In the process of registering your domain you’ll generally be given quite a few “extension” options to choose from. The extension determines whether your domain ends in .com, .net, .org, etc. Read more...     For more information connect with me: My Website| Positive Mommies Network | E-mail | Facebook | Twitter: @NaplesMarketing @PositiveMommies   05/28/2009

  While a great domain name alone will not guarantee high rankings in the search engines, they do, however, play an important role in your rankings and should be selected thoughtfully as part of your larger SEO efforts.       7 tips to select a SEO-friendly Domain Name Easy to remember Easy to spell Unique Short Read more...     For more information connect with me: My Website| Positive Mommies Network | E-mail | Facebook | Twitter: @NaplesMarketing @PositiveMommies 05/28/2009

When I initially went to real estate school (all the way back in 1996) I was trained to believe that Fair Market Value was defined as: The price a ready, willing and able buyer would pay for a property.  So that's what I lived by for awhile...then I learned when lenders get involved, sometimes appraisers get to determine value.  My first experience with this was usually regarding unusual properties that were hard to comp out.  The more unusual the property, the harder it was to comp out. That was frustrating. In 2002 when I moved to Naples, the market was pulling out of the 9-11 slump that most markets experienced during that time so I was able to see first hand that crazy increase in traffic and appreciation that occurred from 2004-2006...let me tell you, it was the craziest market I'v... 05/27/2009

Upscale canal residence 10 minutes to Bay and Gulf. Outstanding value for extra-large lot with long canal view and well-maintained older residence. Home warranty provided by owner for one year after purchase. Seawall 142', boat lift, and boat lock. A quiet cul-de-sac in this well located City of Naples sought-after area. Property is sold "As Is" with right to inspect. Very close to Old Naples shopping, restaurants and Cambier Park concerts. A fisherman's and boater's dream!   MLS # 209016758                   Asking Price of $995,000  Naples, FL 34102-1576 This property offered for sale by: Beach & Luxury Realty Inc 727-363-6300 www.beachluxuryrealty.com 05/21/2009

You might miss him but located just a little left of the sun in the water is a dolphin who was playing near the Naples pier when I took this shot.  It was a truly magical sunset! Photo by Shannon Lefevre, PA, Copyright© 2009, all rights reserved.  This photo may not be reproduced without the express, written permission of Shannon Lefevre with John R. Wood Inc. REALTORS, Naples, Florida.  Permission will be granted with a link back to my website, www.Shannon.com, providing linking site is appropriate for all ages. All violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 05/13/2009

Pelican Bay Short Sales & Pelican Bay Foreclosures are just two more topics I've been asked about consistently throughout the last several months.  Let's face it, "Short Sale" and "Foreclosure" are two of the most attractive real estate terms of the moment especially if you are a buyer looking for a deal. Pelican Bay currently has 9 "possible" short sales listed , 3 pending and 2 closed. Are short sales all they're cracked up to be in Pelican Bay? According to MLS there are only 2 that have sold in Pelican Bay.  Here are the stats: St. Tropez#602 listed for $549,000 sold turnkey closed for $521,000. It had also been remodeled. It was listed February of last year, pended in June and sold in July...not bad. There's only one other one that has closed in St. Tropez as of January 2008.  Unit... 05/12/2009

It's officially post Naples Florida prime real estate season!  That means we're amidst the "I want a deal" season as hungry prospects from near and far hope to feast on desperate Naples sellers who didn't get their property sold before Easter. Aggravation peaks as sellers either hold firm or refuse to be as "negotiable" as some of these buyers were hoping.  I'm working with quite a few right now who for all sorts of reasons think they should be getting properties for less than sellers are willing to let them go.  I feel it's important to disclose that I work primarily in the luxury portion of the market so these words I write are of no direct reflection of the busier lower ended portion of the current Naples Florida real estate market. I'm amazed at the amount of re-hits I'm seeing.  Wh... 05/12/2009

Did you know there are still Pelican Bay and Bay Colony agents who refuse to allow IDX capability on their Pelican Bay and Bay Colony listings?  That means they won't allow other agents and/or companies to advertise those listings on their websites.  This can cause quite an exposure problem since over 86% of all buyers are beginning their search on the Internet these days.  Some of the buyers I've worked with during the last couple of years do so much research before they come down that they actually send me a list of what they want to see before they get here which will usually eliminate those listings not advertised on my Naples Florida real estate website. Now some might question why those listings need to show up on my site.  I actually place quite high on most Pelican Bay and Bay C... 05/11/2009

In the current market for Naples homes, time truly is of the essence. Homes that once commanded a 200,000+ price tag can be had for nearly half that price and the people responsible for this are none other than first time buyers. Numbers show that first time buyers were responsible for a little more than half of the home sales that occurred in the month of March. This figure is actually higher than the typical forty or so percent and reinforces the dominance first time buyers have in the existing market. Analysts believe that these figures will further increase as the year progresses. Low prices for Naples homes, buying incentives, all of these factors continue to spur first time buyers in spite of the issues that remain a problem like foreclosures and the continued uncertainty of when ... 05/11/2009

Hello Folks, Spent the past two days on Barefoot Beach. On Friday (5-8-09) spent about 4 hours enjoying the beach and gulf in the morning and then went back again today (5-9-09) for low tide and sunset.  Collier County Florida has a very nice park at Barefoot Beach which typically does not have many people due to the expense to get in. ... which makes it nice, I don;t care for crowded beaches. Here are some pics from the two days.... Barefoot Beach on 5-8-09 Low Tide on Barefoot Beach 5-09-09                               Sunset 5-9-09 05/09/2009

We are finally under 10,000 active listings in Naples current total as of May 8th 2009 is 9,784 listings. What you might find interesting is how those listings break down. 81.5% of all listings are Regular Deals (though we know probably half of those listings are over priced) 16% of all listings are Potential Short Sales 2.5% are REO’s Bank Owned Properties (I thought that number would be higher) I’m sure all of you have felt the market has changed for the better since March 2009 a lot of multiple offers going on out there making it harder to secure the deal. Here’s some stats that show just exactly what’s been going on since the beginning of 2009. January had 4,131 new listings and 541 sold that’s 13% February had 3,266 new listings and 625 sold that’s 19% March had 3,705 new listings ... 05/08/2009

Over the past couple of months I've had the luxury of having a listing in the Contessa at Bay Colony.  If you haven't been there lately, you really need to check it out.  Although the building was built in 1991, it has recently undergone a beautiful remodel both inside and out and shows extremely well.  The unit (1002) I have listed is EXCEPTIONAL.  The current owners (who have been outstanding to work for) did a stunning remodel on their unit as well and had it furnished when they purchased back in 2005 so the whole living experience feels like brand new. Contessa at Bay Colony offers 24 hour security which is a nice amenity and although the crime rate in Naples is near non existent, it's still a nice feature to have but what I've noticed more is how a security guard can almost be the ... 05/08/2009

Greg Gorman, PA | John R Wood REALTORS | greg@teamparadise.com | 239-280-2225 523 Clubside Dr, Naples, FL Harbourage at Wiggins Bay 2BR/2BA Condo offered at $270,000 Year Built 1986 Sq Footage 1,200 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 1 Covered spaces Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $434 per month DESCRIPTION Absolutely gorgeous and completely remodeled including new kitchen cabinets & hardware, granite counters, stainless appliances, lighting, crown molding & 6" base boards, over sized tile on the diagonal, new vanities & hardware in both bathrooms, master with walk-in shower plus glass block features, new bath lighting and best of all, no-one has occupied the condo since all the rennovations so it's just like new. An open porch is located off the eat-in kitchen and... 05/07/2009

It's May! That time of year when evidence of our precious snowbirds leaving town grows more apparent since I can now make my 5 mile drive to the office in once again record time.  This is a time when I see some of my favorite colleagues pack up and take off for summer homes or long elaborate vacations...when rains start...wait we're a still a little premature for that this year and when agents stop answering their phones....huh? We should also be hearing the phone ring less and noticing fewer emails come in but for some funny reason it's quite the opposite for us in Naples Florida this year.  Is it because it's the official start of bargain season?  Maybe, is it because there's a few who think "now's the time to buy"...I've heard that too.  It's pretty active regardless the reason.  Due... 05/06/2009

If you're an avid golfer then chances are you've heard about the 100+ golf courses in Naples Florida.  In fact, Naples has been called the golf capital of the world with more holes per capita than any place else but I don't know if that's actually been confirmed.  I'm not a golfer.  Dad didn't have me swinging a club when I was 2.  I'm one of those who doesn't really get it nor have I really been able to grasp those crazy fees clubs around town have been known to charge BUT if you are one of those golfing enthusiasts and you haven't been paying attention to what's been going on with those crazy fees, you're going to want to keep reading! Many of the best golf courses in Naples are finally starting to reduce their fees and offer incentives!  Just last week I received an email with golf d... 05/04/2009

The Strada - "uptown residences" - at the Mercato Naples, Florida has announced its Grand Opening and grand opening prices. Residences start from $355,000 and furnished lease-back units are available also - two of three remain pictured below.    The amenities at The Strada are terrific beginning with the beautifully landscaped roof-top sundeck and infinity-edge swimming pool, exercise center, spa and lap pool, private beach shuttle, entertaining center with catering kitchen, fireplace, and flat screen TV. All this in addition to the amenities at the Mercato - shopping, dining, and the Silverspot Cinema. Some of the store and shops are: Whole Foods Market | The Capital Grille | Books-a-Million | Coldwater Creek | Sur la tableJos. A. Bank | McCormick & Schmick's Seafood | Signatures | Z G... 05/04/2009

The Pelican Bay Pink Pages is now in circulation!  Here's an example of the first issue below: The Pelican Bay Pink Pages offers a huge amount of information like: Listings of Pelican Bay open houses Current Pelican Bay market trends Pelican Bay neighborhood updates Inventory reports The ability to search Pelican Bay homes The ability to search Pelican Bay condos Pelican Bay closed sale information Buy strategies and trends Selling strategies and trends There's more content than any blog or website can offer and it comes directly to you so you can be up to date on the latest Pelican Bay happenings. Sign up and see for yourself here! Sign up by shooting me a quick email: slefevre@johnrwood.com  Best Regards, Your Naples Smart Girl! 05/04/2009

The Naples Florida real estate market is amidst an interesting transition right now! The lower ended market is getting HOT, HOT, HOT while the upper ended market is still struggling a little.  As an example, see the email I received today: Shannon, Do you believe the selling price your customer offered is actually a good and fair transaction for all parties involved?I cannot find a recorded sale that defends that price point. Dr. (confidential) placed a counter offer out to your customer that has received no response or reply.If you are authorized to be making a counter-offer kindly do so. The sale price of Unit (confidential) shows and confirms the values within this complex.Dr. (confidential's) offer to your customer is a tremendous value.  The sale price of $(confidential) as is with... 05/03/2009

Pelican Bay & Bay Colony   Click Here To See Our Commercial   Click On The Picture To Learn More Click Here to Learn About The Fantastic Golf Club Naples Florida is One of " One of America's Best Cities" to Live  in as reported by the New York Times and the Robb Report.  It was voted the #1 Beach by the travel channel. Yet it is still a small quaint town close to the beach with perfect weather and close to Gulf Coast University and the International College! Pelican Bay and Bay Colony is one of the nicest communities in Naples Florida!  Choose your perfect dream home, condo or villa priced from $400,000 to $18 million.  Prices are not going down on beach front property so buy now! 2.5 Miles of pure white sandy Beaches, Boating,  36+ Holes of Golf, 18 Tennis Courts, The Naples Phil Harm... 05/01/2009

After chatting with a few Naples Florida "investors" lately, I've noticed a bit of a misconception about our Naples Florida real estate market.  Hopefully, I can clear some of this up to help you make your next Naples purchase both possible and enjoyable.  The % off the list price has NOTHING to do with the depth of your deal! For whatever reason, some people are under the impression they are only going to get a great deal if they end up negotiating off a certain percentage of the list price.  For example; I had a gentleman last week offer 62% of the list price on a property in Pelican Bay.  A Bay Colony home was actually negotiated this year at 63% but this is not a common occurrence and to expect it is actually unrealistic.  In fact there's only been one negotiation like that in over ... 04/28/2009