Shannon Lefevre Naples, Florida CRS

If you live in an area where the possibilities of devastating storms exist, you can't help but get a sick feeling in your stomach when media resources start chirping about the possibility of a "landfall" close by.

First because you worry about just the overall well being of you, your loved ones and your neighbors...then you worry about your "stuff" which of course can all be replaced for the most part and then for us REALTORS, you worry about your livelihood. What can happen to the real estate we love to sell?

There are some very curious events that have happened in my career since 2004. First Charley hit up the coast from us. That was a mean storm for Fort Myers, Sanibel, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. It was quite catastrophic. For Naples some people didn't have any power and some landscape issues but damage overall was very minimal.

Could that have something to do with the stringent building codes in Collier County many of which are tougher than state code?

Could it be due to the fact that a great deal of our construction is newer and was built to the current code (at that time of construction) compared to surrounding towns in SW Florida?

2004 was an extremely busy year for me in real estate. Of course it was during our big real estate boom. There are two real estate related scenarios I remember well:

• The first was regarding a contract I was in the middle of negotiating and let me tell you...it was a HOT deal! Fortunately my buyer's agreed to go forward by signing the last signature needed to put a Pelican Bay home formally under contract just a day before the storm hit. It was a trying time trying to deal with getting that signature through a fax machine as I had unplugged everything in my house due to possible flooding. My office had done the same. We got it done, the house was fine, we closed and those guys made over $100,000 on the flip.
• The second was with a lady who was planning on coming down to purchase. She was so gung-ho about purchasing that when I told her the flight she was planning on catching was scheduled to land during the hurricane...she didn't even pause. It took several phone calls for me to tell her to stay up there. She just couldn't hardly be convinced. It was the weirdest thing and ultimately another prime example as to how crazy buyers got during the heated times and what ultimately led to the price increases and that ever infamous "bubble"

Then Hurricane Wilma hit Marco Island (south of Naples proper). That storm caused a little more drama but even Wilma (who hit us directly) once again caused more havoc in Miami than she did on our side of the state. Does that have something to do with those building codes and quality of construction again??? I really don't know I'm just happy that it took us just a short period of time (within a couple of months) to clean up the tree branches etc. By the time our official selling season began...Naples, Florida was in GREAT shape.

What we really didn't know for sure is that real estate "bubble" was just on the verge of popping when Wilma came to town and at least in my experience, looking back it really felt like Wilma was the one who popped our bubble. Although there were some newspaper articles written about the start of a real estate slowdown, I think the strong majority of the public including us REALTORS were still selling and in denial.

Once Wilma hit, it got really quiet for me on the real estate side and then we slipped into the beginning of our "slowed real estate market".

I liked to blame Wilma for most of our slowed sales for awhile but fears of Hurricanes subsided and we were still slow so it became quite apparent that although buyer's were alot more interested in hurricane protection than ever before and a lot more curious about flood zones etc. the ultimate objection to purchasing became price...and the "we're going to wait and see" game began.

2007 was slow and people still were "waiting and seeing".

2008 picked up and I recognized more sales than the year before and clues to a recovering real estate market were recognized. Yaaaeee!

Then T.S. Fay decided to make an appearance. Oh...now what??? Fear, Fear, Fear? Oh...no, no, not really at all...at least so far.

Here's what I think is very interesting about buyer behavior with Fay. According to The Weather Channel, Hurricane Fay became a T.S. on August 15th and hit Cuba. Talk about hitting Florida was well underway. Hits on my Naples, Florida real estate website were down 16% compared to the day before and for whatever reason, Fridays are never big performing days on my Naples Florida real estate website. In fact, compared to the Friday before (August 8th) hits were actually up 4% than the week before? Huh? Don'tcha all know we're going to be hit by a hurricane?.. as Zach Fischer so boldly reports on a post he writes for Localism.

Ok so maybe people weren't paying attention that day. What about the day after? Hits up 2%. What about the 17th? Up 7%. 18th? Up 11%. On the day T.S Fay hits the mainland of Florida surly traffic is down on that day, right? Nope. Up a whopping 34% Is that because all media attention is good media attention? I seriously don't know but what is even more awesome is what people were searching for. Many of the top pages have to do with Naples Beachfront properties, Naples Bay and other Naples waterfront properties.

Is it because Naples, Florida buyers have grown numb to the drama the media tries to instill in us? Don't get me wrong here. It is through the grace of God that Naples was spared once again and there are many other places not faring so well....my prayers are certainly with them.

Although Fay did perhaps stall or maybe even took away some of our opportunities to sell, we may have lucked out again. A client from oversees has postponed his trip til next month due to the storm and nobody really knows for sure the impact Fay will have on Florida's economy but I do greatly appreciate the people who have called within the last few days expressing interest in Naples, Florida real estate. I'm happy to know I'll be seeing them soon and I'm looking forward to helping them purchase their Naples, Florida property!

If you're trying to sell you Naples, Florida property, price and exposure are still the two most important factors. Make sure your property is in a price range that will cause it to sell and that it is being exposed properly both on the Internet and locally. You can't buy what you don't know exists and you won't pay more for something than it's worth.

For more information about Naples real estate, feel free to contact me direct!

Best Regards,

Shannon Lefevre, PA

Your Naples Smart Girl!

There are 320 active listings in Pelican Bay. That's just about 1.5 years of inventory.

The lowest priced listing is offered for $350,000 for a two bedroom, two bath condo in Laurel Oaks at Pelican Bay. $350,000 seems to be the magic low number to get an offer or at least it has been for the three other units that were priced the same which sold soon after.

The highest priced listing is offered for $17,700,000 located at The Strand at Bay Colony. It's clearly the most magnificent home existing in the area and if you have the means to purchase something of this magnitude, you're cheating yourself if you don't at least take a peek.

There are 48 properties in Pelican Bay pending contract. 26 of those homes were listed under 1,000,000 and 22 of those homes are listed for 1,000,000+ with the highest priced property currently under contract located on the beach in Bay Colony at The Windsor at Bay Colony. That unit was really amazing...one of my all time favorite properties I showed this year.

Average market time for all Pelican Bay listings is lengthy...coming in at 193 days.

Average sales price is 91% of list price so as you can see, although it is possible to get a screaming deal in Pelican Bay...many Pelican Bay owners are getting pretty close to their asking price or they're simply not selling.

Don't let this discourage you though. I just put a property under contract in Pelican Bay a month or so ago which is set to close July 1. It was an unbelievable deal and when I mean unbelievable, I mean...when the agent said we got it I thought...dang...I should've done that myself!

What's Hot:

Barrington at Pelican Bay only has one listing available. It's only been on the market for 6 days. The other two sold earlier this year.

Beauville at Pelican Bay only has one listing available. It's been on for quite awhile it needs work but that is definitely reflected in the price.

Brighton at Bay Colony has two listings available. Three have closed already this year and one is currently under contract.

Cannes at Pelican Bay is currently sold out.

Carlton Place at Pelican Bay is currently sold out.

Carlysle at Bay Colony has one left, the other closed earlier this year.

Cocobay at Pelican Bay is currently sold out.

Crescent at Pelican Bay had great activity with their lower priced units. The 5 lowest priced units are either pending or closed making the next in line available coming in at $850,000. Also the most expensive unit at the Crescent listed for $1,975,000 has also closed.

Georgetown at Pelican Bay only has one home available. There are two homes that have closed in there this year and one is currently pending.

Hyde Park at Pelican Bay has two left. Here's something interesting...the two most expensive units in Hyde Park have sold leaving the two least expensive units available.

Isle Verde at Pelican Bay is currently sold out.

Las Brisas at Pelican Bay only has two homes left. 2 are pending, 2 have closed already this year.

Mansion La Palma is currently sold out.

Marquesa at Bay Colony has one left, the other is currently pending.

Oakmont at Pelican Bay has 4 left, there are currently two pending and two have closed already this year.

Pelican Bay Woods has 4 left with 4 homes that have closed already this year.

Salerno at Bay Colony has two available, one is pending the other has closed already this year.

Sanctuary at Pelican Bay has two left. There are 4 that have closed there this year.

St. Andrews at Pelican Bay has one left. The other is pending.

St Tropez at Pelican Bay is currently sold out.

Toscana at Bay Colony has one unit left. The other 4 sold earlier this year.

Villa Coronado at Pelican Bay is currently sold out.

Villa La Palma at Bay Colony is currently sold out.

Village at Pelican Bay has two left. The other two have sold.

Vizcaya at Bay Colony is currently sold out.

Waterford at Pelican Bay is currently sold out.

Windsor at Bay Colony has one left. There is currently one pending contract and the other has sold.

If you didn't find the Pelican Bay community you were looking for in my report it's because it didn't make the "What's Hot" list. Don't fret, you can access all Pelican Bay Communities through my website.

What does the future hold for Pelican Bay? Time will tell for sure. I do find it curious that we've seen a slight dip in sales. By the end of May last year there were 126 sales. By the end of May this year there were only 98. You'll want to use this in your negotiations if you're thinking about purchasing but remember, while some Pelican Bay homeowners are really interested in selling, others are really interested in getting their price so don't forget to work with a Smart Girl who can help you find the right one for you.

Best Regards,

Your Pelican Bay Smart Girl!

Then you must make a stop at Rug Decor located at 8002 Mediterranean Dr. Estero Florida. This store is quite simply a terrific rug shopping experience!

Here's how it went for me:

My husband and I still burdened with the task of completing our newly remodeled home are in the process of making our final selections in decor. For whatever reason, the rugs have been a hard task for me. I don't really know why, but it probably has something to do with the fact that rugs can either really make or break a look you're going after.

We were actually on our way to another store located in the Coconut Point Mall when Jerry spotted Rug Decor and said, hey, let's go in there. I didn't want to because I knew it was going to be one of those places that have ugly rug stock...not interested. He parked and as we walked towards the door I complained about wasting time in a store where I knew I wouldn't buy anything. He, on his mission closed his ears and escorted me through the door.

To my surprise there was a HUGE selection of rugs. I mean not just those ugly old oriental rugs but rugs of every shape, size, color, style, texture and material. Now I cannot say that Rick Ruby had me at hello because trust me, when I want to be skeptical...I am usually a tough if not impossible sale.

I am a power shopper by design and do most of my shopping at a steady sprint through a store. In fact when I'm shopping with my counterpart we typically will walk in together and then I find myself hovering at the front door waiting for slow poke to get done doing his browsing. Then I am usually motioned to come look at something that he is sure I missed. Most of the time, I saw it and wasn't interested but every once in awhile...he makes a worthy mention.

Rick was a friendly man. He has a kind face and asks politely if he can be of assistance but he's not one of those people who's overly aggressive or tragically passive which is most of what we see in retail sales people today. He strikes up a conversation with Jerry and before you know it we're talking about buying a rug. One of the things I hate about buying rugs is the fact that it's cumbersome. I don't trust myself enough to place a blind custom order because I guess I'm not trained enough to do so confidently.

The more we talked about this rug, the more useful information Rick shared with us about it...making the whole process sound a lot easier than I thought it would be. Starting with a, well there's a sale and we'll take off this amount and if you don't like it you can bring it back. I'm hardly good at trying stuff on and I'm even worse at buying stuff I might have to take back. Perhaps it's a level of commitment I don't want to have to give...

Regardless, Rick's attitude ROCKED and he sold us a rug.

When we got it home...Jerry put it in place and after a few seconds I said, yeah, I don't like it. He didn't say anything, we left it there, woke up the next morning and he agreed by saying, yeah, I don't like it either.

DAMMIT! Now we have to go "all the way" back to Coconut Point and return it. Oh well, it's not that big of a deal.

So, we returned the rug. Rick was there ready to take the rug back and was just as friendly and mild mannered as he was the day before. I took another power look around and had fully decided we would not be buying a rug just yet. I think Rick could sense that my motivation had not only faded fast but that I had completely turned off the rug purchase button in my head. He kept the conversation going still describing interesting points about some of the inventory he had in stock without being too aggressive. He showed us more samples and offered ideas on some custom options which I thought I had zero interest in and then he showed me another rug sample that was absolutely AWESOME.

The price was good, his pitch was excellent and the next thing I know, we're walking out with a sample that I KNOW I will have to return the following day but this time...the commitment was ok. See, that Rick Ruby guy is in fact an OUTSTANDING sales guy. He was patient and helpful, courteous and smart.

As we were walking out of the store I thought to myself...damn...I wish I would've bought the other rugs I have in my house from him...he is a really neat guy. Then I thought...well let's see I need a rug there and I could use a rug over there...I MEAN, I realized I was trying to figure out how I could give him as much business as I possibly could.

I find myself drawn to take care of the people who take care of me and let me tell you, if it is a rug that you need. Rick Ruby at Rug Decor is your guy. In fact, all of the people at Rug Decor were the same cheerful, helpful way. Solid, grade A people...a very unusual and exceptional shopping experience.

Now you may think, well that's great for you Shannon but I don't live anywhere close to Estero, Florida. That's ok, he can ship your rugs to you. You will be happy with the level of service they provide in fact, here's his mission:

To provide the finest customer service in everything we do, and to sell quality products at a great value, while EXCEEDING our customers' expectations.

If we have fallen short of this mission in any way, please let me know about it. Rick Buy, owner

515-365-1139 rruby@randq.com

Yes folks, that is his cel phone number and his personal email address. Someone who puts that information on the back of their business card is not concerned about getting a lot of complaints because he already knows he is performing to his mission.

Need a rug? Call Rick Ruby!

Best Regards,

Your Naples Smart Girl!

One of the trends I've noticed lately is the increase in number of rental searches that have been occurring on my Naples, Florida website. So I can actually feel some of you think, oh how would you know!

Well, it's all in the search terms my friends. For example just today I saw:

• Avalon at Pelican Bay rentals
• Terraces at Park Shore Naples rental
• vacation rentals on Gulf Shore Blvd Naples Florida

I also received my first list of rentals for next season from a property manager in town who keeps me up to date with available rentals.

People who are really on the ball start making reservations now and throughout the summer while those a little less organized start calling when it's already getting cold up north and then we have those last minute crazy people who think they're the only ones running to the warmth who are calling hours before they board the plane thinking we'll have something available.......not in this market....rarely even a hotel room depending on what location and week of the season we're talking about.

So with that said, who's gobbling up what?

Well, I'm not a property manager so I can't tell you who's renting but I can tell you what they're renting:

It looks like the luxury portion of Pelican Bay is the most popular with many units already rented for next season. There are a few selections left but if I were you, I wouldn't wait to call!

In fact after reviewing all of the luxury properties, demand is high and supply looks a little short! A home that rents out for $48,000 per month on the beach in Old Naples is almost completely rented out for the season while a bayfront home in Port Royal renting out for $22,000 per month is already completely rented out.

There is still enough inventory to go around right now but if you're thinking luxury rentals in Naples for next season, do yourself a favor and make the call today.

What isn't hot right now is the annual rental market. There's lots of stuff in areas throughout town that is available.

So, if you're one of those people thinking about coming down and you find yourself without a rental, HEY, maybe it's time to check out what's for sale in Naples. Afterall, prices have come down and there are some great deals to be had and who knows...pick the right type of product and then maybe you too can be a landlord!

Best Regards,

Your Naples Smart Girl!

According to a colleague of mine, a reporter from a very well known newspaper is coming tomorrow to interview someone in my office about Naples, Florida real estate. This should be a good thing because even negative press is press and well, you can ask Paris Hilton or Britney Spears negative press isn't ALWAYS bad for business.

But incorrect press IS BAD for business. Although I respect the newspaper...mostly, I had a pretty tasteless experience with them a few years back. There was a reporter doing a story after Hurricane Charley and apparently she didn't think what I had to say was sexy enough so she grossly embelished my story by stating that I waded through knee deep water to send a fax. Uhhh no I didn't.

Regardless it's that kind of incorrect statements that cause a lot of extra drama for us real estate agents in the trenches.

Here's an example: While talking with this colleague of mine, he makes mention that the reporter said something to the effect of, I don't understand it...Naples is down 20% why aren't people buying? They should be scrambling over each other to sign contracts right now. Now you'll notice that wasn't a direct quote because:

• A. I'm not a reporter
• B. This is here-say from my colleague

But, if that's the angle of the story, I can see it now. This is going to do nothing but stir up a bunch of people who have been sitting on the sidelines, foaming at the mouth just itching to try to make huge money again in Naples. This type of story has a tendency to draw out the people who think they're going to come down here and buy Naples real estate for pennies on the dollar.

Why such the attitude? Well, I'm already seeing a few of those people pop in and out of my emails and phone calls.

For example: I received a call yesterday from a gentleman on the east coast of Florida who said, "Shannon, I've been reading up on Naples and I expect prices in Pelican Bay to fall 40% this summer and I want you to call me when you have a Pelican Bay high-rise condo with Gulf view for $400,000".

Well, I guess stranger things have happened. We can do that for him today for about $549,000. I guess time will tell.

My point to all of this is not so much that I want to hide the value of my market (which I'm sure every hard core reporter might think) but more so my personal mission is to paint a clear and true picture of the current Naples, Florida market value.

There's nothing more disappointing than to work with someone who thinks they're going to make a terrific steal only to find out that many sellers (especially in our best locations in town) are simply not going to roll over and play dead. What's even worse is when someone hovers over a property thinking that they'll wait it out and make the seller anxious only to find that someone else has happened by and snatched it up in their absence. Unrealistic expectations do nothing but make a lot of people upset.

Here's an example of that: I showed Old Naples property to some folks last week. After one specific showing I was very clear by saying. If you like this property, you need to move very fast......long pause......I'm not teasing. Their response...oh yeah ok...sounds good.... Two days later they asked to see the property again, it was under contract.

They did make another selection in the Moorings....something they want to focus on when they get back to where they live....while the house they think is interesting is having a 4th visit from a couple who are bringing their architect and builder to determine if they can do what they want to the house they're considering purchasing. Hey, it won't be the first loss of the year...actually for these folks, it will be the second.

So who is the perfect buyer for Naples, Florida real estate today? Really it comes down to someone who understands Naples and likes it. I was contacted yesterday by another gentleman who also wants a home in Old Naples. Literally within two minutes of the conversation he was able to figure out exactly what was going on. He understands it and is ready to make a move on the right house.

There are terrific opportunities and terrific properties for sale right now. If you're purchasing to enjoy the property, the town, the beaches, the golf and the experience that Naples has to offer...PERFECT. If you've got your primary objective on the investment side or perhaps were hoping you could beat someone to death and off their property....I think you should hold out for awhile.

Best Regards,

Your Naples Smart Girl!