"I Should Have Taken That Offer!!!"

I can't even count the number of times over the course of my nearly 30 year real estate career that a seller did not accept a reasonable offer on their home, only to call me days or weeks later asking, "Has that buyer has bought anything yet?"

Today's market does not lend itself to sellers holding out for top dollar...Unless of course, they really don't need to sell...and then I wonder, Why are they testing the market now anyway? Not a good time to just put a sign in your yard and hope someone loves your decorating. The media is inundating us all with news of foreclosures and short sales, sales not going through due to low appraisals, and now added to the mix, a major oil spill! This has every potential Florida Real Estate purchaser leery of the uncertainty...Yesterday, in one of the dozens of online publications to which I subscribe, it was reported that Southwest Florida has less than a 1% chance of being effected directly by the spill. That being said, we are all feeling some peripheral fallout from this disaster.

Keeping all this in mind, I suggest every homeowner that thinks they want to sell their home in today's present market climate, reconsider and only make the decision to sell if you are willing to negotiate a fair price for your property.  I'm not suggesting you give your homes away, but a ready, willing and able cash buyer is something I urge you all to take very seriously!

Case in point: I wrote an offer on Tuesday for a lovely, furnished villa in one of the most exclusive country club communities in Naples. The buyer just happens to also be a real estate agent from the Northeast. It was their third 'real estate shopping' trip to Naples this year. We based the offer on facts derived from multiple listing data and public records. It was a CASH offer with a quick closing and no contingencies! The seller did not even counter! Imagine my shock [never mind the buyer's disappointment] when the listing agent informed us they felt we were too far apart to warrant a counter! I assure you, the offer was a VERY good offer! Who ever heard of a seller in this market not wanting to negotiate? ~Ah, well. Luckily, I'm working with super buyers, and they know that I will be here to help them whenever the right property comes up on the market...and, When it does, I'm fairly certain we just might hear this seller say, "I should have taken that offer!"

For an updated, detailed list of the best real estate buys in Naples Florida, please call one of the Harris Peppe Team members today. We hope to hear from you soon, and we look forward to earning your business. 239.370.0574

News From The National Association of Realtors

In a letter dated today, July 1st, 2010, the National Association of Realtors President, Vicki Cox Golder, announced the extension of the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline to September 30, 2010. This is a huge win for REALTORS and homebuyers as well as the National Association of Realtors [NAR] who all worked closely with members of Congress to make it happen! The extension applies only to transactions that have ratified contracts in place as of April 30th and have nort yet closed.

Additionally, Congress extended the National Flood Insurance Program [NFIP] through September 30, 2010. The bill is retroactive and will cover the lapse period from June 1st, 2010 to the date the law is enacted. (Awaiting the president's signature making the bill into law).

For more details on both the tax credit deadline and the NFIP, you can visit the REALTOR website by clicking HERE.


Thanks to all the NAR members who made their voices heard. These bills would not have passed without their support.   

We Are Now In 50 Countries!

Coldwell Banker Expands to 50 Countries!

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC signed an agreement yesterday that expands the Coldwell Banker brand's presence in France, and adds Monaco! With the addition of Monaco, the Coldwell Banker international network is now represented in 50 countries and territories on six continents worldwide! Coldwell Banker France and Monaco is based in Paris, led by Laurent Demeure, president and chief executive officer of Demeure S.A., previously known as Demeure Immobilier. The company's luxury branch is called Demeure Prestige. Founded in 1920, the group was very instrumental in developing France's real estate industry.

Jim Gillespie, chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC said, "We are thrilled that Laurent and his talented team have joined the Coldwell Banker system to give us a renewed presence in France. Obviously, gaining a presence in Monaco, one of the world's most desired destinations is a major addition to Coldwell Banker Previews International, our luxury marketing division that caters to the affluent. We believe Laurent's firm aligns very well with the Coldwell Banker Previews brand, combining a rich history with outstanding core values." 

Demeure was quoted as saying, "We think the Coldwell Banker brand has great potential for growth in France and Monaco. [Both] markets are holding steady, despite the recent economic conditions. [We] have relatively low home prices, a wonderful culture, and 'love for all things French' continues to drive interest from foreign investors while Monaco obviously attracts interest from affluent buyers around the globe."

It is partnerships like these that truly come to symbolize the strength behind the global Coldwell Banker brand. The Harris Peppe Team and NaplesRealEstate.com is proud to be a part of this franchise that has unparalleled business relationships around the world. We have the potential to become the world leaders in the luxury property market!

Short Sale Pilot Program

A national average tells us that less than 9% of short sales listed will go through to closing! One in every 173 housing units in Florida are more than 30 days late on their mortgage payment. Approximately 30% of the listed homes and condos are "distressed"...80% of those are "underwater", or in a short sale situation. An example of the huge learning curve that all of us in the real estate industry have had to deal with in the past few years: Florida's largest home loan mortgage company had 50 employees in their foreclosure department a year ago...now they have 1,400 employees in that same department! ~ Most lenders have inadequate staffing for the number of loans that are in default. Another large national lender had over 57,000 new short sale requests in February, 2010 alone in Florida! At that same time, the same lender only had 12 REOs (foreclosures) listed in Collier County (Naples). Obviously, the short sales far outnumber the foreclosures. We need to develop the best practices to expedite short sales and increase their closing success percentages! One of the greatest challenges we, as real estate professionals face, is managing buyer's expectations.  With such low success rates, we MUST find better ways to communicate with lenders, thereby creating more opportunities for today's buyers AND sellers!

In an effort to increase the service we provide, our Coldwell Banker affiliate: Sunbelt Title, recently implemented a pilot program and created a Short Sale Assistance Center. It is designed to help coordinate and facilitate communications between the seller, the Coldwell Banker listing associate and the lender throughout the short sale process. Eventually this will be a statewide program utilizing the Sunbelt Title branch offices around the state with the main assistant center located in Tampa, Florida. A Short Sale Packet has been designed to help streamline the process.

For additional information about Sunbelt Title Agency and their short sale program which is being offered to all Coldwell Banker listings that qualify as short sales, please call us today at 239.370.0574.  For a list of homes and condos for sale in the Naples area, you can register on The Harris Peppe Team website at NaplesRealEstate.com.

Thank you.

Naples Real Estate Market Trends

Just another follow up to my most recent post (see June 9th, 2010) regarding some interesting trends going on in Southwest Florida. Here's a link to a couple of charts that give a good, clear picture of the strengths and weakness in our present market condition. Click HERE For additional information about the Naples Real Estate market, please call The Harris-Peppe Team today! 239.370.0574

Interesting Naples Real Estate Stats

It is hard to believe it's already June! This year is flying by, isn't it? Here's a brief recap of some of the more interesting *statistics about the local real estate market here in Naples Florida:

• Currently there are 2,270 residential properties under contract in Naples per the MLS. This includes listings that are still considered "Active with Contract" [awaiting contingencies to be met or waived], and those that are "Pending" [all conditions of the contract have been met]. On June 1st 2009 there were 1,792 residential properties under contract in the MLS. That is approximately a 28% increase.

• Of the current Active with Contract and Pended Contracts, 1,036 went under contract in May. This figure peaked in March at over 1,200 units.

• 73% of those residential properties currently under contract are listed at or below $300,000. Interestingly enough, that figure was 74% for the same time period in 2009.

• Of the 2,270 properties presently under contract, 129 are listed at or above $ 1 million dollars [Previews Properties]. In 2009 that number was 58 out of 1,792 units under contract. That is a 57% increase in pended contracts of Previews Properties!

• In 2009, January 1st through May 31st there were 202 closed residential sales in the $1 million and up price point. In 2010 YTD there have been 321 closed sales in that same price point. 

• Presently there are 7,625 Active Listings in Naples per the MLS. This is approximately a 9% drop in inventory compared to the same date last year.

Please call us directly if you have any questions, or if you would like information concerning today's best buys! 239.370.0574 ~Or email us by clicking HERE. Thank you and make it a great day!

*This report was written on June 1st, 2010. All information is deemed reliable. Data is derived from the SunshineMLS.

The Coast Is Clear

In Naples, the coast is clear!

The coast of Florida has miraculously been blessed with weeks of winds blowing mostly from the north and east, keeping "the spill" away...for now. This wind direction is the opposite of normal for this time of year!
(photo insert taken on 05/31/2010 between Naples and Marco Island-click on picture to enlarge)

Chip and I have not had many inquiries about the oil spill, but it did come up as a topic of discussion yesterday at our office's weekly business meeting. Coldwell Banker provided us with the following State of Florida LINK which will direct you to information about the Deepwater Horizon including live video feeds, trajectory maps and press releases. We were encouraged to make the link available to our customers. For buyers that might be hesitant to make offers on properties located right on the gulf front, a local attorney is working on an addendum that could become part of a sales agreement giving the buyer an opportunity to cancel a sale should oil end up on our beaches.  Another helpful site which is providing good information about our beaches is the VISIT FLORIDA site.   

Although the spill has not affected us directly, the magnitude of this disaster could ultimately affect every living thing on our gulf coast.  As reported yesterday on several social network sites, in response to mounting public pressure, the federal government decided that BP should carry the cost of constructing barrier islands along the Louisiana coast.  They will be paying over $360 million dollars for this project, which they will not be in charge of managing nor constructing.  BP has already provided $170 million to Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. They have also paid approximately $42 million in compensation to people and companies affected by the spill.  For more information about the BP funding of the barrier islands and other related stories you can click HERE.  BP presently has 7 different projects underway working to stem the flow of oil. Over 13,000 workers on over 500 vessels are out on the water everyday working the spill. Let's all continue to keep these workers in our thoughts and prayers, and hope for a solution to this challenging situation soon. 

For additional information about Naples gulf front real estate availability for rent or for sale, please contact us today at 239.370.0574. Thank you.    

It's Hurricane Season~Be Prepared!

Today, June 1st, marks the first day of the 2010 hurricane season. This will run for six months, ending November 30th. Here are a few facts about hurricanes, as well as a few helpful websites that I'd like to share with you.

Did you know that for hundreds of years, hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the storm made landfall? Using a woman's name became customary after a novel called "Storm" was written in 1941 by author George R. Stewert. In 1951 the United States adopted the plan to name storms after the phonetic alphabet...Able, Baker, Charlie...But, then in 1953 the weather sevice returned to only using female names. This officially ended in 1978, when some believe was due in part to the feminist movement, when names from both genders were used to designate storms in the Pacific. One year later, male and female names were included for the Atlantic Ocean storms, too! It has remained that way ever since. Once a system with a counter-clockwise rotation is identified, and a sustained wind of 39 mph is measured, the storm is named. A list of this year's names, as well as other good information for storm preparedness can be found on The National Hurricane Center's website.

I am also including, for those of us in Naples Florida, a link to Collier County's Emergency Management website. This site offers important suggestions such as having a family plan, among other things. Keep in mind, this blog post was not wriiten to alarm you.  Hurricanes are a fact of nature. Consider this: We are notified days in advance of an upcoming storm. All in all, we are very fortunate to live in paradise...we just want you to be prepared!    

Naples Waterfront Real Estate Information

Currently, if a buyer asked me to find them a newer home (built 2007 or later), on the water in Naples with direct gulf access; there are presently only 16 to choose from in *MLS. These homes list from $2,195,000: a 2-story Bermuda-style 4 bedroom boasting over 4,300 square feet of living area (that's about $500. per sq ft.) with a beautiful pool, spa, waterfall, outside fireplace, summer kitchen, elevator, built-in electronics, wine cellar, top of the line appliances, etc etc...you get the picture--to a furnished residence on a southern exposure homesite in prestigious Port Royal with an asking price of $ 14 million! *The average list price per square foot of these homes built 2007 or newer is $585. per sq ft.

Of the 16 direct access homes for sale in this category, only 5 are listed under $3 million. All five are in the Royal Harbor Area (NA 08).

One of the "best buys" is a lovely southern exposure 4 BR + den, 4 1/2 bath residence featuring a luxurious Master suite and bath, a negative edge pool with spa and cascading spillover, a 50' boat dock with 20K lb. lift, and a second floor 'sunset' room where you are treated to views of the gorgeous sunsets over Naples Bay each night! This home is aggressively priced at $2,399,000. ~Click HERE for a virtual tour of this amazing waterfront home.

For information about the waterfront opportunities here in Naples Florida please call us today at 239.370.0574 or log onto our Previews website at www.NaplesPreviews.com

Naples Real Estate Market Update

There's a lot going on in the Naples real estate market. Here's a brief recap.

• The average sale price in Naples is $357,010. In April 2009 the average sale price was just under $350,000. In March of 2010 it went above $400,000 for the first time since November 2008.

• In January through April 2009 there were 11,243 new listings taken in Naples compared to the first 4 months of 2010 when 10,441 new listings were placed into the MLS. Presently there are 7,676 active listings. Of those 1,441 are Previews Properties (those listed at or above $ 1 million dollars). Conversely, 43.4% of the current inventory is priced below $300,000.

• There were 1,384 listings that went under contract in April 2010 as compared to April 2009; an increase of approximately 17%. Of those that pended last month, 73.4% were listed at or below $300,000. This price range continues to drive our market.

• 18% of the active listings in Naples are Previews Properties vs. only 303 of the 4,373 closed sales TYD having been listed at or above $1 million dollars which translates to only 3% of the closings.

For the purpose of conducting property searches, Naples is divided in NA zones (Naples Areas) numbered from 1 through 48. In reviewing the averaged closed sale statistics over the past 12 months only two NA zones showed an increase in average sold price; that being NA 02: Vanderbilt Beach, and NA 07: Aqualane Shores and Port Royal. It is always favorable when the high end of the market shows signs of recovery.

Interest rates are holding fairly steady, although it has been predicted that they may rise intermittently over the next 6 months and level out around 7%. This may get some hesitant buyers off the fence, but won't effect us as much as could be expected as 68% of our office's closed sales YTD have been cash transactions.

As always, Chip & I welcome your comments and questions. We can be reached at 239.370.0574 (direct). We look forward to hearing from you and hope to earn your business.

*Information has been derived from the Naples multiple listing system, SunshineMLS, and are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Come On Down to Naples CityFest!

Several years ago, the brainchild of The Downtown Naples Association, Naples CityFest, became a reality. What began as a celebration for the "locals", who endure the influx of our wonderful snowbirds from approximately October through April, has now become one of the best city festivals of the year! ~And, this event occurs not only in May to kick up our heels at the end of "season", but once again in October...to mark a "season" kick-off, when we are all preparing for the population and traffic to increase in numbers unfathomable if you just happened upon our sweet little town in say, June or July!

For those of us who live here year round, Naples takes on quite a different personality in the off season. Some changes are more subtle than others, but some are distinctly obvious: no long lines at the grocery store, no need to make dinner reservations at the popular restaurants weeks in advance...in addition to that type of thing, the flowering trees in Naples are magnificent this time of year...Purple Jacarandas, Yellow Tabebuia (photo inset-click to enlarge), and Bright red Royal Poinciana trees lining the downtown streets! It's kinda' sad that the snowbirds leave before these trees explode with color, but in a way I count it as a reward for the natives at the end of a long 'winter" after working long hours and catering to our northern friends. Trust me, the spectacle that these trees afford us is indescribable. Come on down to Naples in May or June and you'll be treated to a very special place indeed.

Naples slows down to a pace similar to what I remember drew me here in the first place nearly 33 years ago. The local shoppes have some unbelievable off season sales, golf courses have incredible summer rates...and so, although we couldn't make a living without the annual migration of the snowbird, we do all look forward to getting our city back when they fly home in the Spring. ~Thus, the idea for Naples CityFest. A two week long party to bring locals downtown with events planned daily and nightly! Two full weeks of fun hosted by the downtown retail areas! There's going to be a block party on 5th Avenue South this Friday night. Other activities can be found by clicking on the Naples News link HERE!

The Poll Is Closed!

It's May 1st, and the polls are closed on the NaplesRealEstate.com blog.

60 days ago I posted this question: "How did you find NaplesRealEstate.com?"

The results are in! 70% of the respondents found us by looking in a search engine, 20% read about us in a print media publication, and 10% by personal recommendation.

It pays to be on the 1st page of Google where over a quarter of a million unique visitors a month surf on NaplesRealEstate.com!

Right On Naples Bay!

Get Ready for Breathtaking Sunsets!

This luxurious bay front home is waiting for that special buyer looking for one of the most dramatic views in Naples Florida! Located on an estate-size lot measuring 100' X 175' with desirable western exposure in prestigious Royal Harbor! Boasting over 3,700 square feet of Living Area; this well cared for 3 bedroom +den residence features soaring ceilings, great room plan, custom built-ins, crown mouldings, island kitchen, enormous master bath, outside lanai and patios with a summer kitchen, heated pool and spa, a 600+ square foot covered boat slip, and a bay side deck where you can sit and relax and watch the boats go by...

~Don't just imagine yourself here...this is the lifestyle you deserve!

For photos and a virtual tour, click HERE.

Call today for a private tour of this home: 239.370.0574

Keeping It Green!

Buying a home is probably the biggest investment you will ever make. Many buyers today are interested in a green lifestyle. People want to reduce their "carbon footprint" by taking advantage of the long-term savings that a green home affords. Do you know your "carbon footprint"? I think you'd be surprised to find out what an impact your lifestyle has on our planet. Click HERE to take calculate your carbon footprint.

~Home buyers today are asking a few simple questions...they want to know what green features a home may have. Features including building materials, construction methods, and energy efficient appliances, such as those which are Energy Star rated. They understand green incentives for improvements to heating and cooling systems that save energy and the benefit of having an energy audit from their local electric company. We are all more aware of potential toxins in a home, and many people use special filters now to improve both the air and water quality of their home. Some other green home ideas can be as simple as the flooring you select, such as cork or bamboo, and the non-toxic finishes in the paints you use.

~It might be the single best thing you can do this week, in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day...calculate your carbon footprint today, and make a choice NOW to Go GREEN!

For information about home green certifications, Star Energy ratings & LEED, please contact a member of the Harris Peppe Team. We would be happy to send you a brochure from The Green Resource Council. Thanks for "keeping it green"!

Real Estate Market Trends

Here's a LINK to the current market trends in Southwest Florida. The data includes Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. All information is derived from the SunshineMLS. Statistics have been tracked for these graphs going back to the 1st of January 2009 through the end of March 2010. I thought it was interesting to note that the list to sale ratio has been pretty consistent, around 90%, across the board.

For a more detailed report of a specific neighborhood or area, please call The Harris-Peppe team at 239.370.0574. Thank you, and make it a great day!

Photos of Paradise

Here's a link to some beautiful photos of Naples, Florida! If you have any photos of Naples that you would like to share, please send them to me in a jpg file, and we will feature them on our site! Michele@NaplesRealEstate.com CLICK HERE Thank you, and have a great weekend!

Questions About the Home Buyers Tax Credit

Here is an article that was published yesterday by RISMEDIA which answers the 'Top 4 Questions Home Buyers have about the Tax Credit'. Click HERE for link. For additional information, the Federal Housing Tax Credit Website can be accessed by clicking here HERE. As always, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read our Naples Real Estate blog. We hope you will call us when you are ready to list or sell in Naples Florida. 239-370-0574

Naples is the Place to Be!

One of my co-workers just forwarded me an article that appeared in the New York Times over the weekend that I wanted to share! You don't just have to take my word for it...I've known for a long time that Naples is paradise...so, Here's what the Times had to say about our beautiful little city!

Read it HERE!

Florida Leads Big-Boat Market Rebound!

As recently reported in Soundings Trade Only magazine, there's a rebound happening in the boating industry and Florida, particularly Southwest Florida, is taking the lead! The first few months of last year saw very low sales volumes, but by mid-year big-boat brokers saw sales that surpassed the monthly units for all of 2008. By the last quarter of 2009 Florida brokers led the big-boat sales, which "bred guarded optimism about 2010." This optimism hasn't been so guarded in Naples as there was a record turnout in attendance at the recent Naples Boat Show, and many left as new boat owners! "In a good year we sell maybe one or two boats and plant a few seeds" reported Pete Kostuk, yacht broker with Galati Yacht Sales here in Naples. "This year we sold all four display boats in the first two days which included two buyers we'd never met before." He added, "Boaters may not be going as far or as fast, but they're still buying boats"! *pictured are some of our favorite passengers onboard Ithaka!

Older inventory, which brought sales down the past couple of years, is being absorbed and dealers are now introducing new models. Values on trade-ins are also becoming more acceptable as folks in the market to either 'buy up' or 'trade down' are taking advantage of the new inventory. Everyone agrees that it's a good time to buy a boat in Naples Florida, just as it is a great time to buy a waterfront home! Call us today for a list of all the waterfront best buys! 239-370-0574

Thanks and happy boating!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from me and Chip.

~In honor of the occasion I thought I would post one of my favorite Irish blessings, and appropriately, it is a

Home Blessing!

May these walls be filled with laughter,

may it reach from floor to rafter.

May the roof keep out the rain,

may sunshine warm each windowpane.

May the door be open wide

to let the good Lord's love inside.

There are wonderful activities already underway here on Fifth Avenue South in beautiful Naples Florida...there's a line up at Paddy Murphy's, and at McCabe's Irish Pub as well. The entire street is brimming with folks decked out in green...and there's just the right amount of sunshine popping through the clouds after an afternoon of showers to make a rainbow fairly certain!

Real Estate Predictions

I thought this was interesting enough to share....384 real estate markets across the United States are being tracked by CNNmoney.com. Check out the predictions for your city/area by clicking on this LINK. For detailed information about Naples Real Estate please call me or my partner, Chip Harris today! 239-370-0574 Thanks and make it a great day!

Location, Condition, Price, Marketing

Location, condition, price, marketing...these are the four items that determine how quickly a home will sell. A seller controls 3 of the 4! Take these two cases as an example:

1. A home in really poor condition, in an inferior location, will still sell if it is marketed properly and priced well.
2. If your home is in good condition, in a nice location, and if it is marketed correctly, but is still not selling: then the only factor that needs to be addressed is price.

Today's buyers are smart. They examine every detail before making an offer on a property, including the listing's history. How many price reductions, and how long a home has been listed weighs heavily on how close to the asking price an initial offer will come in...Pricing is crucial right from the start! Homeowners that stick to a price in the hopes of having more "room to negotiate" are eventually going to cut their price or follow the market down...and they usually end up negotiating a lower contract price than if the home was priced right to begin with.

In addition to all the other items that we are dealing with today, we also need to factor in the foreclosures and short sales that are dramatically effecting prices. Experts suggest, 'put your home on the market at the right price, and if it doesn't sell in the first 30 days, cut the price so you won't be caught in a downward spiral of price reductions'. Testing the market just isn't a good strategy anymore.

Well priced listings are selling in Naples Florida! Call us today for a list of our best buys! 239-370-0574

Writer's Block?

The most successful blogs are those which are written consistently. Regular, interesting entries...thought provoking posts...informative, catchy, entertaining...I read blogs often. I subscribe to several. I know a few bloggers that I believe should actually write books...they are really great writers. Their use of whirling words paint pictures in my head...I am mesmerized by their ability to describe simple things like planting an herb garden or cooking a souffle or shopping with a child with such imagery that I look forward to each and every one of their posts. ~I also enjoy 'professional' blogs about politics, music, movies, real estate & business...but not as much!

Lately I've had a bit of writer's block...The truth is, I can think of dozens of things to write about every single day...but I have been a little preoccupied with...well, with...selling and listing real estate! I have all good intentions, but frankly, by the end of the day I am pretty much beat and can't wait to just call it a day....Writing my real estate blog has dropped down on the list of priorities these past few weeks. Now that the intense influx of snowbirds has leveled out, and I am getting myself back into a schedule of sorts (yeah, right!), I am hoping to blog more regularly. Many thanks to my loyal fans who have gone so far as to pick up the phone and call me: "Where are you?...Is everything ok?" Yes, I am fine...It's just that it's season, and no matter how many years I have been doing this (29 years the end of this month~Whew!), I never seem to manage to pace myself...I am very happy that day light savings time is coming early this year (remember, Saturday, March 13th...spring ahead). I am looking forward to maybe getting home before dark...ah, wouldn't that be nice?

So, it may not really be 'writer's block' after all, but just a case of 'Busy Real Estate Agent-Wife-Mom-Mimi-Daughter-Volunteer-Artist'...not necessarily in that order. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post...I cannot guarantee whirling words, but I at least feel consistent coming on!

A Welcome Addition!

Welcome Suzanne Novita!

I think everyone here at the Coldwell Banker Previews office in Naples was thrilled this morning at our weekly sales meeting to be introduced to the newest member of the Fifth Avenue team, Suzanne Novita! Suzanne comes to us from the Coldwell Banker office in Delray Beach. She recently relocated to Naples so that she and her husband could be closer to family. Her primary duties will be real estate leasing and property management. She was highly recommended by her broker at Coldwell Banker on the east coast of Florida. Suzanne has strong organizational, technical and interpersonal skills. Her background and credentials are stellar, and I know she will be a great asset to our office. Welcome aboard Suzanne! The Harris-Peppe Team and the entire sales team and support staff are so happy to have you here in Naples. Best of Luck!

It's all about the friends we make along the way...

Tonight Chip and I are having two of my friends from New Jersey over for dinner with their spouses. We sold each of them a home here in Naples and it is a wonderful treat for me to have the afternoon free to prepare a loving meal for them...We get so busy this time of year, it isn't often that I get to enjoy my kitchen (except for mac & cheese for the grand babies) and even less often that we get to entertain friends from "home" in our home. Watch out Naples, there will be a little bit of "jersey" spoken at the Harris Peppe house tonight!

~While grocery shopping today I ran into another customer turned friend (instead of a friend turned customer) at Fresh Market...She said, "It's nice to see you doing normal things Michele." I thought that was funny...Then the day before yesterday I ran into Marshall's to exchange a birthday gift and bumped into two other customers who are now friends...It's true, most of the important relationships that I have made over the years happened because of the real estate business...best friends, God-children, hmmmm...a wonderful husband! So, no matter what anyone tries to teach you about business, not just the real estate business, but ALL businesses...remember this: It is all about relationships...and the friends we make along the way!

~Have a nice evening everyone...I know I will.