NABOR Reports Second Quarter Statistics

NAPLES - The Naples Area Board of Realtors® has released second quarter 2007 statistics for home listings and sales in Naples, utilizing the Board’s local reporting format.

In this report, only sales of homes within the Naples geographic area are being shown - specifically all areas in Collier County excluding Marco Island and other outlying areas - to reflect an accurate and relevant portrait of the local real estate market.

A summary of the statistics is presented in graph format, along with the following analysis.

New listings as of June 30, 2007, were 4,497, falling below the 5,213 reported in the second quarter of 2006, and below the 5,885 new listings reported at the end of the first quarter 2007. A reduction in the number of new listings may ultimately provide some relief to what has been at times a saturated market.


Pending sales during the second quarter of 2007 were reported at 1,261, down from 1,390 reported in the second quarter of 2006.


There were 1,300 closed sales reported at the end of the second quarter of 2007, a drop from the second quarter of 2006 which reported 1,406 closed sales.


The median sales price of homes sold during the second quarter of 2007 was $390,500. The median refers to the middle value in a set of statistical values that are arranged in ascending or descending order, in this case prices at which homes were actually sold.


It should be noted that in any given period the median can vary greatly if there is an anomaly, a single sale that is significantly higher or lower than other properties in the area. The median price of homes sold in the second quarter of 2006 was reported at $430,000.

Median pricing is holding steady, continuing an upward trend line over the long term. In comparison to both the national and state real estate markets, Naples remains relatively stable, a reflection of intrinsic real estate value.

Inventory: As of July 1, 2007, there were 10,974 active listings on the market. With 4,030 homes sold in the previous 12 months, it is calculated that the current inventory represents a 33-month supply, below the 35-month inventory calculated at the end of the first quarter of 2007.

The calculation of months’ supply is derived by dividing the total number of listings at the beginning of the month (Supply) by the number of sales which closed over the past 12 months (Demand). This way we normalize the data by utilizing the prior rolling 12 months closing statistics (Demand). This methodology illustrates a more realistic trend which takes into account market seasonality. After we calculate the years supply, we then multiply the years supply times 12 to get the months supply. This is the current method used by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence.

Arlene Carozza Added As Corporate Trainer

Amerivest Realty is excited to announce the addition of Arlene Carozza as its corporate trainer. "With 30+ years of successful management and coaching experience, Arlene brings a wealth of real estate knowledge to our firm" - Joe Ballarino, President & Founder.

Arlene started her real estate career in 1977 as a salesperson and became a broker just 2 years later in 1979. After starting a successful sales career she began in management full time in 1983 with Coldwell Banker. She moved on to a 15 year career with Arvida Realty Services (Formerly Prudential Florida Realty/Merrill Lynch Realty), then on to other successful management posts.

Arlene has always been active in the local board of Realtors. She is currently the President-Elect for the Naples Area Board of Realtors, and will become President in 2008, a position she held with the Orlando Board of Realtors in 1992. Besides serving on too many committees to list, she was also named a Realtor of the Year for Gainesville in 1983.

At Amerivest Realty, Arlene will conduct monthly training meetings and offer one on one coaching for agents. "I love to teach and just want to be able to share my knowledge in a comfortable environment" - said Arlene Carozza.

Naples Season Sales Off 7.7%, Prices Down 10.6%

This morning I pulled year to date Naples, Florida statistics from Sunshine MLS (the local MLS system) to determine how the 2007 season compared to 2006. I compared numbers from January 1 to May 31 for each year and found the following:

Number of Pending Sales
2006: 2651
2007: 2448
DOWN 7.7%

Median Price Average:
2006: $443,300
2007: $396,440
DOWN 10.6%

So what does it mean? These numbers are no where near the poor pending numbers when comparing 2006 to 2005, a time where pending sales dropped 53.1%. Even better news is pricing, 2006 to 2005 had seen a gain in median prices by 27%, however we have only given 10.6% back.

This market rewards sellers who price their property correctly and severely penalizes those who don't. With residential inventory over 11,000 units, buyers can find great value if they do their homework.

Of course I recommend hiring a Realtor, our value is really apparent in a normal market like today.

Joe Ballarino
President & Founder
Amerivest Realty

Naples Waterfront Isolation Still Available

from naplesnews.com, Special to the Daily News

Friday, June 1, 2007

With the area awash in a sea of development, it is hard to imagine that little oases, characterized by natural waterfront settings, can still be found in Southwest Florida condo neighborhoods. Local Realtors say that for a certain niche of buyers, homes that are buffered from more urbanized area next door, yet offer easily access to shopping, restaurants and entertainment, are a highly sought after prize.

“Some homebuyers love the hustle and bustle of a vibrant neighborhood and thrive on contact with an urban environment,” said Larry White, who with his wife, Mary Catherine, is a Realtor with Amerivest Realty in Naples (www.NaplesLuxuryEstates.com), specializing in multimillion dollar properties in the Collier County market. “However, for others the idea of a little space between them and urban life is the ideal. Finding properties like this, particularly in Naples is increasingly difficult.”

That is why the Whites were pleased to obtain a true penthouse listing at 10 Seagate Drive in Naples Cay. “This property is remarkable in its solitude,” said Larry. “The beachfront building is at the end of a lane several hundred yards removed from the rest of the mid-rises and high rises of Naples Cay. To the east is a long back bay water view, There is no development to the north for two miles and Clam Pass cuts off beach access so there is relatively little pedestrian traffic on the beach. It’s amazing that a place like this can exist on the Gulf in the heart of Naples.”

The four-bedroom/den/four-bath penthouse has 5,007 square feet of living area. A staircase leads to the private rooftop where there is a kitchenette, an art studio and a hot tub. The 270-degree views pan across from the city to the east around to the beach where there are full, uninterrupted views of the Gulf from north to south, with Sanibel Island clearly visible on sunny days.

According to White, the residents of the 14-story building tend to share a common desire for privacy. “It’s a quiet building and many of the residents are high profile individuals and captains of industry with readily recognizable names in their public lives,” said Mary Catherine. “However, here they are able to be more secluded while still having all of the delights of Naples at their fingertips.”

One of the neighborhood’s simplest amenities is testament to its private natural setting. Almost out of sight among the mangroves at the northeast corner of the building is a small rack holding a pair of bright red kayaks.

“Only a couple of steps from their front door, residents can put a kayak into the back bay and kayak in pristine nature down to Clam Pass and right out into the open Gulf,” said Mary Catherine.

Property Information: 10 Seagate Naples Florida

Naples Property Improvement Continues

The Naples Property market continues to show positive signs of improvement, after it's second month of 2007.

Pending sales for Feb 07 shows 492 which is an increasing on the Jan 07 number of 448 and 287 recorded in the previous month of Dec 06. (Pendings are a good indication of the market and likely closed sales to come.)

The trend of "new listings" on the market is also an important consideration to understand the balance in supply and demand in the market. Increased numbers of listings will likely result in over supply, a sluggish market and pressure for price reductions in a Buyers market.

Reduction in the number of new listings, together with increased "pendings" and "Sold", means a likely reduction on inventory and reduced pressure on Sellers for price reductions as the market comes in balance for both Sellers and Buyers.

Feb 07 shows 1,734 new listings compared to 2,300 in Feb of 2006, although this is still more than the amount going pending, it is still 566 less than the same month last year at the same time that the median single family sold price for Feb 07 was $465,000 compared to $450,000 in Feb 06.

Rome wasn't built in a day and the Naples property market will not bounce back in a day either but continued improvement toward a balanced market is good for both Buyers and Sellers, along with the economy.

If you need any help or advise on any Naples or Bonita Springs real estate needs, call
Steve Barker
ABR, GRI, CIPS
(239) 293- 4327
email sbarker@amerivestrealty.com
Web site www.sebarker.com