real Estate Consultant, REALTOR®, GRI...

Noteworthy Results in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero & Fort Myers!

View Naples Beachfront Estate Homes Here

English & European buyers can access Gulfshore Blvd. Homes in Naples at www.NaplesBeachfront.co.uk

Vanderbilt Beach, Pelican Bay, Barefoot Beach, Park Shore, Port Royal, Aqualane Shores, Old Naples.

*Use the links above to view listings in a specific area/city or create your own search Here.*

Number 7 Myth of the Top Ten on Credit... and the Correct Answers!

I wanted to continue with the Seventh Myth in the Top Ten series on credit that I have been blogging about to inform both customers and my colleagues about, to help dispel some of the myths about credit. Improving and making the best of your credit rating has become increasingly important with the tighter lending standards. Don't let these obstacles get in the way of a home purchase! Find out the onformation you should know before trying to repair or improve your credit report.

Myth # 7 - I can create a totally new credit file by getting a federal tax ID number or changing a few numbers on my social security number.

This fraudulent scheme has proven to be complex, difficult and illegal. Lying on a credit application is a criminal offense and with the linking of computer systems it is virtually impossible to get away with. It is in your best interest to hire adequate representation and face the music by confronting the credit bureaus armed with the rights congress has granted you through the consumer protection laws.

Myth # 6 - The credit bureaus are a branch of the government, infallible, or otherwise above reproach.

The credit bureaus are publicly traded companies in business to impress stockholders. They are not government agencies. In fact, they are one of the most heavily regulated industries. The strict regulations stem from a public outcry of abuses and mistakes. A recent survey by an independent research group revealed that 70% of credit reports contained mistakes or errors. The prevalence of errors has lead to consumer protection legislation that allows consumers to challenge the bureaus and force the removal of inaccurate, outdated or unverifiable information.

Myth # 5 - The credit bureau allows me to submit a 100-word explanation as to my side of the story. Creditors will read my statement and take it into consideration.

No known creditors consider the information submitted in you're statement. This statement only verifies some of the negative items on your report. The 100-word explanation should be the first thing deleted from your credit file.

Myth # 4 - Disputing a credit report is easy. Any consumer can do it themselves???

Disputing a credit report is easy. Getting results from the credit bureaus as a layperson is amazingly difficult, complex, and infuriating. The Federal Trade Commission receives more complaints against credit bureaus than any other type of business. In February 2000 the 3 major credit bureaus paid a fine of $2.5 million dollars for ignoring consumers requesting information regarding their file. Remember the credit bureaus are primarily interested in protecting their profits. Investigating consumer disputes consumes these profits. Short of sparking a mass number of lawsuits, the bureaus do everything in their power to impede your progress with credit restoration. Restoring your own credit is like repairing your own transmission or representing your self in court; it is possible, but you have to be willing to invest the time to learn the processes, assume the risks of your inexperience and realize that it will probably take you longer and you probably will be less effective then the correct professional.

Myth # 3 - There are items such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, and tax liens that are impossible to remove from the credit report.

There is no type of negative listing that has not been removed from a credit report - thousands of times.

Myth # 2 - If a negative item is successfully deleted from my credit report, it will just come right back on my report.

The credit bureaus have cleverly spread this myth through the news media and government agencies. In truth, the credit bureaus will often temporarily delete a negative listing if they have not heard from the credit grantor for 30 days since an item has been disputed. Should the credit grantor submit verification a week or two later, it will be re-inserted. (This is called a soft delete.) Most of the time the creditor simply fails to respond and the negative item is permanently deleted. If the creditor verifies the item the account may still be deleted later in the process as the challenging process is intensified.

Myth # 1 - When I pay off a past-due account, such as a charge off or a collection account, it will show "paid" and no longer be negative.

It is difficult to fully restore your credit without paying your outstanding debts. However, paying off a debt can actually hurt your credit. Negative items on your credit report are allowed to stay on your credit report for a maximum of seven (7) years, except for bankruptcy that can stay for up to ten (10) years. This 7 or 10-year clock begins ticking at the date of last activity. Making a payment represents new activity and restarts the clock. When paying an outstanding debt, you will change the account status to paid collection, paid charge-off, satisfied judgment, or paid ‘was x days late". This is still considered very negative and appears as though you had to be strong-armed by the credit bureau to pay the account. It is almost always prudent to have a professional help so as to not further damage your credit by trying to do the right thing.