SUMMER 2009 Newsletter Real Estate is consistently getting the front page in a positive way. Headlines repeatedly indicate, “we are near or at the bottom” and “the worst is behind us”. Obviously, it is correct, as pending home sales are up and inventories are down. Home construction is up 17.2% (the largest jump in 3 months) and building permits are up 4%. All indications that the housing recession is bottoming out. Add to that the low interest rates and a great selection of homes at prices not seen in 4-5 years, the future looks great for a real estate comeback. Statewide sales are improving with pendings up 6.7% over the prior month and the active inventory is down 16%. In Naples proper, pending sales are double what they were last year and very close to the ’04-’05 levels. This was the 15th consecutive month of gain. On Marco, pending sales are up 40% over ’08 and are also approaching the ’04 ‘- 05 levels. Naples Lakes numbers are equal to or greater than a year ago. From March 25, to the end of May, NLCC had 18 pending sales with 14 already closed. Along that line, the Florida Consumer Confidence monthly study shows a slight drop of 3 points to 68 in the Confidence index. However, it is still 9% greater than a year ago. They indicate the GM bankruptcy and the increased unemployment are the reasons for the decline. The Index, used by many companies in Florida is made up of a variety of gender, age and income categories. They in turn determine the five sub-indexes of personal and national opinions for today and the future, that make up the overall index. “Friendly Florida” greatly aids the Real Estate market. This phrase coined by Enterprise Florida, uses a number of national studies to promote Florida living. Included are #1 as the best state for a business workforce, top 10 in technology, #3 as the best place to start a business, #4 in entrepreurship, top 5 for the best tax climate for businesses, more top 10 best beaches than any other state, has 7 of the top 100 places to live, and has 5 universities listed as the best in public colleges with University of Florida at #2. Laws to watch include the Constitutional Amendment to limit the increase in annual property tax assessment for non-homesteaded owners to 5% annually. Also HR 521, to be signed by the Governor, will put the burden of proving that a property tax assessment is correct, on the appraiser – not the property owner. A couple of websites to check out include Bing.com …..the new Microsoft search engine and www.joshhosler.biz …..displays the top song for any date Check out our website (www.naplesgolf-marcobeach.com) to view some great properties. We currently have an array of multi-family and single family homes available for your viewing. Prices range from $220,000 to $579,000 with square footage from 1,394sf to over 2,400sf. In addition to reflecting our listings on Marco and in Naples, local websites and Realtor.com expanded listings, we just added another 31 sites to gain even more exposure. Remember the Naples Lakes Country Club listings are updated every Sunday morning. Also, as we mentioned in our April Newsletter, our Rental Website (under the name of Rentals @ Naples Lakes) is in the process of taking listings, and we have had several requests for rental properties for next season. The response thus far has been gratifying. Our rental operation will be done with the same attention to quality customer service as we provide with our residential real estate business in Naples and Marco Island. Tenants, as well as owners, are assured of a pleasant, carefree rental experience. Due to the number of requests from interested parties, we are in need of additional units or homes. So if you, or someone you know, are planning to rent your unit for all or part of the season next year, let us know. We also have interest in 6-12 month rentals. Please contact us at 239-793-6493 for more information, or should you have any questions. REMEMBER…if you need assistance or have questions about your investment in Paradise or any other property in the area, please give us a call at 239-793-6493. We will be happy to provide any information you may need when making a Real Estate decision. And don’t forget to visit – and make part of your favorites – our website at www.naplesgolf-marcobeach.com where you can find all types of information including a nationwide MLS plus Naples Lakes active listings updated weekly.