According to a colleague of mine, a reporter from a very well known newspaper is coming tomorrow to interview someone in my office about Naples, Florida real estate. This should be a good thing because even negative press is press and well, you can ask Paris Hilton or Britney Spears negative press isn't ALWAYS bad for business.
But incorrect press IS BAD for business. Although I respect the newspaper...mostly, I had a pretty tasteless experience with them a few years back. There was a reporter doing a story after Hurricane Charley and apparently she didn't think what I had to say was sexy enough so she grossly embelished my story by stating that I waded through knee deep water to send a fax. Uhhh no I didn't.
Regardless it's that kind of incorrect statements that cause a lot of extra drama for us real estate agents in the trenches.
Here's an example: While talking with this colleague of mine, he makes mention that the reporter said something to the effect of, I don't understand it...Naples is down 20% why aren't people buying? They should be scrambling over each other to sign contracts right now. Now you'll notice that wasn't a direct quote because:
- A. I'm not a reporter
- B. This is here-say from my colleague
But, if that's the angle of the story, I can see it now. This is going to do nothing but stir up a bunch of people who have been sitting on the sidelines, foaming at the mouth just itching to try to make huge money again in Naples. This type of story has a tendency to draw out the people who think they're going to come down here and buy Naples real estate for pennies on the dollar.
Why such the attitude? Well, I'm already seeing a few of those people pop in and out of my emails and phone calls.
For example: I received a call yesterday from a gentleman on the east coast of Florida who said, "Shannon, I've been reading up on Naples and I expect prices in Pelican Bay to fall 40% this summer and I want you to call me when you have a Pelican Bay high-rise condo with Gulf view for $400,000".
Well, I guess stranger things have happened. We can do that for him today for about $549,000. I guess time will tell.
My point to all of this is not so much that I want to hide the value of my market (which I'm sure every hard core reporter might think) but more so my personal mission is to paint a clear and true picture of the current Naples, Florida market value.
There's nothing more disappointing than to work with someone who thinks they're going to make a terrific steal only to find out that many sellers (especially in our best locations in town) are simply not going to roll over and play dead. What's even worse is when someone hovers over a property thinking that they'll wait it out and make the seller anxious only to find that someone else has happened by and snatched it up in their absence. Unrealistic expectations do nothing but make a lot of people upset.
Here's an example of that: I showed Old Naples property to some folks last week. After one specific showing I was very clear by saying. If you like this property, you need to move very fast......long pause......I'm not teasing. Their response...oh yeah ok...sounds good.... Two days later they asked to see the property again, it was under contract.
They did make another selection in the Moorings....something they want to focus on when they get back to where they live....while the house they think is interesting is having a 4th visit from a couple who are bringing their architect and builder to determine if they can do what they want to the house they're considering purchasing. Hey, it won't be the first loss of the year...actually for these folks, it will be the second.
So who is the perfect buyer for Naples, Florida real estate today? Really it comes down to someone who understands Naples and likes it. I was contacted yesterday by another gentleman who also wants a home in Old Naples. Literally within two minutes of the conversation he was able to figure out exactly what was going on. He understands it and is ready to make a move on the right house.
There are terrific opportunities and terrific properties for sale right now. If you're purchasing to enjoy the property, the town, the beaches, the golf and the experience that Naples has to offer...PERFECT. If you've got your primary objective on the investment side or perhaps were hoping you could beat someone to death and off their property....I think you should hold out for awhile.
Best Regards,
Your Naples Smart Girl!
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