Naples, FL: Home sales, pending home sales increase in April

Lower prices have lured back buyers, who are feeling now is the time to buy. In April, Realtors in the Naples area had their busiest month of the year.

Overall, home sales rose 6 percent to 472, compared to 445 last year, according to a monthly report by the Naples Area Board of Realtors (NABOR).

Meanwhile, pending home sales increased 25 percent to 616, from 494 a year ago. "I think we’ve hit bottom in Naples and that comes from the economists who really study this," said Arlene Carozza, a Realtor and NABOR’s president.

In an interview with Mad Money host Jim Cramer on CNBC earlier this week, Bob Toll, CEO of homebuilder Toll Brothers, described the west coast of Florida as its "one ray of hope." "Naples is back. It’s amazing," he said, adding that his company is now out of spec inventory here and its prices are starting to rise in this market.

According to the NABOR statistics, the median price for all homes in the Naples area dropped more than 23 percent last month to $300,000, from $390,000 a year ago. Joe Ballarino, president of Amerivest Realty in Naples, said a spike in foreclosures and short sales _ sales made for less than the bank is owed _ have driven prices down faster in this market.

In April, the median price dropped to $258,000 for condos, and to $400,000 for single-family homes. "You have people walking away from properties and banks that just want to get their loan values and are taking less than what they are owed on the property," Ballarino said.

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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

Joyce Etchison Attends International Conference

Joyce Etchison from the Naples Amerivest Realty office was among more than 300 Realtors who traveled from around the United States and the world to learn about the latest international trends, how to market their properties, establish international business relationships, and continue their professional development at the 11th Annual International Real Estate Congress in Miami, Florida June 12 - 14, 2007. High-level delegations from approximately 10 countries and 30 U.S. cities traveled to Miami to network with real estate practitioners from the U. S. and around the globe.

"This was an outstanding program for anyone involved in any phase of real estate services in the United States and with neighboring countries and cities. I had the opportunity also to meet some wonderful agents from as near as Vero Beach and Sarasota as well as many other Florida cities, then on to North Carolina, Colorado, Costa Rica, and even learned more about Dubai! We shared information about our respective markets and set up a referral network among us" Etchison said.

This year's conference brought together an array of nationally and internationally known real estate experts, forecasters, and national speakers to address the hottest industry issues, including factors that are influencing trends in international real estate investment and development. "I especially enjoyed the presentation by Dr. Lawrence Yun, senior economist with NAR on the topic of 'Real Estate Forecast and Markets to Target for Foreign Investment' , as I came away confident that we are just experiencing a "blip" in our market after seeing the statistics on baby boomers' demand in Fla., economic growth, housing prices compared to other markets in the U.S. and especially abroad. South Florida offers 'warm waters' unlike many coastal countries abroad and there is a definite trend showing the demand for our properties coming from Europe, Canada, and Asia."

"I also enjoyed visiting new highrise construction in downtown Miami and was 'awed' by the change of its skyline, as I sold real estate there in the late 70's and early 80's. The architecture, views and amenities are incredible. All in all, I came home rejuvenated about the real estate market and opportunity in Florida, made great contacts for my potential buyers and sellers, but I regret the five pounds I gained due to the fine dining offered at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables".

The conference will be held June 9 - 12, 2008 in Miami once again. To contact Joyce, visit her website at http://www.joycesellsnaples.com/

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

March Pendings Sales Match Last Year

The number of pending sales in March of 2007 came within 1 unit of the number of pending sales in 2006 for Naples Florida. This should be the signal of the end of a falling market, one in which since September 2005 saw steady declines in pending sales. Here's the numbers: