May 2007

As a pet owner here in Naples and not having a specific Dog Park where we can go with Roxy, our wonderful swiss cattle dog, I find it interesting that pet owners are now adding walk-to dog park to their new home search parameters. Many savy communities, Naples not being one of them, are taking heed of this emerging trend and either building them or designating existing parks as being dog-friendly.

Recently, Pat and I took Roxy to Bonita Springs and the Dog Beach there for her second outing. Bonita Springs in its wisdom, saw the benefits and created the dog beach. On any given nice weekend day, one will find some 50 or 60 dogs running and playing unleashed and having a ball. It really is amazing that with all those dogs, there are very few problems…

As a realtor, I questioned whether I would write about the 60 minutes segment that aired this past Sunday, but after a lot of spirited debate with colleagues, as well as people outside the real estate industry, I decided that it was prudent to do so. Plus I’m able to put my feelings in writing, which helps to get it off my chest.

As I listened to the broadcast, I was utterly shocked at how biased the segment was, with absolutely no opinion from the other side whatsoever. I was stunned that NAR (National Association of Realtors), although extensively consulted, was not even invited to voice an opinion. It’s interesting that NAR itself encourages and supports every business model, from full service to discount, but does not favor any model over the other,…

After three years of immense bickering between the Naples City Council and the Collier County Government, the controversial ‘fly-over’ (at Golden Gate Parkway and Airport-Pulling Road) is about two months away from completion, albeit more than two months later than originally projected.

The project was forced by the county because of feared traffic congestion at the intersection of Airport Road and Golden Gate Parkway. The County theorized that because of the then eminent Golden Gate interchange to be built off 75, (it is now completed), traffic would cause major blockages at the intersection, so why not eliminate it entirely. After extensive studies it was decided that the best route to take was the ‘fly-over’, rather than a round-a-bout or any other…

In today’s real estate market, if you’re seeking listings, it is all about pricing property correctlty. Unlike days gone by where you could price a listing a bit higher than it should be, and if the sellers were not in a rush, allow the market to rise to the price, today it is far different. With the huge amount of inventory at hand, pricing a property to sell usually means that it must be priced in the lower quadrant of the market segment and preferable be the lowest. That way, assuming all things being equal, you will be well positioned to sell the property quickly.

With that being said, this strategy can leave minimal room for negotiation meaning that you have to know in advance what issues, if any, will come up from an inspection. To take care of…

Cinco de Mayo…what a great excuse to go out, party and drink margaritas with the best of them. Mason Ole, here I come!

People misunderstand the meaning of the day, for they believe that it is in celebration of the Mexican Independence, which it is not. Actually the day should not only be celebrated as Mexican Independence Day, but an American holiday as well!

It was on the morning of May 5th, 1862 that 4,000 Mexican soldiers, led by General Zaragosa, totally destroyed a French army twice its size bent on invading Mexico and making it a French colony. The French army misunderstood the will of the Mexican army, thinking that upon attacking Puebla (Mexico City), they would just give up and surrender. (They were a bit overconfident because they hadn’t…

Insurance premiums are going through the roof, and while the legislators in Tallahassee seem in a quandary as to what to do, we are saddled with rocketing costs. It is our choice to live in a coastal area of Naples, Florida, but still do we have tyo be so heavily penalized for it?

There are some things that we, as homeowners can do to help in holding down the cost. Certainly the first thing is to make sure that you are insuring your dwelling only and not the market value of the property. It sounds simple enough, but there are many people that I have recently talked with that have not looked at their policies in years and have no idea of what they are actually paying for, never mind insuring.

It always is advisable to purchase both your homeowners…

In the case of Florida, your air conditioning system is an important investment and will account for some 44% of your energy use. In the case of a resale home purchase, it is imperative that the system be thoroughly inspected, prior to the purchase of the property by a thoroughly qualified inspector.

Maintaining your system following a purchase and keeping it top shape will help it to deliver maximum performance. My suggestion is that you have your A/C contractor on a scheduled maintenance program twice a year. When he is working on the system, I would ask a lot of questions, so that you are totally familiar with your system.

I would want to know things like, if I add another room to the home, is my system adequate. I also want to know the specific…

It is with a heavy heart that I get ready to attend Cinco de Mayo for the final time at one of my favorite Naples’ establishments, Meson Ole in its present location, the Oaks Plaza in Naples.

Understand it’s not that Meson Ole is going out of business or anything like that, far from it, but rather the wonderful Spanish style neighborhood plaza where they have called home for many years is to be razed to make way for a new 16,000 square foot Walgreens which in my opinion is needed like a hole in the head.

Meson Ole will in fact be moving the following day to their new home, the former Ditkas, of Mike Ditka fame. Somehow it just won’t be the same as the small, intimate restaurant at the Oaks, where for years Pat and I have enjoyed walking over and…